10 More Great Movie Characters Who Die At The Beginning
3. Joe Gardner - Soul
Pixar's Soul was given a tough time upon release, as it came in 2020 at the height of the worldwide pandemic and released both in cinemas and on Disney+ simultaneously. However, the movie did ultimately win the Oscar for Best Animated Film, and is a wonderful story about the beauty of life.
In Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), Soul had everything you could want from a protagonist. He was a passionate, loveable underdog who was just flawed enough to make a positive change in his life before the credits rolled.
As a ridiculously over-qualified middle school band teacher, Joe wanted to be a jazz musician, and on the day he earned his big break, what would have been the biggest opportunity of his life, he fell down a manhole and died. This was to be what transformed his life from meaningless to his dream, and so he didn't accept his death in the afterlife.
The rest of the film is about trying to reunite his soul with his body to get back to his life, with the young Soul 22 on board for the ride before he ultimately learns that life itself is worth living unconditionally. He even sacrifices his own life to allow Soul 22 the chance to finally live hers.