10 More Important Movie Characters Who Were Killed Off Screen

4. Sam - I Am Legend

Important Off Screen Deaths
Warner Bros.

As the last man on Earth in 2007's I Am Legend, Robert Neville (Will Smith) found companionship in man's best friend, his German Shepherd Sam. They were as close as anyone could have been, which made Sam's ultimate fate so tough to swallow. Humans die in films all the time, but the death of an animal - especially a dog - can often hit so much harder.

At the very least, the audience didn't have to see it happen. After a scuffle with the vampire/zombie-esque Darkseekers, Sam was hurt. While Robert was consoling her, he realised that she had been infected - which led to a heartbreaking but impossible decision being made.

Sam snarls and struggles while the camera zooms in on Will Smith's face, with noises out of frame and Neville's anguished expression filling in the blanks.

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