10 Most Tragic Deaths In The History Of Comic Book Movies
8. King Leonidas (300)
If you aren't familiar with the heroic tale of the 300, and you're watching the movie, you'll be completely convinced that King Leonidas and his army of 300 Spartan soldiers are going to successfully defeat their Persian opponents. Despite the overwhelming odds, they practically dance through dozens and dozens of Xerxes's men during the course of the film, and come the finale, you'll be expecting a roaring Spartan success.
It comes as quite a saddening shock then, to see Leonidas and his surviving posse of soldiers get mercilessly mowed down by a barrage of Persian arrows and blades. The King has been so steadfast, so strong and so powerful throughout this entire battle that it seems like he can't be killed, and to see him executed so bloodily feels like an utter surprise, and a gut-wrenching stab through the chest.
What makes this even more heartfelt is the fact that he calls out to his wife mere seconds before he dies. You forget that under all their armour and muscle, the 300 were all family-oriented men with hearts of gold, and the fact that they sacrificed themselves to save their people means that they essentially won this battle - even though, tragically, they never lived to see the result.