10 Movie Deaths No-One Was Ready For

2. Dobby The House Elf - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Most of the time, you can discount any adapted works from discussions about unexpected events, because whatever happens has generally been written on the page first. In the most impressive of cases, though, the fact that we know what's coming doesn't give you time to prepare yourself for the impact.

That's very much the case with Dobby, whose devastating death at the end of the first half of The Deathly Hallows is actually helped by the almost flippant way Hedwig dies earlier on. We're led to believe from that that the cost of the war against Voldemort is such a normal thing now that it's barely worth mourning.

And then Dobby turns up, saves the heroes from the bowels of the Malfoy mansion and is stabbed by Bellatrix Lestrange as they make their escape. Watching that poor little alien-like creature, vulnerable and mortally wounded in Harry's arms express his gratitude for the friendship that had been his only wish is just too much.