10 Movie Heroes Forced To Kill For The Greater Good
5. Michael Corleone Protects His Father - The Godfather
The Godfather Part II's most heart-breaking moment - in which Michael is forced to put out a hit on his brother Fredo for his betrayal - ranks pretty highly on the list of deaths for the greater good, but it's more like vengeance and Michael doesn't do the deed himself in the end. Fredo does have to die for the good of the family, but he's already committed his crime when he dies.
More fitting is Michael Corleone's slaying in the first movie of Sollozzo and McCluskey in the Bronx in retaliation for the assassination attempts on his father and to advance the power of his family. It might not be a Greater Good in conventionally moral terms, but Michael turning his back on "normal" life and embracing his role as Vito's heir (even before Sonny's death) is very much done for the Greater Good of the Corleone family. And with it, his dream of not being involved in the mafia dies.
That's the undercurrent to that stunning scene and the reason for its stunning impact.