10 Movie Villains Killed By Characters Nobody Expected

One of Superman's defining characteristics is his no-kill policy, whereby he simply refuses to use his powers to murder his enemies, no matter how vicious they might be.

Despite the grittier, darker vision of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, most fans nevertheless expected that this maxim would carry over to his version of Superman (Henry Cavill).

The assumption was that Supes would either find a way to trap General Zod (Michael Shannon) back in the Phantom Zone, or he'd be conveniently killed by another character entirely - much like how Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) killed Bane (Tom Hardy) in The Dark Knight Rises.

But alas, the movie ends with Zod firing his heat vision at a nearby family, apparently leaving Superman with no other decision but to kill Zod, snapping his neck.

And so, one of the most divisive moments in the history of superhero movies was born.

Some complained that Superman should've found another way to deal with Zod, while others praised the film for illustrating how impractical black-and-white no-kill policies actually are in real life.

Whether you loved it or hated it, nobody saw this coming.