10 Saddest Character Deaths In Movie History
5. Spock - Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
The Star Trek franchise isn't the first to spring to mind when it comes to the sad death of a character, although it is certainly one which has taken the concept of emotions in a futuristic direction, not least with the Vulcans for whom the development of techniques used to suppress them became a pivotal turning point in the evolution of their race.
One of the many appeals to the character of Spock (played iconically by Leonard Nimoy) is how his own exploration of his half-human side - and the feelings this forces him to confront and assimilate - sums up our own duality between cold logic and unchecked emotions.
His death from radiation poisoning in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, and the exchange between himself and Captain Kirk through radiation-proof glass, perfectly encapsulates this dichotomy - even as his voice falters as he dies, his adherence to the reason which has guided him through life leads him to conclude, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - or the one."
Yet equally his humanity shines through in his last words, his recognition of his dear friendship with Kirk and wish that he live long on prosper, sentiments embellished by James Horner's bittersweet score. Were it not for Nimoy's insistence prior to production, this dramatic and moving death scene would never have existed.