10 Sci-Fi Movie Death Scenes That Came Out Of Nowhere

Serenity was Joss Whedon's attempt to appease angry fans who were not quite over the unfair cancellation of Firefly. It was released in 2005, two years after the show came to an end, and captured the essence of what fans loved about the series; fun characters, dialogue, effective villains and an engaging plot. It also features a seriously shocking death which never fails to catch first-timers off guard.

Having successfully piloted the Serenity through the crossfire of a Reaver/Alliance battle, Wash (Alan Tudyk) manages to land the ship safely on the ground below despite it being damaged. He lands, the scene goes quiet, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Then, with literally no warning, a Reaver spear impales the ship and its fan-favourite pilot, killing him instantly.

The death itself is shocking, but what's more shocking is the fact that it happened to arguably the show's most beloved character. Then again, Whedon is no stranger to killing everyone's favourite characters, so maybe it's our fault for forgetting who we were dealing with.

Joss Whedon: Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!