10 Superhero Movie Clichés Everybody Secretly Loves
7. The Mentor Dies
Tragedy and superheroes go together like ice cream and sprinkles. One of the most important moments in a hero's life comes when he or she experiences the death of a loved one. Many times, this tragedy motivates them to become something greater, to fix or fight against the problems that caused them to die in the first place.
Sometimes, though, this death challenges the hero's readiness to be a symbol for justice, a beacon of hope for those they wish to protect. Typically in these cases, the hero's mentor dies and forces the unprepared hero to take on the mantle before they believe they are ready.
It forces them into discomfort and allows us to see them grow in response to new and sudden obstacles without the aid of someone with more experience. We get to see them find their own path.
It may happen often, but different films explore the death of the mentor in different ways and with each iteration of the trope, we get to witness a different character figure out how to progress on their own, making for a perpetually interesting arc.