10 Worst Ways Movie Characters Have Died In Space

Killed by aliens. Sucked out of spaceships. Melted by the Sun. Why does anyone go to space?

Total Recall
Tri-Star Pictures

Who hasn't dreamed of being an astronaut? The chance to explore the final frontier is something nearly everyone has desired at some point.

Even though the concept of space exploration is wonderful, it can also be pretty terrifying. There's no gravity, oxygen, or natural heat. Technology malfunctions every five minutes, decompression and radiation are a constant threat, and it's filled with asteroids, comets, and all other things that can smash into you.

And guess what? That's just the real world! In movies, space is a thousands times more petrifying.

Even though masterpieces like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien have fuelled our interest and passion for the universe, they also made cosmos look so unwelcome, you wonder why anyone would bother to go up there.

Not only does every sci-fi flick seem to be populated by robots and aliens who have no purpose but to kill humans, every astronaut seems to get sucked into space, incinerated, or ripped apart - or all three.

There are so many space films where characters meet a grisly end, it's hard to tell which one got it the worse...

10. Exposure To Space - Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Total Recall
Marvel Studios

One of the most terrifying aspects of space is... well... space. Since the cosmos isn't particularly oxygen-friendly, anyone who finds themselves outside a shuttle without wearing a protective suit is guaranteed a swift death. Although the average human can survive four minutes without air, the decompression, freezing temperature, water vaporisation, and radiation will ensure you will be dead in about 60 seconds.

Even though films like Event Horizon and tv shows like Farscape depict astronauts swelling up or imploding when they're chucked out of an airlock, the reality isn't as dramatic.

Weirdly, one of the few movies to realistically depict being exposed to outer space is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. (Never thought a comic book movie with talking racoons, trees, and planets could be deemed "scientifically accurate").

After Star-Lord's stepfather, Yondu flies them both off a collapsing world, they realise that they only have one oxygen pack between them. Without hesitation, Yondu places the pack on his adopted son after they cross the planet's atmosphere.

Within an instant, ice crystallises around Yondu, showing that he is freezing from the inside-out. As horrific as it is to witness, it takes less than a minute for Yondu to bite the dust.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85