5. Léon - Léon
Who Is He?: A "cleaner"; a hitman for hire who lives in New York City and does little in his spare time other than tend to a plant and watch Gene Kelly musicals. This all changes when he encounters young Mathilda, taking her under his wing and helping her to get revenge against the corrupt DEA Agent Stansfield who killed her family.
How Does He Die?: While escaping from his apartment building disguised as a wounded soldier, Stansfield shoots him in the back, mortally wounding him. Leon gets the last laugh, though, by rigging himself up with explosives in case of something like this, handing the pulled pin to Stansfield and blowing the pair of them to smithereens.
Why He Should Have Lived: We saw Leon grow throughout the film, from a rather childlike figure who just happens to excel at murder, to a caring human being who actually forged a meaningful relationship with someone. To see that all blown away in an instant is mortifying, even if it totally suits the tone of the narrative.