10. Wash - Serenity
Universal Pictures
The Line: "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I..."
How He Dies: Because Joss Whedon, that's how. The acclaimed writer-director just can't let his most beloved supporting characters live, and near the end of Serenity, the rag-tag crew are fleeing an aggressive Reaver ship, managing to eventually crash land. All seems fine, and Wash (Alan Tudyk) re-iterates his previous meditative phrase he uses when flying under pressure, or at least tries to, but before he can get the word "soar" out, a Reaver harpoon flies through the cockpit and impales Wash, killing him instantly, to the disgust and heartbreak of Firefly fans the world over. Still, his mad piloting skills saved the rest of the crew from exploding in a mid-air fireball, so it's an apt way to sign-off. That said, it's also a reminder not to start trotting out the smart quips until you're absolutely sure you're out of the line of fire, because it's also kind of humiliating.