18 Most Heartbreaking Moments In The MCU (So Far)

Even with the controversy surrounding her casting, there's no denying that Tilda Swinton's Ancient One bore a lot of the wisdom and empathy expected from such an old Master of the Mystic Arts.

Her death, brought about by a great fall in a fight against the enemy Kaecilius, was a beautiful and quiet moment in a film full of grand special effects and martial arts. Speaking to Strange on the Astral Plane even as her body dies on the operating table in a hospital, she assures Strange of his place as a great sorcerer and reminds him of the importance of others in his life, for good or ill.

She then ends this conversation by wistfully speaking of how she thought she'd be ready for death, having lived for so long. How in the end, she draws her last moments out for as long as possible, just to watch the snow fall one last time. This shows a vulnerability and humanity in a figure so shrouded in mysticism and power, and is an effective and emotional end for such a prominent figure.