20 Best Movie Deaths Of The Decade

8. "Death Is Better Than Bondage" - Black Panther (2018)

In most MCU films, the villains die in the midst of their plans for world dominion or more general power grabbing. That's just what happens when you're playing with moral absolutes and the audience has to buy into the brand of the heroes.

But then as the Marvel franchise got longer in the tooth, the ideas of morality explored became more complex and later villains became empathetic and even understandable. Sure, they might have taken things a little far, but they weren't without cause or justification, which is why Erik Killmonger in Black Panther was so great. In other worlds, he could have been the hero.

Ultimately, "good" prevails and Killmonger is mortally wounded by T'Challa, but when he's given the opportunity of the medical assistance that would save him, he offered the most iconic final line of pretty much any film: "Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from ships, 'cause they knew death was better than bondage."

He then removes the blade in his chest and bleeds out, dying on his own terms and managing to ensure T'Challa is not entirely absolved of the sins of his father.