20 Most Important Film Deaths This Decade

9. Albus Dumbledore - Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (2009)

One of the most pivotal and iconic moments in the Harry Potter franchise came when Draco arrived to kill Dumbledore, as was chosen by Voldemort. However, when Draco finds he cannot bring himself to commit such an act, Snape instead casts the Killing Curse, causing Dumbledore to fall from the Astronomy Tower, to Harry's absolute horror. This moment made Snape easy to despise, though it crucially is given additional context in the final movie, The Deathly Hallows Part 2, when it's revealed that Dumbledore's final words, "Severus, please...", were a request to die at Snape's hand rather than Malfoy's so as not to taint Malfoy's soul with murder. Coming as a request from Dumbledore at Snape's knowing hand, however (who was aware that Dumbledore was dying anyway), it would not tarnish Snape's soul and give him a quick death. These later revelations may have softened the blow, but at the time, seeing such a beloved character perish was absolutely devastating to any hardcore Potter fan, if completely in line with the series' increasingly dark and mature tone.