5 Horror Movie Characters Who Should Have Died (And 5 We Wish Hadn’t)

You can't have a good horror movie without a slew of grisly, gruesome, and gory deaths. For decades, audiences have been left aghast by the disgustingly creative horror movie kills, and, generally speaking, no character is safe from meeting a horrifying fate.

Whether it be the cruel kill-traps used by the Jigsaw Killer in the Saw series, the spine-chilling slashings perpetrated by Michael Myers in Halloween, or the frightening freak accidents which befall the victims of the Final Destination franchise, horror movie characters are destined to dance with death.

However, there are often some characters who deserve a better fate, and their tragic deaths have us reaching for the tissues instead of hiding behind our sofas. For example, should Randy Meeks have actually survived Scream 2, outsmarting the killer as he was seemingly destined to do? Was Nancy's death in Nightmare on Elm Street 3 a bad call?

Conversely, others somehow manage to escape their ostensibly inevitable ends, ultimately surviving the film when, honestly, we really wish that they hadn't.

Although not a hit amongst critics, It: Chapter Two did manage to bring to a close this recent two-part adaptation of Stephen King's eponymous, clown-themed novel. Considered by fans and critics alike as bloated and overlong, many nonetheless agreed that both the child and adult casts provided stellar performances, and the characters remained charming, engaging, and endearing.

Although The Losers' Club do eventually defeat Pennywise, the evil and murderous clown-cum-demon who has haunted the group since childhood, death and misery continue to haunt this ill-fated group of friends.

Notably, Edward 'Eddie' Kaspbrak (James Ransone, who bears a truly uncanny resemblance to the actor who played the younger Eddie), the anxious hypochondriac, tragically sacrifices himself in order to save Richie (Bill Hader).

Prior to Eddie's unfortunate demise, the audience learn that his anxiety-ridden adulthood has been as miserable as his childhood, and his overbearing, over-critical wife is strikingly similar to his controlling mother.

All in all, Eddie cuts a tragic figure, someone who thrived neither in childhood nor as an adult. Although in death he does save his friends, which makes him something of a hero, we really wish we could have seen Eddie enjoy a happy ending.