10 Saddest Heroic Sacrifices In Video Games
4. Gears Of War 3 - Dom Santiago
Character development in the Gears Of War series had always been a bit lacking. Considering most of the characters spoke in the same gravel-laced tones and only snippets of their lives were discussed, in a way it was difficult to get invested in any of them.
Except for Dom Santiago; a man whose life was laid out from beginning to end in a very human narrative that in the second game hit its peak when he euthanizes his dying wife. After that moment, Dom's life had a countdown that would run out soon. As Marcus Fenix' best friend, we expected those two to be very last guys back-to-back blasting away at the Locust army.
It is in the game's mid-point, when the heroes are overrun by a Locust and Lambent horde, Dom creates an explosion that not only saves his comrades, but gives emotional catharsis to the character as he (at least for him) is reuniting with his lost wife.
Marcus Fenix isn't the kind to feel emotions; we hardly ever see him smile never mind shed a tear for a loved one, but it's seeing his reaction to his best friend's death that kills us every time.