12 Most Tragic Movie Characters Of All Time

As long as the art of storytelling has existed, there have been tragic characters — and film is no exception. Whether they are grief-stricken heroes or multi-faceted villains that elicit our sympathy, these figures play an important role in giving a plot more depth and complexity. Some of them might be people who try to do the right thing but have flaws that threaten to stand in the way, while others might be bad guys that the audience can relate to because of their sad or tragic origins. 

Some of the most famous characters in fictional history have an element of tragedy to them. In fact, it is a trait that is often essential for a narrative to be impactful — ensuring that protagonists and antagonists are not simply one-dimensional figures but that they have multiple sides to their personalities. These are characters that appeal to our intrinsic need to try and see the good in everyone, and they're incredibly effective at evoking our emotions and making us feel invested in their story.

All of these characters have some sort of dark side to them or a tragic backstory underpinning everything that they do. But that is what makes them memorable to viewers and helps them become such legendary individuals to audiences. Here are some of the best tragic movie characters of all time.

"Jaws" is a 1975 thriller by director Steven Spielberg that has become a classic of the genre — setting a new standard for this type of film. From the famous soundtrack by John Williams to the great acting from a cast that included Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw, its clear to see why "Jaws" is considered one of the all-time greats. The film tells the story of a rampaging shark in a coastal town that kills and maims beachgoers. This forces police chief Martin Brody and professional shark hunter Quint to team up to try and kill the creature before it can cause any more carnage.

Very little is known about Quint other than the fact that he is an experienced shark hunter who had once served in the navy during World War II. During a conversation on his boat — the Orca — while searching for the deadly great white it is revealed that he was aboard the USS Indianapolis when it sank, with many of the sailors being killed by numerous shark attacks (via Smithsonian Magazine).

Having watched the sharks kill hundreds of his comrades — and waiting in fear for the same fate — Quint is wracked with survivor's guilt and becomes bordeline obsessive in his quest to hunt and kill sharks. Everything he does in "Jaws" is a result of this tragic event, and sadly he meets the same end when the shark finally defeats him in the film's closing moments.

The story of "Romeo and Juliet" by English playwright William Shakespeare tells the tale of arguably the two most tragic lovers in fiction. The play has been adapted a number of times but the most well-known of these is the 1996 film "Romeo + Juliet." The two youngsters are portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, with the rest of the cast including the likes of Harold Perrineau, John Leguizamo, and Paul Rudd.

Like the original story, "Romeo + Juliet" follows the title characters as they fall in love. As heirs of two warring families — the Capulets and Montagues — they are forbidden from meeting, but they defy their parents in order to marry. Yet, their plans are thwarted by the heads of both families, forcing them to elope and wed in secret.

Their romance is a whirlwind from start to finish and filled with tragedy. Tybalt — Juliet's cousin — attempts to kill Romeo but the young man refuses to fight back and the confrontation eventually ends with the death of Romeo's friend, Mercutio. Meanwhile, Juliet is betrothed to Paris against her will. Unwilling to marry someone other than Romeo, she fakes her death, prompting Romeo to purchase poison so that he can take his own life. Upon waking to discover Romeo is dead, Juliet stabs herself, leaving both families in turmoil and engulfed in grief.

It could be argued that half of the characters in the "Harry Potter" series are tragic in some way. The titular character is orphaned and spends his life being pursued by Voldemort, Snape loses the love of his life and is forced to live a double life, while innocent students such as Cedric Diggory are brutally killed. Yet, it is hard to argue that there is a more sorrowful character than Sirius Black.

Everything about his life is filled with sadness. He was brought up in a bigoted pure-blood family that stood for everything that Sirius hated, making him an outcast with those to who he should have been closest. He later fought in the war against Voldemort alongside his school friends Remus Lupin, James and Lily Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. When the dark wizard killed James and Lily, Sirius not only had to deal with the death of his best friends but the fact it was Peter who betrayed them.

Framed for the murder of Peter and blamed for the deaths of his friends, Sirius was sent to Azkaban Prison and subjected to the terrifying Dementors on a daily basis. When he was eventually able to escape and meet with his godson Harry, things still didn't get much better for him. Just as Sirius begins to bond with Harry, he is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, putting an end to a life that was filled with constant grief.

Since making his first appearance on the big screen in 1933, "King Kong" — the titular giant ape — has become one of the most recognizable monsters in all of cinema. Over the years, the story of this huge gorilla-like creature has been retold, and still captivates audiences. Hailing from Skull Island, he is one of many oversized and prehistoric animals — including dinosaurs and giant spiders — that live in isolation from the rest of the world.

While it can't be said that Kong is a pleasant or even a kind creature, he poses no real threat to humanity without provocation. It is only when an American film crew comes to Skull Island that he responds with hostility. Determined to protect Ann — an actress who travels with the crew to the island — Kong does everything in his power to keep her safe but is captured and taken to New York as a slave to provide entertainment. Forcibly taken from his home, it is understandable why he might react with violence.

Yet, he only breaks free of his chains and attacks when he feels that he and Ann are under attack when being photographed. Climbing the Empire State Building to try and reach safety, the beast falls and dies after being attacked by aircraft, dying in an unfamiliar land where he was treated as an exhibit to make others money.

Randy Robinson is the subject of "The Wrestler" — a 2008 film that sees Mickey Rourke play the main character. His performance led to a best actor nomination at the Academy Awards in 2009 and the film itself received universal critical acclaim. Rourke's character is a professional wrestler who has long since passed his prime. Now forced to work in a store under a mocking manager, his only joy in life comes from wrestling in small independent productions at the weekend — activities that batter his aging body and leave him in constant pain.

That's the true tragedy of Randy "The Ram" Robinson's life. The thing that makes him happy is also killing him and preventing him from finding any meaning outside of his former vocation. Throughout the movie, he also attempts to reconcile with his daughter and start a romantic relationship with a stripper named Cassidy. Both reject his advances and the now old man is left with nothing other than his diminishing wrestling career — something that is also taken away from him when he suffers a near-fatal heart attack.

Forbidden by doctors from taking part in any more matches, Robinson decides to enter the ring once more to battle his archnemesis. Becoming unsteady on his feet during the fight and experiencing chest pain, the wrestler insists on performing his signature move. As he jumps from the top of the ropes the film ends, suggesting that this once-great fighter died in the ring doing the one thing that he truly loved.

In some ways, it is hard to argue that Anakin Skywalker is a tragic character. After all, when the audience first encounters him he is the evil Sith Lord known as Darth Vader. Wearing a menacing black suit and mask, he is a terrifying villain who does everything in his power to destroy the Rebel Alliance — even going so far as to sanction the destruction of a planet and torturing Princess Leia.

Yet, the history of Vader is far more complex than that. When he was first discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn, he was living with his single mother as a slave on Tatooine. That was the only life he had known before he was taken away from his friends and mother to become a Jedi. When he was finally able to return to his home planet to reconnect with his family he was met only with tragedy, with his mother dying in his arms after being kidnapped and tortured by the Tusken Raiders.

In some ways, suffering such pain makes Anakin's descent into darkness all the more understandable. However, he was also manipulated by one of the most powerful Sith of all time in the form of Palpatine — who used Anakin's love for Padmé against him. Palpatine also managed to use Anakin's pride and fear to lure him to the dark side — ensuring he lost everything and everyone he loved, which turned him into a pained and embittered villain.