For the record, the phrase “killing your darlings” means something different in creative writing circles. But just for today: can we talk about death in fiction?
As I am (apparently) prone to do, I was once listening in on a conversation between customers in the bookstore where I work. They got on the subject of a certain book series (I will not name the author or the series here because, due to reasons, I do not want to draw any attention to them) in which the concluding book resulted in a lot of main character deaths. And one of the things mentioned in this conversation was that “so-and-so” was the “most pointless death of all.”
Now, I do not mean to step on anyone’s emotions. You are free to feel how you feel, especially about something as personal as the death of a beloved fictional character (Oh boy, have I been there. In fact, I used to think I was cursed… But that’s another story for another time). However, when this person uttered those words, I was also free to have my immediate thought, which was: “Well, yeah. Death is usually pointless.”
*Cue my shrug and expression twisted to imply the words, “I don’t know what to tell ya.”*
Yes, we could argue that deaths in fiction should always have a purpose or meaning behind them, just as every other detail should have its purpose and/or meaning. Maybe the death of a loved one is what sends the hero on their journey—or maybe it is what drives their emotions and therefore their determination to see their journey through to the end. Maybe the death of a main character is fully intended to leave the reader with feelings of sadness, or frustration, or in rare instances, even hope—or, most likely, a simple sense of closure.
But the truth about death, for most people who are still living, is that it is pointless. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be set on such beliefs that a person “went too soon,” or that “only the good die young.” We wouldn’t be so devastated when someone we love passes from our own world. As human beings, we do not understand death, and therefore the event rarely has any rhyme or reason in our own realities. Why should it be any different for our fiction?
Sometimes death is just death—whether in real life or in the stories we tell. Sometimes it is simply an inevitability that must be faced by our characters in one way or another–especially if those characters are experiencing war. And, sometimes, it doesn’t need a reason other than the fact that a character’s writer decided they had run out their usefulness to the plot, much like a deity might point their almighty finger at some mortal and announce, “That’s enough.”
Sometimes, perhaps, pointlessness is exactly the point.
Night Owls, what was your most devastating loss of a fictional character? Do you think their death had a “point” to it? (Try to be mindful of spoiler warnings!)
(Originally Published August 21st, 2026)
Your essay reminds me of a book series that I read a very long time ago. It revolves around a civilization rebuilding itself after a catastrophic event in the city formerly known as Chicago. The characters were separating themselves according to specific personality traits instead of unifying together and finding strength in their differences. As the story unfolds, it’s revealed that some characters may have additional traits that could cause them great danger. The story continues on but at the conclusion, the main character dies. I literally cried! Maybe because the death was unexpected. Maybe I liked that character much more than I realized. Maybe the death seemed pointless. However, I understood that the death was not pointless at all. It was a sacrifice for the greater good. How uplifted I was when those remaining found a beautiful way to celebrate the life, the sacrifice and their great love for this character. They learned the importance of finding their own strength to continue on and hopefully make their own lives better. You have inspired me to read it again soon. Thank you!
I know exactly which series you are talking about. I also cried at the end, and I agree with you that what came from the “pointlessness” of the death was a touching remembrance and a promise from the surviving characters to move on and do better. Frankly, I think that concept made me cry more than the death itself did! I think some readers might have been disappointed by the ending, but the way things came together seemed fitting to me. Upsetting, sure, but fitting. I should pick that series up again, too!