When and how does killing off a character add value to the narrative?

[Finchbearer]

I think Devors point on dealing with grief is a good one, although GoT is a totally different beast compared to Stranger Things.

When I read a book there are usually a few different types of characters who get killed off - the character that you grow to hate so much you want them dead - the sideline character who redeems themselves just before they die - the side character who is superfluous to the plot - the very old character who is naturally coming to the end of their life - and a main character who you love, and really don’t want to die - the character who is pivotal to the plot, but who we hardly get to know before they die (common in thrillers).

I have a very old character who is coming to the natural end of their life in one of my stories, and dealing with death in that story is for me, something I want the reader feel emotional about, but that’s a different emotion to reading about someone who’s life is cut too short. Killing off the bad guy can be a satisfying for the writer and reader both, but there has to be a tension build up imo.

I could go on, but you get my gist, all about suspension of belief and how you deal with the character you’re going to kill off, built that tension, and write a fairly believable death scene, you’ll be good.

 

[Foxkeyes]

Killing off a character is a great way to emotionally engage with your audience. Shock them. Surprise them. Make them happy, sad, or whatever, as long as you move them in some way.

But be careful how you do it, especially if you kill off a much loved character. The reader may be so emotionally involved they get upset and abandon (or take a break from) the story.

I experienced this close to the end of The Book Thief when the protagonist, Liesel's, friends and family are killed in an allied bombing. I got so upset, a few weeks passed before I could finish the book. It was not a nice experience, and one of the faults of an otherwise great book.

One way to 'soften the blow' of a character dying is to foreshadow the event so it doesn't come as a complete shock.

 

[The Dark One]

I experienced this close to the end of The Book Thief when the protagonist, Liesel's, friends and family are killed in an allied bombing. I got so upset, a few weeks passed before I could finish the book. It was not a nice experience, and one of the faults of an otherwise great book.

One way to 'soften the blow' of a character dying is to foreshadow the event so it doesn't come as a complete shock.

Given that the narrator was Death, I don't think you could be shocked by what happened in The Book Thief. It was pretty much inevitable.

TBT is an absolute masterpiece and I hope this discussion doesn't serve as a spoiler for those yet to read it.

 

[BearBear]

Mass effect 3, when originally released, did much worse. I never played another EA game again.

Why? Because they hired a writer and director that didn't know the lore, didn't care for the heart of the game and blew it.

Why? Artistic license.

It happens all the time, is it a good idea? Well it can work, though examples slip my mind. I am challenging myself to kill off a main character, I have to because this book is going for maximum reaction but I hate it. I want my readers to either hate me or be ruined for all other authors, this will make me hate myself so I suppose it is working since I'm my only reader so far.

Game of thrones killed off a lot of characters and I hated it. It gave me reactive attachment syndrome. Stephen King too. No thanks.

So sometimes it's a necessary part of your progression as a writer, but don't expect it to make you popular to the masses, at best you'll be controversial and split your audience in my opinion.

 

[Gurkhal]

I will admitt that I have both saved and happily cut down characters without a second thought if it was planned in the story. I can't say that I've ever gone angsty about the death of any character death in my stories but then again I don't grow overy attached to them being alive.

In "Hussar Life" for example the death of the protagonist is a very important to the story. No way he survive past his appointed death or the story will be ruined.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Killing off a character is a great way to emotionally engage with your audience. Shock them. Surprise them. Make them happy, sad, or whatever, as long as you move them in some way.

But be careful how you do it, especially if you kill off a much loved character. The reader may be so emotionally involved they get upset and abandon (or take a break from) the story.

I experienced this close to the end of The Book Thief when the protagonist, Liesel's, friends and family are killed in an allied bombing. I got so upset, a few weeks passed before I could finish the book. It was not a nice experience, and one of the faults of an otherwise great book.

One way to 'soften the blow' of a character dying is to foreshadow the event so it doesn't come as a complete shock.

Killing off a character, I'm not talking 'red shirts' but key characters like frodo baggins or Obi Wan for an explicit purpose other than shock value is fine.
But personally I'd much prefer two things to happen.
1: Said characters death has impact on characters around them, possibly even altering the baddies plan to compensate for what they might do for revenge.
2: Said characters had to have some importance to the plot/party before their death. Even a non-red shirt dying can have zero value to the story if their role in the story was to just be a cute side character for readers. That way their death has actual weight and it's not just 'oops, they served their purpose so'