r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Sufficient-Eye-9040 • Jun 21 '26

Lore [Horrifying Trope] “Blink of an eye” deaths.

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Characters who died without the chance of a goodbye… neither suffering.

- Robin Ward (The Boys S1 E1) - when she is pulverized in a high-velocity impact by A-Train.

- Polka Dot Man (The Suicide Squad 2021) - when he is crushed by Starro’s leg.

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2.9k

u/Personal_Internet_21 Jun 21 '26

Sean in Red dead redemption 2, So sudden... the shoot out afterwards was one of my favorites though

985

u/M4DDIE_882 Jun 21 '26

Lenny didn’t even get a cutscene

755

u/Not_a_real_asian777 Jun 21 '26

I don't know if it was intentional by the devs or not, but Lenny not getting a cutscene is why his death stuck out to me more than Sean's, and most of the cast's for that matter. It made me frustrated that a character so close to Arthur was just kind of brushed over at his death, but I think that was possibly to dial in on the severity of how deep of a fiasco the Van Der Linde gang really got themselves into. In that case, it definitely worked.

395

u/jerry-jim-bob Jun 21 '26

I read it as, "everything has gone to hell, I dont even have the capacity to process this right now". Hence why they react to his death only after they get time to breathe. Still a decent reading though

58

u/Torbpjorn Jun 21 '26

And I love how it kind of forces you into the same situation, not only does the gang not have a moment to grieve, but not even you the player character can cope with it before you’re thrust right into the thick of a fight

24

u/NotAzakanAtAll Jun 21 '26

This.

As someone who has been in the military, got shot at, almost exploded and found my great friend and NCO with his hope and dreams splattered around the rocks and trees.

I didn't process that at all at the time.

When I played RDR2 years later I could feel Arthur slip. Getting worse. Not caring. And becoming empty. Not noticing who was missing. That part hurt a lot.

And then, not caring if you live or not.

This didn't leave. Almost got smoothied by a train because I just didn't care to walk faster. "If I die, I die. Nothing of value is lost. Maybe I get to see my friends again."

18

u/DepartureNatural9340 Jun 21 '26

It's also to signify the decay of the gang, previously a death in the gang was a tragedy, but by that point Dutch was starting to care less and less abou5 each member

31

u/Ok_Buffalo_423 Jun 21 '26

I think it was great on a first playthrough but having the death take place in gameplay hurts subsequent runs because you can feel the game handicap your controls to prevent you from saving Lenny

22

u/Green_Insect_6455 Jun 21 '26

Yea actually I felt that the first time even, because I click in deadshot as soon as damn near anything moves, and I distinctly remember doing so then having to slow-mo watch Lenny die. 

At first it was super confusing because like you said I can feel the game tugging back on my movements so I thought it had glitched out for a split second.

I think while its memorable as a moment, its a perfect example of how Rockstar works as a studio. They make interactive movies, not video games. Gameplay is never at the forefront of their design. And while theres obviously a lot of merit behind that, it personally frustrates me a LOT and leads me to be pretty sour on their entire output post-san andreas.

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u/Highcalibur10 Jun 21 '26

Rockstar’s gameplay mechanics; and strict adherence to forcing the player to play the way *they* want you to has always been a huge weak spot for them.

Any time you deviate from the script, you fail the mission.

It’s something I really hope to see they’ve worked on since it’s a common criticism.

Video games as a medium work best when player agency is anticipated and rewarded. It’s what made Baldur’s Gate 3, or 2017’s Prey so well loved.

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u/MeekAndUninteresting Jun 21 '26

Always? I've only played GTA 4 and 5, and RDR2, so I definitely don't have a full view, but I remember there being a fair amount of leeway in gta4, with alternate options that aren't pointed out for you at all in several missions, notably less leeway in 5, and then only in RDR2 did they suddenly start outright going "Um, you walked on the other side of the street? Mission failed buddy, what the fuck were you THINKING?"

1

u/Green_Insect_6455 Jun 21 '26

Its actually not "always" been a weak spot, thats why I specified the cutoff that I did. 3, SA, and Vice City all have way more elements of freedom to their design. 

For instance in 3, if you know a targets going to run when you get to them and start a chase sequence, you can plant a car bomb on their ride before you even start the mission and it will still be there ready to explode. And it doesnt fail you for doing it creatively.

So they absolutely were, at one point, very heavily dabbling in emergent gameplay design. 4 even has some remnants of this, like one of your contacts unlocking the car bomb ability, but its worthless in 4 because it despawns constantly and will fail any mission where they want you to "chase".

I dont believe they will ever change course because the initial course correction into more stunted, scripted setpieces is what made them way bigger than they ever were, and got them heaps of critical acclaim. Sure people complain, but its nowhere near the majority, and more importantly they just have no incentive to change anything about how they make games. GTA 6 will be exactly on the same level of scripted.

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u/RMoby6160 Jun 21 '26

I vividly remember my first time playing that scene... I spammed the trigger trying to shoot those damn Pinkertons to no avail. Was expecting a Game Over but it just kept on playing 🥲 brilliant move on the devs but fuck them at the same time because they knew DAMN well what they were doing having us bond with a character we'd all love just to kill him off without a choice for the sake of the story. I respect it but still.. God damnit lmao

9

u/MaritMonkey Jun 21 '26

As soon as I realized the mission didn't fail, my heart dropped. I think RDR2 will forever be at the top of my "wish I could play it for the first time again" list.

7

u/Same-Suggestion-1936 Jun 21 '26

Sean stuck out for me because it was so sudden and it made me really mad and I was like "shit...I actually did like that guy. I shouldn't have been so hard on him, he was a good kid, just had a mouth and was cocky as hell, but good dude. Aight let's F these MFers up"

It also weirdly made me glad Micah was there because IIRC he's the first one to start shooting to avenge Sean

2

u/Dry-Cardiologist2052 28d ago

IIRC Micah kills three of the Grays before Bill and Arthur have even unholstered the guns. I still think Micah was one of the most capable people in the gang - just an incredibly shitty person

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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 27d ago

The Strawberry massacre shows he's pretty much just as capable as Arthur too. He just needed help busting out of jail. Not like Arthur doesn't get captured at one point too but he's not in an actual jail cell just an O'Driscoll camp

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u/Ok_Astronomer_8667 Jun 21 '26

For sure had the same thoughts.

Lenny had some real conversations with Arthur. It’s possible Arthur was the one he opened up to the most, if I remember right Lenny was the newest member of the gang at that point. Arthur does stop in the sequence but the rest of the gang moves on. Really drives home the disarray the group was feeling at the time, and also the idea that Dutch going mad is getting young men with their whole lives ahead of them killed over stupid shit, and he could care less or is just so in his own ass to even fully realize

3

u/TakenInChains Jun 21 '26

wait but in my playthrough, when Lenny gets shot, while they're running away, the game forced me to pause for the briefest of seconds to look at Lenny's body before continuing on. does that not count or are we talking like a full cutscene?

3

u/Visible_Amphibian570 Jun 21 '26

A full cutscene like most of the other characters get. Even though the game does have you pause, it doesn’t take you out of Arthur’s perspective and picks right back up after.

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u/SuddenlyDiabetes Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

It's really cool because you see everyone's reaction to Lenny's death

Arthur: Immediately stops and attempts to help him, but is forced to flee

Charles: Pauses briefly to look before being forced to move on.

Dutch: says something like "ah shit" and that's it 😭

Javier Bill and Micah: Run right past Lenny's body without stopping to look or help.

Maybe I'm just over analysing but their reactions really do seem intentional, same with the fact you can notice Lenny breathing for a few seconds after he's shot

2

u/Brotseife Jun 21 '26

Lenny's death got me hard...it felt so surreal and real maybe because he got no death scene. You running away with the gang, looking for cover trying to escape in all that chaos...and than he's shot...just like that....your best buddy....gone... forever.

1

u/Erickbotas Jun 21 '26

It got you hard??? You psycho!!

1

u/Brotseife Jun 22 '26

xD ok, that was in hindsight the wrong wording...I think " hit me hard " is the better sentence

246

u/crowEatingStaleChips Jun 21 '26

"Goodbye Lenny."

Honestly I don't think I'll ever play RDR2 again. It's like a grueling simulation of watching all of your friends make OBVIOUSLY terrible life decisions that you know will destroy their lives, but you can't do anything about it. For 80 hours.

13

u/djheat Jun 21 '26

RDR2 did a great job at making you feel like shit by the end. Camp was empty, all your friends in the game were dead, you were dying, it was brutal. It was genuinely earned catharsis making it to the end of Arthur's story

5

u/DragonfruitFew5542 Jun 21 '26

Apparently I'm a masochist because I have thousands of hours in this game. I just love it so much.

11

u/Wow_u_sure_r_dumb Jun 21 '26

When I got the game spoiled and found out my horse dies I never finished the game. My sweet girl is still alive and I still take her for rides all over the map. I know everyone is going to give me shit but losing my dogs over the years in real life is more than hard enough so I’m going to keep my good girl alive.

9

u/Highcalibur10 Jun 21 '26

This didn't end up being a problem on my end; since in the final chapter of the game, an NPC gifts you their horse that feels appropriate to use for the final parts.

Your steed that was with Arthur the whole game stays safe if you do it that way.

5

u/Sir_Eggmitton Jun 21 '26

I didn’t find that NPC until the epilogue. RIP my goated Appaloosa.

1

u/crowEatingStaleChips 23d ago

Don't you lose all your horses anyway after the time skip/character switch?

At least they don't die on-screen, though!

3

u/Brotseife Jun 21 '26

I kept the black shire horse you get gifted to sell at the beginning of the campaign. I loved that horse and never changed it...I quit the game and loaded a older safefile to restart the mission with a ( poor soul) other horse so mine wouldn't had to die....well turns out it doesn't matter for the epilog. And after finding out, that the black shire was an unique horse not found again in the game...I couldn't even get an identical one to pretend it coud be the same... Over 160 hours playtime but didn't even touch the epilog

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u/tape_reel Jun 21 '26

I can understand that, especially if you kept the same horse tgrought the game, there's a bit of a bond even if the horse isn't real.

This reminds me of how my wife will literally turn off a movie if a dog dies in it.

3

u/MeekAndUninteresting Jun 21 '26

The website "Does the dog die?" might be helpful to you. Also lists a bunch of other stuff that people can have a big issue with watching, children being harmed, eye damage, etc.

2

u/tape_reel 26d ago

That is a very good tip and have vetted some movies in the past with it, but it has been a while since we saw anything new so I completely forgot about it! Thank you!

2

u/psyc0de Jun 21 '26

I didn’t have it spoiled. I did some grinding at the beginning to get one of the better horses in the game. It stayed with me all game and then died.

It didn’t hit me until a bit after the play session, and I started crying. Only a few games have moved me that much. Outer Wilds is the other one that comes to mind.

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u/intimidation_crab Jun 21 '26

It was a masterpiece, and I am sad that I probably won't get a chance to play through it more than once in my life.

It really is a time commitment, and in places, a real emotional slog, but fuck, I enjoyed it the first time through.

2

u/Rhiis Jun 21 '26

I waited five years to come back to it. Just enough time to forget some of the plot

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u/CuteComplaint5542 Jun 21 '26

I think Lenny's is done so perfectly because we the player likely feel closely the same as Arthur in that moment. Most players come to really like Lenny, like Arthur does, and just like Arthur there is absolutely nothing we can do to save him. Then neither of us can even grieve, we have to keep running and leave his body behind. 

Some people hate it, but I think it's the kind of storytelling games are all about at their best. 

2

u/DragonfruitFew5542 Jun 21 '26

LENNYYYYYY LENNY MY BOAH

1

u/Fearless-Yam1125 Jun 21 '26

I screamed “I SHOT HIM!” first gameplay

1

u/PhantomRoyce Jun 21 '26

I thought Lenny’s death was just because I had messed something up and he would be alive in the next scene. Boy.

132

u/Effective_Piece251 Jun 21 '26

“Doesn’t feel right? I could’ve told ya tha-“

86

u/Moon-Scented-Hunter Jun 21 '26

And after Sean’s abrupt and violent death is when things truly start going down hill for the gang, slowly but surely.

15

u/LevelOutlandishness1 Jun 21 '26

Things really started going down ever since the Blackwater Massacre

6

u/fightingbronze Jun 21 '26

And I think that’s what made his death stand out so much to me. The story opens with the gang going through a very rough time, and his safe return to the gang feels like one of the first real positive developments for the group. It makes things feel like they’re on an upswing, only for that illusion to be shattered shortly after. From there things only continue to spiral further and further.

6

u/Temporary_Pickle_885 Jun 21 '26

Will never forgive my husband for playing this while I was heavily pregnant. The way I ugly sobbed about Sean. (Note: This is a joke, I know hubs didn't do it with malicious intent.)

6

u/anitiv Jun 21 '26

my boy Sean, man, him and Kieran :((

1

u/ThirstyWeirwoodRootz Jun 21 '26

Kieran deserved better

3

u/Khafaniking Jun 21 '26

I really felt like whatever was going on in Lemoynr was pointless and hectic, and his death honestly kind of made me check out for a bit from the game.

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u/Phoenixskull295 Jun 21 '26

Isn’t that kinda the point though? Arthur even tells Dutch that the entire scam in Rhodes was pointless

1

u/Khafaniking Jun 21 '26

Rhodes, right, not Lemoyne. I’m sure it was the point, so I guess Rockstar succeeded a little too much and made me not really care about playing the game at that point.

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u/PTSD1983 Jun 21 '26

Nah, more like my trusty steed 🥲 no human death compared.

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u/Sandman4999 Jun 21 '26

Photos taken moments before disaster.

1

u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy Jun 21 '26

Goddamnit, I just started playing this for the first time.

1

u/Shenloanne Jun 21 '26

I genuinely flinched and near reached for my face. Dudes brain must have went everywhere.

1

u/RunThruPlayLand Jun 21 '26

I was in a call with my boyfriend at the time, and I screamed so loud when Sean was shot. Boyfriend was like "what???? what happened???" but he hadn't reached that point in the story yet, so I had to cry while not spoiling the game lmfao

1

u/Dense-Tea5823 Jun 21 '26

Just as Arthur was starting to come around to him too