A few weeks ago, I posted an article on books that celebrate friendship. Today’s post will focus on another important theme—sacrifice. There are few experiences more gut-wrenching than watching a character you love (or love to hate) make a sacrifice for those they care about. I’ve put together a list of characters who display these acts of self-sacrifice in a way that is likely to have you reaching for the tissues and also teach you a great deal about writing.
By virtue of this article’s topic, you are going to find some major spoilers ahead. I’ve listed the titles of these books (and a few movies) before the name of each character, so if you haven’t read/seen the work, you can skip right on to the next entry on the list.
Here are ten self-sacrificial characters in fiction.
1) The Story: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Character: Katniss Everdeen
There are few sacrifices in modern fiction as well-known as the one Katniss Everdeen makes in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series. So, this one isn’t much of a spoiler—especially since it happens right toward the beginning of the first book in the series. When Katniss’s younger sister Prim is chosen to be one of their District’s competitors in the deadly Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place.
This sacrifice showcases both Katniss’s bravery and the deep love and protectiveness she feels toward her sister. Putting this sort of sacrifice at the start of a story is a great way to get the audience on the protagonist’s side right away.
2) The Story: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Character: Mags
Mags isn’t a main character in The Hunger Games series and only appears in the second book, Catching Fire. But unlike Katniss, her sacrifice doesn’t include any hope for survival. She gives her life for others, running into poisonous fog so Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick can move at a faster pace and live. She knows she’s an old woman and considers the others more deserving of survival.
Mags shows that it’s not always the main character in a work who has to make a heroic sacrifice. The loss of a beloved side character can often cut even deeper than watching the protagonist meet their end.
3) The Story: Titanic
The Character: Jack Dawson
Now this is a case of a protagonist’s heroic sacrifice done right. Unless you live under a rock, you are probably familiar with Jack’s death at the end of the 1997 film, Titanic. Countless pop culture references have been made to it, and there has been endless debate about whether Jack and Rose could have both fit on that floating door.
So much focus has been placed on Jack’s death because, preventable or not, it is a loss the audience feels deeply. Jack is able to save miserable Rose from her privileged, stifling existence and show her there is more to life. To see such a bright light snuffed out is devastating. I know this movie has gotten some flak for its cheesiness in recent years, but if you’re writing a romantic story and have four hours to spare, I highly recommend giving it another watch.
4) The Story: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Character: Aslan
I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis when I was ten years old and loved every minute of it. I grew greatly attached to the four children at the center of the plot and the fantastical world they explore. The character I loved most, though, was Aslan—the majestic lion with kind eyes who is a walking representation of good. In order to save Edmund, he sacrifices himself.
In this case, Aslan is ultimately resurrected, but that does not change the value of his sacrifice. It shows that he will do anything to keep the Pevensie children safe and save Narnia from destruction.
5) The Story: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Character: Frodo Baggins
The Lord of the Rings is full of characters who make great sacrifices to save their friends and for the greater good. Gandalf sacrifices himself so the others can escape. Samwise Gamgee regularly puts the safety of others ahead of his own. After the Ring temporarily corrupts his heart, Boromir dies to save Merry and Pippin.
But the LOTR character who endures the heftiest sacrifice in the books may be Frodo Baggins. He must wear the Ring throughout, despite the risk to his mental, emotional, and spiritual health. He is a goodhearted and pure character, and it is gut-wrenching to watch him go through such strife.
6) The Story: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The Character: T-800
Throughout the first Terminator, we watched as a deadly machine wreaked havoc on everyone and everything around him. But in the sequel, an identical cyborg called T-800 spends the entire film working to protect Sarah Connor’s son from an even more powerful and advanced cyborg. In the end, T-800 sacrifices himself to prevent Judgment Day.
This is a film that makes you question what machines are capable of, and see how one cyborg can be capable of great evil while an identical one can be a force for good. As mentioned in last week’s post, AI is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s society, and this is a great movie to study if you are thinking about writing about machines and the sacrifices they might make for humans.
7) The Story: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Character: Severus Snape
Like The Lord of the Rings, several characters in the Harry Potter series make sacrifices to ensure their friends’ safety and to help good conquer evil. James and Lily Potter sacrifice themselves to save their son, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are constantly putting the well-being of others ahead of their own.
The most touching sacrifice of them all, though (for me, anyway), is the one Snape makes for Harry. He is an antagonist throughout the books, only for it to be revealed that he has been protecting Harry from danger all along. He was in love with Harry’s mother and did it all for her. His sacrifice wasn’t for the greater good, but just for one person. Sometimes sacrifices like this can be more emotional than broader heroic sacrifices.
8) The Story: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
The Characters: Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter
This is another case where the villains of the story turn out to be a bit more complex than the audience originally thought. Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter do several despicable things throughout the His Dark Materials series. Marisa lures several children away from their homes and Lord Asriel is responsible for the death of Lyra’s best friend, Roger.
But in the third book in the series, Lord Asriel and Marisa save the world and give their daughter a chance to live by willingly consigning themselves to the Abyss and dragging the Metatron down with them. It’s emotional for sure to see a character who was always good sacrifice themselves, but such an act hits particularly hard when someone you thought was evil does so. It shows how complicated people can truly be.
9) The Story: Star Wars: A New Hope
The Character: Obi-Wan Kenobi
This one hopefully isn’t much of a spoiler since Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises in existence, and this particular sacrifice takes place in the very first movie (or fourth if you count the prequels). Throughout the film, Obi-Wan Kenobi acts as a mentor to Luke Skywalker, guiding him through the ways of the Force. Luke, along with the viewer, becomes quite attached to this wise old man.
So it is devastating when Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in his final battle with Darth Vader so that Luke, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids can escape. Like Mags, he is an older character who puts the safety of his younger friends before his own. His sacrifice helps to inspire Luke from that moment on, giving him the courage and conviction he needs to defeat the Empire.
10) The Story: “A Son, A Gift” by Jonathan Sud
The Character: Rey Morrero
This science fantasy short story takes place in a world where every ten years, aliens demand a sacrifice. And this year, Rey Morrero’s son and sole heir to the throne has been chosen. Throughout the story, Morrero wrestles with what he should do about the situation. Ultimately, he sacrifices himself so his son can live.
This is a very affecting story and deeply relatable—what could be worse than knowing that your only child is to be put to death? The way Morrero thinks through his predicament and his interactions with his wife really brings the reader deep into his feelings of helplessness. You can read this story right here on Fictionate, and find it as well as other great science fantasy stories in our recently released anthology, Unmoored: Worlds of Pure Chaos.
I hope these stories and films will help you to integrate sacrifice into your own writing.
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