As massive franchises and reboots continue to be one of the most surefire ways to find success at the box office, studios and creatives are continuously looking for new ways to keep these modern stories fresh and distinct from the original film. One recurring trend that has found itself frequently occurring in franchises is that of killing off some of their most iconic and legendary characters, raising the stakes, and giving finality to the characters' stories.

While the deaths of iconic characters have always played a part in film, the rate at which deeply classic characters have ended up dying on screen has increased by a considerable amount in recent years. This trend usually receives a wide variety of different reactions, depending on how the film itself treats the legacy of the character being killed off and if their supposed final goodbye is done with grace and justice. While some of these deaths have been the point of widespread vitriol and controversy, others are widely beloved and accepted as the true end of the characters' stories. The following ranks these culturally significant deaths from worst to best.

10 John Connor

Died in 'Terminator: Dark Fate' (2019)

The primary human figurehead and leader of the resistance against the machine overlords of the future, John Connor was a primary _target of Skynet and time-traveling robots for the entire Terminator franchise. While largely touted as an icon of the future, the character's most iconic portrayal was as a 10-year-old in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, on the run from robots alongside his mother, Sarah Connor. While T2's ending originally had the Connors escaping and surviving, a shocking flashback in Terminator: Dark Fate showed John Connor's shocking, unexpected death.

While John Connor's life was always in danger as the primary _target of Terminators, his role and prospect as the primary protagonist of the franchise led many audiences to assume that he would never actually die, especially as a child. Dark Fate's flashback showing a Terminator taking the Connors by surprise and executing John in broad daylight is a painful moment that has massive ramifications for the entire series. While it sets up an interesting theme of how revolutions aren't defined by their figureheads, the surprising death still feels a bit sour and actively messes with the ending of the best film in the franchise.

9 Leia Organa

Died in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' (2019)

Following Carrie Fisher's death in 2016 and the deaths of previous Star Wars icons in earlier installments of the reboot, it seemed all but inevitable that Princess Leia would meet an untimely fate. However, this didn't stop the sequence from acting as an effective end to the character and her inherent strengths, with Leia having still been wounded from previous films, yet using the force to cling to life. However, to save the life of her son, Ben, Leia uses the last of her force power to help save him from across the galaxy, draining her remaining energy and killing her.

Leia's death may not have the weight or impact as previous deaths in this reboot trilogy, yet it still stands out as one of the most effective and well-done moments of the otherwise abysmal Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Leia's death is further impactful during the film's ending, where her force ghost is seen alongside Luke's looking over Rey as she begins her new adventures. The moment itself acts as a loving goodbye not just to the character of Leia, but to Carrie Fisher herself.

8 James Bond

Died in 'No Time to Die' (2021)

The final outing for Daniel Craig as James Bond, No Time to Die set out to bring true finality and conclusion to the overarching story of the modern Bond films by having Bond sacrifice himself to save his love and family. A lot of different elements come together that add to the tension and suspense leading up to Bond's death, from his infection with a lethal virus to the massive explosion and destruction of the villain's island. It marked the first time that Bond has ever truly died on screen, after nearly 60 years worth of cinematic outings with various depictions and actors taking the mantle.

Bond's death is a point of widespread contention and controversy, as this element of the film misaligns with classic elements of the character while arguably lining up with the story told throughout Craig's run. In the specific context of the thrilling ending in No Time to Die, it's seen as a heroic sacrifice of an older, worn-down Bond to give up his chance at retirement and a normal life to secure said safety for those he loves. It also succinctly puts an end to the era of Craig-style Bond films, creating a completely fresh slate for whoever picks up the mantle of James Bond next.

7 Michael Myers

Died in 'Halloween Ends' (2022)

Michael Myers has technically died a multitude of times throughout the Halloween franchise, yet the supernatural elements of the character have kept him returning again and again. However, Halloween Ends presents its final defeat of Myers with such finality and conclusive behavior that it acts as a true end of his reign of terror, with the Strode family finally having peace after decades of being haunted by the illusive figment of pure evil.

While the very nature of horror movies and franchises means that audiences will certainly see another rendition of Myers gracing the big screen in the future, Halloween Ends sets itself as a true, grounded ending to the franchise as a whole. As if to show that the character is truly dead and will not return, Myers' death doesn't stop at Laurie slicing his wrists, but disposing of his body in an industrial shredder in front of a large group of people, securing that he will never return.

6 Han Solo

Died in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)

One of the first truly shocking deaths that started this trend of classic characters meeting their untimely demise, Han Solo's death is one whose impact and shock were felt around the world. Han meets his demise at the hands of his own son, Ben Solo, who in his ultimate transition into the dark side, stabs his father with his lightsaber, leaving his body to fall into the shadowy depths of Starkiller Base. The moment acts as easily the most iconic and memorable moment of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, cementing the legacy of the reboot films in the process.

While in hindsight it seems concrete and obvious that Han Solo would meet his end at some point, this precedent of killing off widely beloved characters truly hadn't been explored until Solo's death showed just how effective this could be. Even outside every other aspect of the film, including if the death itself was even justified or well done, the very concept of the fan-favorite character of the original trilogy being killed off shocked audiences to the core. It's a vital reason that The Force Awakens became the highest-grossing Star Wars movie of all time.

5 Dewey Riley

Died in 'Scream' (2022)

Horror movie protagonists, despite the widespread death around them, often find themselves surviving to the end due to their inherent likability and marketability to be used in sequels. However, Scream is a franchise that, since the very beginning, has defied expectations at every possibility, with the 2022 reboot film completely surprising audiences with the sacrificial death of the fan-favorite character, Dewey Riley (David Arquette). The scene sees Dewey holding off the ghostface killer so that the main group of new protagonists can escape, losing the fight and dying in the process.

Dewey is a lovable, charming character who has been a part of every Scream movie before this, seemingly always making it out alive, even though he'd been seemingly fatally wounded many times before. His death in the reboot helped establish that, in the film's own words, everything was off the table and anyone could die, even widely beloved legacy characters. Considering just how many times Dewey had narrowly escaped death in the past, it came as a major shock to horror movie fans to see him finally meet his end in the reboot.

4 Luke Skywalker

Died in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017)

While Han Solo's death certainly started the trend of legacy characters meeting their unexpected end, the trend would be further amplified and cemented in stone by the shocking sacrificial death of the original trilogy's protagonist, Luke Skywalker. After spending most of the film sorrowing and in shame for failing in the face of teaching Ben Solo to be a Jedi, Luke ends up using the remaining bit of his force powers to create a facade, distracting Ben and the First Order so that the rebellion can escape.

While largely controversial when it was first released, Luke's sacrifice in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an undeniably electrifying moment that had audiences on the edge of their seats. The sequence as a whole directly parallels Anakin Skywalker's legacy, showing the true Jedi way of sacrifice and redemption, showing that it's never too late to do the right thing. While the death itself is still often the topic of discourse and controversy, the sequence certainly helped make The Last Jedi that much more of a memorable Star Wars experience.

3 Tony Stark / Iron Man

Died in 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)

While many classic character deaths come in the form of a legendary character from the previous era of filmmaking meeting a tearful end in a reboot, Avengers: Endgame managed to cap off the first era of the MCU with the death of its most iconic character. All the deaths in Avengers: Infinity War were correctly presumed by many audiences to be temporary, yet it helped set the stakes that characters would truly meet their end in Endgame, ending with Tony Stark's instantly iconic sacrifice to defeat Thanos and save the universe.

Stark was the first true protagonist of the MCU, quickly becoming the face of major blockbusters in the 21st century and the very prospect of extended universe filmmaking as a whole. While the MCU was always going to continue, there was no better way to cap off the ending of this first era and Stark's story than through his painful and emotional sacrifice. There is an effective throughline throughout the MCU from the cocky, self-entitled man in the first Iron Man up until his final moments where he sacrifices everything in the name of those he love and the world itself.

2 John Wick

Died in 'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)

The stories of the John Wick franchise see the titular legendary assassin lay waste to countless other foes and assassins on a quest to finally receive some rest and refuge from this painful life of death and destruction. With John Wick: Chapter 4 setting itself up to be a finale to the franchise, it made perfect poetic sense for John to, after finally defeating The High Table and earning his freedom, achieve said rest by passing on to the afterlife.

While not necessarily as iconic as many characters from decades ago, Keanu Reeves's turn as John Wick has made the character one of the premiere icons of modern action movies. With the films continuously getting better and better with each installment, it comes as a shock that Wick would meet his end when the series was at its apex, yet it makes perfect narrative sense for Wick's overarching story. The answer as to where they take the story in the potential John Wick 5 is still up in the air, but this emotional death is treated with such care that it's difficult to imagine them messing with it.

1 Logan / Wolverine

Died in 'Logan' (2017)

Acting as a conclusion to nearly 20 years of X-Men films and as the 9th outing as the character, Logan is a powerful and emotionally destructive goodbye letter to Hugh Jackman's run as the face of the X-Men, Wolverine. In its brilliant adaptation of the classic Old Man Logan storyline, the film sees Logan nearing the end of his story as an aging old man, using the last of his strength to protect a young mutant from the dark forces that continuously follow her.

Logan's sacrifice was one of the first that showed that, given enough care and respect for the character, killing off an all-time classic film character could result in unanimous praise from audiences and critics alike. The film entirely builds itself around this inevitable sacrifice and death, building upon the core themes and tenets of the character and testing them for his ultimate sacrifice at the moment that he's needed most. Even Jackman's return to the character in Deadpool & Wolverine doesn't take away from the legacy and impact left behind by his death in Logan.

NEXT: 10 TV Character Deaths That Still Break Our Hearts