16 Movie Characters Who Should Have Been Killed Off, And 15 Who Basically Saved The Entire Film

    This is not up for debate.

    Spencer Althouse
    by Spencer Althouse

    BuzzFeed Staff

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    We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which movie characters were so bad they should have been killed off, and which ones were so good they saved the movies they were in. Here are the wild results.

    1. Should have been killed off: Mark from Love Actually (2003)

    Mark professing his love to his best friend's wife, then kissing her outside their house
    Universal Pictures

    "He was trusted with Peter and Juliet's wedding photos/video, but he only photographed the bride (who was his best friend's new wife?!?!) in a really creepy way. So not only did he ruin their wedding pictures, but he also betrayed his friendship and trust with Peter. Maybe his feelings were supposed to seem a little more innocent, but the execution of everything made him look like a self-centered asshole who was hard to like."

    —faithm4

    2. Saved the movie: Old Deuteronomy in Cats (2019)

    Judi Dench as a cat in "Cats"
    Universal Pictures

    "Cats was a disaster, but I was impressed with Judi Dench's performance. It was pretty much the worst movie I've ever seen, but the character of Old Deuteronomy was really well cast and the only reason I didn't stop watching entirely."

    —butterflies

    3. Should have been killed off: Annie from Bridesmaids (2011)

    Annie complaining to Megan while sitting on the couch with her
    Apatow Productions

    "All she does the entire movie is whine and complain about her extremely fixable problems instead of, I don’t know, FIXING THEM. She just b*tches about them. Yeah, the movie has its funny parts and Melissa McCarthy’s character is incredible, but I cannot watch Bridesmaids because of how horrendous Kristen Wiig’s character is."

    —ktk8895

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    4. Saved the entire movie: Brenda Meeks from the Scary Movie series

    Brenda at the movie theater
    Miramax Films

    "The only reason I didn't turn off Scary Movie right away was because of Brenda Meeks. She made everything 100% funnier and had some of the best comedic timing I've ever seen in a movie. A true legend in her own time!"

    —kaylayandoli

    5. Should have been killed off: Lilly Moscovitz from The Princess Diaries (2001)

    Lilly telling Mia that her haircut/makeover look terrible
    Walt Disney Pictures

    "You have to admit that she was a terrible friend. She was so rude to almost everyone, especially Mia! Lilly was only nicer after she found out Mia was a princess and could help get people to watch her talk show."

    —justice4hufflepuffs

    6. Saved the movie: Silva in Skyfall (2012)

    Silva talking to a tied-up James Bond
    Columbia Pictures

    "I’m a big James Bond fan, but this particular movie would have been completely 'meh' if not for Javier Bardem’s incredible supervillain performance as Silva. He gave me chills and freaked me out as the villain. His monologue about the rats on the island (and his speech to M about how he was tortured) completely won me over. Those scenes prove how amazing the character was."

    —daniellestevenss and generalhux

    7. Should have been killed off: Andy's friends from The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

    Andy giving her friend a really expensive Marc Jacobs bag at the bar
    Fox 2000 Pictures

    "All of them (especially Nate) should have gotten hit by the car instead of Emily. They treated Andy so terribly, made fun of the way she looked, and even gave her crap for working long hours at a demanding job, simply because that meant they didn't see her as much. Also, Andy gave them super-nice, expensive gifts, but they repaid her by stealing her phone and playing hot potato with it while Miranda called. Then they got upset with HER when she left the bar. They were terrible people."

    —katerumtruffle

    8. Saved the movie: Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

    Nigel and Andrea talking in his office
    2000 Fox Pictures

    "His character was so strong, and he had worked so hard to get where he was. Also, his sassiness and humor were amazing. I wish there were a movie about his life growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers and how he got the job at Runway. His monologue was extraordinary and very eye-opening for Andy."

    —lorymoli2004

    9. Should have been killed off: Rose's mom from Titanic (1997)

    Rose standing up to her mom in "Titanic"
    Paramount Pictures

    "Let me preface this by saying that I fully understand that Rose's mom was a product of her time/society. However, let's be real: She was way too controlling of Rose and actively tried to make her life difficult (and even miserable), forcing her into a loveless and emotionally abusive relationship with Cal because of how it would look to the outside world. Then, when the ship was sinking, she was more concerned about being seated with other first-class passengers than worrying about the hundreds of people who were about to drown in freezing cold water. She can choke, TBH, and she should have gone down with the ship instead of Cora."

    —spenceralthouse

    10. Saved the entire movie: McLovin in Superbad (2007)

    McLovin trying to buy beer at a convenient store
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "The movie itself was just OK, but McLovin was by far the best part of the whole film. Christopher Mintz-Plasse played the role so perfectly, and I loved seeing his character transform throughout the film. For me, he totally made the film. I would so watch a spinoff that's just about his character."

    —strawberrylumps22

    11. Should have been killed off: Star-Lord from the Avengers series

    The Avengers almost getting the Gauntlet off of Thanos's hand in "Infinity War"
    Marvel

    "I will never, ever forgive that selfish idiot for ruining everyone's chances of getting the Gauntlet from Thanos. It feels weird to be so invested, but the first time I saw this scene, I screamed. There's certainly a time to break down emotionally, but there's also a time to get the freaking job done. Saving half of the universe seems like a time to pause your grief for a few seconds."

    —benevolentspirit

    12. Saved the entire movie: Luis in Ant-Man (2015)

    Luis talking to Ant-Man in the lab
    Marvel

    "It was a good movie with a strong cast all around, but he was by far my favorite character. Despite the fact that he wasn’t really central to the story, he stole every scene he was in and made it comedy gold."

    —black_canary26

    13. Should have been killed off: Murray Duvall from Clueless (1995)

    Murray talking to Cher and Dionne in the car
    Paramount Pictures

    "He was the worst boyfriend to Dionne and was honestly kinda sexist. He treated her like garbage. He assumed she was on her period just because she was angry and upset, and he also kept calling her names that she hated being called."

    —lovemarvey

    14. Saved the entire movie: Sharpay in the High School Musical series

    Sharpay singing in the cafeteria
    Disney Channel

    "Sharpay was easily the best character in the franchise and had all the best songs. Her character actually made you care about what was going on. You can’t change my mind."

    —d461e63afd

    15. Should have been killed off: Percy Weasley from the Harry Potter series

    Percy showing his rank in the dungeon at Hogwarts
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "Percy Weasley should have been the Weasley who died in Deathly Hallows, not Fred. He sold out and only came to reason when it was too late. He was a brat who should have been redeemed by sacrificing himself or something. I know the films brushed him aside, but fans of the book series know what I'm talking about."

    —colleend9

    16. Saved the entire movie: Sue Ann in Ma (2019)

    Sue Ann talking to someone at the liquor store
    Universal Pictures

    "This was a genuinely AWFUL movie, but Octavia Spencer's Sue Ann was the glue that held the bungled mess together."

    —kenh427

    17. Should have been killed off: Franklin Hardesty from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

    Frank spitting in a dark, abandoned house
    Bryanston Distributing Company

    "OK, so technically Franklin DID die in the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but I wish he died sooner. He was so annoying. I've never wanted someone to get killed in a movie as much as that guy."

    —suzannew460d3328e

    18. Saved the entire movie: Loki in Thor: The Dark World (2013)

    Thor and Loki fighting in Asgard
    Marvel

    "Whenever Loki is on the screen, he truly makes the movie. His hilarious back-and-forth with Thor is great, and the whole time you're trying to work out if he's really helping Thor or just tricking him. Also, his grief over his mother, his fake death, and his taking over of Odin at the end were the only parts of the movie worth watching."

    —fionaconner19 and pennyguide

    19. Should have been killed off: Briony Tallis from Atonement (2007)

    An elderly Briony admitting that she never admitted the truth, which led to her sister's death
    Focus Features

    "She destroyed two lives because of her childhood jealousy. Then she tried to make you think she did the right thing at the end of the movie, but she didn't. That ending gutted me."

    —brienj

    20. Saved the movie: Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

    Freddie singing at the Live Aid concert
    20th Century Fox

    "Unpopular opinion here, but Bohemian Rhapsody was an extremely underwhelming movie. Luckily it had a stellar lead actor. Rami Malek gave that role his all. I just wish the actual movie was on par with his acting skills."

    —oliviap47

    21. Should have been killed off: Legolas from the Hobbit series

    Legolas with his bow and arrow aimed at a dwarf
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "He’s a fantastic character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but his character is just ruined in the Hobbit movies. He wasn’t in the book, so when he turned up it was a shock, and it felt like you were watching a brand-new character because of how different he was. He was so out of place and unnecessary, and I wish he never appeared in those prequels."

    —chacha2998

    22. Saved the movie: Magneto in Dark Phoenix (2019)

    Magneto and Young Jean talking at the end of the movie
    20th Century Fox

    "Magneto from Dark Phoenix was the only good character in that movie, and he was just trying to find peace. It was a really interesting and new portrayal of a classic villain."

    —abakergal

    23. Should have been killed off: Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series

    Harry claiming he's the chosen one, then Hermione slapping him with a newspaper in the library
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "Harry was so dumb and wouldn’t have lasted 10 seconds without Hermione. He mostly learned from trial and error and made a bunch of deadly mistakes that cost people their lives, while Hermione spent the whole time methodically saving him and everyone else. The series should have been called Hermione Granger."

    —aprilrosek

    24. Saved the movie: Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016)

    Harley Quinn talking to the soldiers
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "She was one of the very few things that actually made Suicide Squad somewhat watchable. She had depth and character and made you actually care about what was going on, while everyone else was just there."

    —femkat

    25. Should have been killed off: Julianne Potter from My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

    Julianne trying to convince her best friend to marry her instead of his bride-to-be
    TriStar Pictures

    "She was so obnoxious and cruel. Like, she tried to destroy her so-called best friend's life just because she was jealous that he was getting married. I honestly struggled to watch the film because I hated her character so much."

    —ashleighb42

    26. Saved the entire movie: Thomas in The Maze Runner series

    Thomas talking to everyone at the start of the maze
    20th Century Fox

    "Dylan O'Brien carried the Maze Runner series as Thomas! The movies had so much potential because the books were great, but the script ended up being so boring. However, the character of Thomas (thanks to Dylan's acting) was SO good."

    —angelabrillo

    27. Should have been killed off: Jake Sully from Avatar (2009)

    All of Pandora getting destroyed and blown up because of Jake
    20th Century Fox

    "He spent all that time with Neytiri, and at ANY moment he could've told her that the humans were there to destroy her people and abuse her planet, but nope. Instead, he slept with her and stayed silent when her people welcomed him. By not warning them, there was a sh*t ton of destruction and death, and then they forgave him for practically no reason. He should have been killed off in the final battle."

    —kamikazeturtle

    28. Saved the movie: Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood (2019)

    Cliff talking to Bruce Lee on set
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "I know this movie was nominated for tons of awards, but I was bored out of my mind. I thought it was Leo DiCaprio's least interesting role, and the scenes with his character were so boring. But Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) was awesome — that character kept me interested when he was on the screen."

    —johnparkswhit

    29. Should have been killed off: Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire from Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

    Daniel as Mrs. Doubtfire throwing a lime at Stu's head by the pool
    20th Century Fox

    "It's a great film and performance by Robin Williams, but let's be real...he disguises himself and lies to everyone in order to get his own way! There's no reason why he couldn't have been patient and taken the time to get his sh*t together. Honestly, his kids were more mature than he was when it came to the divorce."

    —cocopa

    30. Saved the entire movie: Grandma Annie in The Proposal (2009)

    Grandma Annie helping Sandra Bullock's character try on her old wedding dress
    Walt Disney Studios

    "Ryan Reynolds was handsome and funny, and Sandra Bullock was Sandra Bullock, so their characters were totally fine. But Betty White as Grandma Annie was the heart and soul of The Proposal. That character made the absolute funniest jokes throughout the movie, and she absolutely made it 10 times better."

    —reissm2

    31. And should have been killed off: Kevin's entire family in Home Alone (1990)

    Kevin's mom sending him up to the attic, alone
    20th Century Fox

    "Seriously, did no one recognize that Buzz was incredibly mean and at fault for every conflict? And Kevin's mom provided zero guidance on packing a suitcase before banishing him to a scary attic as punishment? Every single person in his family was terrible to him. I know it's supposed to be exaggerated so they can all come together and appreciate one another at the end of the movie, but geez — I didn't realize just how mean everyone was until I became a parent myself. Kevin was basically better off on his own."

    —alih4adc

    Did your favorite or least favorite characters not make the list? Tell us about them in the comments below!

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.

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