--- title: "18 Deaths from Popular Literature That Shattered Our Hearts ..." description: "Fred Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Beth March in Little Women; Rue in the Hunger Games Series; Primrose Everdeen in the Hunger Games Series; More ..." url: "https://books.allwomenstalk.com/deaths-from-popular-literature-that-shattered-our-hearts/" category: "books" last_updated: "2026-06-02" --- # 18 Deaths from Popular Literature That Shattered Our Hearts ... I am a voracious reader, as I'm sure many of you know if you're familiar with all my little bookish babblings. I read all the time. I read my favorite books over and over even though I know how they end. I get lost, I go on adventures, I make new friends, and I become someone else. The characters in the books I read – from Harry Potter to The Poisonwood Bible to The Great Gatsby – become my family, my true loves, my enemies, and my dearest friends. When they die, I mourn. There have been scores of utterly heartbreaking literary deaths throughout the years, but these are the demises from popular books that really broke my heart. ## 1. Fred Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ![Fred Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/lz/v7/vha6xij857321851f37ca405891717_600x600.jpg) Characters from the Potterverse are going to appear on this list more than once because I'm currently rereading the series and I just can't help it. The series itself is chock full of heartbreaking deaths, but Fred? Fred hit me hard. RIP, Fred. ## 2. Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ![Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/yn/ok/hz8je04o57321852b3176342518678_600x848.jpg) Fred hit me almost as hard as Sirius – almost. Not only was Sirius an awesome, richly developed character, but it was so sad that Harry's chance at having a family – a dad! – ended before it even started. ## 3. Beth March in Little Women ![Beth March in Little Women](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/wg/hj/su0doazg573218544439d574537039_600x620.jpg) Poor, dear Beth! So spirited, so sweet, but so sickly. She was just too good for this world. Shame it couldn't have been Amy. ## 4. Rue in the Hunger Games Series ![Rue in the Hunger Games Series](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/ev/pl/yvums3jz57321854b4ab2016167228_600x886.jpg) I hate that Rue is dead. I still hate that Rue is dead. In our new neighborhood in New Hampshire, there are birds that sing a tune quite like Rue's and I tear up every time they tweet. ## 5. Primrose Everdeen in the Hunger Games Series ![Primrose Everdeen in the Hunger Games Series](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/g6/dq/pws1nul6573218544dea0896180008_560x818.jpg) Rue's death was almost bearable because she was a Tribute. We knew it was likely that she would die. With Prim, though, everyone expected a happily ever after … and it didn't quite happen. ## 6. Tris Prior from the Divergent Series ![Tris Prior from the Divergent Series](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/kx/zd/kdzar7vd57321857e9c7c599519332_600x878.jpg) Heather sobs every time. I always know when she's been rereading this series. ## 7. Augustus Waters from the Fault in Our Stars ![Augustus Waters from the Fault in Our Stars](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/wx/nb/pk8i3vts57321854c516a810555970_500x700.jpg) So, Heather's big into both the book and the movie, right? I avoided reading the book forever because I just knew someone was going to suffer a horrible death, just like in the Deep Adult Death Books I used to order at every grade school book fair. I was right. However, I could never have imagined how very heartbreaking it would feel to lose Gus. ## 8. Jay Gatsby from the Great Gatsby ![Jay Gatsby from the Great Gatsby](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/ej/ho/vx7gxfg6573218579f450958556608_600x779.jpg) Poor, poor Jay Gatsby, staring forever into a past that he simply could not bring back. ## 9. Marley from Marley & Me ![Marley from Marley & Me](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/le/sw/v9ihewu157321855b06aa425411975_588x719.jpg) NOOOOOOO. I don't want to talk about this. I cannot talk about dogs dying. ## 10. Tom Robinson in to Kill a Mockingbird ![Tom Robinson in to Kill a Mockingbird](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/kw/ut/rgup7nwz5732185e84309331297226_600x900.jpg) This one was heartbreaking on any number of levels, especially if you reread To Kill a Mockingbird as an adult. ## 11. Charlotte in Charlotte's Web ![Charlotte in Charlotte's Web](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/j6/wn/n8ag3kye573218570a4ad555431596_595x800.jpg) This still crushes me. I can't read Charlotte's Web anymore. I know someday I'm going to have to read it to our children and my sobbing will probably traumatize them. ## 12. Lennie Small in of Mice and Men ![Lennie Small in of Mice and Men](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/e4/zb/m0h756ux57321858532c7168596187_600x893.jpg) Lennie's death hits hard because it's just … it's so mean, so ugly, and so unnecessary. And I don't know, something about the story itself just rings so true today, still. That hurts even worse, really. ## 13. Nell from the Old Curiosity Shop ![Nell from the Old Curiosity Shop](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/br/yd/vqvuijnz57321858d83e9330978822_600x761.jpg) No, Nell! No! ## 14. Edgar Linton in Wuthering Heights ![Edgar Linton in Wuthering Heights](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/yz/f9/jnvsd9795732185b7a60b964966165_600x900.jpg) Wuthering Heights will wreak havoc all over your emotions from the first page to the last line. Edgar, though … man. ## 15. Ned Stark in Game of Thrones ![Ned Stark in Game of Thrones](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/hh/n5/rwgzy0xj5732185abb677527382838_600x900.jpg) Do I even need to explain why? Good guys aren't supposed to die, damn it. ## 16. Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ![Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/yi/rh/tdljmdbs5732185904a14365641741_516x768.jpg) Do you know what's really heartbreaking about Dumbledore's death? EVERYTHING. ## 17. Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ![Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/f8/v2/l90m08kt5732185d4382c610327460_600x887.jpg) And do you know what really kills me with regard to Snape's death? EVERYTHING. Including the death of Alan Rickman. Still hurts. ## 18. Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables ![Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/bg/az/g1bcgd5057321859bb318307334941_480x647.jpg) And Matthew? I'm still not over the death of Matthew Cuthbert. I'm even more saddened by the fact that the actor who played Gilbert Blythe, my one true love when I was nine, is no longer with us. This is just the tip of the iceberg. These are just the literary deaths that deeply affected me. 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