Forum How to kill the hero?

So, it's the end. The hero and his lover (who was accused with murder - yeah, he killed a bad guy, but the b*****d would be hanged if he lived, so it's justified) have escaped earlier, have been hiding together for a while, and are discovered finally, by Evil Judge and his henchmen. The lover gets shot by Evil Judge, and here hero's old friend and mentor arrives (late) to say the King pardoned the boy due to the circumstances. (Time is Napoleonic era, place England, King is George III, but his person is irrelevant.)

So Evil Judge just shot a de facto innocent man. Plus he's secretly working for the French, which is also revealed here.

Evil Judge is arrested, so he'd be offstage, with the hint he'll be executed for treason.

The hero can have a heartbreaking farewell scene with his beloved.



And then, the hero must die. His honour is restored, but he lost everything. And it was one of those big, epic loves which can only be fulfilled in death. (Usually after singing for four hours, you know this type.)


So, he has multiple options...

- Just die from grief, which would be lyrical and nice, but not too realistic.
- Killing himself - people on various forums keep telling me A Hero Can't Do This, It Is Cowardish. So hundreds of classical literature heroes are all cowardish, I guess...
- Going back to his ship and die in some awesome battle (sinking optional). Only fear that it would look like a deus ex machina.


I'm really confused. Each has weaknesses...

And accident/illness is out of question, I want DRAMA, not one of those hateful anti-climaxes.

First, killing off the hero via suicide is kind of a grief kill. Isn't it ultimate depression and misery that causes so many to take their own lives? Is this not grief at its finest?

Now that, that's out of my system...
Why don't you kill him off with a murder/suicide? Takes out the hero with a stroke of bravery still left in his character and gains him some sympathy with a romantic suicide. The thing with taking this advice is you have to be choosy with your ending dialogue with the two characters you're killing off in the end. It's easy to be cliche in wording with murder/suicide ending and if you're not careful with how he goes about killing his victim and then himself then you'll have some ticked off readers when it ends. I suggest giving the hero a short ranged weapon. Being up close and person with an enemy that's going to be dispatched is, without doubt, a sign of certain strength and bravery. Secondly, suicide by bladed or blunt weapon is tough on the victim and shows extreme remorse or grief for his actions or his inability to preform a certain few actions - such as saving a beloved maiden in his life.

You could have him be captured in an epic battle and then killed by his pursuers. A hanging perhaps? Its more dramatic.

Personally, I would stray from killing the hero at all. It shows more desire and strength if you have him live on in the end, burdened with the duty of repentance for his sins. Plus, if he lives on in the end with the promise to live for both his departed love and his new found life it gives a more romantic sense to the story.

I think that when killing a hero off first and foremost is not to view him as the hero. In fact, try to view your main character as someone struggling just like everyone else. Like his peers, and his enemies. This way you can see him as a man first and then a hero... to someone. Then, given the tone of the story, it will be a natural end for him when you cut his life line. Or, allow the story to end on a blissful note suggesting that while he did vanquish his enemy, the loss took its toll in more than one way. The ending doesn't always have to be just happy or just sad, but the inner struggle is something he should walk away with; something no one else really sees.

I agree with Aage Crow. Don't kill off the hero - what about a sequel? Send him off to fight,have him get drunk in a bar and be gangpressed into the English navy who doesn't care who he thinks or says he is. Two years on the Spanish Main and all that. If you have established a true affinity with him from your readers it will be a breach of your contract with them. 

Maybe have the hero take the dying lover and have them walk into the ocean to drown together or fall off a cliff while holding each other. This could be a great scene. otherwise I say don'[t kill the hero.