***WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER***
Like so many other Marvel fans around the world, I spent the first half of 2018 anxiously awaiting Infinity War, a film which was ten years in the making and would bring so many of my favorite characters together for the first time. There was definitely a feeling of nervousness as I walked into the theater. The Russo brothers and Kevin Feige had been teasing that big things would happen in this movie and that the MCU would be changed forever. I'm not really sure what I expected, but I certainly didn't think I would spend the majority of the movie crying my eyes out. So, in honor of the DVD release this week, here's a definitive ranking of every death in Infinity War, from the deaths that only made me tear up a little to the ones that made me weep openly.
Maria Hill
https://www.wattpad.com/450535619-heroes-⇢-marvel-gif-series-032-maria-hill
To be completely honest, this death was not nearly as upsetting to me as all the other deaths in this movie. While I like Agent Hill as a character, her death just didn't pack the same emotional punch as all the others, especially since she wasn't featured in Infinity War until the end-credits scene. While I was upset to see her go, I just didn't feel as though that was the most emotional scene.
Nick Fury
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/photo-gallery/44784517/image/44784523/Nick-Fury
Again, this death wasn't all that emotional. This is probably because it happened so fast, and Fury isn't exactly a person to freak out in stressful circumstances. In fact, he seemed a bit annoyed with the fact that he was dying. I was upset to see him go, but I didn't cry nearly as much as I did with other characters.
Heimdall
https://nerdist.com/what-is-thor-ragnaroks-infinity-stone-connection/
I was so sad to see one of Thor's closest friends die, especially considering the fact that he died with so many other Asgardians. He died trying to protect his people but ultimately failed in his mission. It was such an early death in the movie, as well, so I knew it was foreshadowing for what was to come.
Falcon
https://gifer.com/en/vNV
I love this character so much, but he was hardly featured in Infinity War! He is seen only fighting for a little while and then he dies. Because of this, I didn't find Falcon's death to be as emotional. There wasn't as much of a connection to him, as opposed to other films.
Dr. Strange
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/161074124157503115/
Dr. Strange's death seemed almost like an act of sacrifice. He gave up the Time Stone and allowed himself to die so that, ultimately, the Avengers could defeat Thanos. That was such a touching moment in the film, especially considering the fact that Strange went from only caring about himself to sacrificing himself. He died having gained friends and working for something bigger than himself.
Mantis
https://www.tumblr.com/search/gotgv2%20spoilers
The Guardians of the Galaxy are my favorite characters in the entire MCU, so watching all but one of them die in this movie was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. All of their deaths made me extremely sad, but Mantis's death was not as emotional for me, since I haven't seen her in as many films as the others.
Drax
http://www.geekexchange.com/geekp.html
Drax is quite possibly the funniest of all the Guardians, so it was painful to think that everyone's favorite literalist was gone for good. For all his quirks, Drax still cared deeply for his friends and was a great fighter in defending the galaxy. I was crying a lot when he disappeared.
Star Lord
https://weheartit.com/entry/311682963
Yes, a lot of people blame Peter Quill for Thanos succeeding, but his death was still incredibly sad. He died knowing the love of his life was gone and watched his friends fade before he did. He was clearly scared as it happened, as well. Star Lord is another one of my favorite characters, so I was very sad watching him fade away.
Vision
https://weheartit.com/entry/309504654
Vision died twice, first at the hands of his love, then Thanos turned back time and killed him again in order to gain the Mind Stone. When he told Wanda that she could never hurt him, my heart melted, and I realized how horribly sad it would be when he died. They would be separated in spite of their continuous love for each other. I'm a hopeless romantic, so that definitely made me shed my fair share of tears.
Loki
https://marvelcinematicuniversetheories.wordpress.com/category/avengers/
Out of all the MCU characters, I've had the most mixed feelings about Loki. He started out as a villain, tried to reform himself, became the villain again, until, finally, he accepted who he was and vowed to fight alongside his brother. Unfortunately, right as this happened, Thanos killed him in front of Thor. I had started to think, "Wow, he's not that bad. He's actually a good guy now," only to see him die seconds after his redemption. The fact that this death took place at the beginning of the movie let me and the audience know that we were really in for it.
Scarlet Witch
https://weheartit.com/entry/311559169
Before Infinity War, Scarlet Witch had lost her country, her parents, and her brother. She tried so hard to build a life with Vision, the man she loved, but she later had to destroy the Mind Stone in his body to prevent Thanos from getting the stone. Wanda faded away after this happened, but she died having watched her love die twice. Even still she accepted it with peace, knowing she would see her family again. Her peace while fading away was definitely bittersweet.
Groot
https://tenor.com/view/groot-disappear-rocket-infinity-war-avengers-gif-11799156
Groot has always been one of the more humorous members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, mainly due to his now famous saying, "I Am Groot", and the fact that he just does what he wants with no fear of consequences. Watching him fade away made me think of a loss of innocence. It certainly doesn't help that James Gunn later revealed that Groot's last word to Rocket was, "Dad?" That made the scene all the more sad.
Black Panther
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/AlienatedHappygoluckyInvisiblerail
Black Panther was the MCU's breakout star of 2018. His death surprised me the most because I honestly didn't think Marvel would ever kill off one of their most popular heroes. T'Challa is also one of my favorite characters in the MCU, and his death was definitely the most honorable (appropriate for the king of Wakanda). He spent his last seconds encouraging his general Okoye to keep moving despite all the people disappearing around her, right before he disappeared himself.
Winter Soldier
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/306948530845895517/
Can Bucky Barnes please catch one break in his life? When he's first introduced in Infinity War, he's a farmer living a peaceful life in Wakanda before he's called back into war. He's reunited with his best friend, Steve Rogers, and they fight alongside each other on the battlefield again. However, this doesn't last very long, as Bucky is the first of the Avengers to fade away. He barely got to spend any time free from war, and that was the part that broke my heart the most.
Gamora
https://tenor.com/view/ilove-you-gamora-infinity-war-guardians-of-the-galaxy-star-lord-gif-11749602
Gamora's story in Infinity War was definitely the saddest one. Not only is her "father" Thanos, but she also bravely asks Peter Quill, the love of her life, to kill her if Thanos finds her so that she will not be able to tell him where the Soul Stone is located. However, Thanos makes it impossible for Quill to kill her. Once she tells Thanos where the stone is, he then throws her off a cliff, as he must sacrifice "the thing he loves most" in order to gain the Soul Stone. Gamora's arc is one of the best in the MCU, and she is one of my favorite characters, so watching her die in such a terrible way made me cry really hard.
Spiderman
https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/tag/tom%20holland
Just when I thought everyone had stopped disappearing, I heard a small voice off-screen say, "Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good." Then, Peter Parker stumbled toward Tony Stark, already beginning to fade away. Instantly, the tears began steadily flowing, and I started shaking and whisper-screaming, "No! Not Spidey, anyone but him!!" The fact that his last moments were spent clinging to his father-figure in sheer terror was enough to break me down into a sobbing mess in the theater.
If you're anything like me, you probably shed a tear or two reading this article. Infinity War was definitely the most painful Marvel movie ever made, and it's the hardest I've cried at any movie ever. Here's hoping our favorite heroes return in Avengers 4!