The last words of a character should be considered. While the average dude that players fight might end up collapsing with nary a grunt, the last gasps of an antagonist or an ally need to have some care put into them. After all, even in games that aren't ~100 or more hours, you still develop a connection to certain characters.
Remember those times that a game left a lump in your throat because of a character's last words? Whether it's a begrudging bit of approval from an enemy, a lament from the protagonist, or a sudden realization before death takes them away, they've all left a lump in the throat of many a gamer. Here are 10 moments that still make us cry every time or watch in reverence.
10 The End's Acceptance
The End from Metal Gear Solid 3 is not a hateful character. He's a sniper and he's very good at what he does yet he's far from evil. He's just an old man who's been doing his job for a very long time with only his parrot for company. While his battle is one of the best boss battles in the series, it's his last words that do the most damage.
His laconic acceptance of his fate is heartbreaking, but most players are happy he's at peace with it all. "The time has come for a younger generation to rise. I've been wandering...for more than a century...and now my journey comes to a close. What a splendid way...to end it all. I have no regrets...I can return to the forest at last." Even Snake gets choked up at that one.
9 Dutch's Blunt Words to John
Over the course of Red Dead Redemption 2, we see Dutch turn from a sympathetic character into a monster. In the original Red Dead Redemption, players get to hunt him down and his last words are blunt like a hammer blow.
Dutch simply tells John "our time has passed, John." The age of the outlaw is over and Dutch's death is the curtain call. Too bad he couldn't have come to this conclusion sooner (RDR2 fans will understand).
8 Blackbeard's Final Truth
Assassin's Creed IV is a game all about piracy, yes, but it's not only about piracy actually. It's about the people behind the legends: their personalities, their good deeds, and their bad ones. It's one of the only games that's ever put effort into portraying the personalities of pirates and humanizing them.
Edward Thatch, also known as Blackbeard, knows better than most how the noble aims of pirates often fall victim to greed. His last words are a gut punch for players: "in a world without gold, we might've been heroes." A haunting, but beautiful sentiment.
7 Lampshading A Cliche
Osmund Saddler isn't a subtle man; he eventually turns into a giant, gross parasite monster, after all. And yet, he's a man with a flair for the camp. Before you fight him in Resident Evil 4's finale in one of the best boss fights in the series, he points out the absurdity of the American triumphing.
"The American prevailing is a cliche that only happens in your Hollywood movies. Mr. Kennedy, you entertain me. To show my appreciation, I will help you awaken from your world of cliches." It's a moment that can go unappreciated and needs a bit of ruminating to truly grasp its meaning.
6 Arthur Morgan's Disbelief
The story of Arthur Morgan is a tragic one. Players see this strong and independent man fall apart due to tuberculosis -- a treatable disease in the modern-day. Yet Arthur doesn't only fall apart physically but emotionally, too. His family, the Van der Linde gang, starts to destroy itself with suspicion and infighting; it takes a heavy toll.
In the end, as Arthur collapses, he wonders where it all went wrong. Pleading with Dutch, his father figure, he desperately asks why he betrayed him, saying "I gave you all I had." While Dutch doesn't kill Arthur, he doesn't rescue him or help him either, leaving him to his fate instead. Though our time with him was short, Arthur gave fans tons of amazing quotes to remember him by.
5 The Banality Of Evil
Knights Of The Old Republic is a truly stellar game. Not only do most fans consider it the best Star Wars game, but it's also one of the best western roleplaying games bar none. Over the course of the game, players pursue Darth Malak and eventually confront him at his base.
Presuming the player has gone down the light-side path, Malak's last words are somewhat haunting with him saying "and in the end, as the darkness takes me...I am nothing." Malak has realized, too late, the banality and hopelessness of performing evil deeds. Or perhaps he just embraced nihilism at the last second.
4 Nishiki's Redemption
For those that played Yakuza 0 before Kiwami or 1, Nishiki's behavior can be hard to stomach. This guy has been Kiryu's stalwart ally throughout Yakuza 0 and now he's turned evil! Talk about a dramatic character reversal.
While Nishiki does a lot of evil in Yakuza, his final words redeem him. He says "the responsibility is mine, let me do this," before sacrificing himself to take out Jingu. It speaks to Nishiki's true character and allows the character to draw his line in the sand.
3 The Cliffhanger Moment
Saints Row 3 isn't the best in the series, but it does have one phenomenal moment. At the very beginning of the game, while we skydive down to ground level, we're on the radio with Johnny Gat.
We hear him say "right on, I'll see you in Stil-" before the transmission cuts out. We don't see Johnny for the rest of the game which led many players to think he was dead. Though he later returned in IV, his unceremonious last words could've been memorable in their non-importance.
2 Aunt May's Quiet Death
The PS4 and PS5 Spider-Man games are chockful of brilliant moments and heroic acts. Yet none of the deaths in the game are as touching or as meaningful as Aunt May's. The scenario involves May dying from a Devil's Breath infection, but she reveals that she knew Peter was Spider-Man.
She says that she's proud of him and Ben would have been, too. Her final words, when Peter says that he doesn't know what to do, are simple: "yes, you do." Supportive, wise, and loving to the very end; thanks Aunt May.
1 Dom's Last Heroic Act
Gears of War is not always equated with sweeping, emotional moments. But the series is full of incredibly moving and sometimes extremely sad moments. Dom's final moments, in particular, stand out as being memorable, selfless, and haunting.
In Gears Of War 3, we see Dom go out like a champ in a valiant sacrifice, destroying a fuel canister and taking out a ton of enemies with him. His last words are to his dead wife which makes the moment even tougher: "never thought it would end like this, huh? Huh, Maria?"