Dead Space is full of horrible ways to die but some of them have a way of sticking with us more than others.
Outside of its fantastic combat system and nightmarish alien lifeforms, Dead Space is iconic for its sheer number of unique death animations that the player can fall victim to. The first game in the franchise, Dead Space, has over 50 different unique death animations.
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With so many ways to die, some are bound to fade away into the bloody mist of Isaac's body. However, there are those deaths that are so gruesome, so grotesque, and so badass that they stick with us all these years after the first playthrough. Let's take a look at some of the most memorable ways Isaac Clarke has left the mortal coil in Dead Space.
10 Brutalized
Everyone remembers their first encounter with a Brute. As you travel through the Ishimura, seeing horror after horror, you'll be placated by the fact that all Necromorphs up to this point had been roughly human-sized. Then we get to the bridge of the Ishimura. Suddenly our entire paradigm is shifted because standing before us is a massive roided out bear of a necromorph. This death is so memorable because fighting a Brute is already a memorable moment in the first game. But it adds insult to injury (literally) as the Brute eats Isaac and rips him in half. Necromorphs don't even have digestive tracts, so this is merely a display of dominance on the part of the Brute.
9 Pin Cushion
Infectors are always an unnerving sight to see while fighting for your life. It means that other Necromorphs will soon be joining the fray, adding to an already chaotic scene. While Infectors are generally skittish in behavior, do not underestimate their killing ability.
If one jumps onto Isaac it will pin him to the ground. After that, it will extend its proboscis and proceed to stab Isaac multiple times in the neck and chest. This onslaught will only end once Isaac's head has been not-so-cleanly removed from his body.
8 Up Up And Away
With all the Necromorphs and terrified crewmembers running about, it's no surprise that the Ishimura is in disrepair. It's a downright safety hazard and the player is taught this harsh lesson if they are careless around one of the malfunctioning gravity panels on board.
If Isaac steps onto one of these before disabling it, the repercussions will be swift and deadly. Isaac will be forced into the ceiling at mach five speeds. He will be propelled upward so fast that his body will literally explode on contact with the ceiling. In this case, we're glad that in space, no one can hear you scream.
7 Electrocuted
Don't let the benign name of this entry fool you. This is perhaps the most unique way to die in this instalment of the series, purely because it feels so out of place with the rest of the game.
At a certain point in the game, the player will run into some exposed wires. Isaac is supposed to use his Stasis Module on these wires to slow them down enough to walk by. If this is neglected and Isaac walks into the current, a scene straight out of Mortal Kombat ensues. Isaac is electrocuted so violently, that his torso explodes into a red mist. All that is left is his head, which hangs sadly in the air for a few seconds before plopping to the floor.
6 Grappled
Dividers are tall Necromorphs that will split into smaller ones when dismembered. They have a second trick up their sleeve, or should I say down their throat? Dividers have a long froglike tongue that can be thrown towards enemies many yards away.
These tongues are not just for show. They are dexterous and can grasp things like a lasso. Isaac can experience this first hand if he does not remove the limb from the creature quickly enough. If struck by the tongue, Isaac will be grabbed around the neck. The Divider will yank hard and remove Isaac's head from his shoulders. The most gruesome part of this death is how long it takes Isaac to fall to the ground afterwards.
5 Boom Hammer
Exploders can be a real hassle to deal with in the cramped hallways of the Ishimura. These Necromorphs have one bulbous hand that is filled with explosive chemicals. They will attempt to close distance on Isaac and bring this "boom hammer" directly down on Isaac.
This is a jarring death because it happens so quickly. The Exploder will bring its fist down on Isaac and in the blink of an eye his body will be turned into a pile of gore. This is a very effective death in the series as it also acts as a jumpscare.
4 Guarded
Guardians aren't particularly great at their namesake. These necromorphs are glued to walls near doorways and try to stop Isaac moving forward. Unfortunately for them, they are rather weak and have very limited range and no mobility.
If a Guardian can manage to get its tentacles onto Isaac Clarke, it will take out its frustrations with being an ineffective enemy out on the player. If Isaac gets too close at low health, the Guardian will shoot out a tentacle faster than a bullet, and knock Isaac's head clean off.
3 Dragged Away
Isaac has to delve into some uncomfortable places while repairing the Ishimura. Few are as uncomfortable as the flesh tube Isaac has to inch his way through near the end of the campaign. Not only does it tick the claustrophobia box, but there is something stalking Isaac in the tube.
Upon trying to extract himself from the tube, Isaac will be grabbed by a tentacle, initiating a quick-time event. If the player fails the prompt, Isaac will be pulled into the tube. The most haunting part of this scene is that Isaac actually claws his way back out of the tube, only to be dragged back in again. There are very few times in the series where we see Isaac so afraid or desperate.
2 Big Gulp
The final boss of a game is always a memorable experience, and it's clear that Dead Space's designers knew that they had to implement a death fit for the final showdown. They delivered.
At one point in the battle, Isaac will be picked up by the boss and shoved into its mouth, initiating another quick-time event. If failed, the monster will shove Isaac fully down its gullet, swallowing him whole. Isaac will struggle, and get out of the mouth, only to be ripped in half by the tentacles of the Necromorph. Isaac meets a much worse fate by trying to fight for his survival which feels fitting for the tone of the rest of the game.
1 Resurrected
This is a very strange death, even as Dead Space goes. Near the end of the game, Isaac has to fight a giant Necromorph that sweeps its tentacles across the floor in an attempt to squash him. This is not unusual, as Isaac has to fight other similar Necromorphs. In this particular fight, however, if Isaac is killed by a sweeping tentacle, something odd happens.
Isaac will be dismembered and only his legs remain behind. They start in a prone position, but as the camera lingers on them, they slowly rise and bend at the knees, looking as if they begin to reanimate. The legs begin to float upwards just as the camera fades. This looks almost like a bug that was left in the game as a hidden easter egg because it fit the moment very well. This could be a quirk of the zero gravity in the room, but either way, it is an extremely unsettling scene.