In the MCU, heroism never comes without sacrifice. Many of Marvel’s heroes have shown that being a hero means more than just fighting villains; it sometimes requires giving up the things that matter most. Characters have paid this price in different ways, whether it’s sacrificing quality time with family, like Clint Barton, or giving up relationships, as briefly seen with Pepper and Tony Stark. But for some, the cost was far greater.
These heroes laid down their lives to protect a loved one or even the entire world. Sacrifice comes with the territory, and in their most defining and heroic moments, these characters proved that true heroism often demands everything.
MCU's Most Heroic Characters Who Paid With Their Lives
Ho Yinsen - Iron Man (2008)
Doctor Ho Yinsen was a scientist and surgeon from the village of Gulmira. He was kidnapped by the Ten Rings organization and forced to tend to Tony Stark’s injuries. While in the cave, Tony came up with the idea for his armor, and with nothing but scraps of metal, Ho helped him build the first Iron Man suit.
In the end, Yinsen sacrificed himself to buy Tony enough time to finish the suit and escape. Despite having such a short time in the MCU, it’s hard to deny how vital his sacrifice was to the launch of what became the celebrated Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Agent Phil Coulson - The Avengers (2012)
SHIELD agent Phil Coulson saw an opportunity to unite Earth’s mightiest superheroes to offset supernatural, extraterrestrial, and scientific threats that might be a tad over the pay grade of regular soldiers. Somehow, between the unbearable Tony Stark and the one-man soldier Thor, he realized they needed more than just an idea or a nudge.
When Loki stabbed Phil, he embraced death, knowing that would be the push the soon-to-be Avengers needed to get along. This makes Agent Phil Coulson the unsung hero who literally united the Avengers.
Frigga - Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Frigga is the Queen of Asgard, wife of Odin, and mother of Thor. She ruled Asgard while Odin was in his sleep and coached and encouraged Loki in sorcery, which later became both his defense and offense.
Her death in Thor: The Dark World marked the first of many losses that wrecked the God of Thunder. She bravely stood between Malekith and Jane Foster, who had absorbed the Aether. When she refused to surrender, Malekith ordered Algrim to kill her, and he impaled her from behind with her own sword.
Original Groot - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
In Guardians of the Galaxy, the team was only just forming when Groot, the gentle yet powerful tree-like creature, made the ultimate sacrifice. As Ronan’s ship plummeted to the ground, Groot extended his branches, wrapping the dysfunctional group in a protective cocoon.
With just three words, "We are Groot," he shielded his friends from certain death. Though Groot’s body was destroyed, his sacrifice ensured the Guardians lived to fight another day, and his legacy carried on in the form of Baby Groot.
Quicksilver - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pietro Maximoff, the speedster known as Quicksilver, met his end in one of the MCU’s most unexpected sacrifices. During the battle of Sokovia, as Ultron’s drones rained bullets across the floating city, Clint Barton tried to protect a trapped child.
At the last moment, Quicksilver sped in and shielded them both, taking the full barrage himself. He saved Hawkeye and the boy at the cost of his own life.
Ancient One - Doctor Strange (2016)
The Ancient One was a centuries-old sorcerer who protected Earth from mystical threats. To live that long, she drew power from the Dark Dimension. Discovering her secret was tough for most of her followers, who expected more from the virtuous, steadfast Sorcerer Supreme. Doctor Strange momentarily crashed out, while Karl Mordo took things to the extreme, as shown in Doctor Strange’s post-credits scene.
However, Kaecilius went on a rampage. His anger had little to do with her hypocrisy and more to do with her keeping her secret from the rest of the world. His solution was bringing the ruler of the Dark Dimension to Earth. The Sorcerer Supreme stood tall and fought against Kaecilius, but the Ancient One was fatally stabbed in a fight. In the end, she wholly embraced death.
Yondu - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
The father-son bond between Yondu and Peter Quill was complicated. Peter resented Yondu for abducting him from Earth as a child and keeping him only because he was “small enough to fit into places.”
But in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Yondu proves his love by sacrificing himself to save Peter, proving he is Peter Quill's daddy. In a happy turn of events, Yondu redeemed himself and was welcomed back posthumously into the Ravagers.
Loki - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
In Avengers: Infinity War, Loki revealed that beneath all the rivalry, mischief, and banter, there was genuine love between him and his Asgardian brother, Thor. Having survived Ragnarok and the fall of Asgard, Loki chose to stand against Thanos.
Faced with the Tesseract and his brother’s life, Loki made his choice—Thor came first. Pretending to pledge loyalty, he tried to strike the Mad Titan but tragically had his neck crushed for his trouble. It was a brutal end, but one that defined the true relationship between Thor and Loki and brought Loki’s journey full circle. For now, fans will keep hoping the pair reunite in Avengers: Doomsday, as the duo was teased in Marvel Studios' lengthy Doomsday cast reveal event.
Heimdall - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Heimdall, the former gatekeeper of Asgard, paid with his life in an attempt to stop Thanos from claiming the Tesseract, which held the Space Stone. Before the Mad Titan fulfilled his wish of blipping half of existence, the road there was violent.
Just after Thanos fought the Hulk, Heimdall transported the Hulk to Earth. That provocation earned him a blade in the gut but allowed the Hulk to warn Earth’s heroes about Thanos’ coming.
Vision - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Plan A in Avengers: Infinity War was to keep the Infinity Stones away from Thanos. With the Mind Stone powering Vision and all the catastrophe that would follow if Thanos got hold of it, Vision saw only one way forward: destroying the stone, even if it meant his own death.
Sadly, the Mind Stone could only be destroyed by Wanda Maximoff, since her powers came from it and she could manipulate its energy. In one of the most heartbreaking moments in the MCU, Wanda was forced to kill the man she loved. But even that sacrifice was undone when Thanos reversed time and ripped the stone from Vision’s head, killing him again. The tragedy not only shattered Wanda but also set her on a dark and painful path that would spiral throughout the MCU.
Vision Quest will join the MCU on Disney+ for the last Multiverse Saga Phase. It is expected to follow the events of WandaVision and Agatha All Along.
Natasha Romanoff - Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Natasha Romanoff and her longtime friend, Clint Barton, traveled to Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone. There, they learned that a sacrifice was required. In a struggle, Natasha ultimately gave her life, leaping from the cliff so Hawkeye could secure the Soul Stone and help reverse Thanos’s snap in Avengers: Endgame.
Iron Man - Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The fun-loving billionaire playboy Tony Stark finally grew into the man who built a family with his longtime assistant-turned-lover, Pepper Potts. After the Avengers lost to Thanos in Infinity War, Tony was lucky to be with his family after the Blip. But when the chance came to bring everyone back, he joined the time heist despite what was at stake.
In the final showdown against Thanos, Tony took the Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers to save the universe, a victory he did not survive.
Doctor Strange Supreme - What If...? Season 1 (2021)
In What If…?, Doctor Strange loses his way while trying to save his star-crossed lover, Christine Palmer. He ends up losing his soul, universe, and the love of his life. This then spirals into a crusade that sacrifices universe killers and mighty heroes, basically any powerful beings, to the Forge to resurrect his world and be reunited with the love of his life.
As the Watcher said, Strange sacrificed himself to the Forge and resurrected his universe at the cost of his own life, and he was not, and will never be, born within it.
Classic Loki - Loki (2021 - 2023)
Portrayed by Richard E. Grant, the Classic Loki is an older variant of Loki. This version managed to use his magic to escape Thanos’ snap and eventually exiled himself. In The Void, after meeting another Tom Hiddleston's Loki and Sylvie, he sacrifices his life to save them by making himself bait for Alioth, which then consumes him.
Earth-838’s Doctor Strange - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Doctor Strange is no stranger to sacrifice. After his time in Kamar-Taj, he chose a path of protecting lives instead of pursuing love and his old career. But in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, viewers learn of another Strange who gave in to recklessness.
Like Wanda Maximoff, Earth-838’s Doctor Strange also turned to the Darkhold to find a solution for his problems with Thanos. This caused an Incursion that led to the loss of billions of lives. The Illuminati executed him as they believed he was a threat.
Wanda Maximoff - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Even though the Scarlet Witch didn’t give up her life, some fans believe she has lived a fate worse than death. Her tragic childhood and the death of her brother, Pietro Maximoff, in Avengers: Age of Ultron hold no candle to the loved ones she has been forced to kill herself for the greater good.
Wanda’s story in the MCU has been especially heartbreaking. She was forced to kill Vision, destroy her Hex in Westview, and erase the family she created inside it. Finally, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, after realizing the destruction it caused, Wanda chose to destroy the Darkhold, an act that may have cost her life.
Queen Ramonda - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda was one of the many casualties at the hands of Namor, another big loss that rocked the royal family of Wakanda after the death of King T’Challa. She heroically put herself in danger when she saw Shuri’s friend, Riri Williams, drowning. Ramonda dove in to save her, but she was unable to make it out of the flood, sacrificing herself so the young genius could live.
Agatha Harkness - Agatha All Along (2024)
Agatha survived for centuries by drawing on the Darkhold’s power and stealing the magic of other witches with false promises of the Witches’ Road. But eventually, the thousand-year-old witch was visited by an old flame: Death itself. It wasn’t there to chit-chat or catch up; it came to collect her elusive soul.
But Death noticed something more interesting, something that shouldn’t have been there in the first place, Billy Maximoff. An offer was made, but only one person lived. In the off-brand moment, Agatha traded her life for that of Billy Maximoff, the son of her arch nemesis.
Sue Storm - The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Despite being one of the most powerful characters introduced in the MCU in recent times, the world-eater Galactus proved to be a little too much for Marvel’s First Family.
Even though her infant son, Franklin Richards, ultimately brought her back, the battle against Galactus took everything from Sue Storm. The Invisible Woman pushed her powers beyond their limits, and in the end, it cost her her life momentarily.
