This article may contain spoilers!

In cinema, moments of self-sacrifice often stand out for their emotional depth and impact. In this article, we’ll look into twelve of the most memorable self-sacrifice scenes from films & tv series.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Take Me Home (2014)

In the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, Merlin sacrifices himself by switching places with Eggsy after stepping on a landmine highlighting his selfless dedication to the mission and team.

The Orville S03E09: Charly Burke Saves The Kaylon

In The Orville Season 3, Episode 9, Charly Burke stays behind on the planet’s surface to overload a destroy a dangerous weapon, fully aware that her actions will almost certainly result in her death. This sacrifice was crucial for allowing the Kaylon to see Humanity wanted peace.

Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Death of Boromir

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Boromir meets his end while valiantly defending Merry and Pippin from a band of Uruk-hai. Despite being mortally wounded, he fights to protect his companions, ultimately succumbing to his injuries and making a noble sacrifice that redeems his earlier mistakes and highlights his courage and honor.

Independence Day (1996): Russell Becomes a Hero

In Independence Day (1996), Russell Casse dies heroically after his missile jams during an attack on the alien mothership. Determined to complete the mission, he steers his aircraft directly into the core of the enemy ship moments before it was about to fire its weapon, sacrificing himself to save humanity.

Terminator 2: Ending Scene

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the Terminator sacrifices himself by lowering himself into molten metal to ensure that his advanced technology is permanently destroyed. His self-destruction is thought to be crucial to preventing the creation of Skynet and stopping the apocalypse,

Léon: The Professional (1994): This is from Mathilda (Léon’s death scene)

In Léon: The Professional (1994), Léon sacrifices himself in a final act of bravery to protect Mathilda from a group of corrupt DEA agents. Knowing he is outnumbered and recognizing that his death is the only way to ensure Mathilda’s safety and escape, he confronts the agents, ultimately dying to give her a chance at a better life and to complete his promise of saving her.

Inside Out: Bing Bong Dies (2015)

In Inside Out (2015), Bing Bong sacrifices himself by jumping from overweight wagon to help Joy and Sadness escape from the Memory Dump. As he fades away, he reassures Joy that he is happy to have helped, making his sacrifice a poignant moment that symbolizes the letting go of childhood dreams and memories to make way for growth and new experiences.

Man On Fire (2004): Creasy dies

In Man on Fire (2004), Creasy dies while trying to rescue Pita, a young girl he has sworn to protect taken hostage. Despite being severely wounded, he makes a final of trading of trading places, heroic effort to ensure her safety, sacrificing his life to fulfill his promise.

Space Cowsboys (2000): Let’s Shoot This Baby To The Moon

In Space Cowboys (2000), Hawk sacrifices himself by strapping himself to a malfunctioning USSR nuclear missile launch platform. He guides the satellite away from Earth in the direction of the Moon to ensure its nuclear payload never falls back to the planet.

ARMAGEDDON (1998): Harry’s Sacrifice

In Armageddon (1998), Harry Stamper, played by Bruce Willis, sacrifices himself to save Earth from an impending asteroid collision.

After the crew successfully drills into the asteroid and plants a nuclear bomb, Harry realizes the device needs to be triggered manually. He trades places with his daughter’s fiancé, A.J., to ensure that A.J. can return to Earth. Harry remains on the asteroid, manually detonating the bomb and sacrificing himself to prevent the disaster,

Avengers Endgame (2019): Death of Iron Man

In Avengers: Endgame (2019), Tony Stark/Iron Man dies heroically while using the Infinity Stones to defeat Thanos and save the universe. Realizing the immense power and danger of the Stones, he wields them to erase Thanos and his army from existence, knowing the act will likely be fatal.

Star Trek II (1982): The Wrath Of Khan – Death of Spock

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Spock sacrifices himself to save the crew of the USS Enterprise. When the ship’s warp drive is damaged during a battle with Khan, the Enterprise is left unable to escape the imminent explosion of the Genesis Device. Knowing that someone must repair the drive manually, Spock enters the radiation-filled engine room, despite the lethal consequences. He successfully repairs the warp drive, allowing the ship to escape and saving the crew.

Did we miss any heroic movie moments? Let us know your favorite scene in the comments below