Nothing lightens up the mood during an otherwise serious film (or at least during serious moments in a film) like a comic relief character. These characters may be anything from the hero’s wisecracking best friend to the main villain’shilariously incompetent sidekick, to simply a secondary character who says the wrong things at the wrong time.
Comic relief characters may play a key role in a movie’s plot, or they may just be thrown in by a screenwriter as a way to provide laughs, but for one reason or another, they are definitely memorable. Though, sometimes, things don’t always end well for the cinematic clown. Here are 10 movies that killed off their comic relief characters.
10Private William Hudson - Aliens (1986)
In James Cameron’sAliens,Sigourney Weaver still kicks Xenomorph butt like she does in Ridley Scott’s original film, but this time she does it with a whole new crew helping her out. Bill Paxton particularly stands out among the ensemble cast as Private First Class William Hudson. MostAliensfans probably remember him from his improvised “Game over, man!” line, but before Hudson’s near-descent into hysteria, his over-the-top confidence and constant banter makes him an ideal comic relief character.
Game Over, Man!
Right after it’s revealed that Carter Burke (Paul Reiser), a representative for the Weyland-Yutani corporation, planned to kill the surviving Marines and smuggle a Xenomorph back to Earth, the aliens cut the power to the building. Hudson, who had previously suggested killing Burke for his betrayal, bravely fights off the aliens when they come down through the ceiling.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t anticipate them coming up through the floor gate, and he gets pulled down to an uncertain fate by one of the attacking Drones (young adult versions of the Xenomorph). Since we don’t see him get killed on-screen, it’s likely that Hudson was cocooned and impregnated with a Chestburster, which we all remember thanks tothe iconic scene from the first film. Clearly, not a great way to go.
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor from the original Alien, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the aliens' planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley returns to the planet with a squad of marines, an android (Lance Henriksen), and a Company executive (Paul Reiser) with a mission of his own. Once on the planet, no survivors can be found except for Newt, a little girl who awakens motherly instincts in Ripley just in time for the acid-blooded aliens to attack in what quickly becomes a one-sided battle for sheer survival.
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9Joe “Pinball” Parker - Con Air (1997)
It may seem improbable that there would be a comic relief character amid a group of criminals that includes a ruthless mastermind, a terrorist, a serial killer, and a serial rapist. But, Dave Chappelle manages it inCon Air, despite his relatively brief time on screen. The prolific stand-up comedian plays a convicted arsonist named Joe “Pinball” Parker, who sets another prisoner on fire as a distraction to allow Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom to take over the prison transport plane. Pinball throws out a number of funny one-liners before his demise, including referencing spontaneous combustion and the Discovery Channel during the inciting mid-flight arson incident.
Pinball Delivers a Message
Pinball is the first convict to die aboard the aptly named “Jailbird.” After getting rid of the plane’s transponder to avoid being tracked by law enforcement, Pinball dies trying to re-board the plane during takeoff. Though Pinball wasn’t necessarily a major character inCon Air, his corpse plays a key role in the film’s plot, as Nic Cage’s Poe writes a message on it before throwing it off the plane, successfully alerting U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin of the plane’s whereabouts.
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8Randy Meeks - Scream 2 (1997)
Played by comedian Jamie Kennedy, Randy Meeks is a key component of the first twoScreamfilms, not only serving as the primary comic relief character, but also the audience surrogate whose fourth-wall-breaking, meta commentary primarily fuels the satiric aspect of the franchise. InScream 2, to shed light on Ghostface’s second stint of killings, Randy helps lighten the mood by further breaking down horror movie tropes for Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and the gang. Until his untimely death, that is.
“I’ll Be Right Back!”
Despite being a fan favorite in the earlyScreamfilms, Randy meets a gruesome fate at the hands of Ghostface. During a phone call with the killer (an intended distraction to allow Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers to track down the culprit), Randy gets off some pretty solid insults at the expense of Stu Macher and Billy Loomis, the killers from the first film. Unfortunately, that ends up being Randy’s downfall, as he’s pulled into a van by Ghostface and fatally stabbed several times. When Nancy Loomis, Billy’s mother, is ultimately outed as the killer, she reveals that Randy’s gruesome death was a result of her getting “a little knife happy” over Randy insulting her son.
In a 2022 interview,Scream 2writer Kevin Williamsonexpressed regret about killing off Randy, though his legacy lives on in the later films through his sister Martha (Heather Matarazzo), niece Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and nephew Chad (Mason Gooding), as well as through several video recordings.
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Related:Why Scream 2 Is the Best Horror Sequel Ever
7Beni Gabor - The Mummy (1999)
InThe Mummy, Beni Gabor (Kevin J. O’Connor) serves as the human accomplice to Imhotep, the Pharaoh-killing high priest turned regenerated mummy. Though Beni helps Imhotep carry out some pretty despicable acts, his sniveling cowardice and banter-filled-yet-antagonistic relationship with Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell make him stand out as somewhat of a comic relief character.
Goodbye, Beni!
Beni’s single-minded pursuit of riches ends up coming back to bite him – literally. While attempting to loot the City of the Dead, Beni accidentally sets off a booby trap that causes the ruins to collapse. He ends up getting trapped in the treasure chamber, with a torch as his only defense against the gathering horde of hungry scarab beetles. Eventually, Beni’s torch burns out, and he is eaten alive by scarabs. Goodbye, Beni.
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While Simon Pegg flexes his comedic chops as the titular hero in Edgar Wright’sShaun of the Dead(a film he actually co-wrote with the British director), Nick Frost steals the majority of the laughs as Ed, Shaun’s slacker best friend. Ed’s laissez-faire attitude, incessant immaturity, and inappropriate sense of humor (usually directed towards Shaun’s mother, Barbara, in the form of crude sexual jokes), are on constant display, even while the zombies are wreaking absolute havoc.
How Ed (Sort Of) Dies
During the final stand against the zombies at The Winchester Tavern, Ed ends up getting bitten by a zombified Pete (Peter Serafinowicz). All seems lost for Ed, Shaun, and Liz (Kate Ashfield), but suddenly the British Army arrives in adeus ex machinamoment and saves the day. But, then what happens to Ed?…
Fast-forward six months later to a now zombie Ed chained up in Shaun’s garden shed, where the best friends still play video games. So, technically, Ed isundeadand not totally dead, but it’s clear that he’s not his wisecracking former self.
Shaun of the Dead
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5Hud Platt - Cloverfield (2008)
Hud Platt (played by comedian T.J. Miller) serves a pretty unique role in the found footage filmCloverfield, in that he serves as both the comic relief character and the movie’s cinematographer. Even though we rarely see Hud on-screen (get it, Hud, as in Heads Up Display?), his running commentary and constant flirting with Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) are welcome distractions from the horrifying monster attack.
A Monstrous Death
After escaping from the wreckage of a helicopter crash that kills everyone onboard besides Hud, Rob, and Beth, our comic-relief camera operator goes to pick up his camera, when the creature suddenly appears. Hud freezes in fear over the sheer size of the monster, ultimately sealing his gruesome fate, as he is brutally bitten in half while Rob and Beth scream in terror.
As it turns out, Hud’s death wasn’t all in vain. According to the “Special Investigation Mode” on theCloverfieldBlu-ray release, Hud was “posthumously awarded for his brave work in documenting and providing the Department [of Defense] with rare close-up details ofCloverfieldevents.”
Cloverfield
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Like many characters in Coen brothers' films, personal trainer Chad Feldheimer inBurn After Readingis a simple person thrust into an extraordinary situation. Brilliantly played by Brad Pitt, Chad stands out as a hilariously off-beat comic relief character because he is an excitable goofball who seemingly has no idea how in over his head he is after he and his co-worker Linda (Frances McDormand) get their hands on a mysterious disc and attempt to orchestrate an outlandish blackmail scheme.
An Unexpected End
Chad unknowingly seals his unfortunate fate when he agrees, at Linda’s urging, to sneak into the house of ex-CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) and steal files from his computer to purportedly sell to the Russians. During Chad’s mission, paranoid U.S. Marshal Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who is having an affair with Cox’s wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), arrives at the house and discovers Chad hiding in a bedroom closet. As Chad greets him with a sheepish smile, Harry panics and shoots Chad in the head, making for one ofthe most unexpected death scenes in movie history.
Burn After Reading
3Ray - The Princess and the Frog (2009)
WhileThe Princess and the Froghas a number of likable characters, Ray, the Cajun firefly with a heart of gold, stands out as one of the best. Voiced by Jim Cummings, Ray is somewhat of a hopeless romantic, professing his love for the Evening Star, which he believes is another firefly named Evangeline. Ray’s eccentric personality and strange light-generated powers allow him, at times, to serve as a comic relief character, though his wisdom and bravery make him one of Tiana’s best allies in fighting the evil Dr. Facilier (Keith David).
A Heartbreaking Death
Ray’s death is one of the most heartbreaking Disney moments in recent memory, as the firefly is stepped on by Dr. Facilier during a climactic battle with the Shadow Demons. Ray is able to say a few final words to the reunited Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) and Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) before succumbing to his injuries, but in classic Disney fashion, Ray appears as a new star alongside Evangeline to watch over Tiana’s new restaurant.
The Princess and the Frog
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2Fred Weasley - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Fred and George Weasley serve as comic relief characters throughout theHarry Potterfranchise, particularly in the early films. The identical twins (played by real-life twins James and Oliver Phelps) are known for the pranks and practical jokes that they play on classmates, professors, and (occasionally) each other. Sadly, their final on-screen appearance inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2is a moment completely devoid of any comic relief.
One of the Saddests Deaths in the Franchise
As Harry Potter assesses the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, he comes across the Weasley family mourning over Fred’s dead body (while we don’t see Fred’s death in the film, J.K. Rowling writes in the book that he was killed in an explosion caused by an unknown Death Eater). Oliver Phelps, who played the grieving George in the scene, said in a 2019Cosmopolitaninterview that having to act like his brother James had just died was an extremely emotional scene to film, and he was only able to do so twice. James Phelps, on the other hand, called it “the easiest day of work,” and actually fell during the filming.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
1Paulie Pennino - Creed (2015)
Fans of theRockyfranchise will know that the late Paulie Pennino doesn’t start out as a comic relief character right off the bat. In the early films, the Philadelphia meat packer and best friend of Rocky Balboa is shown to be constantly angry, belligerently drunk, and even abusive towards his sister Adrian. AfterRocky III, however, Paulie starts to become more of a comedic element, which is particularly shown in his subplot and hilarious love affair with the robot Sico inRocky IV.
An Offscreen Death
During a scene inCreedwhen Rocky contemplates his mortality following his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, he visits the graves of Paulie and Adrian, which are side-by-side. How Paulie died is never specified, just his date of death: June 28, 2025. On Jun 26, 2025, Burt Young – who played Paulie in sixRockymovies and earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on the first film – passed away from cardiac arrest. He was 83.
