We all have gone through that horrible phase of curling up in our beds and crying over the deaths of our favourite fictional characters at one point or another. It happens to even the strongest of hearts. We genuinely invest our emotions on a well written character, whether on screen or on paper, and when they die for the sake of plot, we are left devastated. It takes months to get over some deaths; some, we can't wrap our heads around at all. 

Here's a list of some of the most gut-wrenching, depressing and upsetting fictional deaths of all time:

1. DOBBY, HARRY POTTER
Oh little Dobby, whose death created waterfalls made of tears in the human world, was the loving elf who promised to be a loyal friend to Harry Potter. It's quite normal if you want to point your invisible wand at the screen and hex Bellatrix every time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes up on TV. The part where Harry scrawls "Here lies Dobby, a free elf" on the ground is even more heart-wrenching. But well, at least he died a free elf. 

2. MUFASA, THE LION KING
This is possibly one of those Disney movies that makes you cry like a baby every time. When Mufasa died while saving his son Simba, several hearts swelled up in pain. But the sadder part was adorable Simba's reaction to it which made us all go, "Oh, no!" "Come on Dad, get up!" are the words that still make us cry buckets.

3. GAVROCHE, LES MISERABLES
What a lot of people who only watched the movie don't know is that Gavroche was a symbol of the revolution that was portrayed in Victor Hugo's book. So when he dies so suddenly, it actually resembles the death of the revolution and all the possibilities it could have - which is quite disheartening. In the movie, the adorable Daniel Huttlestone plays Gavroche and it's extremely depressing when the little child sings "I have fallen to the ground…" and closes his eyes for the final time.

4. ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, HARRY POTTER
Although it was previously predicted by some, Dumbledore's death was indeed a punch to the gut. How can you let the white haired wizard whose voice hit you right in the hearts and whose description in the book enthralled you for the longest time die? You can't. And so, when he does die, you cry your hearts out and hope for him to come back. Somehow.

5. RUDY, THE BOOK THIEF
This one really broke my heart. Rudy, who liked stealing apples and wanted to kiss Liesel Meminger, dies when Himmel Street is bombed. In the book, Markus Zusak does an excellent job of making the whole death scene as poignant as possible. And the movie absolutely does justice to it by portraying the scene with too many emotions to make you bawl. Liesel finally kisses Rudy's lips, by then dead and cold.

6. MAES HUGHES, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST
Maes Hughes' death is probably one of the saddest moments when it comes to anime. He was a great father, extremely funny and favourite to almost everyone who watches Fullmetal Alchemist. So when he died, it came off as a shock to most and the fact that he was not deserving of the way he was killed made it even more saddening. It hit right in the feels when his daughter was unable to comprehend his death at the funeral. 

Mashiat Lamisa is often seen frowning at the sight of people who dislike poetry and tomatoes. She can be reached at mashiatlamisa@outlook.com