With such a long-running animated TV show as the Simpsons (it's been 35 years since they aired!), you'd expect the main characters to be safe from their demise, because what would the show do if they're gone? Well, sometimes a show tries to defy your expectations and unalive one of its characters.
Recently, such a thing happened to everyone's beloved Marge Simpson. This caused people to scramble, thinking — what now, is she going to be gone forever? Well, the answer to that is a tad complicated.
In a long-running show like the Simpsons, you'd expect main characters to be safe from death, because there wouldn't be a show without them
Image credits: The Simpsons / Fox
Yet, sometimes writers like to defy your expectations and off someone — like Marge Simpson in the latest episode
The latest The Simpsons episode stunned fans as it offed one of the most beloved characters — Marge Simpson.
Marge is far from the first character to die during the show’s 36 seasons. For example, in Bleeding Gums Murphy's death, the saxophone-playing friend of Lisa dies in season 6. Or Snowball II, the family’s cat, is run over in season 15. And, of course, how could anyone forget the dramatic passing of Maude Flanders, who was sent to Heaven.
Image credits: The Simpsons / Fox
Granted, none of these characters were the main ones, and none of them were from the family the show focuses on. So, with a main character’s death being shown in the latest episode, the 36th season finale “Estranger Things” caused quite a commotion.
This led to some folks discussing — is Marge Simpson gone from now on? Well, the answer is that no, not exactly.
Image credits: The Simpsons / Fox
The thing about this episode is that it took place in the future. It was shown that the mother figure of the Simpsons family would be the first one to go to heaven. So, while, yes, she dies, it doesn’t happen on the main timeline most of the storylines are happening on. That means that the show won’t be affected in any way.
This caused some fans to panic — so what now, there won't be a Marge anymore?
Image credits: The Simpsons / Fox
In fact, it isn’t the first time a main character was offed in the Simpsons. There are numerous Treehouse Horror episodes, where characters meet their demise in various ways. There are also plenty of other episodes with flash-forwards showing possible futures. All of these, typically, exist on the borders of canon, meaning that it’s completely official.
Image credits: The Simpsons / Fox
Yet, the deaths of characters like Maude and others are canon, as they mark the character’s departure from the show.
But they shouldn’t worry — this episode only shows what might happen in the future and doesn’t influence the main timeline, meaning Marge is safe... for now
Image credits: The Simpsons / Fox
The discussions about her passing made us remember other memorable animated deaths
Speaking of official deaths, the discussions of Marge’s passing reminded us of other deaths in animation that left a mark on pop culture’s history.
There is nothing more shocking than microwaving some popcorn, and turning on a cute animated flick with the family, only to be met with a shocking passing — either in the beginning moments of the film or the climactic ending. Most of you have probably shed at least a singular tear during these moments, and if you didn't, then you're a stronger person than us here at Bored Panda.
Bambi’s Mother — Bambi
Image credits: Bambi / Disney
For instance, starting from the classics — Bambi’s mother from the Bambi movie. She gets shot by a hunter while looking for food. This leaves the little fawn mourning, causing him to go on an adventure to learn the truth about his father, while leaving many a child with teary eyes in their mother's arms.
Mufasa — The Lion King
Image credits: The Lion King / Disney
Mufasa from The Lion King is another great example. He gets betrayed by his brother, Scar, who pushing him and his son into a wildebeest stampede. There, Mufasa loses his life when he's violently trampled by the wildebeest.
Coral — Finding Nemo
Image credits: Finding Nemo / Pixar
Similarly to both of them, there's also Coral, Nemo’s mother from Finding Nemo. She dies after being attacked by a barracuda along with most of her eggs. Apparently, being a parent in an animated movie puts you at quite a risk of death. These deaths from classical movies were some of the first heartbreaks in life for many folks.
Ellie Fredricksen — Up
Image credits: Up / Pixar
If we’re talking about slightly more modern examples, Ellie Fredricksen dying in the heartbreakingly beautiful montage at the beginning of “Up” made everyone tear up — the shots of her collapsing, then spending time in the hospital, and then passing away from unspecified illness. The montage ends with her husband at the funeral, tugging everyone's heartstrings. If this montage didn't make you cry, you’re lying.
Bing Bong — Inside Out
Image credits: Inside Out / Pixar
While Inside Out is a largely cheerful movie, it tackles some serious themes — like the intense mix and clash of emotions every teen experiences while transitioning between the stages of life. So when Bing Bong, Riley’s happy-go-lucky imaginary friend, sacrifices himself — in one of the film’s more emotional scenes — to save Joy and Sadness, audiences were not only stunned but also confronted with the reality of losing their own childhood imagination while growing up.
Peter Parker — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Image credits: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse / Sony
On the other hand, there was one modern animation death that not only broke hearts but also flabbergasted people. We’re talking about Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He dies when the particle collider explodes, and Kingpin defeats and ends him. You know, no one expects an original Spider-Man to die, so this took some people by surprise.
Besides these aforementioned ones, there are even more examples of animated deaths that left a mark on people’s memories. Well, at least, unlike them, Marge Simpson is not doomed and will continue appearing in the upcoming episodes.
What animated death impacted you the most? Share it with us in the comments!
Many fans had mixed reactions, ranging from being simply stunned to wondering what comes next for the show
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