9 Worst Cases of 'Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome' in Movies

1. Hicks and Newt – "Aliens 3" (1992)

The end of "Aliens" (1986) gave us hope. Corporal Hicks, Ripley, and the girl Newt escaped from the hellish LV-426, presumably to live happily ever after. That is until "Aliens 3" took a baseball bat to our joy. In the opening scene, both Hicks and Newt perish offscreen in a crash. Yes, offscreen! Fans were outraged. Critics shrugged, handing the movie a tepid 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film didn't quite tank at the box office ($159 million grossed against a $50 million budget), but compared to the $183 million grossed by its predecessor, it was a relative disappointment.

2. James Bond 's Wife, Tracy – "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)

At the end of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969), 007 marries Tracy, marking a significant change in the series. But it seemed the Bond franchise wasn't ready for a married superspy. In the first few minutes of "Diamonds Are Forever," Tracy is killed, and Bond returns to his womanizing ways. The film grossed a substantial $116 million, but at the expense of a coherent narrative arc for Bond. To this day, Tracy's death remains a controversial topic among fans, and the film holds a not-so-sparkling 63% on Rotten Tomatoes.

3. RoboCop's Partner, Anne Lewis – "RoboCop 3" (1993)

Officer Anne Lewis, RoboCop's partner and the franchise's moral compass, is killed off rather unceremoniously in "RoboCop 3." While the movie did deliver on more RoboCop action, Lewis's death felt like a slapdash way to generate emotional stakes. The audience response? A collective shrug and a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Financially, the film tanked, grossing only $10.7 million against a budget of $22 million.

4. X-Men's Cyclops – "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006)

In one of the more notorious instances of SSDS, Cyclops, one of the central characters in the "X-Men" series, is killed in the opening act of "The Last Stand." The fan backlash was palpable, and even James Marsden, who played Cyclops, expressed disappointment over how his character was dispatched. Despite the controversy, the film still did well at the box office, grossing $459 million. But with a mediocre 57% on Rotten Tomatoes and a snub from the Oscars and Golden Globes, it's clear that not all was well in the mutant world.

5. Rachel Dawes – "The Dark Knight" (2008)

The sudden death of Rachel Dawes in "The Dark Knight" was a shocker, considering her prominence in the previous film "Batman Begins." Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaced Katie Holmes in the role, was praised for her performance. Still, fans and critics alike questioned the narrative choice to kill off the character so abruptly. The film, however, was a massive success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, and even earned Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Yet, the SSDS stigma around Rachel's death remains, a blemish on an otherwise critically acclaimed film.

6. Han Solo – "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015)

One of the most heartbreaking instances of SSDS is undoubtedly the death of our favorite space smuggler, Han Solo. Harrison Ford 's charismatic character met his end at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren, in "The Force Awakens." A gasp echoed around the globe as audiences watched the unthinkable unfold. Yet, the film still managed to charm critics, holding a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it hauled in a galactic-sized $2.068 billion at the box office. There was no Golden Globe or Oscar love for the film, but it certainly rekindled the Star Wars flame.

7. Bill – "Kill Bill Vol. 2" (2004)

The title should have been a spoiler, but audiences were still taken aback when the titular Bill met his end in Quentin Tarantino 's "Kill Bill Vol. 2." What makes this SSDS case so unique is the film's entire plot revolves around Beatrix Kiddo's (Uma Thurman) quest for revenge against Bill (David Carradine). Yet, when the moment finally arrives, it's swift and anticlimactic. The film performed well, grossing $152 million worldwide against a budget of $30 million, and scored an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet, Bill's quick exit left some audience members feeling slightly cheated.

8. Mathayus' Love Interest, Cassandra – "The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior" (2008)

In "The Scorpion King," the relationship between Mathayus (Dwayne Johnson ) and sorceress Cassandra (Kelly Hu) was a key subplot. However, in the straight-to-DVD prequel, "The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior," Cassandra is mysteriously absent. The film, unfortunately, didn't resonate well with audiences, evidenced by a lackluster 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film's absence of Cassandra was a slap in the face to fans, making this sequel a prime case of SSDS.

9. Dizzy Flores – "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation" (2004)

"Starship Troopers" wasn't exactly a critical darling, but it had a campy charm and developed a cult following. When the sequel, "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation," was released, fans were quick to notice the absence of Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer). Her off-screen death was a bitter pill to swallow for fans of the original movie. The sequel failed to make any significant impact, garnering a meager 3.6/10 on IMDb and effectively putting a halt to the franchise's momentum.