Given that a great deal of time and effort is required to reach the conclusion of most games, players will often expect a positive outcome for their favorite characters. This isn't always the case, sadly, as there are some whose endings feel less appropriate than what players would have assumed.
Most characters will set out on a journey to achieve their goals by the end of a game's narrative, but not all of them will succeed. Some will meet their end well before meeting their goals, while others will achieve them and meet a cruel end anyway. There are several characters who suffer fates such as this, but some suffer more than others.
7 Mordin Solus - Mass Effect 3
Mordin Solus is a salarian scientist who spent most of his life striving for equality for the krogans. He is as quick-witted as he is intelligent, with many of his peers regarding him as one of the noblest members in their ranks.
Mordin proved exactly how devoted he was to the cause during his final moments in Mass Effect 3 where he sacrificed himself to ensure the krogans received the cure for the genophage. He cracks one last smile before being engulfed in flame and exiting the franchise. He dedicated his life to the cause and finally achieved it. The fact he'll never witness the fruits of his actions, however, is heart-wrenchingly cruel.
6 Tidus - Final Fantasy 10
Before arriving in Spira, Tidus was the star blitzball player of the Zanarkand Abes. He lived a relatively peaceful life, but Sin's attack on the city resulted in him being transported to an entirely new land. In the hope of returning home, he embarks on a quest to ensure Yuna defeats the monster that destroyed Tidus's home.
Just before Tidus reaches the ruins of Zanarkand, he experiences a vision in which he learns his true purpose. Tidus is nothing more than a dream conjured by Yu Yevon. Even knowing that defeating Yu Yevon will result in his death, he decides to continue his journey if it means he can save his friends. Tidus did so much to protect the people of Spira and was punished for it.
5 Joshua Washington - Until Dawn
The opening of Until Dawn sees Josh losing his sisters amidst a blizzard. A year passes and Josh, though he is still grieving, decides to throw a party at his family's remote cabin on Blackwood Mountain. His friends return to celebrate as best they can, but it quickly becomes clear they aren't alone.
Josh eventually reveals he orchestrated a series of games for his guests to play. It's made evident that the loss of his sisters has driven him somewhat insane, but matters are made even worse when he is captured and bitten by a Wendigo. Though his actions were questionable, he didn't deserve his story to end on such a harrowing note.
4 9S - NieR: Automata
The story of NieR: Automata follows a group of androids on a quest to rid the world of all machine lifeforms. 9S and 2B are androids created by YoRHa who are both instructed to protect the planet in their own way, but only 2B knows YoRHa's true purpose.
9S believes that the humans who once occupied the planet sought shelter on the moon, but his commander reveals this isn't the case. This revelation, along with 2B's death, results in 9S losing his mind and becoming vengeful. He meets his end atop the Tower where he is impaled by his own sword during his battle with A2. How he loses his life is undoubtedly cruel, but the way his life spirals out of control is much crueler.
3 Sora - Kingdom Hearts 3
Having finally bested Xehanort and revived all of his victims, Sora was long overdue for a holiday. Unfortunately, the climax of Kingdom Hearts 3 revealed that Sora tampered with time travel a little too much and was subsequently banished from his universe.
Sora's sole purpose in Kingdom Hearts up to this point was to protect his friends from harm. He undoubtedly achieves this, but how he chose to accomplish his goals causes him to fade out of existence. Never once did Sora attempt to use his powers maliciously, making his punishment feel even crueler than it already is.
2 Aerith Gainsborough - Final Fantasy 7
Cloud first meets Aerith after crashing through the roof of the Sector 5 church and landing in her flower bed. She becomes a permanent party member shortly after these events, but her time is cut shockingly short by the time the group reaches the Temple of the Ancients.
Aerith is a descendent of the Ancients and thus possesses the only real means of vanquishing Sephiroth: the power to cast Holy. Sephiroth becomes aware of this, however, and decides that the best way to ensure his victory is to kill her. Aerith is arguably the purest, most honorable character in Final Fantasy 7, making her sudden death feel undeserved and cruel.
1 Joel Miller - The Last Of Us: Part 2
Joel began his story in The Last of Us as a cold and self-centered man. After witnessing the death of his daughter, he vowed to never form a connection with anyone else as he believed it would only cause him pain. Upon meeting Ellie, however, his outlook begins to change.
Joel and Ellie spend the next few years after the events of The Last of Us living in Jackson, a quaint mountain town with a tight-knit community. It seems he has discarded his old ways in favor of a peaceful life with his surrogate daughter, but this doesn't absolve him of his past crimes. Joel meets a brutal end at the hands of Abby Anderson, the daughter of the surgeon Joel killed in Salt Lake City.