Using the scientifically Infallible power of the Sorting Algorithm of Deadness, who do you think is the next in line for being brought back from the great Bus in the sky?
To use the Algorithm, simply add the Column's "Death Value", and divide by the number of applicable rows.
If the character hasn't died yet (but seems likely to), see Sorting Algorithm of Mortality. All of this is trumped by the First Law of Resurrection.
Currently, The real Caulder from Advance Wars: Days of Ruin and Teri Bauer from 24 are the only characters to have scored 4, the highest possible. And are notable for having 4 in every category. At one point, Shirley from Code Geass and also scored 4, thanks in part to a special CLAMP bonus that became harder to defend as the series went on. Chloe Sullivan from Smallville is currently the only character to have scored a perfect 1, in the episode Fracture, with the rest of the cast not even taking her death seriously, fully expecting her return.
Baseline Example: The death of Superman.
- Cause: Heroic Sacrifice, so he's not coming back from that too quickly, or the sacrifice will be cheapened. 3.
- Genre: It's a comic book, so Death Is Cheap. 1.
- The Body: Deader than Dead, a Pietà Plagiarism too for supes sake! So no chance of Faking the Dead. 4.
- Reaction: Really Dead Montage, uh-oh. 4.
- Characterization: Protagonist. 1.
- When did he die: Same year, so 2.
- Come Back?: This was a first, so 4.
- Average: So add it up... we get a pretty high score, 19! Since it's not a videogame, divide by 7, and we get... 19/7 = 2.7, meaning supes isn't coming back for at least a few months, maybe even years. In actuality the Death Of Superman happened in January 1993 and he came back some time before May 1994.
Now let's make a prediction with the recent death of Batman in Final Crisis.
- Cause: Heroic Sacrifice, give or take. 3.
- Genre: Comic book, so Death Is Cheap. 1.
- The Body: Dead and buried, but it's a little more complicated. Still, it's a 4.
- Reaction: He's Dead Clark, plus "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" probably counts as a Really Dead Montage. 3.5.
- Last Words: "Try Me." 3.
- Characterization: It's The Goddamn Batman, people. 1.
- When did he die: Same year, so 2.
- Come Back?: This would be the first time, so 4.
- Average: 21.5/8= 2.7. A semi-high score, and DC seems to be sticking to this one for a while. Still, he'll definitely be back, likely before the end of 2010 at the latest.[[supersecretspoiler: CORRECT!]]
Note: This sub-page is for Web Original examples only. Please ensure that you put new examples in the correct Sorting Algorithm of Deadness sub-page.
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Channel Awesome
Ma-Ti in Suburban Knights
- Cause: Heroic Sacrifice - 3
- Genre: Death Is Cheap, - 1
- Body Found: Cremated - 4
- Last Words: A Final Speech to the Critic - 3
- Reaction: Funeral and montage (plus song) - 4
- Characterization: Recurring - 3
- When: Same arc - 1
- "Died" and Come Back: Not that I know of - 4
- Average: 21/7 = 3.142857. Unless that extra quest to resurrect him succeeds, he's doomed.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Hmmm... how about Penny?:
- Cause of death: Death ray pieces to the sternum sounds a bit too much like Death by Irony, if you ask me. 4.
- Genre: DHSAB matches the real world rather closely— that said, it's unknown whether Mad Scientist resurrection is possible or not. I'll mark it as Killed Off for Real. 3.
- Body found?: Yes. Oh, yes. 4.
- Reaction: Well, the bit after it qualifies as a Montage (albeit in a slightly twisted way), so... 4.
- Characterization: Regular. 2.eserection is pretty much confirmed to be
- When did she die: This arc! 1.
- Ever died and come back?: Not that I know of. 4.
- So, 4+3+4+4+2+1+4 = 22/7 = 3.142857. VERDICT: Dead, not sleeping. Sorry, Doctor Horrible!
- I'd argue that the Genre allows for a far higher genre score. A) Dr. Horrible is set in a comic based universe B) There is at least 1 undead character, Dead Bowie. C) Dr.Horible is a Mad Scientist you know the ones who pull stuff like cloning and Frankenstein.
- Yeah, but characterization would more accurately be a 4, and Last Words would probably be a 3. So this would be counterbalanced.
Gaia Online
Johnny Gambino:
- Cause of death: Shot rather messily by an assassin at close range. 4
- Genre: Back from the Dead 1
- Body Found?: The police found it. It's since apparently been cremated and the urn is placed at the feet of his memorial statue. 4
- Reaction: He's Dead, Edmund. 3
- Last Words: A Final Speech. 3
- Characterization: Regular, but given his prominence in the plot as a whole and lack of a protagonist, I'll give him a 1.
- When did they die?: Same arc. 1
- Died and come back?: Once, if I recall correctly. 3
- Total: 20/8 = 2.5. There's still hope, but the plot will have to pull off something pretty impressive to bring him back.
Protectors of the Plot Continuum
Twp'atwt:
- Cause: Death by Irony - 4
- Genre: Killed Off for Real Sometimes - 3
- Body Found: Deader than Dead - 4
- Last Words: Oh, Crap! - 4
- Characterization: Recurring Character - 3
- When: Less than five years ago, Real World reckoning - 2.5
- "Died" and Come Back: Never - 4
- Average: 24.5/7=3.5, Squeak!
Agent Nick:
- Cause: Dropped a Bridge on Him - 4
- Genre: Killed Off for Real - 3
- Body Found: Deader than Dead - 4
- Reaction: Big "NO!" by his wife - I'd say a 3
- Characterization: Regular - 2
- When: Less than five years ago, Real World reckoning - 2.5
- "Died" and Come Back: Never - 4
- Average: 18.5/7≈2.643, Back Next Season
Red Panda Adventures
August Fenwick, AKA the Red Panda:
- Cause: Bomb planted on his plane, so... No One Could Survive That!? 2
- Genre: Killed Off for Real - 3
- Body Found: Never Found the Body - 2
- Last Words: "Doc Rocket, quickly! We have to--" - 4
- Reaction: It's Personal - 2
- Characterization: Protagonist - 1
- When: Judging by Kit's pregnancy, it's now been about 6 months. 2
- "Died" and Come Back: Nope - 4
- Average: 20/7 = 2.857, but you just know the First Law of Resurrection applies here. (Although it's not exactly a case of "they can't kill off the guy whose name is in the title", since he's now acquired an Identity Impersonator.)
- Update: Officially confirmed to be alive.
Red vs. Blue
Church:
- Cause: Heroic Sacrifice. 3
- Genre: Reconstruction has been very much Anyone Can Die. 4
- Body found: No, just Left for Dead. 1
- Reaction: We don't see direct reactions. However, Caboose still seems to be hopeful. Possibly Faux Death, but we don't know. Call it a 1.
- Characterization: Protagonist. 1
- When: Last episode. 1
- Died and Came Back: Sort of. He's an A.I. so he's never actually died before despite it looking like it. 4
- Average: 2.14. Not very likely to stay gone long.
Wash:
- Cause: Once again, Heroic Sacrifice. 3
- Genre: Anyone Can Die. 4
- Body found: Nope. Left for Dead, 1
- Reaction: None seen. Could be Faux Death, but we don't know. 1
- Characterization: Protagonist. 1
- When: Same, last episode. 1
- Died and Come Back: From Almost Dead, yes. From Dead for Real, no. 4
- Average: Same as above, 2.14. No chance he's dead for real.
- Who's to say he died, anyway? He was a human, and he set off an electromagnetic pulse. Unless he had a pacemaker, I don't see how that would have killed him.
- He just got shot. Granted, he's taken more damage in the series, but with the EMP having gone off, he wouldn't be able to use healing units anymore.
- Back as of Episode 4 of Recreation.
- Who's to say he died, anyway? He was a human, and he set off an electromagnetic pulse. Unless he had a pacemaker, I don't see how that would have killed him.
Sister:
- Cause: Pretty much unknown, just casually mentioned. Gonna go with an average 2
- Genre: Death is cheap, at least for main characters (church dies in what, the third episode?) 1
- Body Found: Left for Dead. 1
- Reaction: Grif thinks it's a Faux Death on her part, everyone else thinks She's Dead Jim, let's go with an average of 2
- Characterization: Somewhere between C-list fodder and a mauve shirt 3.5
- When did they die: Same year, 2
- 'Died' and come back: Once, but got better, according to Grif, 3
- For a total of 14.5, divided by 6 = 2.41, probably back in the next series.
From Out of Mind, York:
- Cause: Shot on his blind side, Death By Irony. 4
- Genre: It switched to Killed Off for Real upon his death, not sure that counts. We'll call it a 2 to be optimistic.
- Body Found?: Dead and...well, exploded, but that counts as Buried here. 4
- Reaction: Optimistically, It's Personal from Tex. 2
- Last Words: Killed Mid-Sentence, more or less. 4
- Characterization: Practically the definition of a Mauve Shirt. 4
- When did they die?: Over a year ago now, but not yet five. 2.5
- "Died" and come back?: Not yet, 4
- Total score: 26.5/8 is about 3.3. That's pretty dead.
At the end of Reconstruction, Delta:
- Cause: No One Could Survive That!, 2
- Genre: Killed Off for Real, 3
- Body Found?: ...Um. That's kind of complicated, going to have to say N/A.
- Reaction: No real time for one, N/A.
- Last Words: Final Speech, 3
- Characterization: Mauve Shirt, 4
- When did they die?: Same year, 2
- "Died" and come back?: Once, from Out of Mind to Recovery One. 3
- Total score: 17/6 is 2.8. Still possible, but he might be gone.
Let's try Tex now:
- Cause: No One Could Survive That!, 2
- Genre: Between her apparent death and the current series, it's shifted from Disney Death to Killed Off for Real. Say 2.5
- Body Found?: Yes, but she doesn't need it. n/a
- Reaction: As close to It's Personal as you'll ever get from Church. 2
- Last Words: As of Reconstruction, Oh, Crap!. 4
- Characterization: Regular, 2
- When did they die?: More than a year, less than five. 2.5
- "Died" and come back?: I've lost count, but only twice that anyone really thought she was dead. Say 1.5
- Total score: 16.5/7 is 2.36. She'll be back.
- Back as of Revelation. Maybe.
And finally, as of Recreation, Donut:
- Cause: Bridge Drop, 4
- Genre: Killed Off for Real, thus far. Might shift upward if he's actually dead, but for now that's a 3.
- Body Found?: Gonna call this n/a because it just happened.
- Reaction: Cries of disbelief. I'll call it as It's Personal. 2
- Last Words: Killed Mid-Sentence, 4
- Characterization: Regular, 2
- When did they die?: Same arc, 1
- "Died" and come back?: Once, in the first season, before the drama set in. Still counts. 3
- Total score: 19/7 is 2.7. Even taking into account that 'got shot and fell down' doesn't necessarily mean 'dead', we may actually lose him.
- A sponsors-only extended ending shows him getting back up. The way it's done is fodder for more Wild Mass Guessing, but he's definitely back, regardless.
Zoofights
Iron Manatee:
- Cause: No One Could Survive That!/Sacrifice by way of two nukes and being impaled by a knife the size of a bus, 2.5
- Genre: Anyone Can Die, and most do, 4
- Body: Never found, 3
- Reaction: Everyone was kind of busy at the time, and everyone died anyway, so I'll say 2
- Characterization: One of the major protagonists and arena champion, 1
- When: Considering the next one will be called Timefights, who knows, left blank
- Died and come back: Nope, a few people have and quite a few are saved from mortal wounds; but The Empire's Champion had never even been serious injured. 4.
- Got a 2.75, which seems rather unlikely since Word of God was that he was definitely dead and when combatants are resurrected its normally through supernatural means, something that he had no truck with. Could be brought back through some other means, but combatants, especially dead ones, don't normally return in another series.
RWBY
Volume 3
- Penny Polendina
- Cause of Death: Killed in battle = 2
- Audience Expectation: Killed Off for Real = 3
- Body Found: Broken into pieces = 4
- Reaction: He's Dead, Jim = 3
- Last Words: "This is going to be so much fun!" = 3
- Characterization: Regular = 2
- When did they die: ~2 years = 2
- "Died" and came back?: Not yet = 4
Average: 2.875
While Penny's death was heartbreaking, audiences aren't convinced. She died in battle in a tearjerking moment, but her status as a robot leaves many hopeful that she may be rebuilt in the future. However, it may take a while to get Penny back. officially rebuilt with upgrades in volume 7
Volume 5
- Cinder Fall (as of Volume 5, Episode 13):
- Cause of Death: Jumping = 1
- Audience Expectation: Killed Off for Real = 3
- Body Found: Frozen = 2
- Reaction: Bond One-Liner = 4
- Last Words: Crap = 4 (she doesn't actually say anything but it's plastered in her face)
- Characcterization: Archvillain = 1
- When did they die: Same Arc = 1 (update to 2 if she doesn't come back in the following episode)
- "Died" and come back?: Died once, but got better = 3
Average = 2.25
This is a pretty mixed once since the whole fight was very cathartic yet she pretty much got a Disney Death and she has been The Heavy of the show so the writers need some courage to kill her.
Volume 8Many characters died in Volume 8, especially during the final episode.
- Hazel Rainart (Volume 8)
- Cause of Death: Redemption Equald Death (3)
- Audience Expectation: Tonight, Someone Dies (3)
- Body Found: [[Chunky Salsa Rule Utterly Vaporized] (4)
- Reaction: He's Dead, Jim (3)
- Last Words: "Do it!" (3)
- Characterization: Recurring Character (3)
- When did they die: Same Arc (1)
- Died and come back: Not yet (4)
Average: 3
Hazel is pretty much dead, buying time for the heroes to escape with a new ally after realizing he was on the wrong side. It's a standard midseason villain redemption.
- Penny Polendina (Volume 8)
- Cause of Death: Heroic Sacrifice (3)
- Audience Expectation: Anyone Can Die (4)
- Body Found: Complicated. It's a new flesh body that just got stabbed, but her soul explicitly left it due to the stabbing. Rated Left for Dead because of this and other surrounding events.(1)
- Reaction: It'sPersonal (2)
- Last Words: "Trust me" and/or "I'll be a part of you." My Death Is Just the Beginning twice over.(1)
- Characterization: Midway between Regular and Protagonist.(1.5)
- When did they die: Same Arc (1)
- Died and come back: Depending on if one counts the incident with the virus, Penny has either died once or twice.(2.5)
Average: 2
Penny comes complete with a Chekovs Armory of hints that she can come back, and that she has before. Her death is painful because of her arc and surrounding circumstances, but it shouldn't be too long before she returns.
- Vine Zebeki (Volume 8)
- Cause of Death: Heroic Sacrifice (3)
- Audience Expectation: Anyone Can Die (4)
- Body Found: Reduced to ash in an explosion (4)
- Reaction: He's Dead, Jim (3)
- Last Words: "I can, if it's for my friends." (3)
- Characterization: Mauve Shirt (4)
- When did they die: Same Arc (1)
- Died and come back: Not yet (4)
Average: 3.25
Vine was the most mellow of the Ace Ops, who were always side characters in the Ironwood versus everyone arc. There's little reason to bring him back.
- Arthur Watts (Volume 8)
- Cause of Death: Roasting(4)
- Audience Expectation: Anyone Can Die (4)
- Body Found: Never Found the Body (2)
- Reaction: "I just added more flames to the fire."(4)
- Last Words: "This is everything I ever wanted." (3)
- Characterization: Recurring Character (3)
- When did they die: Same Arc (1)
- Died and come back: Not yet (4)
Average: 3.125
Watts was an entertaining but overconfident villain, representative of Atlas's darker side, who stood against Cinder Fall and honestly thought he could win. After the fall of Atlas, his tech skills aren't really useful for Salem anymore.
- James Ironwood (Volume 8)
- Cause of Death: Death by Irony (4)
- Audience Expectation: Anyone Can Die (4)
- Body Found: Left for Dead (1)
- Reaction: "And that's Checkmate." Bond One-Liner (3)
- Last Words: "So, the destiny I chose for you has arrived." (3)
- Characterization: Recurring Character (3)
- When did they die: Same Arc (1)
- Died and come back: Not yet (4)
Average: 2.875
Ironwood was the arc villain for season 8, and a perfect example of a Fallen Hero. He is dismissed by the Big Bad herself, and isn't likely to return.
