All 16 Denzel Washington Movies Where His Character Dies

Summary

Denzel Washington’s film characters tend to die frequently, adding depth to their respective narratives.
Washington’s portrayal of real-life figures like Steve Biko and Malcolm X showcases his range and talent.
From heart-wrenching biopics to action-packed thrillers, Washington’s versatile roles keep audiences engaged.

Denzel Washington has several movies where his character dies – in fact, character deaths make up almost 30% of his filmography. Washington rose to fame in the TV show St. Elsewhere as Dr. Philip Chandler, but his first movie role was in the 1981 film Carbon Copy. His career has skyrocketed since then. Denzel Washington has garnered several Oscar nominations, won two, and remains a staple in Hollywood. He also has a wide array of roles; Denzel Washington plays villains, heroes, and morally gray characters.

One particularly notable aspect of his career involves the characters he plays – Denzel Washington’s movie characters tend to die quite frequently. Washington’s characters die in various ways, whether it is a significant on-screen death or it occurs off-screen. The reasons for their deaths also vary. Washington’s characters die in biopics such as Cry Freedom and Malcolm X, dramas such as The Preacher’s Wife, crime thrillers such as Fallen, and adaptations of stage plays such as The Tragedy Of Macbeth. It is peculiar for an actor to have a long list of character deaths, but each contributes to their respective narrative.

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16 Cry Freedom (1987)

Steve Biko

In Cry Freedom, Denzel Washington portrays Steve Biko, a South African anti-apartheid activist. The film primarily focuses on Apartheid in South Africa in the late 1970s, specifically the dynamic between liberal white reporter Donald Woods, portrayed by Kevin Kline, and Steve Biko. Cry Freedom portrays how Donald Woods learned much of his activism and anti-apartheid stance from Biko despite being initially uncomfortable with Biko’s views. Cry Freedom is a biopic, so it has to follow real-life events. On the way to Cape Town, South African police arrested Steve Biko and proceeded to brutally beat him.

It is a heartbreaking and poignant narrative about the brutality of South Africa under Apartheid while focusing on one of the revolutionary figures who made a difference for the people.

Unfortunately, the horrific beating Steve Biko endured led to his death, so Denzel Washington’s role ends in the same fate. South African authorities initially covered up the truth behind Steve Biko’s death, but Donald Woods was intent on exposing it. Therefore, the rest of the film revolves around Donald Woods attempting to escape South Africa to reveal the truth to the world. It is a heartbreaking and poignant narrative about the brutality of South Africa under Apartheid while focusing on one of the revolutionary figures who made a difference for the people.

15 For Queen And Country (1988)

Reuben James

For Queen And Country is a crime film released in 1988 about a soldier named Reuben James who adjusts to life after fighting in the Falklands War. The film is a compelling portrayal of poverty and the government’s treatment of veterans. Denzel Washington plays the main character, Reuben James, as he learns the hard way that society will continue to treat him as dispensable, regardless of what he sacrificed for the country.

For Queen And Country has a lot of death and destruction, so it is a miracle that Reuben James makes it as long as he does. Unfortunately, Reuben dies at the end of the film, fatally shot by a sniper revealed to be a fellow soldier, Bob Harper. Viewers do not see Reuben die because the film cuts out after the gun blast, but given the accuracy of the target, it is widely presumed that Reuben James died.

14 Glory (1989)

Private Trip

Glory is a war film documenting the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War. Matthew Broderick plays Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, a real captain in the Civil War. Denzel Washington plays Private Trip, a fictionalized version of one of the many Black soldiers in the regiment. Glory is a film that follows the Civil War, and sadly, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment lost the fight at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, meaning Private Trip died in battle.

However, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was a critical part of the Civil War – it inspired more Black men to fight for the North, giving them far more numbers than the South, which was one of the reasons why the North ultimately won. Glory portrays the critical importance Black soldiers played in the Civil War; they were an invaluable part of the fight to end slavery once and for all. Denzel Washington also won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Glory as Private Trip.

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13 Heart Condition (1990)

Napoleon Stone

Heart Condition is a comedy about two sworn enemies – a police officer and a lawyer – who must learn to get along after the lawyer dies and becomes a ghost, haunting the police officer. Denzel Washington plays Napoleon Stone, the lawyer who unexpectedly dies in a car accident and now haunts police officer Jack Mooney, played by Bob Hoskins. Jack Mooney now has Napoleon Stone’s heart, which is why the lawyer haunts Jack.

12 Malcolm X (1992)

Malcolm X

One of Denzel Washington’s biggest movie roles was when he portrayed the historical human rights activist Malcolm X in the film Malcolm X. The film depicts Malcolm X’s revolutionary life until members of the Nation Of Islam organization killed him. The movie wraps up with its take on the real-life assassination of Malcolm X, aided by a heartfelt performance from Washington.

11 Virtuosity (1995)

Parker Barnes

Just because Denzel Washington’s character dies in a movie does not mean they exit the story entirely, as Heart Condition proves. In other films, Washington’s characters die and come back to life, which is the case for his sci-fi film Virtuosity, released in 1995. Virtuosity is about a convict who attempts to find a SID (Sadistic, Intelligent, Dangerous) serial killer who has escaped from his virtual reality into the real world. Denzel Washington plays convict and former police officer Parker Barnes.

Toward the end of the film, Parker Barnes and Dr. Madison Carter enter a virtual reality with SID, tricking him into thinking they are still in the real world so that SID will tell them where he hid Karin, Madison’s daughter. In the VR, SID throws Parker Barnes off a building, but because it is not reality, he gets back up a few seconds later and survives. Virtuosity is an exciting action film that demonstrates how to blend the sci-fi and action genres to create a compelling narrative.

10 The Preacher’s Wife (1996)

Dudley

The Preacher’s Wife is a 1996 remake of the 1947 Christmas film The Bishop’s Wife. It revolves around a preacher, Reverend Henry Biggs, who struggles with his faith and supporting his family. Dudley, an angel, is sent to help the preacher’s family. Denzel Washington portrays the angel Dudley, while Courtney B. Vance plays Reverend Henry Biggs. Dudley does not die on screen, but his status as an angel means he dies before the film begins. The circumstances of Dudley’s death are unknown, but the purpose of his character is far more crucial than his actual death.

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9 Fallen (1998)

John Hobbes

Fallen is a film that explores one of mythology’s fallen angels, Azazel, in a paranormal context. Denzel Washington plays Detective John Hobbes, who is determined to end Azazel’s possession of people. In true devilish form, Azazel possesses humans to torture and murder others. Fallen has a final showdown between John Hobbes and Azazel, which leads to John tricking Azazel into possessing his own body, but not before John smokes poisonous cigarettes to ensure Azazel’s demise. John Hobbes willingly dies to take down Azazel, but unfortunately, Azazel escapes into a cat’s body, once again outsmarting humanity.

8 Training Day (2001)

Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris

Denzel Washington’s Training Day follows Officer Jake Hoyt, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, and Detective Alonzo Harris, played by Denzel Washington. Jake must spend the day with Alonzo, a narcotics officer, to secure a promotion in his own department. The narrative reveals that Alonzo Harris is actually a corrupt police officer who is on the run from the Russian mafia after killing one of their men.

At the end of the film, Jake gathers enough evidence to turn in Alonzo, so Alonzo escapes to the Los Angeles International Airport to evade arrest and the Russian mafia. However, the mafia gets to Alonzo, effectively killing him. Training Day has received several accolades, including Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor. Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor, making it his first win in the category and his second Oscar altogether.

7 Man On Fire (2004)

John W. Creasy

Man On Fire is an action film based on the novel Man On Fire by A.J. Quinnell. The film revolves around former CIA agent John W. Creasy, played by Denzel Washington, who becomes the bodyguard of Pita Ramos, played by Dakota Fanning. However, Pita is abducted, and John is immediately suspected of being involved in her kidnapping. It is now up to John to rescue Pita and safely return her to her mother, Lisa. John W. Creasy successfully retrieves Pita and reunites her with Lisa, but not without paying the price – he trades Pita for himself.

However, after the kidnapper takes John, John dies from a gunshot wound he received earlier. The film has an alternate ending, but unfortunately, John W. Creasy still dies, just in a different way. In the alternate ending, John lives long enough to confront the mastermind behind the kidnapping before he commits suicide.

6 Déjà Vu (2006)

As Douglas Carlin

Déjà Vu is a sci-fi action film about an ATF agent, Douglas Carlin, played by Denzel Washington, who goes back in time to stop a terrorist attack that killed 543 people. Douglas also must save a woman named Claire Kuchever, played by Paula Patton. It is a riveting chase for Douglas and Claire to stop the terrorist, but they ultimately succeed. Douglas Carlin cannot escape the bomb before it explodes, effectively killing him. However, present-day Douglas Carlin, who was not originally part of the terrorist attack, is still alive, and he reunites with Claire at the end of the film.

5 The Book Of Eli (2010)

As Eli

The Book Of Eli is a post-apocalyptic film about a man named Eli who possesses the only remaining copy of the Bible. Bill Carnegie, a warlord who is determined to keep people illiterate, discovers Eli and his book and, therefore, wants to eliminate Eli and his copy of the Bible before anyone else can read it. Denzel Washington portrays Eli, and Gary Oldman plays Bill Carnegie.

Fortunately, Eli escapes Bill’s clutches and makes it to Alcatraz Island, where a group of people are preserving books and other art that Carnegie has destroyed. With Eli’s help, they reprint the Bible because, although Eli no longer has his copy, he can recite the whole book from memory. However, Eli succumbs to the wounds he receives from Bill Carnegie in Book of Eli’s ending. Eli dies, but the Bible will live on because of Eli’s sacrifice.

4 Safe House (2012)

As Tobin Frost

Safe House is an action film starring Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston and Denzel Washington as Tobin Frost. Matt is a CIA agent put in charge of a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, where Tobin Frost is being questioned. However, the safe house is attacked, leaving Matt and Tobin on the run from the people who try to kill them. The narrative eventually reveals that Tobin was attempting to expose the corruption within the CIA and other intelligence organizations before he was caught and arrested.

Although Matt Weston releases the information, Tobin Frost is the real hero of the movie because he was trying to uncover the corruption in the CIA the entire time.

Unfortunately, one of the corrupt officers kills Tobin Frost, but not before Tobin hands Matt the file that will incriminate the corrupt intelligence agencies. Matt makes it back to the US with the file and secretly leaks it to the media before escaping to Paris. Although Matt Weston releases the information, Tobin Frost is the real hero of the movie because he was trying to uncover the corruption in the CIA the entire time. Matt Weston just finished his job.

3 Fences (2016)

Troy Maxson

Fences is a 1950s drama based on a play about a man named Troy Maxson, portrayed by Denzel Washington, who missed out on making it to the big baseball leagues and spends his life trying to reconcile with the fact while raising his family. The film follows Troy as he settles down with Rose Lee Maxson, played by Viola Davis, and has a child named Cory, played by Jovan Adepo. Fences shows that although Troy tries, he is not a very good husband or father.

Eventually, Troy dies of a heart attack off-screen, and the remainder of Fences revolves around the aftermath of the people he impacted the most—Rose, Cory, a previous son from another relationship, and his younger brother. Troy Maxson’s death occurs off-screen, but his family reconciling with the loss brings the narrative full circle.

2 Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

Roman J. Israel

In the film Roman J Israel, Esq., Denzel Washington plays the titular character, a civil rights lawyer who loses his way and becomes corrupt after landing in hot water. Unfortunately, the film has a sad ending—once Roman realizes he was wrong and is ready to hold himself accountable, he turns himself in. However, on the way to the police station, one of the men from a suspected shooter in another case fatally shoots Roman. Roman’s death is not forgotten; his peers honor his memory by working toward reforming the justice system.

1 The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)

Macbeth

Denzel Washington’s most recent film where his character dies is The Tragedy Of Macbeth, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy. Since Shakespearean tragedies follow certain protocols, most characters die in the narrative—it is the rule, not the exception. Denzel Washington plays the titular role of Macbeth, who becomes a tyrannical king to avoid a prophecy. Macduff, played by Corey Hawkins, kills Macbeth and, therefore, fulfills the prophecy from the beginning of the narrative.