Film’s most remarkable scenes happen when the protagonists, knowing they stand no real chance at survival, move forward with their plans anyway. It’s the bravest action any character can undertake. In a single moment, we’re forced to deal with the fact that all good things must come to an end, no matter how unjustified. But being faced with an endgame scenario doesn’t mean you have to quietly fade into the night — especially when there’s time for a final valiant act. While any film with such a scene will move you, there are some that stand out from the rest of the pack. Here are the seven best last stands in cinema.
Saving Private Ryan
Captain Miller’s (portrayed by Tom Hanks) final stand in Saving Private Ryan might be the most heroic in film history. For the uninitiated, the film follows a unit sent to protect the sole survivor of four brothers from being killed during WWII. As the unit searches, its members are slowly picked off by German forces. They eventually find Private Ryan, but he’s unwilling to leave his post at Ranelle.
It is easy to forget just how brutal WWII was — even to those fighting on the same side. Miller had full authority to drag Ryan not only from Ranelle but the entire country. Instead, he stays behind to fight alongside him. Even after suffering mortal wounds, Miller calmly pulls out his sidearm and begins shooting an approaching tank as he lies dying on the ground. His last act in life is not one of mere defiance but of true heroism as reinforcements arrive to uphold the line he died defending.
Quotable Line: “Captain, where the hell are you going?!”
Serenity
While Firefly was cancelled before its time, at least some of its questions were answered in the follow-up film, Serenity. Having uncovered that the Reavers — rabid, murdering space pirates — were the result of a failed Alliance experiment, Captain Reynolds and his team decide to broadcast their data to the entire human race. The catch? There’s an Alliance Armada between them and the transmitter and a Reaver fleet closing in from behind.
Although they manage to broadcast the message, the entire crew went into the mission with no illusions about their odds of survival. They each are fully aware that they will likely die during the attempt. But they press on regardless, and suffer terrible losses as a result. It takes the command of a disillusioned Operative to spare the remaining crew, worn down by waves of Reavers, from the Alliance. The scene serves as a shocking reminder that even though the good team may win, they can still lose many of their own along the way.
Quotable Line: “Stand down. It’s finished…. we’re finished.” — The Operative
Independence Day
With the entire human race under threat of extinction by invading alien hordes, it’s up to rag-tag fleets of assembled pilots and fighters to mount a final offensive. Yet the sheer size of the ships renders humanity’s missiles useless, except when the aliens’ main weapon opens to fire.
Enter Russell Casse, the local laughing stock. Formerly ridiculed for claims that he was abducted by aliens, Casse soon becomes Earth’s only hope. When his missile release jams, Casse decides to fly his plane on a collision course with the alien ship. His sacrifice leads to the invaders’ defeat, and consequently saves his family and the planet from these evildoers.
Quotable Line: “Hello, boys! I’m baaack!” — Russell Casse
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
We’ve all heard the joke about the many deaths of Sean Bean, and let’s be honest, it’s getting a little stale. But we think that this scene might just restore his dignity. While many of the Fellowship were able to resist the call of the One Ring, Boromir was more easily corrupted and almost stole the Ring from Frodo‘s protection.
When Orcs attack the wandering hobbits shortly after, Boromir slays many of the creatures to try and save a captured Merry and Pippin. Though grievously wounded by numerous arrows from Lurtz, Boromir fights on in an effort to redeem himself. But his conscience continues to plague him. Just before he succumbs to his injuries, Boromir receives forgiveness from Aragon. Boromir responds by revealing that he always knew who Aragorn really was and that he viewed the exiled King as something far more important: a brother.
Quotable Line: “I would have followed you, my brother… my captain… my king.” — Boromir
300
If there were ever insurmountable odds, the legendary battle between the Spartans and the Persians would be it. Loosely based on the Battle of Thermopylae, 300 details the battle of 300 Spartans against 300,000 invading Persians. Taking advantage of their native terrain to hold back the hordes, the Spartan vanguard only meets its doom due to a brutal betrayal.
As most of his soldiers are cut down around him, King Leonidas manages to wound the supposedly immortal King Xerxes in a final display of defiance that shakes the belief of latter’s Persian followers. The remaining Spartans then sacrifice themselves to prove that Xerxes is not the invincible god that he claims to be. Their actions leave behind a sliver of hope for the rest of the country to unite behind, which leads them to drive the invaders back out.
Quotable Line: “The Old Ones say we Spartans are descended from Hercules himself. Bold Leonidas gives testament to our bloodline. His roar is long, and loud.” — Dilios
V for Vendetta
While all of the entries on this list focus on a particular person, with V for Vendetta we find ourselves touching on a paradoxical subject. Conducting a solitary crusade against an oppressive fascist regime, the unstoppable figure “V” never reveals his true name. V remains an anarchistic anti-hero to the end. He dies following his successful attempt to take down the last of the corrupt elite who ruled Britain under an iron fist.
Despite taking dozens of rounds of bullets in the final fight, V is able to kill most of the attackers before they can even reload. V’s final target manages to fire one last clip, but it isn’t enough to stop V from lifting the victim into the air and breaking his neck. The gritty V meets a slow and painful end. But he succeeds in his mission to prove that not only can one man stand up alone but thousands can rally behind a common goal.
Quotable Line: “Beneath this mask is more than flesh. Beneath this mask is an idea, Mr Creedy. And ideas are bulletproof!” — V
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
We’ve finally gotten to the most iconic last stand of them all: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Cornered by a squadron of Bolivian soldiers, the pair of infamous outlaws briefly reflect on their ways. Butch tries to lighten the mood by suggesting they call it quits, fight past the waiting squad, and head for Australia to start anew. Even though they know they stand no chance against the squadron, the pair pretend everything is still going their way.
Right before they run out into the line of fire, Butch asks Sundance if the latter had seen legendary lawman Joe Lefors outside, recognisable by his trademark white hat. When Sundance responds that he hasn’t, it sets up for one of cinema’s most iconic lines ever…
Quotable Line: “Oh good. For a moment there, I thought we were in trouble.” — Butch Cassidy