It is the being that nobody can truly escape from. Many play against it, but it always wins in the grand game of life. No matter what this being looks like, physical personifications of Death and the Grim Reaper are frequently utilized in Movies and TV Shows. Sometimes it’s the villain out to prove a point; other times, it is a kind, merciful hero; on occasion, it can even be a standard almighty being unwittingly pushed into mortal affairs.
Whatever the depiction, Death is a being that always gets what it’s after, whether by cheating or being patient. Many times, the portrayal is as much about how other characters react to it, whether greeting it as a threat or a friend.
1 ‘The Seventh Seal’ (1957)
When it comes to depictions of Death in popular culture, most like to follow the template set by this Swedish classic. During the age of the plague in medieval Sweden, a knight (Max von Sydow) runs into Death (Bengt Ekerot), who challenges him to a game of chess. If he loses, Death claims him. If he wins, he goes free.
Death in this film is cold, calculating, and confident in his abilities. After all, nobody has ever won a game against him. Yet, much like many who meet him in real life, the film’s characters greet him with different reactions – mostly fear, but some with joy.
2 ‘Family Guy’ (1999-)
First voiced by Norm MacDonald and Adam Carolla in every appearance afterward, Death seems like any other casual guy. The only significant difference is that he’s a sentient skeleton in a robe that kills everyone he touches (except Peter Griffin).
After letting Peter (Seth MacFarlane) take over his position temporarily after spraining his ankle, he’s become a frequent friend to the Griffin family. He’s not great around girls (since he killed every girl he talked to as a teen), likes a good drink, and sincerely cares about his mother.
3 ‘Death Takes a Holiday’ (1934)
Even Death has wanted a break now and then. This time, he disguises himself as a prince (Fredric March) for three days to discover the reason for his own taboo among mortals. Throughout his time on Earth, he enjoys the typical human pleasures – specifically, rich human pleasures.
Then in an unusual twist, Death falls in love with a beautiful woman (Evelyn Venable) who is more than happy to go with him. This premise was undoubtedly unique, and it resulted in a loose 1998 remake called Meet Joe Black, with Brad Pitt as Death.
4 ‘The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy’ (2001-2007)
Speaking with a Jamaican accent, this grim reaper has become a grumpy babysitter to two strange kids — stupid and joyous Billy (Richard Steven Horvitz) and cold and sinister Mandy (Grey DeLisle). While attempting to claim Billy’s seven-year-old hamster Mr. Snuggles, the two challenged Grim (Greg Eagles) to a game of limbo – in limbo.
Grim lost the game and is now forced to serve as Billy and Mandy’s best friend for all eternity. Thanks to Grim’s connections, they go on bizarre, disturbing adventures involving supernatural characters and threats, with Grim often having to pick up the pieces.
5 The Twilight Zone – ‘Nothing in the Dark’ (1962)
The Twilight Zone is no stranger to showing a certain comfort to Death, but this episode was the one that depicted it the best. A frail woman named Wanda (Gladys Cooper) has begun to see Death everywhere she goes and has shut herself into a basement apartment slated for demolition, refusing contact with anybody.
One night, she lets in a wounded police officer (Robert Redford) and explains her situation to him. After spending some time with him, she quickly realizes that Death has come for her. But unlike what she expected, he takes her hand, and they walk off together in peace.
6 ‘The Sandman’ (2022-)
This depiction of Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) is among the rare female versions and is also one of the kindest. She is one of the seven Endless, godlike beings based around natural forces rather than the beliefs of mortals.
The far more positive older sister of the title character (Tom Sturridge), she’s an outlier among the other godlike beings in the series who view humans with utter disdain. Instead, she is a Goth girl with a more optimistic attitude who greets everybody she claims with love and patience. She sees the beauty of humans more than any other, which makes her unique considering her job.
7 ‘Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey’ (1991)
If The Seventh Seal created the template for Death in popular culture, then Bill and Ted provided the perfect parody for his associated tropes. Speaking with a thick Swedish accent, Death (William Sadler) comes to claim the Wyld Stallyns upon their demise, only to be “melvined” and allow their escape.
Upon finding them again in hell, he challenges them to their game. But Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) manage to outsmart him by choosing Battleship, Twister, and other games Death isn’t very good at. Nevertheless, he became so popular among fans that he returned as a retired burnout in Bill and Ted Face the Music.
8 ‘Final Destination’ Series (2000-)
This series turned Death into a slasher villain, but not in the manner one might expect. Death is not a physical character in this series, acting more as an unseen presence that stalks the main characters. Each film follows a similar format – people receive premonitions of accidents that will claim their lives and usually manage to avoid them.
But when they think they’ve changed their fates, Death comes for them anyway, mainly in bombastic and over-the-top ways. Death always obtains its target, whether through airplanes, car crashes, roller coasters, or even movie theaters.
9 ‘Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather’ (2006)
In the Discworld books, Death is a prominent character, having children and a sarcastic yet appealing personality. But Hogfather is where his character shines the most. The Discworld’s equivalent to Santa Claus, the Hogfather, has been kidnaped, and Death (Ian Richardson) decides to fill in. He gives gifts to children and even saves the Little Match Girl from dying.
Upon saving the day, he and his granddaughter Susan (Michelle Dockery) discuss why, despite being a dark figure, he still believes in the importance of figures like the Hogfather in society regardless of their truth.
10 ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)
He is perhaps the most recent depiction of Death on film and instantly became one of DreamWorks’ best villains. Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is on his last life, and Puss is foolhardy enough to laugh in the face of Death. But when a tall, scary wolf (Wagner Moura) in a hood begins hunting him, Puss accepts his danger. Unfortunately, his fear only increases once he realizes that what he thought was a bounty hunter is Death himself.
This wolf finds the idea of nine lives insulting and hates how much Puss wasted them on wild adventures with no care. He is intimidating, genuinely creepy, but ultimately fair in his pursuits against Puss.