--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Character deaths in and of itself should…" description: "\"Character deaths in and of itself should never be done for shock.\" — Scott M. Gimple" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/scott-m-gimple-26128_character_character-deaths-in-and-of-itself-should_792142.png" --- # Character deaths in and of itself should never be done for… ![“Character deaths in and of itself should never be done for shock.” quote by Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/scott-m-gimple-26128_character_character-deaths-in-and-of-itself-should_792142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/scott-m-gimple-26128_character_character-deaths-in-and-of-itself-should_792142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/scott-m-gimple-26128_character_character-deaths-in-and-of-itself-should_792142.png) > “Character deaths in and of itself should never be done for shock.” [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Killing characters solely for surprise undermines narrative integrity. **In simple terms:** Shock kills can feel cheap. Key Takeaway Use character death purposefully. Themes storytelling ethics character dramatic tension audience trust Mood thoughtful cautious Type ethical dramatic When to use this quote - season finales - plot twists - character arcs Key Concepts Narrative consequence emotional stakes Questions to Reflect On - When does a death serve the story? - How to balance surprise with meaning? A Different Perspective Overuse of shock can desensitize viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Deaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaths/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) ## Related quotes > [“He estimates the number of deaths worldwide as 100 million, a larger number than the conventional estimate of 20 to 40 million. But, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-kolata/he-estimates-the-number-of-deaths-worldwide-as-100-million-a-larger/) Gina Kolata > [The more we heat up the planet, the more it costs all of us, not just in money, but in colossal famines, displacements, deaths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-more-we-heat-up-the-planet-the-more-it-costs-all-of-us-not-just/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“(the past sucks and the future can be outright paralyzing, but we must push through those times and find what little happy moments there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-past-sucks-and-the-future-can-be-outright-paralyzing-but-we-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Suicide is now the leading cause of death for US service members and veterans, far outstripping combat-related deaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-hoffman/suicide-is-now-the-leading-cause-of-death-for-us-service-members-and/) [Cara Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-hoffman/) > [people are not good to each other. perhaps if they were our deaths would not be so sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/people-are-not-good-to-each-other-perhaps-if-they-were-our-deaths/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Both deaths are woven into the fabric of my life, but they’re not what define me,” she said. “Joy is very important to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/both-deaths-are-woven-into-the-fabric-of-my-life-but-they-re-not-what/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I need to live my life in the light of their deaths. I need to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-need-to-live-my-life-in-the-light-of-their-deaths-i-need-to-live/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Midwives and doctors play a crucial role preventing unnecessary maternal deaths. They educate women about nutrition, health and family planning. And they step in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/midwives-and-doctors-play-a-crucial-role-preventing-unnecessary/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) > [Men's lives have meaning, not their deaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-s-lives-have-meaning-not-their-deaths/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No other disease, no war, no natural disaster, no famine comes close to the great pandemic. 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Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-c-blair/) > [“All the deaths are dead for nothing but you're not dead at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/all-the-deaths-are-dead-for-nothing-but-you-re-not-dead-at-all/) [daniel handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [“Most deaths in the United States are preventable, and they are related to what we eat. 4”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/most-deaths-in-the-united-states-are-preventable-and-they-are-related/) [Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/) ## More by Scott M. Gimple > [When people make a horror movie, it's a few months. This is years of horror, that these guys have to play out. It just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/when-people-make-a-horror-movie-it-s-a-few-months-this-is-years-of/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [I think portraying human beings trying to hold on to their humanity against pretty much certain odds that they'll die horribly in some way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-think-portraying-human-beings-trying-to-hold-on-to-their-humanity/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [You can do irrefutably impossible things with the right amount of planning and support from intelligent and hardworking people and pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/you-can-do-irrefutably-impossible-things-with-the-right-amount-of/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [It is horrible to sit in front of the keyboard and write those scenes because you're losing too. You lose somebody you enjoy working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/it-is-horrible-to-sit-in-front-of-the-keyboard-and-write-those-scenes/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [The most interesting thing to me is that 'The Walking Dead' is a show that reinvents itself every eight episodes. It's an evolving landscape.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/the-most-interesting-thing-to-me-is-that-the-walking-dead-is-a-show/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [When 'The Walking Dead' has been its best, all that stuff is happening at once: the emotion, action, horror, scares. I'm very proud that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/when-the-walking-dead-has-been-its-best-all-that-stuff-is-happening/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [You lose somebody you've possibly known for years and on top of that you lose a character that you love seeing on TV so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/you-lose-somebody-you-ve-possibly-known-for-years-and-on-top-of-that/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [I think ultimately it's just time management. You're just doing a lot more stuff. You're doing the same stuff, you're writing and you're producing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-think-ultimately-it-s-just-time-management-you-re-just-doing-a-lot/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [Lots of shows are written completely in the writer's room. And I wouldn't say 'The Walking Dead' is that way. There are three levels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/lots-of-shows-are-written-completely-in-the-writer-s-room-and-i/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [I actually come from comics, and I'm big on comics. I was reading 'Walking Dead' from the beginning. Then just being on the show,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-actually-come-from-comics-and-i-m-big-on-comics-i-was-reading/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [It's gonna be weird how there are going to be new 'Star Wars' movies every year starting in 2015. I don't know what that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/it-s-gonna-be-weird-how-there-are-going-to-be-new-star-wars-movies/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [Those are the stakes that are constantly there and how do those stakes change you? How does that change the person you are? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/those-are-the-stakes-that-are-constantly-there-and-how-do-those/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [A non-frightening zombie is a lame zombie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/a-non-frightening-zombie-is-a-lame-zombie/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [We're at a point nowhere it has to change. We have characters that are not alive that are alive in the book. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/we-re-at-a-point-nowhere-it-has-to-change-we-have-characters-that-are/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [I'm very lucky that I started out as a reader of the comic book and a viewer of the show. And I try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-m-very-lucky-that-i-started-out-as-a-reader-of-the-comic-book-and-a/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) [Explore all 22 Scott M. Gimple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Character deaths in and of itself should never be done for shock.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott M. 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