MCU: 25 most heartbreaking Marvel Cinematic Universe character deaths

Credits: Marvel Studios

18. Professor Yinsen

Movie it happened in: Iron Man

Why it was so heartbreaking: Without Professor Ho Yinsen, there wouldn’t have been an Iron Man. It was because of this man that Tony Stark survived the cave in Afghanistan in the first movie, and that means Yinsen most definitely needs to be on this list.

For those who haven’t seen the first movie in these 10 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe stories, you’ll be slightly forgiven for not remembering him. Professor Yinsen was the surgeon and scientist charged to attend to Stark’s medical issues after an explosion. This wasn’t the first time the two had met, although it would be the first time Stark would remember.

Yinsen was the one to help make sure Tony Stark survived. Because of this, Stark was able to make the first Iron Man suit and he managed to find a way to escape the cave.

However, the escape wasn’t without Yinsen’s help. Yinsen chose to sacrifice himself to make sure that Stark could get free. He knew that the help would mean a death sentence to him, but he didn’t care.

In a way, there was a selfish element to his death. He did it to be reunited with his family in death. While it was sacrificial to help Stark, it wasn’t pure sacrifice like some of the other deaths that have happened on this list. That’s why it doesn’t quite make it into something like the Top 15. Considering he was the one to help create Iron Man, there’s no way it could be missed off entirely.