Thanos was killed three separate times in Infinity War and Endgame, well, sort of. Here’s how it happened and who put him down in the MCU.
Across Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Thanos was virtually unstoppable. The Mad Titan’s brute force proved to be a challenge for even the strongest of heroes, and his actions carried universe-altering ramifications. Yet, in spite of his power, Thanos could still be killed.
On multiple occasions, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s heroes were able to take Thanos down using their brawn and wits, pushing through in the face of adversity. It’s interesting to note who was chosen to kill Thanos, as each choice feels deliberate and carefully thought out. The Mad Titan’s death impacts each assailant’s character arc differently, adding to the twists and turns of the MCU.
Gamora ‘Killed’ Thanos on Knowhere
When Gamora learned that Thanos had begun gathering the Infinity Stones, she knew what she had to do. Along with Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis, Gamora went to Knowhere, hoping to retrieve the Reality Stone before Thanos could. As they arrived, they realized they were too late — Thanos was already there. Despite this, Gamora ran at Thanos and attacked him, sinking a dagger into his heart. As the Mad Titan fell, he asked, “Why daughter?” Gamora dropped to her knees, consumed by the guilt of killing her father.
Her guilt lasted but mere moments. The facade created by the Reality Stone peeled away, revealing Thanos to be alive and well. Using the stone, Thanos quickly dispatched Drax and Mantis and grabbed Gamora, needing her to guide him to the Soul Stone. In one of the MCU’s most gut-wrenching scenes, Gamora asks Star-Lord to kill her, so the secret of the Soul Stone can die with her. And with tears in his eyes, he reluctantly pulls the trigger, only to have bubbles fired from his blaster. Thanos then teleports away with Gamora using the Space Stone.
Guilt Drove Thor to Slay Thanos
When Thor arrived at the battle in Wakanda during Infinity War, he had a chance to defeat the Mad Titan before he snapped away half of the universe. Using his newly forged axe, Stormbreaker, he delivered a seemingly lethal blow into Thanos’ chest. However, the wounded Titan whispered to the God of Thunder, “You should have gone for the head.” He snapped his fingers as he muttered those words, completing his mission of bringing balance to the universe.
In the aftermath of his failure, Thor had a new-found determination to kill Thanos and undo the Snap. The remaining Avengers converged on the Titan’s home to find him wounded and the Infinity Stones destroyed. Seeking vengeance, Thor raised Stormbreaker and, with one fell swoop, beheaded Thanos. As he walked away, the Asgardian said, “I went for the head.” It took years for Thor to grapple with his failures and redeem himself throughout the events of Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Iron Man Made the Ultimate Sacrifice to Defeat Thanos
During Endgame, The Avengers traveled through time to acquire the six Infinity Stones and snap back everyone originally blipped in Infinity War using Tony Stark’s Nano Gauntlet. Moments later, Thanos, from earlier in the timeline, appeared and rained fire down on The Avengers Compound. A grand battle ensued unlike anything before it in the MCU. In the culmination of the battle, Thanos retrieved the Nano Gauntlet and the Infinity Stones. He snapped his fingers but to no effect. Tony Stark had ripped the stones off the Gauntlet and attached them to his own suit. With his final words, he declared, “I am Iron Man,” and snapped Thanos’ army into oblivion.
Tony’s heroic act was one of self-sacrifice. The Snap and the power of the Infinity Stones left him mortally wounded. Tony Stark died in peace. The people he loved, Pepper Potts, Peter Parker, his fellow Avengers and his daughter Morgan were safe, and the trillions of lives lost in the Blip were restored. He was no longer the arrogant, selfish and self-centered man depicted in Iron Man. He laid down his life to defeat the greatest evil the universe had ever seen.
Thanos proved himself to be the most powerful adversary the Avengers have faced so far in the MCU. His three separate deaths also proved to be some of the most powerful scenes within the Infinity Saga. There was palpable shock, awe, sadness and triumph packed into each of his deaths which cemented Infinity War and Endgame as two of the greatest comic book movies.
