10 Best Last Stand Scenes In Movies

The ultimate act of self-sacrifice, there’s nothing like a good last stand to get hearts pounding and the audience out of their seats. There’s something inimitably romantic about the notion of laying down one’s life when confronted with certain death, a courageous refusal to simply lie down and surrender, despite all hope seemingly being lost in the face of impossible odds. Accordingly, it’s hardly surprising that these high-stakes, drama-rich sequences make for excellent cinema, with some of the best movies of all time utilizing an evocative last stand to great effect.

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There’s no set form to a perfect final stand. They’ve been successfully used across different genres, from the finest war movies of all time to the best sci-fi movies ever made. In some cases, the cavalry arrives to save the day at the last minute, but other last stands can end in considerably more tragic circumstances. From noble instances of self-sacrifice that cost the heroes their lives to courageous acts of defiance in the face of impending doom, the best last stand scenes in movies have a capacity to thrill and live long in the memory like few other sequences.

10 The Wolverine’s Killing Spree

Logan (2017)

Logan Wolverine Poster

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40 8.7/10 Logan RAction Sci-FiSuperhero

Logan sees the titular hero, AKA Wolverine, in his twilight years as his healing factor has begun to fail him, and he has begun to age more rapidly. Set several years in the future, Logan finds himself caring for an ailing Professor Xavier, whose mind has begun to succumb to dementia, making him an incredibly dangerous mutant that can cause widespread destruction accidentally. But when the preoccupied Logan is asked to meet with a woman that requests he transports a young girl to a mutant haven known as Eden, he learns that she may have his DNA and that the fate of mutant-kind may rest in her hands.

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*Availability in US Release Date March 3, 2017 Runtime 137 Minutes Cast Hugh Jackman , Patrick Stewart , Dafne Keen , Elizabeth Rodriguez , Daniel Bernhardt , Richard E. Grant , Doris Morgado , Boyd Holbrook Director James Mangold Writers Michael Green , Scott Frank , James Mangold Studio(s) 20th Century , Marvel Distributor(s) 20th Century Expand

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Serving as a fitting conclusion for one of popular culture’s most iconic superheroes until his recent return from the dead in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, 2017’s Logan purportedly rounded off the eponymous character’s story with an explosive final stand for the ages. With the mutant children ambushed by Donald Pierce and his Reavers during the movie’s closing act, Hugh Jackman’s weakened charge takes an overdose of an experimental serum, temporarily enhancing Logan’s healing powers and physical strength.

Split image of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and X-Men: The Last Stand Related 10 Most Rewatchable Wolverine Movie Moments

Wolverine is one of the most prolific Marvel movie heroes, and his cinematic journey is filled with moments that are incredibly rewatchable.

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The concurrent result is an epic display of Logan at his most terrifyingly ferocious, a rampant killing machine that slices through the Reavers like a hot knife through butter. It’s an electrifying action sequence that concludes with a showdown of titanic proportions, one that sees Logan heroically perish in a savage brawl with his sadistic brainwashed clone X-24. While Dafne Keen’s Laura manages to dispatch his killer shortly afterward, Logan’s selfless final stand ends with the (temporary) death of the legendary Wolverine.

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9 Wardaddy And His Crew Defend The Tank

Fury (2014)

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9/10 Fury RWarAction

Brad Pitt stars as tank commander Don “Wardaddy” Collier in David Ayer’s war movie Fury. Set during the end of World War II, the film follows the Allied forces breaking through into Nazi Germany as Don and his crew pilot their tank known as Fury into enemy lines in gruesome battles to capture critical stronghold points and help secure victory in the war.

Release Date October 17, 2014 Runtime 135 Minutes Cast Brad Pitt , Shia LaBeouf , Logan Lerman , Michael Pena , Jon Bernthal , Jim Parrack , Brad William Henke Director David Ayer Writers David Ayer Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Sony Expand

One of the best war movie depictions of the camaraderie between soldiers, David Ayer’s Fury chronicles the end game of the European theater during WWII from the perspective of the eponymous Sherman tank’s crew. The movie’s electrifying final act sees the tank immobilized by a mine. Faced with an oncoming SS battalion, Brad Pitt’s “Wardaddy” refuses to abandon Fury, prompting his crew to stay behind with him. One of cinema’s most memorable last stands solely from a visual perspective, Fury’s final firefight is an epic spectacle of bloody carnage.

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Despite a valiant effort, the vastly outnumbered tank’s crew are duly picked off one by one; Logan Lerman’s Norman Ellison is the savage battle’s sole survivor, after a young SS trooper takes mercy on him and doesn’t alert the battalion to his survival. Fury ends with a shell-shocked Ellison being driven away by arriving American troops, before a final overhead shot captures the tank surrounded by countless dead soldiers, poignantly underlining the costly nature of this epic final stand for the ages.

8 Shughart And Gordon Defend The Chopper

Black Hawk Down (2001)

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10/10 Black Hawk Down RWarDramaHistory

Black Hawk Down recounts the harrowing true story of a U.S. military mission gone awry in Somalia. Tasked with capturing a warlord, elite soldiers find themselves in a fierce battle against Somali militia forces.

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*Availability in US Release Date January 18, 2002 Runtime 144 minutes Cast Jason Isaacs , Eric Bana , Josh Hartnett , Ewan McGregor , Tom Sizemore , Tom Hardy , Hugh Dancy , Orlando Bloom Director Ridley Scott Writers Ken Nolan

A blockbuster war drama depicting the true story of a helicopter crash during the Battle of Mogadishu, Black Hawk Down is one of acclaimed director Ridley Scott’s best movies. Depicting the frenzied efforts of stranded and vastly outnumbered American forces to repel attacking Somali militia members, the argument is there to be made that Black Hawk Down is a movie-long last stand.

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Black Hawk Down
features cameo appearances from an array of prominent A-Listers, including Tom Hardy and Orlando Bloom.

With that being said, a notable sequence springs to mind, given the sheer levels of composure and bravery exhibited in the face of harrowing odds. The rousing scene sees two Delta force snipers volunteer to be inserted into the thick of the action to rescue an injured pilot from the helicopter wreckage. Despite being hopelessly outnumbered by the militia forces, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Gary Gordon and Johnny Strong’s Randy Shughurt valiantly fight to the last, doing justice to the heroics of the real-life men who inspired the movie in rousing fashion.

7 Vazquez And Gorman Go Out On Their Own Terms

Aliens (1986)

Aliens Movie Poster

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9.5/10 Aliens RAdventureHorrorSci-FiAction

Aliens is a 1986 Sci-Fi classic by writer and director James Cameron. Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, it’s widely considered one of the best Sci-Fi Horror films ever made. Ripley must band together with a group of Colonial Marines to investigate a disaster at a terraforming colony.

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*Availability in US Release Date July 18, 1986 Runtime 137 minutes Cast Sigourney Weaver , Michael Biehn , Carrie Henn , Paul Reiser , Lance Henriksen , Bill Paxton , William Hope , Jenette Goldstein Director James Cameron Main Genre Sci-Fi Writers James Cameron Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Expand
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Contentiously the storied Alien franchise’s finest movie, 1986’s Aliens is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential sci-fi films of all time. Chronicling Ellen Ripley’s second encounter with the franchise’s horrifying Xenomorphs, James Cameron’s movie plays host to a memorable last stand as Sigourney Weaver’s charge and the Colonial Marines flee to the evacuation site with their extraterrestrial pursuers hot on their heels.

Alien Franchise IMDb Ratings

Alien (1979)

8.5

Aliens (1986)

8.6

Alien 3 (1992)

6.4

Alien Resurrection (1997)

6.2

AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

5.7

AVPR: Alien vs. Predator – Requiem (2007)

4.6

Prometheus (2012)

7.0

Alien: Covenant (2017)

6.4

Alien: Romulus (2024)

7.1

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In the chaos, William Hope’s Gorman redeems an earlier moment of cowardice by staying behind to help his stricken comrade, Vazquez; the pair find themselves out of ammunition just as they are cornered by the Xenomorphs. Faced with certain death, the two soldiers choose to go out with one final gesture of defiance, blowing themselves and their pursuers to kingdom come with explosives. The duo go out on their own terms, a fitting state of affairs that is emblematic of humanity’s resistance throughout the wider franchise.

6 The Spartans Make Xerxes Bleed

300 (2006)

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7.3/10 300 RActionDramaHistory

Loosely based on Frank Miller’s comic series of the same name, Zack Snyder’s 300 tells the legend of the historical battle of Thermopylae. It follows King Leonidas of Sparta (Gerard Butler) as he leads a small force of 300 Spartans against the amassed Persian army of 300,000. Meanwhile, his wife Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) remains in Sparta to negotiate reinforcements against political resistance.

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*Availability in US Release Date March 9, 2007 Runtime 117 minutes Cast Vincent Regan , Giovanni Cimmino , Lena Headey , David Wenham , Gerard Butler , Dominic West Director Zack Snyder Main Genre Action Writers Zack Snyder , Kurt Johnstad , Michael B. Gordon Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Expand

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A heavily embellished dramatization of the Battle of Thermopylae, Zack Snyder’s 300 is a last stand in and of itself, considering that the film follows a group of 300 Spartan soldiers attempting to repel a Persian invasion force more than 1000 times their number. Despite fighting bravely, the 2006 movie sees the Spartans eventually outmaneuvered and surrounded, prompting one last act of resistance from the men who make war their profession as their enemy demands their surrender.

Even with several arrows sticking out his chest, Gerard Butler’s Leonidas still has enough left in him for an impressive final roar of defiance.

In one of the most visually arresting last stands ever seen, the seemingly compliant defenders wound Rodrigo Santoro’s allegedly immortal “God King” Xerxes for a Pyrrhic moral victory, going out in an unforgettable blaze of glory while taking an impressive number of their enemies with them. Even with several arrows sticking out his chest, Gerard Butler’s Leonidas still has enough left in him for an impressive final roar of defiance. It takes a hail of shafts that blocks out the sky to finally topple the Spartan king and put an end to one of cinema’s most iconic last stands.

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5 Captain Mifune Battles The Sentinels

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Matrix Revolutions Poster

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The Matrix Revolutions r Sci-FiAction

The Matrix Revolutions is the third installment of the Wachowskis’ famous sci-fi saga. The movie picks up where the previous film “The Matrix Reloaded” left off, with Neo (Keanu Reeves) trapped in between the simulation and the real world. Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Monica Bellucci, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lambert Wilson reprise their roles once again for the threequel.

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*Availability in US Release Date November 5, 2003 Runtime 129 Minutes Cast Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , Mary Alice , Tanveer K. Atwal , Helmut Bakaitis , Monica Bellucci Director Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski Main Genre Sci-Fi Writers Lilly Wachowski , Lana Wachowski Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Expand

While The Matrix Revolutions is generally regarded as the worst Matrix movie and a disappointing conclusion to the original trilogy, the 2003 sci-fi action offering from the Wachowskis does boast one of the most memorable last stands in cinematic history. This enviable accolade belongs to Nathaniel Lee’s Captain Mifune, who goes down all guns blazing in his combat walker as the Sentinels finally breach Zion’s defenses in a spectacular visual sequence.

The Matrix Franchise IMDb Ratings

The Matrix (1999)

8.7

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

7.2

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

6.7

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

5.6

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Faced with an impossible number of adversaries, Mifune keeps firing until the bitter end, holding his tormentors at bay until he is mortally wounded. Lee’s charge places a flourish on a last stand for the ages by heroically prompting Kid to open the silo doors, allowing the arriving Mjolnir to save the day by discharging its EMP and knocking out all the attacking Sentinels. While Zion was left defenseless by the EMP’s blast, Mifune’s valiant final stand bought the humans valuable time.

4 Tony Fights Until The Last

Scarface (1983)

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9.7/10 Scarface RCrimeDrama

Brian De Palma’s iconic crime drama is loosely based on the 1929 novel of the same name and follows Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who begins a life of crime after arriving in Miami. It chronicles his rise from a penniless thug to one of the richest and most ruthless kingpins in the world, amassing a criminal empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 9, 1983 Runtime 170 minutes Cast Al Pacino , Michelle Pfeiffer , Robert Loggia , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Miriam Colon , F. Murray Abraham Director Brian De Palma Main Genre Crime Writers Oliver Stone , Howard Hawks , Ben Hecht Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Expand

It speaks volumes to the lasting cultural impact of Tony Montana’s last stand in 1983’s Scarface that the immortal sequence depicting the drug trafficker’s death is arguably more famous than he is. Rounding off one of Al Pacino’s best movies, the gangster meets the sticky end he was always destined for after crossing drug lord Alejandro Sosa, but refuses to go quietly into the night with a final stand for the ages.

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Fueled by a cocktail of Class A drugs, fury, and adrenaline, an enraged Montana takes countless bullets without falling.

High as a kite on cocaine and wielding a grenade launcher as Sosa’s forces besiege his mansion, Tony lets rip with his iconic soundbite of “Say hello to my little friend!” before doing the same with his firearm in one of cinema’s most storied scenes. Fueled by a cocktail of Class A drugs, fury, and adrenaline, an enraged Montana takes countless bullets without falling before an assassin performs the coup de grâce from point-blank range. An inimitable last stand that symbolizes Tony’s fall from grace perfectly, there are few movies that can give Scarface a run for its money in this regard.

3 The Leading Duo Go Out In A Blaze Of Glory

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)

buth cassidy

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9.6/10 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid PGWesternAdventure

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid follows the exploits of two notorious outlaws as they navigate the challenges of a changing American West. Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, the film combines elements of adventure and buddy comedy, capturing their attempts to evade capture while maintaining camaraderie. Directed by George Roy Hill, it explores themes of friendship and survival against the backdrop of early 20th-century societal shifts.

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*Availability in US Release Date September 24, 1969 Runtime 111 Minutes Cast Paul Newman , Robert Redford , Katharine Ross , Strother Martin , Henry Jones , Jeff Corey , George Furth , Cloris Leachman , Ted Cassidy , Kenneth Mars , Donnelly Rhodes , Jody Gilbert , Timothy Scott , Don Keefer , Charles Dierkop , Pancho Córdova , Nelson Olmsted , Paul Bryar , Sam Elliott , Charles Akins , Eric Sinclair Director George Roy Hill Main Genre Western Writers William Goldman Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Expand
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Arguably cinema’s most famous last stand and a sequence that concludes with one of the most iconic freeze-frame shots in movie history, 1969’s epic Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid depicts the demise of the titular duo in immortal fashion. After the legendary outlaws relocate to Bolivia in search of greater fortunes than America had to offer, they are eventually recognized and cornered by the Bolivian army in a valiant final stand.

Blissfully unaware as to the extent to which they are outnumbered, the pair charge out of the building that they are holed up in with guns blazing, to purportedly meet their demise. The movie ends with the freeze-frame of the two gunslingers rushing into the fray as a blaze of gunfire is heard, poignantly signifying the demise of one of popular culture’s most iconic duos and concluding one of the best Western movies ever made in magnificent fashion. It also represents a fitting demise for one of cinema’s finest bromances, a pair who lived and died on their own terms.

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2 Miller Faces Down A Tank

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

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24 9.5/10 Saving Private Ryan RWarDrama

Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller’s command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan’s brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns,  and Tom Sizemore also star. 

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*Availability in US Release Date July 24, 1998 Runtime 169 minutes Cast Tom Sizemore , Adam Goldberg , Vin Diesel , Tom Hanks , Edward Burns , Matt Damon Director Steven Spielberg Main Genre War Writers Robert Rodat Studio(s) DreamWorks Distribution Distributor(s) DreamWorks Distribution , Paramount Pictures Expand

One of the most historically accurate war movies of all time, 1998’s Saving Private Ryan concludes with one of cinema’s most visceral battle sequences; a courageous last stand with desperately high stakes as the vastly outnumbered American forces defend a vital stronghold from a massive German offensive. Capping off the American heroics, Tom Hanks’ Captain Miller is shot attempting to blow up a bridge during the battle, leaving the movie’s mortally wounded protagonist face to face with an oncoming tank.

Miller is killed by
“Steamboat Willie”
, a German prisoner released earlier in the film on his orders.

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Propping himself up, the dying Miller’s final act of defiance is to resolutely take aim and fire his handgun at the colossal war machine. While this equates to little more than a mouse swatting at a mountain lion in practical terms, it’s the perfect exemplification of courageously fighting against impossible odds. This makes it even sweeter when a Mustang swoops in, blowing the tank to smithereens as reinforcements arrive to save the day.

1 Boromir Goes Down Swinging

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

The Lord Of The Rings- The Fellowship Of The Ring Poster

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9.9/10 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring PG-13ActionFantasyAdventure

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first film in Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie follows Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) as he is tasked with destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom after he inherits the ring.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 19, 2001 Runtime 178 Minutes Cast Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Sean Bean , Ian Holm , Andy Serkis Director Peter Jackson Main Genre Fantasy Writers Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Peter Jackson Studio(s) New Line Cinema , Wingnut Films Distributor(s) New Line Cinema Expand

Cinema’s preeminent last stand takes place during the first chapter of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The climactic act of 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring sees Sean Bean’s Boromir go out in heroic fashion, attempting to redeem an earlier moment of weakness where he tried to forcibly take the Ring from Frodo. After chopping down literal scores of Uruk Hai defending Merry and Pippin, Sean Bean’s charge is tragically felled by a volley of arrows.

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Elrond wielding his sword in The Rings of Power (2024) next to Boromir circling his hand in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Related The Rings Of Power Just Recreated Boromir’s Death Scene & Yes, I’m Crying Now

Boromir’s death scene has essentially been recreated in The Rings of Power, bringing to mind the emotion behind the Captain of Gondor’s demise.

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Boromir’s last stand is executed to perfection, from the spectacular shots of the Uruks marauding through the trees to the immersive manner in which the score cuts out to be replaced by Boromir’s shallow breathing. The rousing sight of Bean’s indomitable charge, fighting to his very last even after being pierced with multiple arrows, renders this a valiant demise of truly epic proportions. Even to this day, Boromir’s fearless swansong remains the benchmark for all future cinematic last stands.

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