Spider-Man’s Saddest Scenes, Ranked
Spider-Man has always been one of Marvel's most optimistic heroes. No matter who's behind the mask, Peter Parker eventually gets back up and keeps trying to do the right thing. Getting there, though, has never been easy. Across the three live-action Spider-Man franchises, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have all played versions of Peter forced to live through heartbreaking losses.
Some happen in battles that change their stories forever. Others are much quieter and hurt far more than any supervillain ever could. Two live-action versions of Peter have experienced some version of Uncle Ben's death, and each one plays a part in the hero he becomes. (Except Holland, because Marvel decided that having Aunt May die would be a better option.)
But only focusing on the saddest death scenes across three different franchises has been done before. Instead, this ranking examines the scenes that leave Peter with the biggest emotional scars once everything is over. And the saddest part about them is watching Peter lose a part of himself by doing what is best for everyone else.
6. ‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007) - Harry Osborn Sacrifices Himself to Save Peter
Harry Osborn (James Franco) spends most of Spider-Man 3 believing Peter (Tobey Maguire) killed his father. Even after years of friendship, revenge is all he can think about. It isn't until Bernard Houseman (John Paxton) finally tells him the truth that Harry realizes he has been fighting the wrong person all along. By then, Peter is already battling Venom (Topher Grace).
When Venom attempts to impale Peter with Harry's glider, Harry gets in the way and is killed instead. What makes the scene so sad isn't just Harry's death. It's that he finally becomes the person Peter always believed he could be, only to die almost immediately afterward. After everything the two friends went through, they barely get the chance to enjoy finally being on the same side.
5. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ (2026) - MJ Doesn't Really Remember Peter
Peter (Tom Holland) spends a lot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day hoping there might still be some way back to the life he lost at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). When he finds MJ (Zendaya) alone on a rooftop (after an earlier rescue), she tells Peter that it feels like something is missing from her mind. The two share a kiss before MJ gently pulls off his Spider-Man mask and says his name.
Believing that the spell has finally been broken, Peter breaks down and tells MJ how much he's missed her. Then MJ's expression turns cold as Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) reveals she's been controlling her all along. "There are no thoughts of you left in her head," she tells him. Peter is left devastated since he basically loses MJ a second time.
4. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014) - Gwen Stacy Dies in Peter's Arms
Comic readers knew Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone) death was coming before The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) hit cinemas. Still, watching it happen is every bit as heartbreaking as fans expected. During Spider-Man's final battle with the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan), Gwen falls from the top of a clock tower. Peter (Andrew Garfield) fires a web that catches her just before she hits the ground.
For a split second, it looks like he's done enough. Then everything stops. Although Peter catches Gwen before she hits the ground, the sudden force snaps her neck. Peter reaches her in seconds, desperately hoping she's still alive, but he already knows she didn't make it. What makes the moment so devastating is that Peter does everything a superhero is supposed to and still loses the person he loves.
3. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012) - Uncle Ben Dies & Peter Has to Live With Guilt
Every Spider-Man has an origin story, but The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) spends the most time showing Peter (Garfield) dealing with the guilt that comes after Uncle Ben's (Martin Sheen) death. After arguing with Ben earlier in the evening, Peter storms out of the house and, because of a minor disagreement, refuses to help a store cashier stop a robber.
Later that night, when Uncle Ben is looking for Peter, he is fatally shot by the same thief. Peter finds his dying uncle on the pavement and eventually learns from police that the killer has a specific star tattoo on his left wrist. Peter instantly recalls seeing the same tattoo on the robber he let escape from the store. Peter's grief turns into intense self-loathing, which he carries for the rest of the film.
2. ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021) - Peter Says Goodbye to MJ And Ned
By the end of No Way Home, Peter (Holland) has run out of options. To stop the multiverse from collapsing, he asks Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast one final spell that makes the entire world forget Peter Parker ever existed. Before the spell takes effect, Peter promises MJ and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) that he will find them and explain everything.
It's a promise he genuinely intends to keep. Peter visits a coffee shop that MJ and Ned go to often and begins rehearsing everything he wants to say. But after a small pause, he changes his mind. Instead of bringing them back into a life filled with danger, he chooses to give up the two people he loves most because he believes they'll be safer without him.
1. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012) - Gwen Confronting Peter After Her Father’s Funeral
When Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary) dies in The Amazing Spider-Man, he makes Peter (Garfield) promise to stay away from Gwen (Stone) to keep her safe. Peter honors that promise, even though it's the last thing he wants. After her father's funeral, Gwen finally confronts him. She asks why he didn't attend the service and why he suddenly disappeared from her life.
Unable to tell her the truth, Peter just stands there listening as Gwen tries to understand why the person she loves abandoned her when she needed him most. Nobody dies in this scene, and there aren't any villains to fight. It's just two people dealing with grief and Peter realizing that keeping his promise is hurting the person he's trying to protect. That's what makes this the saddest Spider-Man scene.
