Quentin Tarantinois an award-winning director, writer, producer, and actor who has made a name for himself in Hollywood. Known for his highly stylized filmmaking, which often includes what some would consider gratuitous violence and profanity, Tarantino is a certified legend. He has worked alongside huge names, like Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Christoph Waltz, and Uma Thurman, andhis entire filmographyboasts hits upon hits.
Considering that all Tarantino films have some degree of violence, deaths are bound to come with that. Between the outright slaughter of certain characters, as seen in theKill Billfranchise, and the slow and horrifying deaths as seen inInglourious Basterds, Tarantino’s name has become synonymous with violence and brutal deaths. But exactly how many deaths are there in his movies? Here’s every Quentin Tarantino movie ranked by number of character deaths.
9Once Upon a Time In Hollywood — 4 Character Deaths
Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodfollows the life of former actor Rick Dalton, whose old view of Tinsel town differs greatly from what it has become. Rick also happens to live right next door to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, the main victims of theManson Family murders. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie,Once Upon a Time In Hollywoodis considered one of Tarantino’s best movies, earning 10 nominations at the Academy Awards. The film only features four character deaths making it the least deadly of any Quentin Tarantino film.
Related:Why Quentin Tarantino Hates Bill Murray Movies, Explained
8Death Proof — 6 Character Deaths
One of Tarantino’s lesser known films isDeath Proof. The film follows Stuntman Mike, a professional body double, who spends his free time luring women away for deadly drives, purposely causing car wrecks. He has walked away from every wreck, but meets his match in real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell.Starring Kurt Russell,Death Proofwas praised for the stunts throughout the film and the tribute Tarantino paid to exploitation cinema. Considering that the film revolves around an unhinged man who causes car crashes, there is bound to be a bit of a body count. With a total of six character fatalities,Death Proof’s focus is more on plot than violence.
7Pulp Fiction — 7 Character Deaths
Considered one of the greatest films of all time,Pulp Fictionis jam-packed with swoon-worthy content. The multi-layered way of storytelling follows several narratives interwoven with one another, including the activities of a mob boss' wife, a pair of robbers, a struggling boxer, and a set of hitmen.Pulp Fictionbrought us one of the most iconic Samuel L. Jackson lines when he is quoting the bible as he holds a gun to his target. While the film is full of drugs, violence, and the threat of torture, the kill count is low for a Tarantino film. With only 7 fatalities in the film,Pulp Fictionhas a more palatable level of violence that everyone should try to watch once.
6Reservoir Dogs — 11 Character Deaths
One of Tarantino’s first films,Reservoir Dogshas become one of the most iconic films in cinematic history. The film follows a group of color-coded Misters, who carry out a heist that goes terribly wrong. With outstanding performances from Harevy Keitel, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen,Reservoir Dogshas become a must-see on many watch lists. Between Mr. Blonde brutally torturing a police officer and the incredible shoot-out at the end, it would seem that fatal violence is one of the cornerstones of this iconic film. The film has a total of 11 character deaths, most of whom are the main crew of the heist.
5Kill Bill Vol. 2 — 13 Character Deaths
As the sequel toKill Bill Vol. 1,Kill Bill Vol. 2continues the Bride’s story as she seeks revenge on those who put her in a coma and stole her daughter. Targeting the remains of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, the Bride goes to great lengths to get to Bill, including digging herself out of her own shallow grave. While not as violent as the first film in terms of the number of goons Beatrix cut down,Vol. 2has a higher death count, coming in at 13. This may come as a shock considering how many people Beatrix fought off in the first film, but we are talking about actual characters of the film and not nameless goons.
4The Hateful Eight — 20 Character Deaths
This gem, featuring Kurt Russell, Jennider Jason Leigh, and Samuel L Jackson, follows a group of travelers. Seeking shelter, the group enters an isolated stopover, where the eight travelers learn that not everything is as it seems. A bounty hunter, a fugitive, a veteran, and a so-called mayor find themselves at odds when mutual trust is thrown out the window.The Hateful Eightdoes not have a massive cast, but there are still plenty of deaths to satiate our needs. With a total of 20 fatalities in the film,The Hateful Eightis still one of Tarantino’s deadliest films to the main characters.
3Kill BIll Vol. 1 — 62 Character Deaths
One of Tarantino’s best movies, and the sole film led by a woman,Kill Bill Vol. 1stars Uma Thurman as The Bride, who is out for revenge against the eponymous Bill and her a team of assassins. Her journey takes her to different places, ultimately landing in Tokyo, where one of the bloodiest battles in a Tarantino film takes place. Between several members of the Deadly Vipers and O-Ren’s elite Crazy 88 fighters, The Bride dispatches about many characters in the film, bringing in a total of about 62 character deaths.
2Django Unchained — 64 Character Deaths
Django Unchainedis a masterpiece that explores the realities of slavery in the Southern U.S. before the Civil War. The film revolves around newly freed slave Django and his quest to free his wife, whom he was separated from. Teaming up with the German Dr. Shultz, Django works alongside Schultz to build a name for himself and make it to the Candie plantation. Considering that Shultz is now a bounty hunter whose job it is to take bounties dead or alive, there are plenty of deals to go around. In total, there are 64 fatalities inDjango, making it number two on our list.
1Inglourious Basterds — 396 Character Deaths
Set during WWII based around the real-life Basterds, a group of Jewish soldiers who hunted down Nazis and notoriously scalped them,Inglorious Basterdsis one of Tarantino’s finest films. As is typical Tarantino style, the film is incredibly violent, showing the true horrors that the Nazis wrought on their victims, as well as how they fought back. Considering the film is set at a time when survival was priority,Inglorious Basterdsis riddled with death, and tops our list as having the most deaths of any Tarantino film. With a total of 396 deaths, perScreen Rant,Inglourious Basterdstakes the cake as Tarantino’s deadliest film.
