Ridley Scott’s directorial, Gladiator 2 is a story riddled with violence and deaths. The sequel to Gladiator (2000) is now in theaters in the US and worldwide and has been receiving positive responses from critics and the audience. As such, many are also wondering who dies in Gladiator 2.
Without further delay, let’s explore which characters in the much-awaited sequel meet tragic ends.
List of all Gladiator 2 deaths
Gladiator 2 takes place 16 years after the events of 2000’s Gladiator and revolves around a grown-up Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), AKA Hanno. Over time, he becomes a slave, a gladiator, and the hero of Rome in the course of the movie. Several important characters perish in Gladiator 2, and here is a comprehensive list of them.
Lucilla
Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) is one of the few characters who appear in both movies. As Lucius’ mother and the daughter of former emperor Marcus Aurelius, she is an important part of the plot.
In the climactic sequence, Macrinus (Denzel Washington) places Lucilla in the Colosseum with the hopes of baiting her son and killing them both in front of the people of Rome. However, when he discovers that Lucius has orchestrated a gladiatorial revolt to rescue his mother, Macrinus kills her with an arrow.
Marcus Acacius
Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) is the current leading general of Rome and Lucilla’s husband. After Lucius’ wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen) is killed during Acacius’ campaign in Numidia, he swears revenge against the military leader.
The two men eventually come face to face in the Colosseum after Acacius and Lucilla’s plot to overthrow the tyrannical emperors comes to light. Although Lucius refuses to kill Acacius, the latter is killed by the imperial order.
Macrinus
Macrinus is the primary antagonist of the movie. After his plans to become the emperor start to unravel, he tries to flee the city. Eventually, Lucius confronts Macrinus at one of the gates of Rome and kills him.
Emperors Geta and Caracalla
Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla are both killed by Macrinus. He first turns Caracalla against his relatively saner brother, Geta, and uses the former to kill the latter. After Lucius ignites a gladiatorial revolt in the Colosseum, Macrinus realizes that he has no need to keep Caracalla alive any longer and kills him.
Gracchus
Senator Gracchus (Sir Derek Jacobi) is one of those characters who has also appeared in the first movie. A staunch supporter of Lucilla and her plans, he is taken captive along with her and killed in the Colosseum.
Other significant deaths
Other significant deaths in Gladiator 2 include Lucius’ wife Arishat, Numidian chieftain Jubartha (Peter Mensah), as well as several gladiators that Lucius encounters. There is also Viggo (Lior Raz), a former gladiator who works for Macrinus. Lucius kills him with a wooden sword underneath the Colosseum.