# "Death" Comes For You - But Which One? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [August 12, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529 "2021-08-12T16:24:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/1 "2021-08-12T16:24:51Z")
Congratulations! You’re dead. Maybe you lived a rich, full life and died in bed surrounded by your family. Maybe you lived fast, died young and left a beautiful corpse. Maybe your last words were “Hold my beer” and now you’re being mocked on an unspecified internet messageboard. Who knows? Doesn’t matter. And now comes the next bit - Death is coming to you in person/anthropomorphic entity/other form to collect you and usher you along to the next plane of existence. But in a surprise twist, you have the option of selecting _which_ fictional representation of Death it will be. Maybe it’s _Sandman’s_ kindly Goth chick, or _Discworld’s_ skeleton and scythe appearing astride his horse Binky. Maybe it’s a Death you can defeat in a game of some sort such as Bergman’s, Bill and Ted’s, or Keith from _Smax_. Maybe it’s the chatty one with the giant eyeball and party hat from _The Midnight Gospel_ or even the one that looks like Brad Pitt (and if you get that reference, be glad you’re dead and will never see that film again). There have been so many different literary and filmed iterations of Death - some kind, some cruel, some indifferent, some just plain weird. But now’s your chance to choose. Who’s coming for you? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/2 "2021-08-12T16:27:54Z")
The one from Terry Pratchett’s _Discworld_ books, who speaks in SMALL CAPS. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/3 "2021-08-12T16:32:36Z")
Yeah, definitely Pratchett’s. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/4 "2021-08-12T16:34:01Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Maybe it’s _Sandman’s_ kindly Goth chick Just from the thread title I expected the question to be like this, and that’s the death I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/5 "2021-08-12T16:35:36Z")
I can’t decide, myself. Either I would want a kindly Death such as Gaiman’s to help me adjust, or something epic. Maybe Dennis from _Smax_ who handles the big awesome deaths (not Keith - Keith is lame and keeps losing at chess to peasants). [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W9MiSbb8og0/VZTmm6j3xWI/AAAAAAAACvw/DpDEadv4l4k/s320/AMsmax9.jpg) ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W9MiSbb8og0/VZTmm6j3xWI/AAAAAAAACvw/DpDEadv4l4k/s320/AMsmax9.jpg) I did suspect that Gaiman and Pratchett were going to feature heavily here, but I’m sure there are others of interest. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/6 "2021-08-12T16:37:19Z")
Death from Bergman’s _The Seventh Seal_. I can string out a chess game for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/7 "2021-08-12T16:38:47Z")
[**I’d like to meet Joe Black so that, "Death and I can “take a holiday”.**](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/02/1c/59/021c59c2bf6183b8e5375c73945c20c5.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/8 "2021-08-12T16:40:10Z")
I’m not a James Mason fan, but if he and Buck Henry showed up with their SST, I’m down with it. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/9 "2021-08-12T16:43:13Z")
And, maybe you can get reincarnated as a billionaire quarterback! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/10 "2021-08-12T16:43:34Z")
I can string out a D&D game for even longer. > **[Tumblr Post About Playing D&D Against Death Will Make You Smile In...](https://cheezburger.com/7853573/tumblr-post-about-playing-dd-against-death-will-make-you-smile-in-satisfaction)** > > Tumblr Post About Playing D&D Against Death Will Make You Smile In Satisfaction - The internet has generated a huge amount of laughs from cats and FAILS. And we all out of cats. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/11 "2021-08-12T16:43:54Z")
Only if I could look like Warren Beatty too. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/12 "2021-08-12T16:44:37Z")
Not that I’m endorsing any of these, but other candidates include the Marvel comics version (who also manifests as a young woman), the Piers Anthony one from Incarnations of Immortality, or the Black Rabbit of Inle. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/13 "2021-08-12T16:45:38Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Only if I could look like Warren Beatty too. - Granted. [![](https://pagesix.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/03/warren1.jpg?quality=80&strip=all) ](https://pagesix.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/03/warren1.jpg?quality=80&strip=all) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/14 "2021-08-12T16:46:27Z")
Walked _right_ into that one… ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/15 "2021-08-12T16:47:29Z")
^ That’s not Dyan Cannon OR Julie Christie, either. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/16 "2021-08-12T16:48:20Z")
Robert Redford from the Twilight Zone episode “Nothing In The Dark”. [(6) Twilight Zone - “Nothing in the Dark” ending (SPOILER ALERT) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tfyv4BZRug&t=134s) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/17 "2021-08-12T16:48:45Z")
^ Nice! Truly! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/18 "2021-08-12T16:49:37Z")
“The Good Place” ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/19 "2021-08-12T16:49:46Z")
A good old-fashioned 7 foot tall skeleton in a black hooded robe, holding a scythe. I used to draw those all the time in school when I was bored. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Robert Redford from the Twilight Zone episode “Nothing In The Dark”. He wouldn’t trick me into letting him in. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529/20 "2021-08-12T16:52:02Z")
> [@solost](#): > > A good old-fashioned 7 foot tall skeleton in a black hooded robe, holding a scythe. I used to draw those all the time in school when I was bored. Like the one from “Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-comes-for-you-but-which-one/948529.md?page=2)