The echoes caused by the deaths of Iron Man and the Black Widow have rippled across the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. With fewer established heroes present in the mainline universe, things have been absolutely falling apart since the Blip came to an end. From multiversal problems to Wanda's descent into villainy, there seems to be a lack of true heroes ready to handle the major issues.

But it's hard to deny that their sacrifices were entirely understandable. After all, there's nothing more heroic than a hero giving their life to ensure that the rest of the world can live on. In a universe filled with superpowered characters, sometimes the true test of heroism comes from the sacrifices that those heroes have made. That's why some fans on Ranker have taken to debating which sacrifices were the most heroic of all.

Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.

Captain America Gives Up His Dance

Steve Rogers crashes the Red Skull's aircraft to save the world

One of the greatest early tragedies in the MCU came when Captain America: The First Avenger saw Steve Rogers plunge the Red Skull's ship into the sea. To Rogers, it was a suicide mission, but it was one that would stop a bomb that would utterly destroy New York City.

Though Rogers would eventually wake in the 21st century, it's hard to deny that the character fully believed his sacrifice would be the end of him. He had to tell Peggy Carter, to whom he'd promised a dance, that he'd have to miss it. A truly tragic moment, but one that happens to be one of the most human and touching in the entire trilogy.

Iron Man’s First Sacrifice

Iron Man carrying nuke into space

While The Avengers is known for its humor, the film does still carry some heavy elements that haunted one of the characters for years. After Nick Fury launched a nuke at the invaders in New York City, Tony Stark elected to sacrifice himself by grabbing onto the rocket and launching it through the Chitauri wormhole.

While it destroyed the Citauri's Command Ship, Stark nearly died in the process. His suit had completely lost power, leaving it to the Hulk to catch and save him. The incident instilled a deep terror in Stark that eventually led to his creation of Ultron. The scars on Tony also directly led to the events of Iron Man 3 and even his sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame.

Quicksilver Sacrifices Himself

Hawkeye watches Quicksilver die

While he happened to be one of Marvel's fastest speedsters, it seems Quicksilver wasn't fast enough to avoid speeding bullets. Though he spent much of Avengers: Age of Ultron arguing with found Avenger Hawkeye, Quicksilver took notice that the man was trying to save a child and leapt into action to help.

In the process, Quicksilver did manage to get the two to safety but still found himself struck by a dozen bullets. It was an incredibly heroic action, but one that took his life and left his twin sister entirely on her own. Maybe that was why everything went wrong for Wanda, but it's hard to deny that his intentions were entirely heroic.

Steve Rogers Jumps On A Grenade

Before Steve Rogers was the esteemed Captain America, he was a scrawny kid from Brooklyn with a strong sense of right and wrong. He proved it from the moment he entered basic training. To test the new recruits, their commander threw a grenade in the middle of their training routine. Most of the recruits leaped away, but Rogers ran towards it and wrapped himself around it.

Thankfully, the grenade was an intentional dud, but it just goes to show the courage of Steve Rogers. Fundamentally different from any other candidate, his willingness to sacrifice himself was the reason that he was selected as Captain America in the first place.

Klein Refusing Rumlow

Not every heroic act needs to come from a hero. Sometimes, true heroism can come in the form of average everyday people. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, when Brock Rumlow held a gun to the head of ordinary S.H.I.E.L.D. analyst, Cameron Klein, Klein had no choice but to launch the helicarriers or die.

He decided he would rather die. It was a moment of true heroism, especially because there was nothing he could really do to stop Rumlow. He wasn't a super soldier, and he certainly didn't have the capacity to fight back. Still, his selflessness proved that heroes don't need colorful costumes or codenames. He bought time with courage alone, and it's part of the reason Rogers won.

Yinsen Saves Tony Stark

Yinsen helps Tony with his suit in Iron Man

After Tony Stark was kidnapped by terrorists in the first Iron Man movie, Ho Yinsen ensured that the whole of the MCU could come to pass by saving Stark and, though neither of them yet knew it, the universe. His memorable dying words, as he told Stark to run, gave Stark all the encouragement he needed to go on to become a hero.

Without Yinsen's sacrifice, New York City likely would have been swallowed by a nuclear explosion. Half of the universe would remain dead and gone. Iron Man would never have existed. It was Yinsen's heroic act that truly went on to save everything, and Stark didn't forget his final order for him to avoid wasting his life.

Black Widow Gives Herself To The Stone

Hawkeye and Black Widow fight over the Soul Stone on Vormir in Avengers Endgame

Though it's often framed as the Black Widow sacrificing herself to save half the universe, that isn't exactly what happened in Avengers: Endgame. Though her death ensured that trillions could live, the Widow truly gave her life for one man and one family.

She could very well have allowed Hawkeye to throw himself over the edge, and trillions still would have lived. She could have reunited with Yelena and lived the life she'd been refused for years. Instead, she ensured that a father would return home to his children. There's nothing more heroic than that.

Groot Protects the Guardians

Groot death dies sacrifice Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel

When the Guardians' ship was ablaze and set to crash, it was a near-guarantee that the entire team would meet their ends. But Groot was more than just a fancy tree. Wrapping the team in a large wooden protective ball, he ensured that they could be adequately protected on impact.

He also ensured his own death. Though the team managed to cut clipping from Groot, it isn't the same as the real thing. The current Groot is more the original's son than anything else. The real Groot gave his life for his loved ones, which is sheer heroism.

I Am Iron Man

Iron Man snapping his fingers in Avengers: Endgame

Trillions of lives were saved with the snap of a hand. If anyone ever claimed Tony Stark wasn't efficient, he disproved them in an instant. Though the Hulk was the one to reverse the initial Snap, Stark ensured that it could never happen again by ridding the universe of Thanos and his army.

His sacrifice was the largest contribution to the fight against Thanos. Even without superpowers or the true capacity to safely wield the stones, he did what he could, and he died for it.

Yondu Saves Quill

Yondu dying in space in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

When the two were trapped out in the void of space, Yondu gave his life to save his adoptive son. The two only had a single suit that could protect them from the elements, and Yondu certainly wasn't about to let himself survive at the cost of Peter Quill.

There are few moments more touching or tragic than Quill watching Yondu slowly succumb to the cold. But the funeral Yondu earned after truly showed what a heroic and beloved figure he was. More than just an outlaw, he showed that even Ravagers could be heroes — if only they wanted to be.

Next: The 10 Best Guardians Of The Galaxy Characters, Ranked By Power