The 10 Worst Deaths In the 'Jurassic Park' Movies

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) will see dinosaurs roaming across mainland North America and in many other parts of the world, so there’s no doubt whatsoever that the body count in the sixth Jurassic Park installment will be higher than ever.

But it’s fair to say that the franchise has already had its share of unlucky individuals who have fallen prey to genetically-engineered theme park dinosaurs. Whether heroes or villains, we’ve seen all sorts of characters end up on the wrong end of the food-chain.

Blue the Raptor in Jurassic World Dominion Olympics trailer — Credit: NBC (via Swrve YouTube)

All John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) wanted was for people to be able to “see” and “touch” his creations, but for many, things got a little too up, close and personal. Here are the 10 worst deaths in the Jurassic Park film series, in order of occurrence.

10. The Gatekeeper — Jurassic Park

Raptors Jurassic Park — Credit: Universal Studios

When InGen workers on Isla Nublar are attempting to move an adult velociraptor from a containment unit into its pit-like enclosure at night, the highly-intelligent dinosaur inside barges the backend of the unit while the door is half open, creating a literal window of opportunity.

As the unit slides backwards, the gatekeeper on the top falls to the ground and his legs are dragged into the unit by the predator, while game warden Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) tries to pull him out. But the gatekeeper’s hand slips from Muldoon’s grasp, and he quickly becomes raptor food.

9. Donald Gennaro — Jurassic Park

Donald Gennaro Jurassic Park 1993 — Credit: Universal Studios

There is perhaps no death in the entire Jurassic Park franchise that’s as iconic as that of InGen lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero). But while it has been parodied numerous times over the decades, the scene remains one of the most chilling in the original 1993 classic.

Just before the t-rex breaks free, Gennaro flees his jeep and hides in a nearby toilet, leaving Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joe Mazzello) to their own devices. But his sanctuary is short-lived when the rex bursts through and tears him from the toilet seat, shaking him like a ragdoll.

8. Dennis Nedry — Jurassic Park

barbasol shaving cream in jurassic park — Credit: Universal Studios

Next on the menu – sorry, list — is Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), the disgruntled InGen computer programmer who is hired by Lewis Dodgson (Cameron Thor) to steal dinosaur embryos for rival company Biosyn. Even from the get-go, it was obvious that Nedry’s fate was sealed.

With the now-infamous Barbasol can in his pocket, Nedry makes for the docks, but the storm sends him crashing into a ditch. There, an infant dilophosaur spits poisonous venom into his eyes, before one of its “big brothers” begins to eat the InGen employee belly-first in his jeep.

7. Robert Muldoon — Jurassic Park

Robert Muldoon Jurassic Park 1993 — Credit: Universal Studios

Robert Muldoon has become one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, despite having only appeared in the original Jurassic Park (1993). However, the anxious game hunter meets a truly horrifying end while trying to protect Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) out in the jungle.

When Muldoon spots a raptor at a distance, he orders Ellie to make a run for it. With his rifle poised, the game hunter readies himself to take out the animal, but as Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) already warned us at the start of the film, these guys hunt from the side. Clever girl indeed.

6. Eddie Carr — The Lost World: Jurassic Park

There are many deaths in the Jurassic Park films that are justified, because most of the people who wind up on the menu are villains. But even 25 years on, and we’re still baffled by just how cruel the death of Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff) in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) really is.

The witty field equipment specialist is desperately trying to save Dr. Ian Malcolm, Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore), and Nick Van Owen (Vince Vaughn), who are dangling over a cliff in their observation trailer, when he is torn in two a pair of vengeful t-rexes.

5. Dieter Stark — The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Our second death from The Lost World: Jurassic Park comes in the form of InGen mercenary/game hunter Dieter Stark (Peter Stormare). In this case, however, Stark is very much a villain, although his gruesome demise is still pretty difficult to watch.

When Stark decides to go to the bathroom in the jungle an unreasonable distance from the rest of the group, he ends up in the path of several compys. He is attacked relentlessly by the chicken-sized dinosaurs, before all we hear are blood-curdling screams as a nearby stream turns red.

4. Robert Burke — The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Dr. Robert Burke (Thomas F Duffy) is a paleontologist who has been hired by InGen to join them on their expedition to Site B/Isla Sorna, where they attempt to capture dinosaurs and take them back to the mainland. But in the end, his knowledge does very little to save him.

Trapped in a shallow waterfall cave with Nick, Sarah, and Kelly Malcolm (Vanessa Lee Chester) while the jaws of a t-rex attempts to reach them, Burke is startled by a snake that slithers down his shirt, causing him to inch towards the water in a panic, where he becomes a take-out meal for the t-rex.

3. Peter Ludlow — The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard) makes quite a few enemies during his very brief tenure as InGen CEO in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, whether it’s Dr. Ian Malcolm or environmentalist Nick Van Owen, but there is perhaps no greater enemy on planet earth than a tyrannosaurus rex.

Having found the infant rex in the cargo hold of the SS Venture, Ludlow sees an opportunity to right his wrongs (although we’re not convinced anyone can come back from releasing a t-rex into San Diego). But the infant’s father arrives and cripples Ludlow, giving its son a chance to feast upon the greedy human.

2. Zara Young — Jurassic World

Mosasaurus Jurassic World — Credit: Universal Studios

The Jurassic Park movies aren’t necessarily known for their violence, as master of suspense Steven Spielberg set a precedent with the first two entries in the series. However, that doesn’t mean that such deaths can’t be utterly horrifying in their own way.

Enter Zara Young (Katie McGrath), assistant to park operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Jurassic World (2015). After being lifted into the air by a pterosaur, Zara is dunked into the Mosasaurus Lagoon, but once airborne again, she and her winged captor are both devoured by the mosasaur.

1. Eli Mills — Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Last but not least, we arrive at the most recent entry in the series, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018). Benjamin Lockwood’s aide Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) might be a villain of the moustache-twirling variety, but a villain he is nonetheless.

Not only that, but no one deserves their comeuppance more than someone who has murdered an old man in his bed. Mills appears very relieved when he survives a dinosaur stampede outside Lockwood Manor, but his luck runs out when he’s torn to pieces by a t-rex and a carnotaur.

Giganotosaurus Jurassic World Dominion — Credit: Universal Studios

Jurassic World: Dominion stars Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire Dearing), Chris Pratt (Owen Grady), Isabella Sermon (Maisie Lockwood), Omar Sy (Barry Sembène), and BD Wong (Henry Wu), Campbell Scott (Lewis Dodgson), DeWanda Wise (Kayla), Jeff Goldblum (Dr. Ian Malcolm), Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant), and Laura Dern (Dr. Ellie Sattler).

Jurassic World: Dominion releases in theaters on June 10.

Do you think these are the worst deaths in the Jurassic Park movies? Let us know in the comments down below!