User blog comment:Stealth Cl0wn/The deaths that hit you the hardest (Massive spoilers)/@comment-4967682-20120412221402

Optional deaths: Tali's death is the absolute saddest in the series. Especially in the third game. However, I never let that happen. In terms of deaths I saw:

Essential deaths: Thane. The saddest one who's doomed to die. Especially when we figured out that the prayer wasn't for him; it was for Shepard. Second to him is the Illusive Man. I really didn't think his death would be sad to me, but it just was. In his last moments, he took one last look at Earth, and said that he wishes Shepard could see it the same way he could. Underneath that cold, logical persona, he was just a misguided "patriot" who wanted to help his people. And went about it the wrong way.