I Knew Them Before They Blew Up Turned Literal — 8 Characters Who Actually Blew Up (Jyn Erso, Shepard, Kanan & More)
Chappell Roan released the single “The Subway”, and it is already listed as a contender for the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top 100. At the same time, a meme has circulated online that riffs on people saying “I knew them before they blew up,” using fictional characters who literally exploded or died in dramatic ways.
- Summary: Chappell Roan release and online meme; then a list of characters from film, TV and games who die in explosions or similar deaths.
How the meme spread online
After the single’s release, social posts pointed out an ironic twist: some people claim cultural cachet by saying they knew an artist before they “blew up.” Consequently, users turned that phrase into a meme that pairs it with characters who literally exploded or died.
https://twitter.com/search?q=i%20knew%20chappell%20before%20she%20blew%20up&src=typed_query
Example tweet that inspired the list
The following tweet played on that contrast, pairing the “I knew them before they blew up” line with a character who can literally blow himself up:
“’I knew Sabrina before she blew up.’ ‘I knew Chappell before she blew up.’ Ok well guess who I knew before he blew up?”
“i knew sabrina before she blew up” “i knew chappell before she blew up” ok well guess who i knew before he blew up pic.twitter.com/ZctNIJkSR1
— p✨ (@profdekarios) August 5, 2025
Characters who “blew up” — factual summaries
Jyn Erso — Rogue One
Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) appears in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the movie, Jyn participates in the mission on Scarif to secure the Death Star plans and dies when the Imperial archive is destroyed during the battle. The character is also the subject of the novel Rebel Rising by Beth Revis.
Commander Shepard — Mass Effect
Commander Shepard is the player character of BioWare’s Mass Effect series. In one sequence involving the SSV Normandy being destroyed, Shepard can be caught in an explosion and exposed to space, which leads to life-threatening injuries or death depending on choices and game context.
Gale Dekarios — Baldur’s Gate 3
Gale Dekarios is a companion character in Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3. Within the game’s story, Gale carries a volatile magical item that can detonate; certain choices and outcomes can result in Gale being killed by that magical explosion.
Tadashi Hamada — Big Hero 6
Tadashi Hamada appears in Disney’s animated film Big Hero 6. Early in the film, Tadashi runs into a burning building to help someone and is killed when an explosion collapses the structure.
Grand Cleric Elthina — Dragon Age II
Grand Cleric Elthina is a character in Dragon Age II. During events tied to the character Anders, a destructive magical act damages the Kirkwall Chantry and results in Elthina’s death when the building is destroyed.
Freddy Krueger — Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
Freddy Krueger (played by Robert Englund) is the antagonist of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. In the film Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, a sequence shows Freddy being killed when a pipe bomb is placed in his chest.
Professor Charles Xavier — X-Men: The Last Stand
Professor Charles Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart) appears in X-Men: The Last Stand. In that film, Jean Grey transforms into the Phoenix and kills Xavier during a climactic confrontation.
Further context about the Xavier–Jean relationship and its comic origins is available at ScreenRant.
https://screenrant.com/xmen-professor-x-jean-grey-crush-creepy-roy-thomas/
Kanan Jarrus — Star Wars Rebels
Kanan Jarrus is a Jedi character in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. During an episode, Kanan is caught on a burning platform after the Empire attacks a fuel tower; he stays behind to ensure Hera Syndulla and others can escape, and dies when the platform is engulfed.
