Not Just Jack And Rose's Tormenting Story, 16 Characters From Titanic That Tug At Our Heartstrings

More than two decades (23 years to be precise) have passed since Titanic was first released.

It became the first movie to gross more than $1 billion worldwide. This James Cameron masterpiece also bagged 11 Oscars, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Kate Winslet in 1998.

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Titanic is not just another movie but a magical experience, a go-to flick for every mood. It won¡¯t be wrong to say that even for the next generations to come, this will take no time to become a special part of their existence.

During a rerun recently, I couldn't help but notice the characters other than the main cast, more minutely. While Jack Dawson and Rose¡¯s love story was obviously the main plot-line, there were so many characters who deserve an independent spin-off. If Jack-Rose¡¯s bittersweet love story left us tormented there were so many others who made us feel sorry for them.

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Let¡¯s take a look at 16 characters from Cameron¡¯s Titanic that still tug at our heartstrings despite several re-watches:

1. Thomas Andrews

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The man who built the ship - RMS Titanic. A kind-hearted and pleasant man, modesty was Thoman Andrews¡¯ middle name. He created an unsinkable ship and it was touted as his biggest achievement. However, after the collision with an iceberg, he was the first one to accept failure and tried to convince everyone that it was a "mathematical certainty" that the ship will sink. Amid the chaos when the ship was going down, he was shown standing next to the clock in the first-class smoking room, lamenting his failure to build a strong and safe ship.

2. Captain Edward John Smith

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Titanic was his final voyage before retirement and he wanted to make the most of it. He ordered for the ship to attain its maximum speed and sail in all its powerful glory. After the collision, he retreated into the wheelhouse and accepted death by gripping the ship¡¯s wheel as windows imploded from the water and drowned him. A true captain who didn¡¯t leave the sinking ship!

3. Fabrizio (Leonardo aka Jack¡¯s friend)

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It was Jack and his Italian best friend Fabrizio who won two tickets for Titanic in a poker game. He found love on the ship just like Jack but he met with an unfortunate end.

Fabrizio was unable to get on a lifeboat and was crushed to death by the ship¡¯s huge funnel. In fact, the way he was treated by Titanic staff often highlighted class distinction but he would valiantly fight back against the injustice.

4. Tommy Ryan

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Ryan was an Irish third-class passenger, who befriended Jack and Fabrizio. He was a charmer who died because of someone else¡¯s mistake. When the crowd got difficult to manage, an officer threatened to shoot people who were creating ruckus. Someone accidentally pushed Tommy Ryan forward and he was shot by the panicked First Officer.

5. Margaret "Molly" Brown

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She was one of the elite crowd but for them she was an outcast. Molly was mistreated by the rich ladies who didn¡¯t waste time in talking about her behind her back. She was called vulgar and new money by Rose¡¯s spiteful mother. She was the only one from their community, who accepted Jack for who he was. In fact, she even lent him a suit for the first-class dinner that he was invited to in return for saving Rose¡¯s life. The unsinkable Molly Brown also urged the crewmen of her lifeboat to go back and rescue other passengers.

6. Benjamin Guggenheim

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A mining magnate who was travelling first class, Guggenheim had a French mistress and a family consisting of a wife and three daughters, on the ship. When the Titanic was sinking, he chose to stay back and meet his end. He said, ¡°we have dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen¡±.

Guggenheim and his valet Victor were last seen near the flooding Grand Staircase, sitting down with a glass of brandy and watching in horror as many first class passengers were struggling in the rushing water.

7. William Murdoch - First Officer

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Touted as an honorable and dependable man, Murdoch tried his best to handle the situation but once the ship started sinking, things spiraled out of control. He then resorted to scaring people with a gun so that they could maintain order. In all that chaos, he ended up shooting two men including Tommy Ryan. He then went on to shoot himself in repentance.

8. Trudy - Rose¡¯s mother Ruth Dewitt Bukater¡¯s maid

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Most of us detest Rose¡¯s mean and snobbish mother, don¡¯t we? She was such a classist that even at the time of such a horrifying tragedy, she asked the officers if passengers were put in lifeboats according to class. When the news broke and the officials asked everyone to report to the deck, she ordered her maid Trudy to turn on the heaters in her stateroom for tea (let¡¯s assume she was unaware of the seriousness of the situation).

By the time Trudy found out the severity of the situation, all the lifeboats had been launched and she remained trapped onboard the ship. Before the ship split into half, Trudy was seen holding onto a man¡¯s hand but eventually she let go and slid down in the water.

9. Helga Dahl

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Helga was Fabrizio¡¯s love interest. She and her family hung on to the rail when the ship rose vertically in the air. Gravity did its job and her parents fell. Soon after, the ship started its final plunge into the water, in her last moments, a terrified Helga looked up to Rose before falling to her death in the freezing ocean.

10. The old couple - Isidor and Ida Straus

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When Ida refused to board the lifeboat without her husband (ladies and children were given the first priority by the ship officials), this much-in love couple decided to honor their wedding vows, stay put and die together. They are last seen lying on their bed embracing each other as water filled their stateroom.

11. Father Thomas Byles

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A catholic priest, Father Byles was seen praying and consoling passengers during the ship's final moments. Many people clung onto him and found solace in his wise words on life and death.

12. Chief Baker Charles Joughin

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He accompanied Jack and Rose on the top of the railing as the ship sank, drinking brandy from a flask. The real Joughin was a survivor of this tragedy and he had admitted to hardly feeling the cold, thanks to alcohol! Unbelievable, right?

13. The little girl who was rescued by Cal Hockley

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The scumbag fiance of Rose was so desperate to get on a boat that he saw an abandoned child, picked her up and pretended to be her father. While one part of us was relieved that she made it out alive, the other part was furious at Cal for using the little one as his ¡®boat pass¡¯.

14. Wallace Hartley The Titanic¡¯s Orchestra

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¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s been a privilege playing with you tonight.¡±

You¡¯re dead from inside if this line doesn¡¯t get to you! Wallace and his men brought their musical instruments on the deck with an intention to soothe the distressed people. Instead of worrying about their own rescue, they chose to do their duty and accepted their fate.

15. Little Cora

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She was astounded by the mighty Titanic. Travelling with her parents, Cora was also smitten by Jack. During a party of the non first class passengers, Cora was seen dancing with Jack. When he told her that he will have his next dance with Rose, Cora gave him a jealousy-filled expression. Jack then went on to tell her that she was ¡°still his best girl¡±. Unfortunately, Cora couldn¡¯t make it just like her first love Jack. *sniff Sniff

16. An Irish mother and her two kids

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An Irish mum knew that she and her kids had bleak chances of making it on a lifeboat, once the ship started to sink. So, instead of becoming a part of the madness, she decided to put her kids to sleep in their bed by telling them a nighttime story. This was such a heart wrenching scene that it still results in waterworks for many viewers.

Did we miss out on your favourites? Tell us in the comments section below.

(Illustration: Ranak Mann)