Who dies in Exorcist: Believer?

With The Exorcist: Believer in cinemas now, here’s every character who dies in the movie.

As per the official synopsis for David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer: “Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding has raised their daughter, Angela on his own.  

“But when Angela and her friend Katherine disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.”

It’s been 50 years since William Friedkin’s The Exorcist terrified audiences, and you can bet there are some scary sequences in the new entry. But who dies in The Exorcist: Believer? Warning: Major spoilers ahead!

Who dies in The Exorcist: Believer?

There are three deaths shown in The Exorcist: Believer – Victor Fielding’s wife Sorenne, the young priest Father Maddox, and Angela’s friend Katherine. 

Sorenne appears in the opening sequence, heavily pregnant as she spends time in Haiti with Victor. She attends a blessing ceremony for Angela, but then disaster strikes when an earthquake hits. 

After being injured when the hotel collapses, Victor has to make a tough decision: save his wife or his unborn child. The movie then cuts to 12 years later where Victor and Angela are getting ready for the day, indicating that he chose their baby.

Universal Pictures

However, we later discover that Victor actually chose Sorenne, but due to complications, she died and the doctors saved Angela instead. The demon that possesses Angela uses this secret to taunt Victor. 

During the climatic sequence, an exorcism takes place to rid Angela and her friend Katherine of the evil that’s overtaken them. In another mind game, they try to get Victor and Katherine’s parents to choose one child to save and another to die. 

Though the rebellious priest Father Maddox initially didn’t want to get involved in the exorcism, he comes in to save the day and starts praying as he stands close to the girls. However, they use their force to twist his head all the way around – a nod to the original The Exorcist – and he dies. 

Following this, Katherine’s dad Tony throws the entire process into disarray when he screams, “I choose you, Katherine.” This kick starts a chain of events in which the demons leave their bodies – but Angela is saved while Katherine flatlines and dies. 

Universal Pictures

What makes the death so brutal is that as Tony and mom Miranda call out to their girl, she is shown being dragged into hell by the demon. Her soul appears in the forest alleyway where she and Angela first disappeared, and a series of hands grab her while an evil voice says, “I choose you, Katherine.”

Quite frankly, it’s a horrific fate for a girl who didn’t deserve it. Whether or not we’ll learn more about what happened in the planned sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, is yet to be seen. 

The Exorcist: Believer is in cinemas now, and you can check out more of our coverage below: 

• The Exorcist: Believer review
• The Exorcist: Believer cast & characters
• Does Exorcist: Believer have a post-credits scene?
• Why Exorcist: Believer director isn’t scared of fans
• Director “sad” not to meet William Friedkin
• The Exorcist: Believer trailer divides opinion
• The Exorcist: Believer ending explained
• Is Linda Blair in The Exorcist: Believer?