Kill a scion

[NanaWiloh]

This is only true if the point of your death scene is shock value.
My favorite death scenes from the game were the ones for Yotsuyu and Emet-Selch, yet neither were unexpected. Just generally well written.
(I know I say this after criticizing Ishikawa but when she's good, she's good.)

Villains are always expected to die and heros are expected to live. Expecting a villain too die is normal. To me deaths mean more when you suddenly break that story telling trend. Breaking the trend does not nearly as well when its expected.