I LOVE Eponine to bits, and I honestly never found Fantine's death that sad because she died having completed her task, being taken care of, and knowing her child will soon be safe. Whereas Eponine dies in the arms of the man she loved who will never love her back despite all the painful things she did for his sake including die. No one ever loved her even though if there is any character deserving of love its her most of all. Plus, she's still so young and dies to preserve what matters to her, yet she'll never matter to them. It KILLS me because whenever I read the book or listen to the music or watch the movie, I just wish he'd notice her (even though I don't think he deserves her) because I've never seen anyone more painfully in love with someone than Eponine is with Marius. She caused herself so much pain just to ensure his happiness which I never think he really deserves at Eponine's cost, and that's why her death gets me so badly. There are plenty of sad death scenes out there, but I think this scene is the champion of sad scenes. Most other scenes in movies I feel sad or perhaps sob a bit, but this I'm ALWAYS hysterically crying about Eponine's death during and long after she has died. I also hate how after she dies she's never again mentioned. It's as if she was never there and all of a sudden im supposed to feel sympathy for Cosette (which I never do) I wish they would add back that line about eponine during the wedding that's in the complete symphonic recording. Then I know she hasn't been forgotten by marius because marius sure as hell doesn't forget her in the book. After he comes home he thinks about the barricades constantly and is always bitterly remembering the feeling of Eponine's cold forehead on his lips. So yeah Eponine's death is much sadder than Fantine's.