Post History
If it works, of course you can do it. It isn't the most common thing that happens in novels, but I've seen it before, although that was in an anime. However, there should be a good reason for kill...
Answer
#3: Attribution notice added
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/28029 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
If it works, of course you can do it. It isn't the most common thing that happens in novels, but I've seen it before, although that was in an anime. However, there should be a good reason for killing the protagonist, and it should do something good for the story. If you kill off your protagonist without explaining what it resolves, then your reader probably won't see the point in the death. They have followed this character through the story and they'll hate to see him/her die at the end, but their pain will ease if you provide insight into why it happened and the good it did for the world. SPOILERS ALERT In 'Harry Potter', Harry discovers he is a Horcrux and must die in order to fully defeat Voldemort. Hence, he sacrifices himself, yet is able to return to life to finish what he started. And in the anime I mentioned above, the main character made himself hated, then planned his death to unite the world. Just two examples of killing off the protagonist. Thanks a lot, Code Geass.