Death

Death is a state in which a Sim dies. Following Death, the Sim that has died is no longer controllable, and focus will automatically switch to the next Sim currently living on the lot. Causes of death can be anything from an accident to a predetermined fate made by the game and/or player.

Grim Reaper
The Sim that has died is visited by the anthropomorphic personification of Death in the form of the Grim Reaper. However, the Grim Reaper does not come when a Sim is eaten by the Cowplant from The Sims 2: University, when a Toadified Sim is eaten by a dragon in The Sims: Makin' Magic and if a Sim dies in a Skydiving Simulator in ''The Sims: Makin' Magic. In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3'', the Grim Reaper plays a cameo depending on the method of death and the aspiration level of the Sim in question.

Unlike most legends of the Grim Reaper, he seems to be a kind being in The Sims series. His personality is perhaps a reference to the personified Death character in Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" novels. His nice side shows when a Sim with a full aspiration bar dies of old age, during the animation of a pet's death, or resurrecting kids with the Resurrect-O-Nomitron.

In The Sims and The Sims 2, if there is a living Sim on the lot, they can plead with the Grim Reaper for their loved one. However, it doesn't always work. The chances of success are determined by the relationship of the Sim with the nearly deceased, and pure chance. If a Sim lives in a family, they should always keep a good relationship with family members. In The Sims, the Grim Reaper may be in a bad mood, and bring the deceased Sim back as a zombie. In The Sims and The Sims 2, it may not be possible to plead for a drowned Sim, as living Sims will not be able to get to the Grim Reaper if he is out in the water. However, if The Sims 2: Apartment Life is installed, an infallibly good witch or warlock with 9 or more magic skill can use the spell "Expello Mortis", which will reach further out, though it will not be able to reach the middle of a very large pool. Also, in The Sims 2: FreeTime, if the deceased Sim ever summoned a Genie and successfully wished to cheat death, he can plead for his own life even if he's in the middle of the pool.

In The Sims 3, depending on the how happy the Sim was when they died, they can beg for their life. Also, when the Grim Reaper arrives, "scary" music will play.

In The Sims 2: Pets, there is a different animation for pets that die.

In The Sims 3, if moveObjects is on when a Sim dies, go to Build or Buy mode as soon as the ghost of the Sim appears, then sell the Grim Reaper. The Sim will be saved (with one slight defect...).

Reviving
Death, however, isn't always permanent. With a wide range of items and/or cheats, a Sim can be given a second chance in life.

The Sims

 * In The Sims: Unleashed, a Sim can go to Old Town and ask Miss Lucille to revive a zombie family member (human or pet); however, she cannot resurrect dead ones.

The Sims 2

 * In The Sims 2: University, there is a special item, the Resurrect-O-Nomitron, which can restore Sims — for a hefty fee of up to §10,000. If the Sim who wants to bring another Sim back pays very little, the Sim will return as a zombie, with a set personality and possibly fewer (or no) skills, though this does not apply to children. Female zombies are also infertile and can no longer have babies without the use of cheats.
 * In The Sims 2: FreeTime, A Sim can be revived with a Genie and his lamp, but if the wish fails, the Sim will be resurrected as a zombie. Also, a Sim can wish for the ability to cheat death. Whenever a Sim who has successfully made this wish dies, he/she will plead for him/herself, and if the plea is successful, he/she will be alive again. (A Sim who died of old age will get an extra day). It isn't the best idea to wish to bring them back to life on their first day, as the chances of making a zombie is higher.
 * In The Sims 2: Apartment Life, Sims can be revived as a zombie with an evil witch's spell.
 * In The Sims 2 Castaway, a potion called the Death Daisy Potion can be crafted.
 * In The Sims 2 for consoles, the ghost player can challenge the Grim Reaper to a fiddle contest. If the Sim wins, he will be revived. Or, if the player wishes not to, the ghost player can pay §100 to be resurrected.

The Sims 3

 * In The Sims 3, there is a special plant called a Death Flower. If a Sim is carrying this flower in his/her inventory at the time of their death, when the Grim Reaper shows up, the ghost will offer him the flower. Seemingly deeply moved by this gesture, the Grim Reaper will proceed to instantly resurrect the Sim. A Sim can be resurrected once for every Death Flower in his inventory. However, it seems that the Sim in question will suffer from any lowered motives, just to a lesser degree, so it is incredibly important to use this second chance to raise these motives before the Sim dies again.
 * Also, a patch in The Sims 3 makes it possible for a Sim with high Logic skill to play chess for the dead Sim's life. Since chess is a hidden secret skill, that Sim's chances of winning are higher the more practice he or she has. This only works if the death was accidental; it will not help Sims who died of old age.
 * The Grim Reaper will also give another chance to Sims who have the Loser or Unlucky trait if their death was accidental, but will come for them when their time on the mortal coil is up.
 * By cooking Ambrosia, a ghost Sim can be brought back to life once he/she eats it.
 * In The Sims 3, there is a way to revive a Sim as a ghost, by using a science experiment. After the opportunity is completed, more Sims can be revived for §5,000 per Sim.
 * The resetSim  cheat command can be used to recompile the Sim and cheat death. This works before the Sim becomes a Ghost and has a tombstone. It is unknown if this works after the Sim has become a Ghost or received a tombstone. It works on active and non-active household members.
 * In The Sims 3: Showtime, a Sim or pet can be resurrected by making a wish to a Genie.

Intentional Death
Players can utilize various cheats, objects or game features to intentionally kill a Sim. This may be done for multiple reasons. Ways include:
 * Using Rodney's Death Creator to kill Sims in various way.
 * Using the testingcheatsenabled cheat to lower a Sim's hunger need, thus starving them to death.
 * Trapping a Sim in a pool by removing all pool ladders or by building a wall around the pool, preventing the Sim from exiting the pool when their motives drop too low, or forcing a Sim to swim when they're fatigued from exercise. Eventually, the Sim trapped in the pool will drown.
 * Trapping a Sim in a room, then by some means starting a fire in that room. (i.e. a fireplace or fireworks)
 * Using cheats to trigger aging in an Elderly Sim in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3; since Elder is the oldest life stage, getting older than this results in death.
 * Having a Sim with low mechanical/handiness skill repair an object while standing in a puddle of water may electrocute that Sim.
 * Having a Sim with no or low mechanical skill repairing a flat screen TV will instantly kill the Sim.
 * Using testingcheatsenabled true you give your sims the death token so that they'll become a deceased ghost when you next boot up the game.

Types of deaths
Sims can be killed in a variety of ways which vary by game version. These include death by fire, shock, starvation, flies, being eaten by the cow plant and being scared to death.

The Sims

 * Starvation: If a Sim or Pet's hunger bar depletes completely, they will starve. If a sim with low hunger is scared by a ghost, they are also at risk of starving to death.
 * Drowning: If a Sim uses a swimming pool for too long, they might drown. Swimming with low energy increases the chances of this occuring, but it can happen at random. The pool ladder can be sold once a Sim is in the pool, and eventually they will drown because they can't get out.Firework launcher and rugs.jpg
 * Fire: If a Sim or Pet is on fire for a period of time, they will turn into ashes and die. In some versions of the game it is also possible for a Sim to randomly burst into flames via spontaneous combustion, though this is very uncommon.
 * Electrocution: If a Sim uses electrical items while standing in a puddle, or has low Mechanical skill and tries to repair broken electric items, he or she may die of electrocution.
 * Disease: Sims who play with guinea pigs can be bitten and infected with a disease. The disease is contagious, and a Sim infected with it will die if not treated.
 * Skydive Simulator: If a Sim using the skydiving simulator has low energy, they will be launched to the sky and die. Sims with low moods will not use the simulator; the entrance must be blocked so the Sim cannot leave as their motives deplete. Sims who die in this manner will not be visited by the Grim Reaper.
 * Toadification: A Sim who has been turned into a toad may be eaten by a dragon, or a cat if The Sims: Unleashed is also installed. When Sims die in this way, they will not be visited by the Grim Reaper; most likely due to the fact that there is no body to take.

The Sims 2

 * Starvation: If Sims don't eat for a prolonged period of several days, they will starve. Teens and older can die in this way. babies, toddlers, and children will be taken away by the Social Worker instead if their hunger need is low enough for too long.
 * Electrocution: If Sims have low Mechanical skill and try to repair broken electrical items, they might be electrocuted and die if their needs drop too low. Teens and older can die in this way.
 * Drowning: If Sims swim until their hunger or energy need drops too low, they will drown. Player can remove the pool ladder to prevent Sims from getting out of pool. Children and older can die in this way.
 * Fire: Sims who are caught on fire long enough and are not extinguished while burning will die. This is the only death that isn't caused by need drop. Burning Sims will have a significant need drop until really low, but cannot be lower than -90. This is why Sims will die even if the player constantly uses maxmotives cheat or drags their needs with testingcheatsenabled cheat. Children and older can die in this way. Babies and toddlers cannot die from fire.
 * Old age: When elders reach the end of their lifespan, they will die of old age. This way, Sims cannot plead with the Grim Reaper to revive the deceased Sims. Sims can die happily if they gain platinum Aspiration when they die. The Grim Reaper and two Hula Zombies will appear and relaxing music will play. The Sims will pick up their suitcase and walk off with the Grim Reaper. If their Aspiration is lower than platinum, the Grim Reaper will show the Sim its hourglass of life and the Sim will try to pull it away from the Grim Reaper, but to no avail, and die. Sims who die happily will get a gold grave with their Aspiration engraved on it. Sims who die of old age will give inheritance to their family and friends.
 * Disease: Sims who catch lethal disease, such as Pneumonia or Mysterious Disease for a long time will die if not treated. Non-fatal disease, such as Flu or Cold, will not kill Sims, but will eventually turn into Pneumonia if the severity is high. Sims can be cured by taking a rest, taking a cure from Biotech Station, drinking juice or eating Grandma's Comfort Soup. Teens and older can die in this way. Children will not die from disease, as they will be taken away by the Social Worker if they reach that point. However, the Social Worker will also take all other children in the family.
 * Flies: If a lot is too dirty and contains many fly-infested objects, such as dirty dishes, there is a chance that the flies could form a killer swarm when Sims step over a fly-infested object and eat the Sim alive. Servos are immune to this death.
 * Fright: Sims who see a ghost will have their motives fall drastically. If any four of the needs drop too low, Sims will die. Teens and older can die in this way. Children will wet themselves or pass out, instead.
 * Satellite: While Sims are watching clouds (daytime) or stargazing without the telescope (nighttime), there is a very remote chance that a satellite will fall on them. The satellite can be sold in buy mode, but it devalues quickly. Teens, older, and Servos can die in this way.
 * Death for no reason: Some Sims die for no reason, the "mysterious choking death". This is a bug that has been fixed by patches and in later expansions. It is caused by a mistake in the disease coding. In the unpatched base game, pregnant Sims were extremely vulnerable to sudden death.
 * Scissors: If player downloads Running with Scissors Playset from the Maxis site and a Sim runs with them, there's a chance he/she may fall and get stabbed. This object is available to download from TheSims2.com website.

The Sims 2: University

 * Cowplant: Sims who attempt to grab the cake from a hungry Cowplant will be eaten alive. The Grim Reaper does not come when Sims are eaten by the Cowplant. Instead, the tombstone will come directly out of the Cowplant's mouth. Sims cannot plead with the Grim Reaper to resurrect the Sim, nor the eaten Sims themselves to plead for their own lives. Servos can die in this way.

The Sims 2: Nightlife

 * Coffin Scare: Sims can peek in vampire coffin with a Vampire in it. The Vampire may scare the peeking Sims and lower their motives. If Sims' needs fall too low, they will die. Teens and older can die in this way. This death is similar to death by fright, but they are not the same things.
 * Sunlight: If Vampires are exposed in the sun for too long, their needs will drop significantly. If their hunger, comfort, energy, fun, and hygiene needs drop too low, they will sizzle and die. Teens and older Vampires can die in this way.

The Sims 2: Open for Business

 * Rally Forth: If a Sim uses the Rally Forth and their needs drop too low, they will choke from shouting and die.

The Sims 2: Seasons

 * Wishing Well: If a Sim wishes for money from the wishing well and the wish fails, there is a 25% chance that the sack of money will be worth §1 and kill the Sim outright.
 * Hail: Sims who are bludgeoned by hail will have their needs dropped significantly. Sims whose needs are too low when bludgeoned by hail will die. Teens and older can die in this way. Servos are immune.
 * Lightning: Sims who are struck by lightning and their needs get too low will die of lightning. There's higher chance for Sims to get struck if they are on a hot tub or swimming.

The Sims 2: Apartment Life

 * Murphy bed: When opening the Murphy bed, if a Sim has less than 5 body skill and -70 or less mood, there is a 5% chance that it will fall on and crush the Sim, killing him/her. Their ghost avoids the bed that killed them.

Other causes of death
Some causes of death are not a special case of death, but rather a secondary way that will cause any death from the previous list. The game doesn't recognize these types of death as unique deaths.
 * Elevators: If the elevator breaks down while Sims are in it, their needs will drop. They, however, will not die because there is no animation for death by elevator. Instead, if their hunger drops too low, they will die of hunger.
 * Evil Snapdragon Bouquet: A poorly made Snapdragon Bouquet will be an evil version. The Evil Snapdragon Bouquet will decrease Sims' motives slowly, but not significantly. This doesn't really cause any death, although it makes the hunger need decays a little faster.
 * Evil Kite: The kite was made poorly and attracts lightning when flown. This works like the death of lightning and will not kill children.
 * Sack of Money: While there is a 25% chance that the sack of money will fall and kill the Sims for failed wish, there is other 75% chance that the sack will be worth §25 and fall on Sims, which will drop their needs, but not fatal. However, this may cause the secondary death of hunger if the hunger need drops too low.
 * Witch Throne: When a Witch sits on an opposite-alignment throne, e.g. Good Witch sits on Claw of Darkness throne, the Witch's needs will decay drastically, similar to the way the needs decay when Sims use The Eclectic and Enigmatic Energizer with low Aspiration. This can be fatal, and might cause the secondary death of hunger.

The Sims 2 (Console)

 * Starvation: When a Sim goes a long time without eating they can starve to death.
 * Electrocution: When a Sim tries to repair an object while standing in a puddle or with a low repair skill they have a chance of being electrocuted.
 * Fire: When a fire starts and a Sim is unfortunate enough to be caught in it they will most likely die.
 * Dancing on own Grave Stone: When a Sim dies and is brought back to life their gravestone will still be on the lot. The Sim can dance on their own grave, prompting them to be set on fire and die again.
 * Vitalize: If a Sim use's a vitalize machine while needs are low there is 50% chance they will die
 * Poison: If a Sim eats food with flies and slime on it, they might puke and die.

The Sims 2 (Nintendo DS)
Sims cannot die in The Sims 2 (Nintendo DS). They may lose all of their Sanity, which means there will be a cutscene and they will reappear in the Manager's Suite.

The Sims 2 (PSP)

 * Starvation: When a Sim goes a long time without eating they can starve to death. Vampires' hunger need will decrease faster in the sun, which can cause them to die from starvation faster.
 * Headache: If a Sim's headache need is not filled, he/she may die after a long period of time.
 * Vitalize: If a Sim uses a vitalize machine while their needs are low there is 50% chance they will die.
 * Drowning: If a sim relaxes or sleeps in the water bed they have a slight chance of facing Death.

The Sims 3

 * Fire (children and older): If a Sim is on fire for one hour, then he/she will die. (Sims with the hidden Pyromaniac trait take three hours to die; those with the hidden Immune to Fire will not die.) Fire can result from leaving something on the stove for too long, although there is a low posibility that the stove randomly catches fire. Fires can also start when Sims with level 6 inventing skill detonate an object, or fail when trying to invent something with the Scraptronic™ Workbench in The Sims 3: Ambitions.
 * Drowning (children and older): Can happen if the Sim is too tired and has the "Fatigued" moodlet. If the Sim is unable to exit the pool, (walls around the pool, etc.) then they will drown.
 * Electrocution (teens and older): Happens if a Sim gets electrocuted and receives the "Singed" moodlet. A Sim can get electrocuted if their Handiness skill is too low, or if they are standing in a puddle while repairing an object.
 * Starvation (teens and older): If a Sim with the "Starving" moodlet does not eat before the moodlet expires, they collapse, and die.
 * Old Age (elders): The Sim reaches the end of the elder stage and dies.

The Sims 3: World Adventures

 * Mummy's Curse: If a Sim loses a fight to a mummy, he/she is cursed, and receives a moodlet indicating this. In 14 days he/she will die by turning into dust. The curse can be cured with a visit to The Great Sphinx.
 * Death by Traps: Sometimes a trap will kill you, the technical death type however will be either fire or electrocution, depending on the trap.

The Sims 3: Ambitions

 * Meteor: If a Sim stands outside for a while, there is an unlikely chance you will get a note saying that it has suddenly gotten dark. A meteor shower is a rare in-game event that can occur in any worlds. If you don't move your Sim the meteor will crush the sim, ending his/her life. This is more likely to happen while using a telescope. Sims near the impact may catch fire, and windows and furniture of your sim's house may be damaged from the impact if it struck their home lot.

The Sims 3: Late Night

 * Thirst: (Vampires only) Replaces death by Starvation for vampires.

The Sims 3: Pets

 * Old Age: (Pets only) Pets can die from old age

The Sims 3 Store

 * Cow Plant: Cow Plant can be purchased from the store. If Cow Plant isn't fed for certain amount of time, it will pull out a slice of cake, and Sims will try to grab it and be eaten, just like the way in The Sims 2: University. Player can purchase it here.

The Sims 3: Showtime

 * Death by Magic: For some magical fun, a Magician can use the Box of Danger to perform the “Buried Alive” trick. However, if a Sim fails at correctly executing their tricks with this object, the Sim inside will die.

The Sims Medieval

 * Dueling: Knights, Monarchs, and Spies have the option to duel to the death (as apposed to merely dueling to a knockout or surrender). The loser of such a duel will die.
 * Plague: Medieval Sims can fall ill and die of the plague. It is the physician's job to prevent this from happening. This is a reference to the black death epidemic.
 * Murder: Sims can kill other Sims. Some examples include being poisoned by a Spy, or being killed by a Wizard's spells.
 * Execution: Sims can be sent to execution for various reasons, including failing to do their jobs. Sims are executed by being fed to a monster.
 * Starvation: If a Sim doesn't eat for a long period of time (several days), they will starve and die.