Mufasa’s death in The Lion King has been voted the most memorable screen farewell in a new poll.

The harrowing scene, in which the head of the pride met his end after being trampled by a herd of wildebeest, came top of a list of the 10 most moving big-screen deaths.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s touching goodbye as artistic scamp Jack Dawson in Titanic came second, followed by Janet Leigh’s murder in Psycho in third place, according to the survey of 2,246 adults, carried out by funeral plans provider Perfect Choice.

Couples dying on screen held a poignant note, as Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams)’s deaths in The Notebook, which took fourth place, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes’ tragic suicides in Romeo + Juliet, in fifth spot, were also remembered.

The deaths of Bambi’s mother in Bambi and John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) in The Green Mile also appeared on the list, alongside scenes from Alien, Platoon and The Wicker Man.

The top ten screen deaths is as follows:

1) Mufasa: The Lion King – 45 per cent
2) Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio): Titanic – 39 per cent
3) Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): Psycho – 37 per cent
4) Noah and Allie (James Garner & Gena Rowlands): The Notebook – 34 per cent
5) Romeo and Juliet (Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes): Romeo And Juliet – 26 per cent
6) Bambi’s mother: Bambi – 23 per cent
7) John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan): The Green Mile – 21 per cent
8) Kane (John Hurt): Alien – 18 per cent
9) Sgt Elias (Willem Dafoe): Platoon – 14 per cent
10) Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward): The Wicker Man – 11 per cent