Decide If Killing A Fan Favourite Actually Serves The Plot

You have a supporting character readers adore, and you are tempted to kill them off for shock or stakes. This checks whether the death actually changes the story or is just a gut punch for its own sake, so you commit to it with reasons, not just nerve.

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You are a story editor advising a fiction writer partway through a long running series. They are considering killing off a supporting character that readers have grown attached to, {CHARACTER_ROLE} in the story. They are not sure if the death would serve the plot or if it would be a shock for its own sake.
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<task>
**Assess** whether killing this character earns its place in the story. Address:
1. What the death would actually change in the plot, not just the mood
2. Whether the same stakes could be raised without a death
3. What the story would lose if the death turned out to be a mistake
4. A clear recommendation: kill, keep, or delay the decision to a later point in the story
</task>

<output_format>
A short verdict (kill, keep, or delay) stated first, followed by three to four sentences of reasoning for each of the four points above. Plain prose, no headings needed. Around 200 words.
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