diff --git a/backend/app/services/narrative/god_mode.py b/backend/app/services/narrative/god_mode.py
index ed395b7f..9ae1b3a4 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/narrative/god_mode.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/narrative/god_mode.py
@@ -59,3 +59,28 @@ def modify_emotion(sim_dir: str, character_id: str, emotions: dict) -> dict:
     })
 
     return target
+
+
+def kill_character(sim_dir: str, character_id: str) -> dict:
+    """Mark a character as dead and append a death event to the world log.
+
+    Death events are auto-appended so the LLM knows the character is gone
+    rather than silently omitting them from prose.
+    """
+    store = StoryStore(sim_dir)
+    characters = store.load_characters()
+
+    target = next((c for c in characters if str(c.get("id")) == str(character_id)), None)
+    if target is None:
+        raise ValueError(f"character not found: {character_id}")
+
+    target["status"] = "dead"
+    store.save_characters(characters)
+
+    WorldStateStore(sim_dir).append_event({
+        "type": "god_mode_death",
+        "description": f"{target['name']} has died.",
+        "round": _current_round(sim_dir),
+    })
+
+    return target
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_god_mode.py b/backend/tests/test_god_mode.py
index 8b071e94..4ff5148a 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_god_mode.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_god_mode.py
@@ -82,3 +82,32 @@ def test_modify_emotion_audit_logs_to_event_log(temp_sim_dir):
     assert len(log) == 1
     assert log[0]["type"] == "god_mode_emotion_change"
     assert "Elena" in log[0]["description"]
+
+
+# ---- kill_character ----
+from app.services.narrative.god_mode import kill_character
+
+
+def test_kill_character_sets_status_dead(temp_sim_dir):
+    _seed_character(temp_sim_dir)
+    result = kill_character(temp_sim_dir, "1")
+    assert result["status"] == "dead"
+
+    chars = StoryStore(temp_sim_dir).load_characters()
+    assert chars[0]["status"] == "dead"
+
+
+def test_kill_character_auto_appends_death_event(temp_sim_dir):
+    _seed_character(temp_sim_dir)
+    kill_character(temp_sim_dir, "1")
+
+    log = WorldStateStore(temp_sim_dir).load()["event_log"]
+    death_events = [e for e in log if e["type"] == "god_mode_death"]
+    assert len(death_events) == 1
+    assert "Elena" in death_events[0]["description"]
+
+
+def test_kill_character_not_found_raises(temp_sim_dir):
+    _seed_character(temp_sim_dir)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="not found"):
+        kill_character(temp_sim_dir, "nonexistent")