Johnny Cade

Johnny is played, with excellence, by Ralph Macchio in the 1983 movie "The Outsiders."

Shamefully, Johnny's parents have never loved him - but his Greaser friends certainly do. Johnny, in defending himself and his best friend, Ponyboy Curtis, from Socs, quite unintentionally kills one of them, a popular boy named Bob. Dallas Winston, another Greaser, advises Johnny and Ponyboy, a witness to the crime, to run away. Also, Ponyboy is loyal enough to willingly go with Johnny.

Eventually, though, out of remorse, Johnny decides he'll turn himself in. Before that can happen, though, Johnny redeems himself by saving the lives of several children, Dallas, and Ponyboy from a fire - and the building collapses on Johnny, burning him and paralyzing him for life - that is, if he lives at all. In the hospital, Johnny says he's now sad that, due to his present condition, he can't travel the world past his hometown, which he'd never done and had never wanted to do prior to fleeing, but now wishes he could do.

Johnny dies soon thereafter, with Ponyboy and Dallas at his bedside. In his final moments, Johnny urges his fellow Greasers to stop fighting the Socs, as it will only lead to more fighting. Johnny also begs Ponyboy to "stay gold," - and Ponyboy keeps his promise.