It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the passing of Luigi, who was murdered by a grim reaper while visiting Dracula's castle.

During what was likely a routine ghost check for the green-clad plumber who moonlights as a ghost hunter, Luigi narrowly avoided an attack by a mummy only to wind up directly in the path of an aggressive, skeletal reaper who immediately sliced Luigi with its huge scythe, killing the man instantly.

The whole incident was caught on film. Warning, the footage below may be disturbing.

As you can see in the clip, Luigi appears to pass out in fear after seeing the reaper, and is then sliced open like a tomato. His ghost can be seen leaving his body, making it very clear that Luigi, who first entered the public spotlight in 1983, has died.

The only solace in this grisly news is that Luigi appears to have been unconscious at the time of his death, so he likely did not suffer.

Luigi and his brother Mario rose to fame in the early '80s when the two plumbers teamed up to save Princess Peach from the nefarious King Koopa, known to many by his other name: Bowser.

Not only was Luigi a hero to Princess Peach and the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, the man made a name for himself in a variety of sports including tennis, golf, soccer, and even go-karting. Starting in the early 2000s, Luigi also began his career as a ghost hunter, and went on to rid multiple mansions of their troublesome poltergeists.

Unfortunately Luigi's experiences did not prepare him for the horrors that awaited him inside Dracula's castle.

After Luigi's gruesome death, famous vampire hunter Simon Belmont avenged him and defeated the reaper.

Later footage showed Luigi, now a ghost, trying to re-enter his corporeal form.

Unfortunately, he was distracted and did not successfully merge his spirit with his body.

Rest in peace, Luigi.

UPDATE: Aug. 9, 2018, 4:44 p.m. AEST So, it seems our friend Luigi might be alright, folks. Nintendo UK affirmed on Twitter that, "Luigi is okay." With no further details, we'll have to take their word on it at this point. Still doesn't confirm he's not dead though.