In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu’s death causes Gilgamesh to search for immortality.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu begin as rivals, but their conflict develops into a close friendship. Together they defeat Humbaba in the Cedar Forest and later kill the Bull of Heaven. The gods judge these actions and decree that one companion must die; Enkidu becomes gravely ill and dies.
Gilgamesh is overwhelmed by grief and fear because Enkidu’s fate reveals that he too must eventually die. He leaves Uruk and travels to find Utnapishtim, the flood survivor who received eternal life. Utnapishtim explains that immortality is not normally available to humans, and Gilgamesh ultimately returns to Uruk without escaping mortality.
The story therefore shifts from heroic adventure to a meditation on loss, kingship, and accepting human limits.