Tutankhamun most likely died from a mix of illness and injury: a serious leg fracture that became infected, combined with a severe bout of malaria and underlying health problems that left him very fragile.

What most experts think

Modern CT scans and DNA studies suggest that the young pharaoh had:

  • A badly fractured left leg shortly before death, with signs that the wound was open when he died.
  • Multiple infections with a dangerous form of malaria (Plasmodium falciparum).

Researchers conclude that the leg fracture probably led to infection (gangrene or blood poisoning), and that malaria plus his generally weak health made it much harder for his body to survive.

Earlier theories about his death

Over the last century, several dramatic ideas have been proposed:

  • Murder : Some thought a blow to the head killed him, but later scans showed the skull damage was likely from the mummification process, not an assassination.
  • Chariot crash : A popular theory claimed a high‑speed chariot accident crushed his chest, but newer evidence and his impaired foot make this less convincing.
  • Bone disease alone : His skeletal problems and possible bone necrosis (like Kohler’s disease) clearly weakened him, but by themselves they do not fully explain his sudden death at about 18 or 19.

Today, the mainstream view is that these older “single-cause” theories are incomplete compared with the combined infection-and-injury explanation.

Tutankhamun’s health problems

Tutankhamun was not the image of a perfectly healthy young king:

  • Evidence points to a clubfoot and other skeletal issues, probably linked to inbreeding in the royal family.
  • Over 100 walking sticks were buried with him, many showing real wear, suggesting he struggled to walk and may have relied on them daily.

These conditions would have reduced his mobility, increased his risk of falls, and made recovery from any major injury or infection much harder.

So, how did Tutankhamun die?

Putting the current research together:

  • He likely suffered a serious leg fracture, probably from a fall rather than a dramatic chariot crash.
  • The open wound became infected, leading to gangrene or blood poisoning, while he was already weakened by malaria and chronic health issues.

Because of all this, historians usually phrase the answer carefully: Tutankhamun most probably died from complications of a leg fracture combined with severe malaria and underlying genetic and bone problems, rather than from murder or a single spectacular accident.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.