Can 奪う be a synonym of 殺す? In the following dialogue, and in general, is a synonym of ? Maybe a more 'poetical' one? > Character A: > > Character B: … Thank you for your help!

1. Yes, in the dialogue, this is a synonym of , although the focus is on "we lost him" rather than plain "he is dead".
2. In general, means "to take [sth] away" or "to steal". _to take life away_ always means _to kill_. I'd say this usage is "[]" _to take [somebody] (away)_ , which can mean different things depending on the context:
* would mean to _kidnap_ her. (or when she's already kidnapped, to rescue her from the rogue)
* would usually mean to steal his/her love.