Perhaps Death and the King's Horseman isn't the most exciting title, but it sure does get right to the point: The play is about a horseman who must face death in order to fulfill his duty to the community. The entire story revolves around whether he'll be brave enough to pull off the ritual suicide… and what happens when he isn't. So the title seems pretty apt, no?
In Soyinka's view, the story is much more about spirituality and confronting death than culture clash, so it's no surprise that death gets equal billing with Elesin in the title.