This brief review describes some of the observed properties of the populations of massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and red supergiants (RSGs) found in nearby galaxies, with a focus on their luminosity functions, mass-loss rates and dust production. I do this within the context of their role as potential supernova (SN) progenitors, and the evolution of SNe and their remnants. The paper ends with an outlook to the near future, in which new facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope offer a step change in our understanding of the evolution and fate of the coolest massive stars in the Universe.
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