Warning! Spoilers ahead for all the TV shows mentioned!Of all the plot developments that a TV show can include, there’s nothing more controversial than the death of a main character. While it’s expected that at least one character will die before a series ends, there are some people that fans can’t bear to see killed off, as it changes the nature of the show forever. When it comes to these iconic characters,their deaths were unexpected and brutal, shocking audiences and upending the cast’s dynamic.I don’t know if any viewer will ever forget the moment these characters died.
Theseshocking TV character deaths had me thinking for a long timebecause it was so hard to get over the fact that these beloved characters were gone. While most of these series bounced back from the deaths and even had good narrative reasons for them, this doesn’t lessen the impact. It’s interesting to see how shows adapt and evolve in the wake of the death of a protagonist, as this can make or break a story. However, even when the story stayed strong, it was impossible for us to do the same and forget the sadness we witnessed onscreen.
8Daenerys - Game Of Thrones (2011–2019)
Daenerys deserved a much more fitting end than her sudden death
While there were some hints that Daenerys was going down the path of the Mad King and losing sight of why she wanted to retake the Iron Throne, this didn’t make her death any easier to handle.Game of Thronesseason 8is one of the most controversial final seasons of any TV show. The direction in which the series took the characters' arcs is one of the biggest reasons why.Daenerys' death might have been easier to handle if she had still been the character we had grown to lovethroughout the seasons.
Instead,she held none of the values that were initially so important to her, andGame of Thronesgave her an anticlimactic deathin the wake of the horrible crimes she committed. It’s difficult to understand whyGame of Thronesdecided to end her story in this way. Though the series was renowned for killing off protagonists indiscriminately, Daenerys' demise felt like it came out of nowhere and wasn’t earned by the character or the plot.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
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7Opie - Sons Of Anarchy (2008–2014)
Jax struggles to recover from the intensity of Opie’s loss
Ryan Hurst’s performance as Opie onSons of Anarchyis a large part of what made the character so important and lovable.Not only was he a vital part of the motorcycle club, but he was also Jax’s best friend for decades,making his loss hit the hardest on the leader of the club. Like all the people inSons of Anarchy, Opie wasn’t perfect and was capable of violence, but he cared about the club more than anything and wasn’t as quick to take things too far as some of the other characters.
Jax feels the weight of Opie’s death, as his intense loyalty to Jax and determination to sacrifice himself for him is what led to his passing.
The nature of his death was particularly brutal, as he was killed in prison, andSons of Anarchydidn’t hold back from portraying graphic moments like this. Jax feels the weight of Opie’s death, as his intense loyalty to Jax and determination to sacrifice himself for him is what led to his passing. Opie’s ghost remains present asSons of Anarchycontinues, casting a shadow over the series and serving as a reminder of the steep price of the club’s existence.
Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)
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6Derek - Grey’s Anatomy (2005–Present)
Grey’s Anatomy is still recovering from this loss today
It’s practically impossible to count the number of tragic deaths and character exits onGrey’s Anatomy, as the long-running medical drama has seen almost every possible tragedy strike the hospital. He lived through shootings, plane crashes, and bombings. However,the beloved McDreamy, Derek Shepherd, eventually died at the end of season 11.This forced Meredith to grapple with the terrible loss of her life partner. Derek had been a mainstay of the show, and it was a struggle to adapt to the series without him.
Few characters have the kind of connection that we see between Derek and Meredith inGrey’s Anatomy,and the show takes the appropriate time to see Meredith recover from her grief. On the air since 2005,Grey’s Anatomyis in its 21st season, and a lot has changed since Derek passed on. However, he’s still an ever-present part of the series, as so many characters are connected to him and his legacy. Revisiting the early seasons proves just how important he will always be toGrey’s Anatomy.
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5Adriana - The Sopranos (1999–2007)
Adriana’s death sparked an unforgettable spiral on The Sopranos
Though Adriana’s death had been brewing for a long time, this didn’t make it hurt any less when the fan-favorite character met her untimely end. In a sense,Adriana’s fate was sealed after she became an FBI informant,as we had already seen what happened to people when Tony found out they had snitched. However, there was a moment when it seemed as if Christopher would protect Adriana and choose her instead of Tony. Unfortunately, this was not to be.
Adriana’s death was even more tragic and, in some ways, directly led to the events that pushed Tony to kill Christopher later on.
While Big Pussy’s death likely haunted Tony the most throughoutThe Sopranos, Adriana’s death was even more tragic and, in some ways, directly led to the events that pushed Tony to kill Christopher later on. It’s made even more brutal by the fact that it’s Silvio who does it, with both Tony and Christopher absent, even though they’re the ones who betrayed her the most. This is a turning point that marked a major loss for the show and a shift in Tony’s characterization.
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4Henry - MASH (1972–1983)
MASH turned a corner in tone and quality after this moment
Known as one of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all time,MASHevolved a lotover its eleven-season run, eventually leaning into the dramatic side of its story and touching upon the horrors of war more candidly. One of the earliest examples of this tonal shift comes in the season 3 finale, “Abyssinia, Henry,” when the commanding officer of the hospital unit, Henry, is discharged and sent home, only for his plane to be shot down, killing him.
There was no way that audiences at the time could’ve predicted this,and it’s lost none of its potency and drama when revisited today. Thesaddest episode ofMASHis “Abyssinia, Henry,“even compared to the moments when Trapper leaves off-screen and the emotional series finale. ThoughMASHdidn’t shy away from the realities of the violence of the conflict, this episode and Henry’s death shifted something insideMASHforever.
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Steven Yeun’s Glenn was a vital part of the fabric ofThe Walking Deadfor a long time,so it’s no surprise that his death was deeply upsetting. The fake-out that teased his death before he was actually murdered by Negan stirred up controversy for a reason. It was initially a relief to discover that Glenn was alive, but the end of his story turned out to be more violent and traumatic than viewers could have expected. Additionally, his death left lasting marks on the characters, especially Maggie.
His passing was a reminder of just how brutal the world ofThe Walking Deadcan be and shook up the chemistry and dynamic of the cast.
The Walking Deadis a sprawling franchise and has kept audiences guessing with plot twists and character development, but there have been very few moments that have come close to the severity of Glenn’s death. His passing was a reminder of just how brutal the world ofThe Walking Deadcan be and shook up the chemistry and dynamic of the cast. Even as the characters move on and heal in the contemporary spinoffs, it’s impossible to forget what happened to Glenn.
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2Tara - Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
This was a death that no one saw coming
Tara’s death would’ve been devastating enough on its own, but the fact thatBuffy The Vampire Slayerput Amber Benson in the opening credits for the first time, only to kill Tara off,was next-level. Willow and Tara were one of the best couples onBuffy, and Tara was a huge part of Willow’s path to recovery when she was entangled with dark magic. This led to the tragic events at the end of the season, which saw Willow change forever and cemented season 6 as the darkest of the series.
Though Tara was a supporting character, it didn’t take long to fall in love with her and for the characters on the show to see her as a comforting, grounding presence.The senseless violence of her death and the uniquely terrible timingall contributed to Tara’s death being one of the most heartbreaking onBuffy. While this was far from the only memorable and dark death inBuffy The Vampire Slayer, it’s one that has long-lasting effects.
1Joel - The Last Of Us (2023–Present)
Joel’s passing has changed The Last of Us forever
Even for fans of the video game who knew Joel’s death was coming, the loss of Pedro Pascal inThe Last of Usseason 2 is a character death that people will be talking about for years to come. It wasn’t just Joel as a character who was beloved by audiences, but Pascal himself, as he brought nuance and empathy to Joel, who was a character who didn’t always make sympathetic choices. However, he was the show’s lead, and it already feels like a piece ofThe Last of Usis missing without him.
AsThe Last of Usseason 2 progresses, it will be interesting to see how Bella Ramsey steps up to shoulder the weight of Pascal’s absence and howThe Last of Usevolves to stay fresh and compelling. The world of the series is fantastic, and it’s unlikely that people will stop watching now that Joel is gone, but the structure of the story has shifted.The Last of Uswill always be remembered for Joel’s sudden, brutal death,which hit so close to home for viewers.
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