TV Character Deaths We're Still Not Over

While shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead pride themselves on a “no one is safe” approach to our favorite characters, that doesn’t make truly devastating TV deaths any more bearable.

Let’s take a look back on the deaths of beloved TV show characters we still can’t quite move on from. Consider yourself spoiler alerted.

Zeek Braverman | Parenthood: The beloved patriarch’s death in the series finale shocked fans, but his last words — “Boy, we did good, didn’t we, Camille?” — rang true.

Photo Courtesy: Justin Lubin/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Omar Little | The Wire: Of all the show’s deaths, none was as shocking — or frightening — as that of the seemingly invincible Omar Little, who was shot by a young drug dealer named Kenard.

Joyce Summers | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In this supernatural show, Buffy’s life is marked by death. But when Joyce has a brain aneurysm, and Buffy finds her mom’s lifeless body on the couch, the show underscores the devastation of real-life tragedy.

Coach Ernie Pantusso | Cheers: After actor Nicholas Colasanto passed away suddenly due to a heart attack, showrunners wrote his character out of the show. Nonetheless, characters often recall Coach fondly.

Mr. Hooper | Sesame Street: When actor Will Lee passed away, the show’s producers didn’t want to avoid the subject, seeing it as an opportunity to educate young viewers.

Michael Cordero | Jane the Virgin: Just when Jane and Michael had finally tied the knot, our leading man died from gunshot-related complications. Well, until the final season, which saw him “resurrected” in true telenovela style.

Rayna James | Nashville: Actress Connie Britton felt it was time to move on, but fans were still shocked when the show’s main character survived her stalker only to die in a tragic car accident.

Lexa | The 100: Following in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s footsteps, The 100 killed off Commander Lexa, a queer woman and fan favorite, moments after she and gal pal Clarke finally got together. Yet again, a stray bullet took down this seemingly invincible warrior.

Teri Bauer | 24: Honestly, after Teri’s bout with soap opera-level amnesia, we didn’t think things could get worse. That is, until Jack, having left his wife with a trusted friend, returned to find her lifeless body.

Ned Stark | Game of Thrones: Of all the show’s brutal deaths, perhaps none was quite as shocking as the first. Although Ned seemed to be our protagonist, we should have seen a Sean Bean death coming.

Poussey Washington | Orange Is the New Black: While trying to de-escalate a situation that erupts during a peaceful protest, Poussey is restrained and subsequently suffocated by a correctional officer. Heartbreaking and shocking, Poussey’s death cast a spotlight on police brutality and reiterated the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Keith Scott | One Tree Hill: Although this CW show is all about teen drama, fans could rely on this father figure. In a heartbreaking school shooting episode, Keith dies at the hands of his vengeful brother.

Rita Morgan | Dexter: Dexter thinks he’s saved his wife from the Trinity Killer by telling her to skip town. But a voice message reveals Rita ran home to grab her ID — and when Dexter finds her lifeless body in the bathtub, it’s heartbreaking.

Dr. Romano | ER: After a helicopter accident severed his arm in the show’s ninth season, a second (shockingly coincidental) helicopter incident ultimately led to Dr. Romano’s death in season 10.

Fred Andrews | Riverdale: After actor Luke Perry’s tragic passing in 2019, his character, Archie Andrews’ father, was given a touching on-screen sendoff. Although the show is full of mystery and murder, Fred’s death was more commonplace, underscoring the very real loss of Perry.

Matthew Crawley | Downton Abbey: Beloved characters need to stay away from moving vehicles. After surviving World War I and the Spanish influenza, Matthew Crawley died in a car accident — just after the birth of his son.

Jin & Sun Kwon | Lost: In a show full of tragic, shocking deaths, the joint death of Jin and Sun might be the most devastating. The lovers promise to never leave each other — bad sign — and then drown together, holding hands.

Chet Hunter | Boy Meets World: After owning up to his mistakes as a father and deciding to stay with his sons for good, Chet Hunter has a sudden heart attack and dies, leaving Shawn and Jack fatherless again.

Will Gardner | The Good Wife: In a shocking twist, Will’s distraught client grabs a courtroom cop’s weapon and initiates a panicked shootout. Will tries to intervene — and takes a fatal bullet to the neck.

Tara Maclay | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: After witches-turned-lovers Tara and Willow (finally) get back together, Tara is hit by a stray bullet. So stray that it just comes through the bedroom window — thus launching the frustrating trope of queer characters dying just after a moment of happiness.

Catelyn & Robb Stark | Game of Thrones: Again, this show has a lot of brutal deaths, but the Red Wedding massacre potentially outdid the shock of Ned’s season one death — upping the ante from a single Stark death to two.

George O’Malley | Grey’s Anatomy: When an unidentifiable patient is hit by a bus, Meredith Grey only realizes it’s George when he writes “007” (his nickname) on her palm — just before dying.

Jack Pearson | This Is Us: It wasn’t a matter of if Jack would pass away, it was when — and how. After saving his family from a fire, Jack seems okay, but then dies suddenly of cardiac arrest while his wife (Mandy Moore) is grabbing him a candy bar. Truly brutal.

William Hill | This Is Us: To reconnect with his son Randall (Sterling K. Brown), William embarks on a father-son road trip to his hometown. Randall tells a cancer-stricken William “Breathe with me” — and he does, until the end.

Jen Lindley | Dawson’s Creek: The series finale flashes forward a few years, revealing that Jen, a new mother, has a fatal heart condition. After she records a tearful video message for her young daughter, Jen dies with Grams by her side.

Dan Conner | Roseanne: In the series finale, Roseanne revealed the series was a book she’d written about her life — with a few changes. Namely, her husband Dan actually died from his heart attack in season eight. Evidently, the reboot ignored this tragic turn.

Lori Grimes | The Walking Dead: Even in a show where no one is safe, Lori’s death is haunting. After an emergency C-section, she loses too much blood and her older son, Carl, has to (literally) pull the trigger before she turns into a zombie.

Tara Thornton | True Blood: When Tara is turned into a vampire — at the request of people she cares about — she’s understandably upset. Once she acclimates to her vampiric lifestyle, this fan-favorite character is killed by — of course — yet another vamp.

Lane Pryce | Mad Men: Don Draper’s world is seemingly one of little (to no) consequence — that is, until Lane, the ad firm’s British partner, forges Don’s signature. Late at night, Lane hangs himself in his office, which irrevocably changed the show and characters.

Adriana La Cerva | The Sopranos: If The Godfather taught us anything, it’s that you never go against the family — especially if your family, chosen or blood, is the mob. When Tony Soprano discovers Adriana’s double life as an FBI informant, he orders her death.

Delores Landingham | The West Wing: The wisecracking yet caring Mrs. Landingham was a true gem, and her loss still devastates viewers to this day. On her way to show President Bartlet her new car, she’s struck and killed by a drunk driver.

Mitch Leery | Dawson’s Creek: Quintessential “good guy” Mitch just wanted to enjoy a rousing chorus of “Drift Away” and an ice cream cone on his drive home. His fatal accident was a shock to fans.

Glenn Rhee | The Walking Dead: We could pour one out for Herschel, Andrea, T-Dog — so many early season favorites. Glenn’s death — at the hands of a psycho playing Russian roulette with a baseball bat — was the show’s last truly shocking moment.

Hale Santiago | Lost Girl: This urban fantasy centers on a succubus named Bo, but her friends, like Hale, are equally important. Shortly after proposing to Kenzi (pictured), Hale sacrifices himself to protect her. Kenzi begs Bo to take some of her life-force (chi) to revive Hale, but Bo refuses the life-threatening request.

Tenth Doctor | Doctor Who: Before his David Tennant form vanishes, the Doctor visits people important to him. He travels to the moments just before he met Rose and, as he regenerates, says the heartbreaking words “I don’t want to go.”

Edith Bunker | Archie Bunker’s Place: Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) became a beloved television show character in the 1970’s sitcom All in the Family, but Stapleton tragically suffered a fatal stroke prior to the spinoff, leaving Archie to deliver a memorable speech.

Derek Shepherd | Grey’s Anatomy: After 11 seasons of watching Derek and Meredith Grey’s relationship grow, Dr. McDreamy dies from complications in the wake of — you guessed it — a car crash. In the end, Meredith is tasked with pulling the plug.

James Evans | Good Times: At a time when shocking character deaths weren’t the norm, James’ passing was the most devastating in TV history. Out of the blue, Florida Evans receives a telegram, which says James was killed in a car crash. No one got the chance to say goodbye, including fans.

Lt. Col. Henry Blake | MASH: Finally on his way home from war, Henry’s plane is shot down. Radar announces his death to hospital staff, who just have to keep working. This shocking moment served as a reminder: MASH is about the toll of war.

Nate Fisher | Six Feet Under: Previously, Nate had escaped death a few times, but he ultimately dies unexpectedly in the hospital following a brain hemorrhage. Sure, the family business is a funeral home, but the characters’ reactions to his death are truly gut-wrenching.

Siobhan Sadler | Orphan Black: Battle-hardened Siobhan — also known as Mrs. S — always put family first, which is why she ultimately goes down in a fire fight after trying to help her loved ones. Bleeding out, Mrs. S clutches a photo of Sarah and Felix, her foster kids.

Barb Holland | Stranger Things: It seems like there will never be #JusticeForBarb, who was brutally slain in the Upside Down after her supposed best friend let her down — yet again. Pro Tip: If there’s a Demogorgon on the loose, don’t try to shotgun a beer.

Seymour | Futurama: When Fry was accidentally cryogenically frozen, his canine pal Seymour waits 12 years for Fry in the spot they last saw one another. Fry discovers Seymour’s fossilized body a millennium later. Woof.

TV Character Deaths We’re Still Not Over