Top 10 Shows With The Highest Kill Counts
For this list, we'll be breaking down TV series where the most bodies hit the floor, though the quality of the show and the memorability of the slaughter also factor in - meaning this won't only be a straight-up numbers game. However, we'll be excluding all of the CSIs, as it goes without saying that shows about people tasked with investigating murders will inevitably feature a lot of bodies!
Get ready to see some blood! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Shows With The Highest Body Count.
For this list, we’ll be breaking down TV series where the most bodies hit the floor, though the quality of the show and the memorability of the slaughter also factor in - meaning this won't only be a straight-up numbers game. However, we’ll be excluding all of the CSIs, as it goes without saying that shows about people tasked with investigating murders will inevitably feature a lot of bodies!
#10: “Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
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Walter White’s transformation from mild mannered chemistry teacher to full-blown drug kingpin was not without casualty. In fact, during the show’s five seasons, primary characters caused 275 people to die. That number includes the 167 people on board Wayfarer 515 and the chartered plane it collided with in the 13th episode of season two, as it was Walter’s actions that indirectly led to this disaster taking place. Of course, Walt had his actual hands in plenty of other deaths. The drug business is a bloody one so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that “Breaking Bad” and its meth dealing premise made our list.
#9: “Dexter” (2006-13)
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It should go without saying that a show about a serial killer will have more than a few blood-soaked episodes, not to mention corpses. “Dexter” let viewers know just how deadly a program it was from the very first episode, when the eponymous character kidnapped a child-murdering pastor and killed him in cold blood. From there things only got more uh, murder-y; with Dexter dispatching countless criminals throughout the show’s eight seasons. Of course, he wasn’t the only one doing some hard-core killing. From the Trinity Killer to the Ice Truck Killer and everyone in between, this show was never short on bodies.
#8: “Narcos” (2015-)
If there’s one thing that “Narcos” makes abundantly clear, it’s that drug dealing and death go together like peanut butter and jam. The show, which is about the infamous Colombian drug cartels of the 70s, 80s and 90s, has a body count that would make Quentin Tarantino wince. In season two, Agent Murphy tells a couple of blow-snorting Americans that six people die for every kilo of cocaine that’s produced; and after watching the show we’re inclined to believe him. From civilians and hit men to cops and politicians, in the world of “Narcos” nobody is safe…not even the larger than life drug lords - and we see how that continues in season 3.
#7: “Vikings” (2013-)
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“Vikings” traces the exploits of Ragnar Lothbrok, an 8th century Viking hero who gained fame and fortune thanks to his many successful raids on France and England. Whether his exploits are entirely real is unclear, but one thing that is for sure is that the version of Ragnar that we see in “Vikings” is one violent dude. He and the rest of his clansmen massacre hordes of people on the regular; in bloody battles and vicious raids. Axes and swords are the weapons of choice in the world of “Vikings” and as such, the deaths – and there are plenty - are always gruesome.
#6: “24” (2001-2010)
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“24,” the show whose seasons comprise of one 24-hour period in the life of counter terrorism agent Jack Bauer, has produced some of the deadliest television in history. In 9 seasons and one television movie, viewers of this show have watched 16,379 people lose their lives. Yes, you heard that number correctly. Many of these fatalities were the result of various acts of terrorism perpetrated by the show’s antagonists, but Bauer had his hands in enough of them to warrant an eyebrow raise. His level of commitment to his country goes beyond patriotism, as he’s tortured and killed so many people he’s basically the Terminator. How he sleeps at night we will never know.
#5: “American Horror Story” (2011-)
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This horror anthology has managed to continuously produce a seemingly never-ending array of bodies. The deaths come in waves and typically fall into one or more of the following categories: disturbing, shocking or creepy. Each season takes place in a different year and location and tends to revolve around subject matter guaranteed to produce death. From supernatural hotels to New Orleans witches to mid-century insane asylums to Florida freak shows, “American Horror Story” is not for the faint of heart. Hey, what did you expect from a super creepy show like this?
#4: “The Punisher” (2017-)
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We got a taste for Frank Castle’s bloodlust in season two of “Daredevil”, but that was nothing compared to what he had in store in “The Punisher.” In season 1, during his quest to kill those who were truly responsible for his family’s death, Castle goes on an all-out killing spree. In a flashback sequence, he single-handedly slays an entire home filled with Afghani soldiers and in another, he ambushes a slew of agents in an ever-increasing series of brutal ways. Meanwhile in season 2, in his attempt to protect a young woman, he finds himself battling against religious fanatics at a police station, finishes off Russian gangsters at their own gym and sheds a lot more blood along the way.
#3: “Spartacus” (2010-13)
“Spartacus” may have only produced 3 seasons and a miniseries, but they were loaded with enough blood and carnage to satisfy even the darkest of souls. The series takes place in ancient Rome and follows the eponymous gladiator turned revolutionary as he hacks his way through friend and foe alike. The average deaths per episode are 25 and while many of these are unnamed or background characters it matters not, for our list is all about highest body count. We suppose we aren’t that surprised that a show about a Roman gladiator hell bent on revenge produced a plethora of death and destruction…
#2: “The Walking Dead” (2010-)
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With a name like “The Walking Dead,” we aren’t exactly shocked that this show made our list. As the numbers change week by week, sometimes drastically, it is hard to give exacts, but as of 2018 it is almost 1000 – be it from the walkers or guys like Negan, Rick and the Governor. The show, which features a group of people constantly on the run from hordes of flesh-eating zombies – not to mention equally nefarious human antagonists – is basically a never-ending roller coaster ride of death and mayhem. People die with rapid-fire consistency and as such, the show has one of the highest per episode death rates on TV.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
“Banshee” (2013-16)
“Rome” (2005-07)
“Supernatural” (2005-)
#1: “Game of Thrones” (2011-)
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Was the top spot on our list ever in doubt? Death is as synonymous with “Game of Thrones” as Tyrion, Daenerys and George R.R. Martin. It follows characters everywhere they go and is a big reason for the show’s success. It’s produced a slew of epic, not to mention heartbreaking moments, from the Red Wedding and the Battle of the Bastards to Cersei destroying the Great Sept of Baelor and the Mountain crushing the crap out of Oberyn’s skull. The first six seasons of the show produced 1,243 on-screen deaths; and while this may seem like a small number, remember that the show’s earlier seasons lacked the budget to show major battles. This is one deadly show.
