10 Stupid Times TV Shows Killed Characters Just to Bring Them Back

Top 10 Times TV Shows Foolishly Killed Off Characters and Brought Them Back

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the most egregious instances of a TV show killing off a character…only to bring them back anyway. And no, flash forwards don’t count. Major spoilers to come, of course.

Dexter Morgan“Dexter: Resurrection” (2025-)

At this point, all this serial killer does is fake his death. The original “Dexter” had our titular protagonist fake his death to start a new life in one of the most contentious series finales in TV history. In the sequel, “Dexter: New Blood,” it seemed that Dexter would finally be defeated by his own son. But nope. Instead, Dexter is shown to be alive again in another sequel spin-off, appropriately titled “Dexter: Resurrection,” even if it did leave him in a coma for ten weeks. Perhaps killing off your own main character was too much for this series. But if so, they shouldn’t have bothered.

Sayid Jarrah“Lost” (2004-10)

This Iraq-soldier-turned-engineer was a fan favorite, to be sure. But as the show went on, his character, like the show’s lore, went all over the place. Thanks to the island, Sayid finds himself in 1977, captured by the DHARMA Initiative, shot by the son of Ben Linus. Mortally wounded, Sayid then…doesn’t die. Instead, the beginning of Season 6 finds Sayid resurrected at the Temple by a mysterious Man in Black. His resurrection comes at a price, however. It turns out he has been infected. Sayid eventually goes against the Man in Black and takes a bomb meant for the others. A noble sacrifice, but it does make his first “death” quite unnecessary.

Sergeant Robert “Bob” Fraser

“Due South” (1994-99)

The death of this character was so unnecessary that the show had him stick around as a ghost. “Due South” begins with Benton Fraser coming to Chicago to solve the murder of his father. From the pilot on, Benton is visited by the ghost of his father, dispensing advice and helping him with his cases. At first, Bob only appeared and could be seen by Benton. Eventually, he gained the ability to appear to other characters and even gnarly ghost powers. He even gets his own office and has his own ghost friends. It begs the question: Why kill him off to begin with if he might as well be alive?

Buffy Summers

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)

Killing off main characters, as we have seen, is a hard decision to make and stick to. Buffy has died and returned three times in her own series. Once was in Season One, where Buffy dies at the hands of the Master based on an ancient prophecy, only to be saved by Angel and Xander. Her most famous death comes in Season 5, sacrificing herself to save her sister and the world. Her friends resurrect her, but with dire consequences: Buffy finally confesses that they pulled her away from none other than heaven itself. At the end of Season 6, Buffy dies as a result of a gunshot wound, only for Dark Willow to resurrect her. Again. Just let the girl rest already.

Fox Mulder

“The X-Files” (1993-2002; 2016-18)

Ah, Mulder. This FBI agent is a fervent believer in the supernatural. So naturally, he has died and returned to life at least once. After he was abducted by aliens in the Season Seven finale, Mulder returns dead, only to be found and resurrected by Scully. Mulder ends up fired by the FBI anyway for investigating several X-Files cases without permission. He ends up reuniting with Scully and their newborn son, William, making fans and audiences wonder what the point of his brief death was. Of course, his actor, David Duchovny, left the show for a period, making this unnecessary plot point necessary.

Tony Almeida

“24” (2001-10; 2014)

Character deaths and resurrections don’t get as nonsensical as this. An antagonist-turned-close friend of Jack Bauer, Tony almost died in an explosion that claimed his wife’s life. After recovery, Tony eventually learned the explosion was caused by Christopher Henderson. While trying to kill Henderson via syringe, the latter foils him and injects Tony with the dosage instead, killing him. Or so we thought. Season 7 reveals Henderson missed Tony’s heart on purpose and revived him with his own team. Very convenient. It doesn’t make much sense, and the series never explains why Tony had to not-die to begin with.

Meredith Grey

“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)

Some shows kill off their main characters and stick to it. “Grey’s Anatomy” is not one of them. Meredith Grey almost came to a grisly end as early as Season 3, where she nearly drowned in a ferry boat incident. Her partner and future husband, Derek, finds and saves her. They rush her to the hospital, where Meredith exists in limbo. She even flatlines. How do they bring her back to life? She… just does, after a meeting with her mother in an alternative universe. Medical miracles are real, but this plot point is less miraculous than puzzling.

Bobby Ewing

“Dallas” (1978-91)

Of course, no list like this would be complete without that shower scene. Patrick Duffy’s exit from “Dallas” led to the show’s subsequent killing off the youngest Ewing member, Bobby. In Season 8, Bobby is hit by a car in an attempt to protect Pam. His multiple injuries amount to his grisly death. Season 9 deals with the ramifications of his death, as Pam mourns Bobby while getting into a relationship with and even marrying Mark. Except she doesn’t. In one of TV’s biggest twists, it turns out the whole season, including Bobby’s car accident, was Pam’s dream. Bobby shows up alive and well in the season finale. What a twist indeed.

Phil Coulson

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-20)

This character has been dead and alive more times than we can count. Stabbed in the chest by Loki in “The Avengers,” Coulson recovers thanks to Nick Fury and Project T.A.H.I.T.I. But his death and resurrections don’t stop there. Throughout the series, Coulson dies and comes back to life. In the most consequential death, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team has to decide whether to use the Centipede Serum to save Coulson or to defeat Talbot. Heroically, Coulson refuses the serum and gives it instead to Daisy. Coulson then spends his last days in Tahiti. Finally.

Brian Griffin

“Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-)

Now, this death was below the belt. Anthropomorphic dog and voice of reason Brian dies in a car crash. The Griffins eventually replace him with a new dog, Vinny. Naturally, “Family Guy” fans everywhere could not accept this unceremonious departure. A couple of episodes later, Stewie goes back in time via a time machine to save Brian from his own death. Those fan petitions didn’t hurt. Creator Seth MacFarlane, however, alleges the dog’s death was never intended to be permanent in the first place. Either way, it’s clear Brian shouldn’t have died at all.

Which other TV characters died only to come back to life? Let us know in the comments down below!