Top 20 Shows That Kill Their Characters
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best shows with the worst tendencies to kill off any of their characters. Warning: There will be massive death spoilers to come!
#20: “The West Wing” (1999-2006)
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Political intrigue always has a high body count, but this show takes it up a notch. One of the most shocking deaths is certainly that of Mrs. Landingham, the president’s secretary. Her warm wisdom and comic curmudgeon antics made her a show favorite, so it was beyond shocking when she was killed by a drunk driver at the end of season two. Another beloved character, Leo McGarry, was killed off due to the real life death of his actor. Sharply written and critically acclaimed, “The West Wing” clearly doesn’t hesitate in killing off even the most beloved characters in the service of its narrative.
#19: “Spartacus” (2010-13)
Following a slave uprising led by its titular character, this sword-and-sandal show predictably had its fair share of grisly deaths. Spartacus’ body count alone—either through battle or by accident—is in the double digits. Among the major deaths Spartacus is responsible for are Theokoles and Varro. Other gruesome deaths involve Licinia’s deaths at the hands of Ilithyia, Numerius stabbed by Varro’s wife, Aurelia, and Melitta through poisoned wine intended for Titus. And of course, there is the noble Crixus’ ignoble death through a backstabbing—literally—by Tiberius. When it comes to gladiator games and Roman slavery, a bloodbath is inevitable.
#18: “True Blood” (2008-14)
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An adult “Twilight,” this show about vampires has plenty of bite, no pun intended. Set in a world where vampires openly live among humans and struggle for equal rights, “True Blood” begins with waitress Sookie Stackhouse investigating a murder mystery, and the bodies keep stacking up. She discovers her grandmother in a pool of her blood and dispatches the killer, René, with a shovel. Sookie also stakes Lorena, her boyfriend Bill Compton’s maker, and shoots Debbie after the latter killed Tara. And that’s just the protagonist. Other deaths involve humans, witches, and of course, vampires. These bloody delights have bloody ends.
#17: “The Last Kingdom” (2015-22)
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Speaking of bloody dramas, this series, based on Bernard Cornwell’s “Saxon Stories” novels, is filled with bloody and heartbreaking deaths. Set in a time of Anglo-Saxon resistance to Viking invasion, “The Last Kingdom” follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his defense of King Alfred and the Kingdom of Wessex. The series freely disposes of even important and beloved characters. From Ragnar, cruelly betrayed, to Brida’s death from an arrow, to Uhtred’s father surrogate, Father Beocca’s death in saving Uhtred’s son, the show does not pull its punches. Such is the nature of occupation and resistance.
#16: “The Sopranos” (1999-2007)
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This legendary drama has a legendary body count. The gangster life, after all, is not a bed of roses. The series certainly doesn’t lack for heartbreaking and emotional deaths, so many that it’s hard to count them all. There is innocent girlfriend-turned-reluctant-FBI-informant Adriana La Cerva and her horrific death. There is closeted Vito Spatafore, who briefly escapes the homophobic mob life only to be beaten to death upon his return. And of course, there’s Christopher Moltisanti’s tragic death by Tony himself, a betrayal that truly stings. At the end of the series, even Tony dies - probably - maybe - the hit implied but left ambiguous by a blackout.
#15: “Vikings” (2013-20)
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It’s time for the Vikings’ telling of their historical sagas—which just happens to be pretty darn blood-soaked. The show follows the legend of Norse warrior Ragnar Lodbrok as he conquers England and West France. “Vikings” is notable, however, in deviating from its historical source material by killing off its characters, so you can never tell who will get the ax. Ragnar’s own offspring turn on each other, with Ivar the Boneless killing Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, while his eldest Bjorn Ironside goes out in a noble soldier’s death. Then there is Ragnar’s close friend Athelstan, murdered and betrayed by Floki. And above all, we have the death of Ragnar himself, thrown into a pit of snakes by King Aelle. A cruel fate for a cruel world.
#14: “The 100” (2014-20)
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This survivor drama has a death toll the size of a ship. Set in an apocalyptic future, “The 100” follows 100 young people sent back to a devastated Earth to determine its habitability for life—only to discover violent clans of humans who have survived the apocalypse. Delving into the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic survival, the series does not stint in killing off characters in diverse ways. There is the death of Marcus Kane, who valiantly chooses to die rather than live in another body. Comic relief and fan favorite Jasper goes out on his own terms after losing Maya. But Bellamy’s death at the hands of Clarke is definitely what makes this series truly ruthless in its death count.
#13: “24” (2001-14)
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The longest-running espionage series, “24” is as deadly as the secret agent missions it dramatizes. Following counter terrorist agent Jack Bauer in real time, the series kills its characters with regularity. There is Gael Ortega, the triple agent who goes out via virus, in a heroic attempt to contain it; the death of George Mason, whose satisfying redemption arc culminates in self-sacrifice; and President Palmer’s assassination. But it is the death of Jack’s own wife Teri at the end of season one that sends a clear message: No character is sacred and safe from death.
#12: “Supernatural” (2005-20)
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Carry on, my wayward son. Demon hunters Dean and Sam Winchester had a hell of a time during their 15 seasons on the air. From vampires, ghosts, and angels to Lucifer, Death, and God himself, it’s enough to keep the brothers in therapy for years. Apart from the thousands of victims by the supernatural, Dean and Sam have also been killed and in a variety of ways. Among the most heartbreaking deaths fans have a hard time accepting include mother-daughter duo Ellen and Jo, friend Charlie, and of course, beloved angel Castiel. Just thinking about all 15 seasons’ worth of deaths makes our hearts ache.
#11: “Dexter” (2006-13)
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With a protagonist who’s a serial killer hunting other serial killers, there’s bound to be some collateral damage. Throughout the series, many people connected to Dexter die in one way or another. As Dexter, actor Michael C. Hall is compelling to watch as his mind ticks away with any new information he discovers about other killers, and watching him take them on is always riveting. While there was never any real risk that he would ever leave the show - It’s called “Dexter” after all - the leading ladies aren’t quite as lucky. Dexter’s wife is brutally murdered by The Trinity Killer and toward the end of the series his own sister was shot by another serial killer, resulting in her death.
#10: “Lost” (2004-10)
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Stuck on a seemingly deserted island after a plane crash, survival skills are a must if you want to, well, survive, and a lot of people don’t make it. By a lot, we really mean almost all of them. Part survival mystery, part spiritual sci-fi drama, “Lost” combines multiple genres to create a highly engaging story, and if that happens to include the deaths of those we’ve grown to love then so be it. Killings aside, it’s fascinating to watch the survivors work together, as well as the inevitable conflicts that arise, with a finale that is still managing to spark debate years after its debut.
#9: “Boardwalk Empire” (2010-14)
The prohibition era was primetime for organized crime and murders, and “Boardwalk Empire” highlights that fact beautifully, yet brutally. When the fan-favorite co-lead Jimmy Darmody died at the end of the second season, viewers were anxious to see how it could continue, but the show surprised everyone, and with that came a plethora of more deaths. Included in that list was another fan favorite who dies tragically in the fourth season, prompting viewers to vocalize how they were never going to watch the show again. When something happens in a show that makes you never want to watch it again, you know it’s a good series.
#8: “Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
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A harrowing journey of descent and darkness, “Breaking Bad” succeeds at every level in making viewers gasp and cringe in disgust when something awful happens, with most of it being caused by the show’s lead. After getting lung cancer, chemistry teacher Walter White turns to manufacturing methamphetamine to support his family financially before he dies. The hole he digs himself in gets deeper and deeper, with the body count rising. Known as Heisenberg in the drug community, he takes out anyone who poses a threat to him, and after managing to keep his criminal life separate from his personal one for a longtime, it all catches up with him in the end. Damn it Walter, why the hell aren’t you making coffee instead?
#7: “Oz” (1997-2003)
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We’re pretty sure the goal of this show was to kill off as many named characters as the show has episodes, and for season one at least, HBO’s “Oz” manages to pull that off. Sudden, tragic and almost always violent, the prisoners of the Oswald State Correctional Facility’s special unit, dubbed Emerald City, live in a dog-eat-dog world with absolutely no remorse. Sometimes characters will be introduced, built up and killed off in a single episode, while other times show favorites and people considered “untouchable” will find themselves at the business end of a prison shank.
#6: “Sons of Anarchy” (2008-14)
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Bodies continue to pile on top of one another in this show centered around a dangerous motorcycle club. Hell, even the central protagonist himself, Jax, dies, but not before his best friend dies and his pregnant significant other is killed by his mother, ultimately leading Jax to kill her. Yeesh. It’s easy to forget that outlaws and killers have families of their own, too, and more often than not, they’re dragged into the mess against their will. It’s interesting to watch how both sides of the coin intertwine, and how our actions can affect the people we care about.
#5: “The Wire” (2002-08)
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This prestige drama’s commitment to urban realism and the consequences of the War on Drugs inevitably leads to many tragic deaths. Most of the casualties belong to the Stanfield and Barksdale organizations. There is fan favorite Bodie, for instance, with his cruel and unexpected death in season 4. Idris Elba’s Stringer Bell, second-in-command to Avon Barksdale, was shot down after a betrayal. Young, naïve Wallace was gunned down on the mere suspicion of his disloyalty. Even Cheese shooting his prize dog in a rage is a cruelty beyond degrading. And Omar’s shocking death is made even sadder knowing that Michael K. Williams, who portrayed him, would pass away tragically some years later.
#4: “Homeland” (2011-20)
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A suspected terrorist suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, protagonist Nicholas Brody was an intriguing character to watch. Viewers didn’t know what to think, after certain things he did affirmed that he wasn’t a terrorist, until he did something that cemented the fact that he was… until he became a triple agent for the CIA, and then we just didn’t know what to really think. Surprisingly, after two seasons and most of season 3, fans didn’t think he would ever be killed off. What kind of show kills the main character half-way through the series? Oh, right. “Homeland.”
#3: “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
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Being set in a hospital, people are bound to pass away, as seen in other medical dramas such as “ER.” But with doctors dying almost as often as patients, one should rethink whether they want to set foot in Seattle Grace Hospital. With aircraft accidents, car accidents, murderers and severe weather posing threats to lives, maybe the best idea is to just stay home. Some of these deaths are heartbreaking, especially when they occur as a result of the victim trying to help someone else. There’s a surprising amount of violence considering it’s not a dark crime drama or action show.
#2: “The Walking Dead” (2010-22)
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In all fairness, how can you expect a show set during a zombie apocalypse in which the living have become more of a threat than the dead, not to kill anyone? As the setting implies, minor and major cast members die every season. Just as we get attached to a survivor, they lose a head to an evil dictator, or they're distracted by something, resulting in a sneaky zombie bite from behind. Only four cast members from the first ever group of characters remain alive. With a lot more main characters dead than who are currently living, and with the ongoing threat of insane enemy survivor leaders, the death toll is only going to rise.
#1: “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
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When you play the game of thrones you either win or you die. Spoiler alert: nobody wins! With multiple pivotal character deaths occurring every season, “Game of Thrones” cements itself as a heartless and cruel TV show that just wants to break the viewers’ hearts… and boy do we just eat it up. No death is just tacked on, and they all serve a purpose in fulfilling the story, highlighting the cruelty of the land the characters inhabit, while serving as a reminder that danger lurks right around every corner. Loyalties can sway when power or wealth is involved. Every death propels other character motivations, and the pace never lets up, making it immensely satisfying - although some might disagree with that where the final season is concerned.
