Death has been a frequent visitor in the action drama television series ‘24‘ is known for its relentless protagonist, Jack Bauer. Played by Kiefer Sutherland, the show revolves around Jack and his Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) colleagues as they deal with a lot of threats right from assassination plots to bioterrorism.
As each season, or rather “day“, unfolds in real-time on the show, Jack Bauer’s kill count also sees a rather uncomfortable spike. The people who he kills include both nameless henchmen and some brutal antagonists in the narrative. In fact, Jack’s impulsive, emotionally charged nature is one of the prime aspects that drive the show’s narrative. Here are the top 10 characters that he kills on the show and how it acts as a twist in the story.
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Ira Gaines (Michael Massee)
One of Jack’s weak points on the show is his family, and Ira Gaines hits just the right nerve when he kidnaps his wife and daughter. Hired by the Drazen family to kill Senator David Palmer, Gaines plans to frame Jack for Palmer’s death. However, in a climactic showdown, Jack pressures Gaines to divulge his employers. When Gaines reaches for his gun, Jack’s quick reflexes make him shoot Gaines first, thus killing him.
Andre Drazen (Zeljko Ivanek)
Victor Drazen is yet another character on the show who’s quite similar to Jack — someone who would do anything for his family. After Senator Palmer’s Operation Nightfall results in the deaths of Victor’s wife and daughter, Victor’s son, Andre, joins forces with him to seek revenge on Jack. Their plot to kill Palmer and implicate Jack further unravels, and leads to a final confrontation on a pier. However, the ever-cautious Jack finds them and dispatches Andre.
Victor Drazen (Dennis Hopper)
Yet another death that family assumes a chief role in is Victor Drazen’s. Desperate to save his daughter Kim, Jack offers himself to the Drazens in exchange for her safety. Believing Kim is dead, Victor underestimates Jack’s resolve. But Jack confronts Victor out of grief and rage and ultimately ends up shooting him repeatedly and pushing him into the water thereby killing him.
Eddie Grant (Douglas O’Keeffe)
The show has Jack’s pre-CTU days when he is undercover with militia leader Joe Wald’s crew, which included Eddie Grant. A few years later, a bomb threat in Los Angeles brings Jack back undercover to infiltrate the group. After Eddie’s trust, Jack finds out Joe’s location. But when Eddie tries to run Jack down with a car, Jack shoots him through the windshield, thus ending Eddie’s threat.
Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke)
Nina Myers stands out as one of the show’s most compelling villains. She brutally betrays the lead character Jack and murders Jack’s wife, Teri. In a tense face-off, Nina aims her gun at Jack’s daughter, Kim, but Jack intervenes just in time. With no more valuable information to offer, Nina’s fate gets sealed there. Jack avenges Teri’s death by killing Nina and bringing closure to one of the show’s most harrowing storylines.
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Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze)
Ryan Chappelle’s death is the series’ most gut-wrenching moment, which also sheds light on some heavy sacrifices demanded in Jack’s line of work. When terrorists threaten to release a deadly virus unless Ryan is executed, Jack reluctantly takes up the job to kill him. The emotional final moments between Jack and Ryan is a touching scene, which also reminds the audiences that no one is safe, not even key CTU members. Ryan’s death is one of the saddest consequence of all the missions shown in the series.
Paul Raines (James Frain)
Another tragic death on the show is Paul Raines’. He gets killed because of Jack’s impulsive nature, unlike other intentional kills. He gets shot by Dave Conlon, the head of security at McLennen-Forster. Paul gets rushed to surgery, but Jack halts the procedure to prioritize another patient with critical intel. When Paul dies from his injuries, Jack feels a lot of guilt and also takes full responsibility for the death.
Vladimir Bierko (Julian Sands)
Vladimir Bierko dies since because he is a significant threat. When his plan escalates to commandeering a submarine with its missiles, Jack intervenes just in time. In a tense action sequence, Jack systematically kills Bierko’s henchmen. The scene culminates in a brutal hand-to-hand fight and Jack snaps Bierko’s neck.
Christopher Henderson (Peter Weller)
Christopher Henderson’s double-dealing with Sentox nerve gas leads to a climactic encounter with Jack. Although Henderson initially helps stop Vladimir Bierko’s missile launch, that doesn’t stop the treachery. Jack is as always distrustful, and hands Henderson an unloaded gun, anticipating betrayal. When Henderson turns on him, Jack delivers a fittingly vengeful kill. The moment came as particularly satisfying for viewers, especially because Henderson killed some beloved characters like David Palmer and Michelle Dessler earlier.
Curtis Manning (Roger Cross)
Personal vendettas also hold a special place in the CTU, as seen with Curtis Manning. Curtis threatens to kill Hamri Al-Assad, the man behind an ambush in Iraq, despite Assad’s crucial intel. Jack is then forced to prioritize the mission and gets Curtis to prevent the murder. This death hits Jack hard and fills him with immediate guilt and devastation.
Though many deaths on the show set a dark tone of the thriller, these ones can be counted as the feats that the protagonist Jack has achieved.
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