The holiday season is here and most of us have all the time to run down memory lane and watch some of our favorite TV shows. Some of us may want to relive the joy of falling in love with our favorite characters all over again, while some others might want to relive their favorite stories.
Another important part that most stories essentially have are deaths. While they may not be something the fans would want to relive and recall, they sure stir our emotions. And we all need to feel things every once in a while. So grab the tissues, and have a good cry by revisiting the most heart-wrenching deaths of our beloved TV characters.
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1. Seymour – ‘Futurama’
Though it is an animated comedy, ‘Futurama‘ tops the list of the most hurtful deaths in the history of TV shows. Seymour, the dog, is an extremely loyal and lovable character on the show. He dies waiting for Fry in front of the pizzeria until the end of his days. The hurt is perhaps beyond words. Watching the dog stick with hope and the love he has for his human, kills the viewers equally.
2. The Tenth Doctor – ‘Doctor Who’
‘Doctor Who‘ specializes in regeneration, but the death of the Tenth Doctor hits differently. Played by David Tennant, the Tenth Doctor dies a death that gives the audience a sneak peek into death as an uncomfortable reality. The writing of the TV show creates a chilling regeneration scene, making his death a hurtful scene for the viewers.
3. Everyone – ‘Game of Thrones’
‘Game of Thrones‘ has a reputation for killing the most unexpected characters at the most unexpected turns of their storyline. It’s nearly impossible to exclude the several deaths on the show from the list of moments that really turned a knife into our hearts. The show sets the tone with Ned Stark’s shocking death in the initial season. the narrative then follows the death of several other heroes including Robb Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Hodor, and Theon Greyjoy among many others.
4. Bobby Singer – ‘Supernatural’
Bobby Singer dies multiple deaths in ‘Supernatural‘, but it hurts equally each time. Sam and Dean’s father figure, who dies thrice on the show. Before his death, his final memory is that of his boys. The added emotional weight makes his death pretty overwhelming.
5. Charlie Pace, Jin-Soo Kwon & Sun-Hwa Kwon – ‘Lost’
‘Lost‘ leaves its audiences devastated not with one but three deaths. Charlie Pace, Jin-Soo Kwon, and Sun-Hwa Kwon die together in a hurtful narrative. While Charlie sacrifices himself heroically, Jin and Sun die in a submarine.
6. Joyce Summers – ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘ adds a perfectly humane touch to the storyline of the show with the death of Joyce Summers. Though the TV show has a supernatural backdrop, Joyce’s death from a brain aneurysm shows that it is but a show with human tragedy in it. The death in season five leaves the audience heartbroken.
7. Rita Morgan – ‘Dexter’
The Trinity Killer storyline on the show ‘Dexter‘ reaches a devastating climax with the death of Rita Morgan. Rita is Dexter’s love interest and wife. As she dies at the hands of Trinity, the story gets chillier. The death is not just tragic, it also adds a layer of complexity to the storyline.
8. Hank Schrader – ‘Breaking Bad’
‘Breaking Bad‘ is full of morally complex characters, where the audience may struggle with picking their sides. And yet, some characters are simply easier to love. Hank Schrader’s character on the show stands out as the TV show’s beacon of goodness. Killed at the hands of Jack Welker, Hank’s death is a tense and hurtful moment.
9. Mark Greene – ‘ER’
While medical shows have deaths as a part of the drill, Mark Greene’s death on ‘ER‘ comes off as particularly hurtful. Mark dies of brain cancer. What makes the scene more painful is his daughter Rachel by his side when he breathes his last.
10. Opie Winston – ‘Sons of Anarchy’
Opie Winston’s death leaves the viewers with the one recurring, haunting question: “Why is it always the wholesome characters?” Opie Winston’s death is sacrificial on the TV show ‘Sons of Anarchy‘. A family man at heart, Opie’s death comes off as a gut-wrenching development in the story as he sacrifices himself to save others.
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11. Marvin Eriksen, Sr. – ‘How I Met Your Mother’
Though it is a sitcom, ‘How I Met Your Mother‘ has its own share of hard blows. The death of Marvin Eriksen’s character, who plays Marshall’s loving father, dies on the show leaving the viewers heartbroken. His warmth and support make him an extremely beloved character on the TV show. He dies of a heart attack after helping Marshall, which makes his death all the more tragic.
12. Glenn Rhee – ‘The Walking Dead’
‘The Walking Dead‘ gives a shocking blow to the show’s fans with the death of Glenn Rhee. The character has been a fan favorite since the first season. He is killed at the hands of Negan. The way he is killed defies expectations, proving that the TV show can still leave viewers haunted by its violence.
13. Wallace – ‘The Wire’
David Simon’s ‘The Wire‘ is a show known for exploring the harsh realities of Baltimore’s institutions. The death of young drug dealer Wallace on the show is particularly devastating. Played by Stringer Bell’s orders, Wallace’s character dies after leaving an impact on the viewers with his pure and lovable character.
14. Haley Brooks – ‘Criminal Minds’
In the 100th episode of ‘Criminal Minds‘, Haley Brooks, the ex-wife of Aaron Hotchner, dies at the hands of serial killer George Foyet. The death becomes even more hurtful as Haley says goodbye to Aaron and their son Jack.
15. Bob Newby – ‘Stranger Things’
The sci-fi thriller ‘Stranger Things‘ is a Netflix hit, but it has its own ways of hurting the audience — the most hurtful one being Bob’s death. Bob Newby’s character, played by Sean Astin, is arguably the most lovable and kind character on the TV show. Bob helps Joyce’s family heal and meets a gruesome death as he gets mauled by demodogs in front of Joyce.
16. Ben Sullivan – ‘Scrubs’
The lovable character of Ben Sullivan played by Brendan Fraser dies in the third season of ‘Scrubs‘ in a rather unexpected turn. Though the episode initially seems like a cheerful one, his death comes out of nowhere. Dr. Cox’s imagination reveals that Ben died earlier. The emotional impact it leaves, coupled with the brilliant editing, make it one of TV’s most devastating deaths.
17. Howard Hamlin – ‘Better Call Saul’
While ‘Breaking Bad’ went down in history as an amazing show, its spin-off ‘Better Call Saul’ was also a hit as it intertwined storylines in a dramatic collision. Howard Hamlin’s character dies a horrific death on the show. Jimmy’s old boss becomes a target of unpredictable Lalo Salamanca and kills one of the TV show’s few moral characters.
18. Adriana La Cerva – ‘The Sopranos’
‘The Sopranos’ is a tough show, but it delivers a gut-punch with Adriana La Cerva’s death. Though her character has a very conspicuous and rather despicably opportunistic behavior, Adriana’s death saddened many people. Her loyalty is also evident when she becomes an FBI mole, which makes her character a bit lovable. Her death at the hands of Tony Soprano comes out of nowhere and leaves us heartbroken along with a betrayal from the family.
19. Jonathan Kent – ‘Smallville’
Played by John Schneider, the character of Jonathan Kent dies of a heart attack in the 100th episode of the TV show ‘Smallville’. It also plays a crucial role in the storyline of the show. Clark Kent’s character on the show has a protective adoptive father who is just trying to protect his son’s secret. But he loses him in the process, which makes the death even more painful.
20. Lewis Young – ‘Flashpoint’
The list ends with the emotional sacrifice by Lewis Young from the Canadian cop series ‘Flashpoint’. Lewis’s character is a member of the SRU Team One. His death comes as a shock as he tries to disarm a bomb to save one of his teammates. As if the death was not enough, Spike’s devastated reaction to his death left us all in sobs.
So there goes the list of the saddest moments on the history of TV history.
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