Top 20 TV Character Deaths that Hurt the Show
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the major character deaths that had a negative impact on a show’s quality and reputation. Did you stop watching after these deaths? Let us know in the comments below!
#20: Bobby Singer
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“Supernatural” (2005-20)
Let’s be honest, “Supernatural” was already going downhill by season seven. The show was intended to end with the season five finale “Swan Song,” and for some fans, that remains the definitive and canonical ending. But the show kept chugging along, and we got the unfortunate death of Bobby Singer in the seventh season episode “Death’s Door.” The gruff father figure was a huge fan favorite, bringing some much-welcomed levity and warmth. His death wasn’t entirely necessary, and they just kept bringing him back anyway, so really, what was the point? It seemed like “Supernatural” had no idea what to do with Bobby (or itself for that matter), and for many, it was further proof that the show should have ended earlier.
#19: Love Quinn
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“You” (2018-)
The little Lifetime-to-Netflix show that could, “You” is sort of like “Dexter,” portraying a serial killer who meets a woman and falls in love. In this case, that woman is Love Quinn. Love is quite similar to Joe, her kind and caring exterior hiding a sociopathic reality. Fans loved her complexity and the interesting dynamic she shared with Joe, which made it all the more painful when Joe killed her with a dose of aconite. Many people couldn’t believe that Love was dead and some questioned if it was permanent, perhaps fearing what the show would become without her. Indeed, “You” seemed to peak with her death, as the reception to season four - and Love’s replacement Kate - was rather lukewarm.
#18: Laurel Lance a.k.a. Black Canary
“Arrow” (2012-20)
It took fans some time to warm up to Laurel Lance, but once they did, they didn’t want to let her go. Well, they were forced to do just that when it came to season four’s “Eleven-Fifty-Nine.” Laurel is stabbed by Darhk and dies in the hospital, which prompted a fierce backlash from the fans. Neither they nor television critics were happy with the decision, arguing that Black Canary was underutilized and that with her death, the show was losing a major source of its heart. Furthermore, some criticized the handling of the death itself, mad that Laurel died without much of a fight. Season four is widely disliked among the “Arrow” fanbase, with Laurel’s death being a major reason for their harsh criticism.
#17: Chef
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“South Park” (1997-)
Sometimes behind the scenes drama gets in the way of a good show. Case in point - “South Park.” Chef was a widely beloved character, often praised for his intelligence and the hilarious (and often inappropriate) advice he doles out to the children. But voice actor Isaac Hayes left the show in 2006, claiming that it had grown bigoted and intolerant of others. But the truth, relayed by Hayes’s son, is that others made the decision for him after he had suffered a stroke. Regardless, the gruesome death of Chef was a major blow to “South Park,” and while the show continued long after his departure, it was never quite the same.
#16: Curtis Donovan
“Misfits” (2009-13)
This one can’t all be blamed on Curtis, as his departure just ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back. “Misfits” follows five delinquents who end up getting super powers after being struck by lightning. Boosted by a terrific cast and some brilliantly dark writing, viewers quickly became enamored with the gang. Then they started to drop like flies, with Alisha Daniels’ departure being a particular downer. By Season 4, Curtis was the only original character left, surrounded by newbies that were not fun enough to carry the show on their own. The writing remained great, but it was hard to feel invested once the entire gang disappeared.
#15: Marissa Cooper
“The O.C.” (2003-07)
There is nothing worse than a meaningless death, especially when it comes completely out of nowhere. In its first year, “The O.C.” proved to be a massive hit, but was in decline just two years later. Showing that they were truly out of ideas, the writers decided to spice things up by axing off a main character. Marissa drew the short straw and bowed out after a tragic car accident. Sure, the moment served its purpose. It shocked viewers so much that they forgot to tune in for Season 4.
#14: Dan Conner
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“Roseanne” (1988-97; 2018)
It’s amazing how quickly the reputation of “Roseanne” turned. The show was a beloved cultural institution, but the ninth season was widely panned, as was the series finale “Into That Good Night.” It reveals that the events of the controversial season were made up by a depressed Roseanne, who had been imagining a happy life as a coping mechanism. In reality, the Connors did not win the lottery, and even worse, Dan had actually died following his heart attack in “The Wedding!” The deception was not received well, and neither was Dan’s sudden death. The tenth season brought Dan back and looked to undo the damage of its predecessor, but Barr ruined it by posting racist remarks on Twitter and getting the show canceled.
#13: Lance Sweets
“Bones” (2005-17)
These types of procedural shows don’t often kill main characters, but “Bones” is the rare exception. Despite being introduced in the show’s third season, Lance Sweets fit right in and quickly became a fan favorite. In no time at all, it was like he was always there. But we took his presence for granted, and he was shot by Navy SEAL Kenneth Emory in the tenth season premiere “The Conspiracy in the Corpse.” Sweets bleeds out in a parking garage, telling Booth and Bones that the world is a good place. He was the only major character to die, and his death was a major blow to the series. It would continue for two more seasons, but it was never the same without Sweets.
#12: Derek Shepherd
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“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
This medical drama belonged to one man, and that was Patrick Dempsey. The character of Derek Shepherd was enormously popular, known far and wide for his sex appeal, fun bromance with Mark Sloan, and romantic relationship with Meredith Grey. And while George O’Malley’s death was certainly devastating, it was nothing compared to Derek’s. Derek is hit by a truck in season eleven’s “How to Save a Life” and is later pulled off life support by Meredith. While the performance of Ellen Pompeo was widely praised, Derek’s death received a mixed response. Some praised the unpredictable nature of the death, but others criticized the handling of Derek’s departure and questioned the future narrative direction of the show.
#11: Lexa
“The 100” (2014-20)
In the first few episodes, this CW post-apocalyptic drama felt like a poor retelling of “Lord of the Flies.” This changed with the introduction of the Grounders, humans that survived the end of the world. They were not only the most entertaining part of the series, but the main characters became considerably more interesting once they started developing relationships with them. The Grounders' Commander, the complex Lexa, was introduced in Season 2 and quickly became one of the best characters on the show before being done in by a stray bullet a year later. This unexpected and anticlimactic death zapped the energy from season 3, which took “The 100” a whole year to recover from.
#10: Sun & Jin
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“Lost” (2004-10)
ABC’s complicated series didn't hesitate to kill off beloved characters, so this one was far from a surprise. Spending eons apart before finally reuniting in Season 6, the couple ended up stuck in the sinking Dharma submarine. As the vessel filled with water, Jin decided to drown alongside his trapped wife, repeating that he will never leave her alone again. Admittedly, this tragic moment did lead well into the series finale, but it killed off two of the only remaining major characters. As the couple was still part of the alternative timeline, this felt like a cheap attempt to tug at our heartstrings. Plus, did Jin forget that he had a daughter waiting for him?
#9: The Mother
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“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
Some deaths are so stupid or unnecessary that they retroactively hurt the entire show. Following a rather subpar season, the finale of “How I Met Your Mother” felt more like a slap to the face than a satisfying climax to nine years of content. Ted finally finishes his story about how he met his children's mother before revealing that she died and he wants to date Robin again. Yes, you heard it right – Ted decided to explain in excruciating detail every single woman he dated to his children who had recently LOST their mother. Frankly, that is just not good parenting.
#8: Poussey Washington
“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19)
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name, “Orange Is the New Black” starred an ensemble cast of terrific characters, including the gentle Poussey Washington. A mainstay of the first four seasons, Poussey was arguably the sweetest character on the show, and she became widely beloved within the fanbase. Unfortunately, she meets her demise at the end of the fourth season, when she’s suffocated by CO Bayley. Her death was met with immediate outrage, not just by the fans, but by the cast members as well, who disagreed with Jenji Kohan’s decision to kill off such a beloved character. Their worries were well founded - Poussey’s death brought upon the divisive plot of season five, which is usually regarded as the show’s weakest.
#7: Jimmy Darmody
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“Boardwalk Empire” (2010-14)
An HBO series where a main character is killed off? Why, we never heard of such a thing! “Boardwalk Empire” seemed destined to be the new “Sopranos,” before shooting itself in the foot at the end of the second season. Jimmy's death was inevitable, as the wounds left by his time fighting during World War I never really healed, but it still hurt like hell when it finally happened. After failing to take out his mentor in a botched assassination attempt, Nucky got his revenge by blowing Jimmy's brains out. The series subsequently ran for a couple Jimmy-less seasons and was not better for it.
#6: Brian Griffin
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“Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-)
Viewers do not seem to agree about when “Family Guy” lost the plot. Some say that it was around season eight, others believe that everything after its revival sucks, and a few would go as far as to say it was always terrible. By the time Season 12 started, nothing Seth MacFarlane cooked up could possibly surprise us – except, maybe, killing one of the Griffins. So, Brian got hit by a car and went to doggy heaven. The surprisingly poignant episode hit home for anyone who ever lost a pet, but two episodes later, Stewie goes back in time and saves him – making the whole thing pointless and manipulative.
#5: Charlie Harper
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“Two and a Half Men” (2003-15)
Someone, please explain to Chuck Lorre the difference between fiction and reality. After a falling out with Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men” lost its leading man and had to bring in a replacement, in the form of Ashton Kutcher's Walden. Despite Kelso's best efforts, Walden and Alan failed to replicate any of the chemistry seen between the two brothers. To be fair, Lorre's decision to spend all of Season 9 pissing on Charlie's character to get back at Sheen certainly did not help. Adding insult to injury, they dragged Charlie back in the series finale to once again kill him off in pathetic fashion.
#4: Daenerys Targaryen
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“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
Let’s be honest here, “Game of Thrones” collapsed harder than the Red Keep. The complaints concerning season eight are many, including its treatment of certain beloved characters. For example, Jaime Lannister reversed his character arc for no discernible reason and died embracing Cersei in King’s Landing. But that was nothing compared to Daenerys’ storyline. Her rapid heel turn from hero to villain was universally criticized, with most arguing that it was poorly and ineffectively handled. And her death at the hands of Jon, while thematically satisfying, was also quite clunky. It was one of many blemishes on the show’s final season and a major reason for its infamously negative reception.
#3: Glenn Rhee
“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)
We commend this show for having the guts to kill off Glenn, but it was not the right move. Glenn met his demise at the start of season seven, getting viciously beaten by the psychotic Negan. The scene was met with a mixed response - while some praised its devotion to the source material, others hated that they killed off Glenn and criticized the excessive violence of his beating. Regardless of personal opinion, the scene is considered a major turning point in the show’s quality, and both critical reception and viewership rapidly plummeting after Glenn’s departure. What faithful viewers remained were outraged the very next season, when Carl Grimes took his own life after getting bitten.
#2: Maude Flanders
“The Simpsons” (1989-)
“Alone Again, Natura-Diddily” is not the worst “Simpsons” episode ever, but it is the one that had arguably the worst impact. Maude Flanders was hardly anyone's favorite character, but she served as an able enough straight woman to the countless insane characters that populate Springfield. Unlike everything that came before it, her death could not be reversed or ignored - it changed “The Simpsons” forever. Ignoring that Homer is at his absolute jerkiest during this episode, her departure ruined Ned's character, as he became a caricature of the person he used to be. He even goes on dates in the same episode Maude dies! Have some class, man.
#1: Rita Morgan
“Dexter” (2006-13)
Dexter – the show and character – lost everything when he found Rita lying motionless in their bathtub. During the climax to a season-long storyline, which saw the serial killer in a battle of wits and body parts with John Lithgow's Trinity Killer, Dexter arrived home to find the family life he had worked so hard to build shattered. The episode itself is damn near perfect, but Julie Benz's departure threw the series out of balance. She was the fire to Dexter's ice and together they formed the heart of the show. Despite trying to replace her time and time again, Dexter continued to fall short.
