From beloved characters to fan favorites, these TV deaths didn't just shock viewers - they marked the beginning of the end for their shows. Join us as we count down the most impactful character departures that left audiences heartbroken and series struggling to recover.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most momentous character
00:07deaths that really knocked the life out of TV shows.
00:10Oh yeah, and heads up, massive spoiler alert, you have been warned.
00:26Before Charlie Sheen's infamous fallout with Chuck Lorre, he was the lifeblood of
00:36this comedy show.
00:44As the carefree Charlie Harper, Sheen brought an effortless charm that made the series shine.
00:48For eight seasons, fans couldn't get enough of the hilarity that ensued between him, his
00:52uptight brother and his nephew, until he was killed off and replaced with Ashton Kutcher.
00:57Sure, Kutcher brought his own flair, but something was missing and the show never felt the same
01:02again.
01:03And Charlie's death?
01:04Well, it was bizarre.
01:05First, he explodes like a balloon in Paris, according to Rose, then pops up in the finale,
01:09only to be crushed by a piano.
01:19That certainly felt less like closure, and more like Lorre's final jab at Sheen.
01:38It still stings, doesn't it?
01:39Over a decade later, this heartbreaking death from the CBS legal drama hits just as hard.
01:44Will's shocking end came in season five, when he was gunned down right in the courtroom.
01:57By then, he'd won over countless fans with his undeniable chemistry with Alicia.
02:01Their steamy but complicated romance, and his support during her husband's scandal,
02:05made him feel like an essential piece in the puzzle that was her character arc.
02:13So when the writers abruptly killed him off, it hit like a gut punch.
02:18His absence left a gaping hole in both the story and Alicia's life.
02:21For many fans, it wasn't just Will's end, but that of the show as well.
02:32Forget Angelus or Joyce, this unjustifiable death hurt the most.
02:43That's the thing with well-written characters, you grow so attached to them, that when they
02:46suddenly die, it feels like your heart has been ripped out.
02:53A beloved member of Buffy's circle, Terra's tragic backstory added more depth to the show,
02:58and drew many to her.
03:00Not to mention, her relationship with Willow was a bright spot fans couldn't get enough
03:03of.
03:04Then, out of nowhere, Terra was killed by a stray bullet meant for Buffy.
03:10Sure, her death served as a plot device to push Willow over the edge, but couldn't
03:16that have happened without shattering our hearts?
03:18Honestly, if anyone in the Buffyverse deserved a happy ending, it was Terra.
03:37It's just a TV character, right?
03:41So why are we in tears?
03:43Because Opie Winston wasn't just any character, he was also the heart of this biker drama.
03:47A tragic figure who endured so much, Opie was one of the show's purest yet most flawed
03:52souls.
04:00His deep bond with Jax resonated with fans, making him feel like family.
04:04As if being wrongfully accused and losing his wife and father weren't enough, Opie
04:07died in one of the most awful ways.
04:09In a gut-wrenching act of sacrifice, he was beaten to death as Jax and others watched
04:14helplessly.
04:15Noble?
04:16Sure.
04:17Yet, it felt heartbreakingly cruel.
04:24Though his death motivated Jax's actions in season five, a crucial piece of the show
04:28was forever gone.
04:42All three Halliwell sisters were the soul of this fantasy drama.
04:45Their romantic escapades, sisterly dynamics and journey to mastering their magical powers
04:50warmed our hearts and kept us hugged for years.
04:58Prue was the kick-ass leader of the group, but in season four, she disappeared suddenly
05:02after being thrown against the wall in the season three finale.
05:05A pretty absurd end for someone who had survived far worse.
05:13It came across as a hurried attempt to write the character off in light of Shannon Doherty's
05:17departure from the series.
05:18Truth is, Prue was irreplaceable.
05:20Her chemistry with her sisters was the show's real magic, and replacing her with another
05:24sister just didn't hit the same.
05:26Without her, the show lost much of its charm.
05:39There were plenty of lovable and formidable characters in this CW post-apocalyptic show,
05:43and Bellamy was one of the most endearing.
05:46She started off as a hot-headed obstacle to Clarke's leadership, but eventually became
05:49a pillar of strength and hope for others.
05:57So how do we explain the drastic shift in his character towards the end?
06:01Did actor Bob Morley have some beef with the show creators?
06:04Why else would they turn his character into a traitor, then have him killed by his best
06:08friend?
06:15Whatever the reason, it was a huge misstep that ruined the entire experience for many
06:19fans.
06:20And let's not even get started with Lexa, who was also killed off for no good reason
06:23when she clearly deserved far better.
06:40When did this epic show start to go downhill?
06:43Perhaps when the mighty Ragnar gradually became a shadow of his former self.
06:46Then, when he was killed off in season four, the show totally lost its spark.
06:50The legend himself started off as a farmer to a heroic raider, eventually becoming a
06:55Scandinavian king who deserved a send-off worthy of his stature.
07:03Instead, his death was shockingly undignified.
07:09While his end probably aligned with historical sources, killing them off in such a demeaning
07:13manner and dragging the series on felt pointless.
07:20No matter how fierce his sons were, they just couldn't fill Travis Fimmel's shoes.
07:23Though the show didn't completely fall apart, its charm disappeared with Ragnar's execution.
07:36Poussey Washington, Orange is the New Black.
07:43This widely acclaimed prison show, which explores the lives of women in prison, introduced us
07:48to some unforgettable characters, one of whom was Poussey.
07:51Saving time for a non-violent offence, Poussey was one of the sweetest and most harmless
07:55inmates.
07:56Yet, her death was one of the hardest to watch.
07:58It happened in the season four finale, when she was pinned down and suffocated during
08:02a peaceful protest.
08:11To some fans, her death was one of the show's biggest mistakes, and we couldn't agree
08:15more.
08:16Her good-natured charm brought a balance the show desperately needed, and her death left
08:19a void nothing could replace.
08:21But even her final smile could appease us for the pain of losing her.
08:39Perhaps the creators of this HBO show didn't want it to be remembered fondly, so they wrapped
08:44things up in a colossal mess.
08:46Dany's death at the hands of Jon Snow.
08:48I mean, how do you explain that?
09:01How did she go from liberator to ruthless conqueror, laying waste to innocent lives?
09:05For many fans, this marked the show's decline, and her death sealed its fate.
09:09After everything the Mother of Dragons went through to reclaim her birthright, she's
09:12revealed just when King's Landing is within reach.
09:18Dany's last moment felt rushed and totally out of sync with her narrative arc.
09:25Sure, no ending will satisfy every fan, but this was a spectacular failure on all fronts.
09:31To this day, season eight remains a sore spot.
09:37Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
09:41Of Quinn, you.
09:42Because it was the very death of true love.
09:49Derek Shepard, Grey's Anatomy.
09:50Because this beloved character's shocking death ruined it for all of us.
10:00Lance Sweet, bones.
10:02His sudden death left a void that the series struggled to fill.
10:11Rita Morgan, Dexter.
10:13Dexter wasn't the only one lost after her death, the entire series was.
10:20Kenny Stoughton, Killing Eve.
10:22The show started falling apart with this sweet kid's demise.
10:52It's always devastating when you invest in a character's journey, watch them grow
10:55and root for them all the way, just to have them suddenly snatched away.
10:58But in the violent world of The Walking Dead, that is the norm I suppose.
11:02This was the case with Glenn, whose savage death left fans in mourning.
11:10Just as they began to recover, Carl's tragic end followed, killing the show's future.
11:15Despite becoming a tough survivor, he dies from a zombie bite.
11:24It's such an anticlimactic end for someone who symbolised a beacon of hope in this grim
11:34world.
11:35To many, it was one of the show's worst mistakes, offering little more than shock
11:38value and leaving fans numb and uninterested in whatever came next.
11:46So which major character's death in a TV show hurt you the most?
11:49Let us know in the comments section.