Top 10 Best Dexter Kills
#9: Lila West
“The British Invasion” Lila Tournay, or Lila West, is a toxic influence on Dexter, which he realizes after she tries to eliminate Rita and the kids. She seals her own fate after causing the demise of James Doakes. Knowing that finishing Lila off is now an option, Dexter’s first attempt fails but he makes sure he gets another. Despite Lila’s escape to France, Dexter arrives to incapacitate her. In a rare act of mercy, he makes her last moments painless, although Doakes is avenged. After watching Lila destroy Dexter’s life, and eliminate the innocent Doakes, it’s worth seeing her get what she had coming. It also fits into Dexter and Lila’s twisted romance, with Lila receiving the grand gesture she kept wanting Dexter to make for her.
#8: Travis Marshall/The Doomsday Killer
“The Is the Way the World Ends” Travis Marshall becomes the Doomsday Killer when he convinces himself he’s on a divine mission of killing people. Travis and Dexter’s conflict reaches its breaking point when he abducts Dexter’s son, which makes things very personal. Dexter ends up outsmarting Travis to capture him, in order to bring an end to Travis with poetic justice. The conversation preceding the kill is what makes the big impression, as Dexter and Travis share their contrasting beliefs in faith and the inevitable. There’s a definite sense of tension during this sequence as Debra’s arrival is imminent, which leaves a whole lot of ambiguity in the air when the killing blow lands. Travis’ demise leaves the season with a perfect mix of shock and intrigue.
#7: Boyd Fowler
“Practically Perfect” Dexter is more of a vigilante in the fifth season, where he takes down the gang behind the barrel girl killings. Uncovering The Finisher’s identity, Dexter falls into a tight situation when Boyd manages to simultaneously render him unconscious. However, he eventually outsmarts Boyd at his house, creating a makeshift kill room to maintain his ritual. Dexter even describes Boyd’s victims to him since he doesn’t have his stock of photos. Having recently lost his wife Rita, Dexter sees this as his way to carry on with his life and deliver retribution to men who find pleasure in harming female victims. We’re encouraged to root for Dexter because of Boyd’s lack of remorse, and it’s grimly fitting he meets a gruesome end just like his victims did.
#6: Dr. Emmett Meridian
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“Shrink Wrap” A psychiatrist who gained a sadistic sense of pleasure by influencing women in power to take their own lives, Emmett Meridian falls on Dexter’s radar. Funny enough, the sessions Dexter undergoes just to get close to Meridian actually end up helping, although they’re still not good enough to get the doctor off the hook. Dexter chooses to scare Meridian before capturing him, openly admitting to being a serial killer and then making his move. The kill is mainly significant because it’s one of the first times that Dexter’s code borders on vigilantism, as he ensures the doctor doesn’t emotionally manipulate anyone else. It’s a mixture of dark comedy and the sense of thrill that Dexter evokes whenever a plan comes together perfectly.
#5: Zoey Kruger
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“Dex Takes a Holiday” While Dexter isn’t supposed to be a good person, his actions do often deliver justice where it should have been served. Dexter deduces Zoey Kruger as the person who took the life of her child and blamed it on her husband, and realizes she’s a shrewd tactician who’s onto him. Zoey proves to be a tough target for Dexter to catch, before successfully luring her to his house and then capturing her. Zoey is the victim who confirms to Dexter that he truly does appreciate having a family, and that there might be monsters worse than him out there. Dexter makes Zoey realize that her actions were an excuse to run away from responsibility, and, in his way, taking her life is Dexter being responsible.
#4: Oliver Saxon/The Brain Surgeon
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“Remember the Monsters?” The villain who deals Dexter’s life in Miami the overwhelming blow is Oliver Saxon, also known as the Brain Surgeon. Dexter manages to catch Saxon, but lets Debra apprehend him. This comes back to haunt Dexter, as Debra eventually ends up brain-dead after Saxon’s attack on her. Filled with vengeance, Dexter arrives at the jail under the pretense of doing his job. In a chilling show of Dexter’s mastery in killing, he outright tells Saxon his intentions to finish him off with a pen. This leads to a fight to the death where Dexter delivers on his promise. As the final villain in the original series, Saxon gets a distinct and memorable send-off, while the kill itself is cathartic for Dexter for the retribution he gains.
#3: Miguel Prado
“I Had a Dream” Miguel becomes Dexter’s best friend after Dexter learns he accepts him for his dark passenger. As it turned out, Miguel was using Dexter from the beginning so he could become a killer himself, with the two falling out big-time. When Miguel targets Maria LaGuerta, Dexter steps in to put an end to the monster he’s made. Ambushing Miguel where he thought he was going to find Maria, Dexter then straps his former friend to his kill table. This moment brings out the real Miguel, whose lies to sway Dexter’s intentions fall on deaf ears. Miguel’s elimination confirms Dexter’s status as the apex predator, with their relationship brought to a close through an appropriately violent end.
#2: Brian Moser/The Ice Truck Killer
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“Born Free” This is Dexter’s most heartbreaking kill: Brian is his own brother. After learning Debra’s boyfriend is actually the Ice Truck killer — his brother masquerading with a different identity to get close to Dexter — Dexter nearly gives in to Brian’s proposal to team up. However, he has no choice but to turn the tables on Brian when he realizes that Brian intends to take Debra’s life. While Dexter is usually gleeful when he has someone on the kill table, this one plays like a true tragedy. Having seen Dexter claim he can’t feel human emotions, we watch as he breaks down after ending his brother for good. It’s incredible how the show makes us feel bad for two serial killers in one scene. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Ray Speltzer/The Minotaur Slayer, “Run”
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George King/The Skinner, “Do You Take Dexter Morgan?”
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Clint McKay, "The Dark… Whatever"
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#1: Arthur Mitchell/The Trinity Killer
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“The Getaway” The Trinity Killer’s death is something that fans looked forward to the whole season. Arthur Mitchell’s reign of terror comes to an end when Dexter ambushes him. He’s brought to a unique kill room adorned by the pictures of the many people Arthur slew over the years, along with reminders of his childhood. The most interesting aspect of this kill is how Arthur gradually shifts from horror to complete acceptance of his fate. It’s to the point where Dexter feels the shift in control and brings an end to the Trinity Killer, and thinks he’s won. Arthur’s acceptance is understood when Dexter returns home to find his own wife dead, thus adding an additional layer of horrifying subtext to The Trinity Killer’s death scene.
