Top 10 TV Revenge Kills of the Last Decade
#10: Tamara
“Once Upon a Time” (2011-18) Murder. Kidnapping. Plotting to destroy all of Storybrooke. You name it, Tamara was probably guilty of it at some point. But, for what it’s worth, she spends her final moments truly sorry for all the pain she’s caused. Not that Rumplestiltskin, A.K.A. Mr. Gold, seems to care. Rather than accepting her apology, he reaches into Tamara’s chest and quite literally breaks her heart. It’s a ghastly way to go out, and yet, it’s hard not to feel a little vindicated at the same time. After all, Tamara chose her path a very long time ago, and it was never going to end with a happily-ever-after.
#9: Charles Pike
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“The 100” (2014-20) Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially if that woman is named Octavia Blake. Then again, Pike totally had it coming. His first mistake was killing Octavia’s beloved, Lincoln, and his second was thinking she’d ever forgive him. In reality, she only kept the xenophobic general around to help fight the corrupt AI, A.L.I.E..Then, once he’d fulfilled his purpose, she promptly put a blade through his gut. There’s no warning, no grand speech, and no final fight. Pike’s murder almost feels anticlimactic, and in a way, that makes it even crueler. Either way, the message is loud and clear: don’t get on Octavia’s bad side.
#8: Grant Ward
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-20) As an undercover HYDRA operative who infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.’s elite squad, Ward’s betrayal wasn’t just jaw-dropping. It was personal. Thankfully, he got his comeuppance in due time. Mostly via a drawn-out slugfest with his former boss, Phil Coulson. Each and every one of these blows is downright painful to watch. Not just because it’s a fist-fight for the fate of S.H.I.E.L.D., but because Coulson’s battling someone he once considered a friend. A friend that’s now way-past the point of redemption. In the end, Coulson’s killing blow only channels one feeling, and it’s not remorse. It’s pure, blood-stained retribution.
#7: Oliver Saxon, A.K.A. the Brain Surgeon
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“Dexter” (2006-13) Over the years, Dexter Morgan has killed people in all sorts of dementedly creative ways. But, in the series finale, all he needed was a pen. Dexter’s a reasonable guy, though. He warns Saxon about his imminent death, and even lets the so-called Brain Surgeon make the first move. Regardless, this is Dexter’s game to win. With a few quick moves, he fulfills his promise, leaving Saxon a bleeding corpse on the floor. Poetically, the last thing the Brain Surgeon ever sees is the face of the one guy he could never beat. Hey, say what you will about Dexter’s methods, but at least he’s a man of his word.
#6: Frat Boys
“American Horror Story: Coven” (2013-14) As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid messing with vengeful, young witches, and nights like this are precisely the reason why. When a group of college players do unspeakable things to Madison’s unconscious body, she decides to personally dole out justice. To her, that looks a lot like capital punishment. Flipping a bus like a toy car is a bit dramatic, but if the screams are any indication, it got the job done. Madison certainly thinks so. Without so much as a word, she turns her heel and marches away. Her flippancy says it all; these college bros won’t live to hurt anyone, ever again.
#5: Gemma Teller Morrow
“Sons of Anarchy” (2008-14) From the moment Gemma walks in the front door, her time is up. She knows it, Jax knows it, and most of all, the audience knows it. In a way, her death felt inevitable as soon as she killed her daughter-in-law, Tara. It’s only fitting that Jax, Gemma’s son and Tara’s widow, gets to finish her off. But, that doesn’t make the goodbye any easier to swallow. The only silver lining is that Jax honors his mother’s last request to die in the flower garden. And yet, by the time Gemma’s body finally hits the ground, we’d bet there’s not a single dry eye left - either on-screen, or at home.
#4: High Commander Winslow
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“The Handmaid's Tale” (2017-) High-ranking official or not, anyone who tries to force themselves onto June is asking for it. Commander Winslow thinks a little rough-housing will put her in her place. But, it does the exact opposite. June fights, struggles, and resists until, finally, she picks up a pen. From there, let’s just say she proves exactly why the pen is mightier than the sword. Somehow, though, that’s not even the end of it. Despite Winslow's begging, June uses a heavy statue to put him to bed, permanently. Is it grisly? Yes, absolutely. However, that part’s easy to forget when you're caught up in the thrill of June reclaiming her bodily autonomy.
#3: The Hunters
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“The Walking Dead” (2010-22) Despite taking place in the zombie apocalypse, the only ones eating human flesh here are Gareth and his lackeys. That’s right, these “Hunters” are cannibals, and they sure aren’t shy about it. Luckily, neither is Rick when it comes to giving them their just desserts. Ever the showman, he lures Gareth’s squad into a church, and then shows them their maker in exceedingly bloody fashion. It’s not quick, it’s not painless, and it’s not pretty. In fact, it’s so brutal, Glenn and Maggie can barely stomach watching at all. But, considering just how many people the Hunter’s turned into meals, this is still getting off easy.
#2: Jack Welker & His Gang
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“Breaking Bad” (2008-13) There’s a whole lot of reasons to hate Jack, Todd, and the rest of the crew. They killed Hank, they tortured Jesse, they murdered Andrea. The list goes on and on. It took a while, but in “Breaking Bad’s” final episode, Jack’s team finally got what they deserved. In this case, that meant death by a jury-rigged machine gun in Walt’s trunk. It’s a moment that practically deserves a standing ovation, and yet, it somehow gets even better. After the machine gun clears the way, Jesse gets to finish Todd, Walt gets to finish Jack, and all is right in the world. Suffice it to say, “Breaking Bad” really did go out with a bang.
#1: The Freys
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“Game of Thrones” (2011-19) The Frey Family had wealth, influence, and an army. Arya Stark, on the other hand? She only had a list. But, clearly, that’s all she needed to bake Walder Frey some humble pie. Oh, and the secret ingredient? It’s his own sons. He doesn’t live long enough to dwell on that fact, though. Nothing may ever truly make up for the horror of the Red Wedding, but this comes pretty damn close. In hindsight, the sixth season of “Game of Thrones” had a lot of vengeance going around. An episode before Walder Frey’s death, Sansa got to watch Ramsay Bolton as he was literally thrown to the hounds. Evidently, no one does revenge quite like the Starks.
