Top 20 Most Shocking TV Deaths Ever
#20: Eddie Munson
“Stranger Things” (2016-)
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“Stranger Things” has had several surprise deaths during its run, and while Bob’s heartbreaking death also had many of us in shock, we’re going for a more recent one. Eddie Munson was a breakout character in the show’s fourth season, with his charisma and quest for justice endearing him to many. In the end, however, the Hawkins gang’s risky plan results in Eddie’s downfall. The Upside Down is not a place you want to spend a ton of time, unless you don’t mind getting into it with some bats. Eddie’s sacrifice to save Dustin and ensure the team’s success is probably the most metal thing he’s ever done. Rock on, Eddie, rock on.
#19: Derek Shepherd
“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
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Yeah, they really killed McDreamy. Dr. Derek Shepherd is on his way to the airport when he witnesses a car crash. After saving multiple people, he gets back in his car and pulls out into the road when he’s distracted by his phone. Unfortunately, he’s struck by a truck soon after and taken to the hospital. Frustratingly, both he and Dr. Penny Blake know that he needs a C.T. scan, but he can’t speak and she’s ignored. By the time his doctors learn what he needs, Derek is braindead and he’s taken off life support. Meredith’s goodbye still breaks our hearts.
#18: Zoe Barnes
“House of Cards” (2013-18)
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Zoe Barnes is an up-and-coming journalist, whose relationship with unscrupulous politician Frank Underwood helps advance her career. However, during a clandestine meeting with Underwood in a subway station, she seals her own doom. To clear the air between them, Zoe deletes all evidence on her phone of their connection. She also voices her suspicions about odd details in the death of Peter Russo, whom Frank murdered, unbeknown to her. Rather than subvert her investigation, Frank simply pushes her in front of an oncoming train! With hindsight, this one became obvious, but in the moment, we’re all nearly as shocked as everyone on that train platform!
#17: Logan Roy
“Succession” (2018-23)
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As the patriarch of the wealthy Roy family, the prospect of Logan dying is in the back of the audience's minds from the beginning - it’s in the series’ title, after all. However, we still weren’t prepared for when it happened. The way this all unfolds, over a phone call to his children is perhaps what makes it all so surprising. We find out in real time what happened to Tom, exactly the way Kendall and Roman find out. Their reactions are some of the most realistic we’ve ever seen on TV and it makes for a particularly harrowing experience for everyone, including the audience who feels like they're right there with the brothers.
#16: Howard Hamlin
“Better Call Saul” (2015-22)
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The eponymous Saul Goodman (or Jimmy McGill) and Kim Wexler enjoy pulling schemes together, but their plan to humiliate Howard Hamlin’s reputation ends in unmitigated disaster. The duo make it seem as if their smarmy, yet well-meaning former boss is on drugs, ruining his reputation. Howard goes to confront them at their apartment. He delivers a speech, holding a mirror up to show how far they’ve gone, and claiming that while he’ll rebound, he’ll make it his mission to expose them. Tragically, he’s not their only visitor. Jimmy’s client, Lalo Salamanca, an unhinged cartel boss, arrives too. Howard doesn’t realize the danger he’s in until it’s too late. Lalo’s unceremonious execution of Howard leaves Jimmy, Kim, and all of us at home completely shook!
#15: Ana Lucia Cortez & Libby Smith
“Lost” (2004-10)
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Ana Lucia is faced with a dilemma. Her group of plane crash survivors have a prisoner from one of the mysterious island inhabitants who have kidnapped and killed many of them. However, as she tells Michael Dawson, she couldn’t bring herself to kill the man. Michael has quite his own history with the Others, so he offers to do it instead. The utter shock that comes from watching Michael about-face in this scene is unmatched. As if Ana Lucia’s death wasn’t enough of a blow, even Michael looks taken aback by how instinctively he shoots Libby. Knowing that she was really just in the wrong place at the wrong time always makes us sad.
#14: Matthew Crawley
“Downton Abbey” (2010-15)
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This period drama has a surprising number of unexpected deaths. While Lady Sybil’s death in childbirth is traumatic, it wasn’t quite the most startling of them. Matthew and Mary Crawley welcome their first child, a boy. It’s a joyous occasion for the happy couple, as well as the rest of the household. As Matthew drives back to Downton from the hospital, though, that happiness comes to an untimely end. A truck appears on the road coming the other way, Matthew swerves to avoid it and, in an insane twist, dies in the wreck. Vehicular accidents happen all the time in real life, but none of us were expecting to see Matthew meet his end behind the wheel.
#13: Poussey Washington
“Orange is the New Black” (2013-19)
During a peaceful protest in a prison cafeteria, Poussey Washington intervenes when things turn physical between her friend Suzanne and one of the guards, Bayley. Bayley subdues Poussey, but he does so by getting her on the ground and putting a knee on her back. Watching this scene after knowing about very real and horrific instances of police brutality ending in tragedy makes it even more unbearably disturbing than it already was. Poussey’s last words are all too familiar and, even at the time of this episode’s airing, viewers were up in arms and in tears over the character’s unjust death.
#12: Lawrence Kutner
“House” (2004-12)
A promising and entertaining part of Dr. Gregory House’s diagnostic medicine team, Lawrence Kutner is a fun guy and seems to enjoy his work. But when he doesn’t show up to work, House sends doctors Foreman and Thirteen to find out why. Upon their arrival, they find him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The team and House are devastated and confused by Kutner’s death, though they don’t all show it in the same way. They question why he did it, why he never reached out, and why they never noticed signs that anything was wrong. It’s so out of left field, yet it also feels true to life, since not everyone is an open book.
#11: Anatoly Ranskahov
“Daredevil” (2015-18)
In the titular Daredevil’s attempts to get to Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, he runs afoul of Anatoly and his brother Vladimir, leaders of the Russian Mafia in New York. While they’re initially too proud to ask for Fisk’s help, eventually Anatoly decides to accept Fisk’s offer. However, he does so by interrupting Fisk’s date. Anatoly discusses the incident with Fisk’s right-hand man, Wesley, but is dragged out of the car by Fisk, who angrily beats the gangster repeatedly, before smashing his head in with the car door! The suddenness of Fisk’s attack, as well as the brutality of Anatoly’s death, make this a murder that’s both surprising and hard to watch without losing our lunch!
#10: Mark Greene
“ER” (1994-2009)
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Dr. Mark Greene is diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. So, while his death isn’t entirely unexpected, it’s still a gutpunch! Mark relocates to Hawaii and reconnects with his daughter Rachel. One night, he wakes up and speaks to her, encouraging her to be generous with her time, love, and life. Even though we don’t know it for sure, the conversation feels somewhat like goodbye. Rachel slips a pair of headphones on her dad, playing him Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's rendition of “Over the Rainbow” as he drifts back to sleep. Visions of himself in the empty hospital back in Chicago lull Mark into a quiet passing. It’s enough to make anyone bawl.
#9: Will Gardner
“The Good Wife” (2009-16)
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The foreshadowing is there: we see Jeffrey Grant eyeing the guard’s gun, we see his interpretation of the situation, and the panic in his demeanor. It’s unsurprising then, when we cut to Diane’s courtroom and gunfire is heard. What is surprising, is who goes down. The moment happens offscreen, with the camera focusing on Diane and Kalinda’s reactions, and the slow discovery that Will’s been shot. His fate is left very much up in the air until Kalinda finds his body at the hospital. It’s a jaw-dropping loss, to say the least, and one that we continued to feel throughout the remainder of the show.
#8: Adriana La Cerva
“The Sopranos” (1999-2007)
Deaths are frequent on this mafia series, but they still manage to surprise us. Adriana La Cerva is the girlfriend of Christopher Multisanti, Tony Soprano’s heir apparent. However, she becomes an informant to the FBI against her will. Eventually, she confesses this to Chris, hoping they can run away together. The furthest thing from her hopes transpires. Distraught at the news, Christopher reacts violently but ultimately lets her off. She’s soon picked up by Silvio, however, and the pair go for a drive. It’s during this drive through remote woods that Adriana gradually realizes what’s in store for her. When they stop, she tries to flee but to no avail. There are a lot of mafia hits in TV shows, but this one still haunts us.
#7: Henry Blake
“M*A*S*H” (1972-83)
Colonel Henry Blake is the first commanding officer of the M*A*S*H unit the series follows. After acquiring enough points to receive an honorable discharge, Blake prepares to leave for home. He says his goodbyes, which are both silly and emotional. And that’s it. Life appears to go on. However, during a routine operation, Radar comes in and makes an announcement - Blake’s plane was shot down on his way home. No survivors. The audience’s shock was mirrored on the faces of the actors, since most of them weren’t told until just before shooting. It’s an older series, but this staggering reveal still hits today.
#6: Rita Morgan
“Dexter” (2006-13)
Dexter Morgan may be a serial killer who kills serial killers, but he hopes to connect with his humanity, particularly through his bond with his wife, Rita. After planning a vacation with her, he just has one last thing to do - kill the Trinity Killer. But Arthur Mitchell is resigned when Dexter kills him. “It’s already over,” he says. When Dexter returns home, he gets a message from Rita saying she came back for her ID. Then Dexter hears his son crying. All at once, Arthur’s words make sense. It’s a brutal twist that no one saw coming, and it’s traumatic for both Dexter and the audience.
#5: Joyce Summers
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
A show like “Buffy” has plenty of shocking deaths. While Tara’s untimely demise is also surprising, even her death pales in comparison to how unexpected Joyce’s is. One day, Buffy comes home to find her mother dead. There’s no one to blame, no supernatural cause. She suffered an aneurysm and passed away – it’s straightforward and heartbreaking and manages to ground the show in a way it often isn’t. Buffy’s devastation, and the grief she and those around her experience feels unnervingly true to life. In fact, the whole scene, from Buffy convincing herself that she can give her mom CPR to throwing up in a corner is unnervingly true to life.
#4: Robb & Catelyn Stark
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
“Game of Thrones” has one shocking death after the other. We’ve done an entire list on the subject. And, although Oberyn Martell’s brutal death in his duel with the Mountain also turned our stomachs, there’s no beating this infamous moment. At the wedding of Robb Stark’s uncle Edmure, things start to feel…off. Clues start piling up, until everything explodes into chaos. Robb’s wife Talisa and their unborn child are killed. Robb is shot by crossbows and stabbed by one of his right-hand men, Roose Bolton. His men are slaughtered wholesale. Finally, his mother Catelyn is killed too. The Red Wedding is one of the most shocking and traumatic events in television history, and it’ll be a long time before we get over it.
#3: Gustavo Fring
“Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
“Breaking Bad” is a thrilling series with shocking developments around every corner. Although Gustavo Fring killing his henchman Victor also made us leap up out of our seats, the death of the man himself takes the cake. The calculating meth kingpin is locked in a battle of wills with protagonist Walter White. Walter goes to Gus’ old enemy, Hector Salamanca, for help. The elderly Hector appears helpless as Gus arrives to kill him in his nursing home. However, Hector repeatedly rings the bell on his wheelchair, revealing that Walt has strapped a bomb to it. Even the ensuing explosion doesn’t appear to work on Gus at first - then we see his face, or lack thereof! It’s an astonishing end to one of television’s best villains.
#2: Tara Knowles
“Sons of Anarchy” (2008-14)
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This gang drama delivers some real shockers throughout. Despite how gruesome and unexpected Opie’s death is, we’re going with Tara’s. Tara wants to leave the life her husband, Jax, leads to protect their boys. Jax agrees to turn himself in, in exchange for her and the kids’ protection. Tragically, a series of misunderstandings and a lack of communication leads Jax’s mother, Gemma, into believing that Tara sold them all out. When Tara arrives home, Gemma is waiting and attacks. The utter brutality of the moment still gets to us, and it firmly turned nearly every viewer against Gemma for good.
#1: Glenn Rhee
“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)
Death is a constant in “The Walking Dead.” Even so, fans were still unprepared for when Negan made his debut. From the last episode’s cliffhanger, it seemed at least one death was inevitable here. The tension is truly unbearable, especially after we know someone’s been killed, we just don’t know who. Finally, it’s revealed that Abraham was beaten to death… and Glenn suffered a similar, horrific fate. The gratuitously graphic scene shocked not only Glenn’s loved ones, but TV viewers in general. Glenn’s death nearly broke the fanbase and marked a major turning point for the series.
