Top 10 Major Simpsons Characters Who Died Tragically

The father of Krusty the Clown, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky has almost always had a difficult relationship with his son the comedian. Sadly, the pair’s final moment together is no different. When Krusty goes to his father for solace after being roasted on TV, Rabbi Krustofsky unfortunately passes away before he can confirm to his son whether he thinks Krusty is funny or not. Not only is the death sad, but it also pushes Krusty into a tailspin and leads to his retirement. However, thanks to seeing a rabbi his father respected tell jokes similar to his own, Krusty is able to feel closer to his dad, even after he’s departed.

The Simpsons family is highly dysfunctional, so when Marge has enough, she decides to hire a nanny. Shary Bobbins, a thinly veiled parody of Mary Poppins, gets the job. While she manages to have a positive impact on them at first, the Simpsons gradually wear her down, to the point where she’s miserable. However, after singing a musical number about how they’re happy just the way they are, Bobbins declares that she’s had enough of their ape-like behavior and flies away with her umbrella. Although Homer is sure they’ll see her again, she gets sucked into a jet engine and dies soon after. It’s more of a comedic death than some of these others, but it’s tragic we didn’t get more of her character.

Homer buys a lobster to fatten up before eating. But the big oaf becomes attached to the crustacean and treats it as a pet, even naming him Pinchy, against Marge’s objections. Of course, we can all see where this is going. In a typical Homer move, he accidentally boils Pinchy by giving him a hot bath. Although quite amusing, Homer seems pretty broken up about it. Not enough to prevent him from eating Pinchy, mind you, but enough to where we’re sad that he’s sad – after we’re done laughing, at least.

#7: Frank Grimes “Homer’s Enemy”

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Despite dying in his debut episode, Frank Grimes is one of the most memorable minor characters in the show’s history. Hardworking and irritable, Grimes takes an immediate dislike to Homer’s oblivious attitude that seems to earn him nothing but success. His spite grows until he has a psychotic break, pretending to be Homer and doing increasingly stupid and reckless things until he finally causes his own death by touching high voltage wires. It’s a darkly comedic, but also quite tragic moment. Ol’ Grimey didn’t deserve such a grisly end, even if it did make for great satire.

Snowball II, despite its misleading name, is Lisa’s black cat. While rarely a large presence on the show, she is nevertheless an iconic part of the Simpsons family. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking when the kitty is struck by a car one day. The death of a pet is always rough, and Lisa takes Snowball’s death especially hard – particularly since her attempts at replacing the cat also meet untimely ends shortly after she gets them. Eventually, she settles on a replacement that bears an uncanny resemblance to Snowball II. The status quo is maintained, but Lisa’s grief is all too real.

#5: Fat Tony “Donnie Fatso”

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Anthony D’Amico, better known by his moniker “Fat Tony,” is Springfield’s local mafia boss. A parody of every mob boss in media rolled into one, Fat Tony meets his end in a much less violent way than most fictional crime leaders. After Homer assists the FBI by going undercover in Tony’s organization, he and Tony bond. However, upon Tony discovering Homer’s deception, he has a heart attack from the shock and dies. But, much like our previous entry, a suspiciously similar substitute is discovered in Fat Tony’s cousin, Fit Tony, who soon becomes indistinguishable from the deceased mobster.

The beloved wife of Ned Flanders, and just as uptight as him, Maude Flanders rarely stood out among the crowd of “Simpsons” supporting players. But, thanks to some behind-the-scenes disputes, she certainly met a memorable end. While attending a race at the new town speedway, Homer demands a T-shirt from cheerleaders shooting them into the audience. However, when he ducks down to pick up a bobby pin, the barrage of shirts hits Maude, knocking her off the stands to her death. While not exactly the most memorable of characters, Maude’s death still hits hard, because of how devastated Ned and his sons are.

Poor Ned Flanders! Edna Krabappel is the second of his wives to die, and hers hits especially hard. Bart’s longtime sarcastic teacher, Edna Krabappel, was a staple of the show from the beginning. However, her actress Marcia Wallace passed away in 2013. Although Mrs. Krabappel’s death is never shown on screen, she is mentioned several times as having passed away. Bart pays tribute to her in his opening chalkboard gag during one episode. In another, her husband Ned reminisces about her with Nelson, one of her students. Mrs. Krabappel was like a surrogate teacher to many who watched the show growing up. Bart said it best - we’ll really miss you, Mrs. K.

A local jazz musician, Bleeding Gums Murphy is a hero and mentor to Lisa in learning the saxophone. Lisa reunites with him when he’s in the hospital, and he lends her his saxophone for her school recital. However, sadly, Murphy passes away when she returns to thank him. Even more tragically, Lisa is the only one to attend his funeral. To pay tribute to her dead idol, Lisa is able, with help from Bart, to play his album on a local radio station, ensuring all of Springfield hears his music. Murphy’s spirit then speaks to her through the clouds and the two of them play a duet. It’s an iconic “Simpsons” moment, made possible by a jazzman being taken too soon.

Homer’s mother, Mona Simpson has been absent from his life for decades. This led him to develop his weight problem, among other issues. When Mona apparently returns for good, Homer refuses to accept her; refusing to let himself be hurt again if she should leave. She tries to be a good mother to him again, even tucking him in, but he still refuses to forgive her. After a sleepless night, Homer decides to apologize, even making her a card. However, when he goes downstairs, he finds that she has died in front of the fire. Homer’s fear of abandonment and his final words to her make Mona’s fate even more heartbreaking.