Top 10 Most Tragic TV Romances

“Glee” (2009-15)



Through all the ups and downs, the break ups and make ups, the times they hurt each other and the times they amazed each other, everyone knew that Rachel and Finn were end game. Though their relationship wasn’t perfect, it was beautiful nonetheless. Even when they were broken up and miles apart they were always there for each other. Sadly, due to the real life untimely death of Cory Monteith, Finn died too. Rachel was obviously heartbroken, and we never got to see them back together.

“The Walking Dead” (2010-)

If you read the comics, then you had a heads up about Glenn’s gruesome death, but that didn’t make it any easier to watch. Finding true love in the apocalypse is no easy task, but Maggie and Glenn found it in each other and even got married. They were basically a zombie killing power couple. That is, until Glenn was ruthlessly killed by Lucille, Negan’s barbed wire-wrapped bat, as Maggie was forced to helplessly watch. And even worse, Maggie was left to raise their unborn child alone.

“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)



This show has more than its fair share of tragedy, but perhaps none of it can compare to what happened to Karen and Keith. They were friends as teenagers and remained friends as adults. Keith helped Karen raise her child when his brother Dan bailed on her. And yet they still spent a lifetime finding their way to each other. Then Dan, jealous and vengeful, killed his brother during the school shooting, letting poor Jimmy Edwards take the blame. The entire town was rocked by Keith’s death,but worst of all, Lucas was left without a father figure, and Karen without a father for her baby. Their perfect little family was over before it began.

“How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-)



Through all the murder and mayhem on the show, one of the brighter spots was Wes and Laurel’s relationship. Even before they got together, they were a frequent pairing, teaming up to help Wes learn the truth about his past. One of the best things about them is that they weren’t your standard “will they/won’t they” couple, and when they did get together it just kind of made sense. But, naturally, their happiness couldn’t last, and Wes was killed, leaving Laurel carrying his baby. Worst of all, Laurel learned her own parents were responsible for Wes' murder. If Wes and Laurel aren’t the definition of tragedy, what is?

“Downton Abbey” (2010-15)



This one we can at least blame on actor Dan Stevens wanting to leave the show. Matthew promised that he would love Mary until the last breath left his body. Well, his last breath came a lot sooner than fans expected. After several seasons of ups and downs and dramatic struggles, Mary and Matthew finally ended up together. Mary had just given birth to their son, and it seemed like things were finally going to work out for these two when Matthew died in an unexpected car accident.

“This Is Us” (2016-)

This show makes us cry literally every episode, so obviously its main couple makes this list. Thanks to the show’s format, we knew pretty much from day one that Jack eventually dies – and we can see the effect it has on his family in the present. But you almost forget about that when you start to become invested in Jack and Rebecca’s relationship, seeing it withstand tragedies like losing one of their triplets, Jack’s alcoholism, and the everyday trials of raising a family. But, thanks to a faulty crock-pot and Jack’s heroic nature, Jack and Rebecca’s love story ends far too early. The fact we thought he escaped the fire safely made it all the more devastating.

“Angel” (1999-2004)



Deaths in the Buffyverse usually operate as tools to propel the story forward or offer important character development, but Fred's death was just so senseless. These two had many ups and downs, but they eventually found love in each other. And just when they were finally happy, Fred randomly got sick, with an ancient being infecting and ultimately killing her. We had to watch her deteriorate in Wesley's arms and die, only to have a demon take over her body and continue on with the Angel Investigations crew. Imagine how Wesley must have felt seeing her face everyday, but knowing it's not her.

“The 100” (2014-)



There were a lot of things keeping Clarke and Lexa apart. They were the leaders of two feuding peoples, and despite their best efforts to bring everybody together, there were still those who would go to war rather than join in peace. There was so much left unspoken between them, but as Clarke was about to return to Arkadia to help her people, they finally shared an intimate moment together. It was short lived, though, because Lexa later took a bullet meant for Clarke, and died in her arms. Lincoln and Octavia, the original Grounder and Sky Girl, also ended very tragically when Lincoln was executed.

“Lost” (2004-10)



Almost every relationship on this show ends tragically, but perhaps none more so than Sun and Jin. At the beginning it seemed that Sun was this fragile woman and Jin was her abusive husband, but the more you learned about their backstory, the more sympathetic they both became. They worked hard at their relationship, lost and found each other several times, and somehow being on the island brought them closer together. But sadly, in the final episodes, Sun got trapped in a sinking submarine. Refusing to be apart again, Jin stayed with her, and they died together. As tragic as it was, it was equally beautiful.





Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:



Zelena & Hades





Ned & Charlotte “Chuck” Charles





Simon Bellamy & Alisha Daniels

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)



Though the groundbreaking pairing of Willow and Tara definitely deserves recognition as one of TV’s most tragic couples, it’s the main couple of this series that tops our list. Although you could kind of see it coming that it probably wouldn't work out - considering he's an immortal vampire who would turn evil after experiencing one moment of true happiness - you still rooted for them. Buffy having to kill him herself to save the world was absolutely devastating, but possibly even more tragic was that after getting a second chance, they made the conscious decision to say goodbye and walk away from each other.