Top 10 Saddest Deaths in Teen Dramas

Maya and Emily Fields formed a connection soon after the St. Germains moved to Rosewood, with Maya helping Emily accept that she’s a lesbian. However, after Maya is sent to rehab facility True North for using drugs, they break up. Maya returns, but a fight ensues, which leads to Maya running away. Not only is this the last time that Emily sees her alive, but also Maya’s lifeless body is found some weeks later. The fact that Emily and Maya aren’t ever able to resolve their issues because she’s killed by her stalker ex-boyfriend Lyndon James really pulls at the heartstrings. At least we can take some comfort in the fact that Emily manages to avenge Maya by sending James to his grave.

An important father figure to Lucas Scott, Keith stepped in when his brother Dan, checked out. When Lucas’ childhood friend, Jimmy Edwards, brings a gun to Tree Hill High, Keith runs back to save the day, but ends up meeting his end instead. After Edwards shoots himself, Keith grieves, while Dan takes the opportunity to kill his brother, believing that Keith was responsible for the dealership fire. As it turns out, it was really his wife Deb who attempted to murder him. Dan subsequently spends the rest of his life in turmoil until Keith returns to bring him into the afterlife. Keith’s final scene doesn’t only show the power of forgiveness, but also his ability to always see the best in people - even as a ghost.

Marissa Cooper was always a troubled girl with a history of drug use and out of control behavior. She overdosed in Tijuana and shot her boyfriend’s brother to name a few. However, by graduation, she straightened up her behavior and was finally with Ryan. So when tragedy struck while Ryan was driving Marissa to the airport to spend a year in Greece with her father, it was especially devastating. Marissa had everything going for her, but her ex-boyfriend, Kevin Volchok, upset that he can’t have Marissa, forces their car off the road. Marissa is fatally wounded after Ryan’s car flips over, and we’re left unsuccessfully holding back our tears as we watch her die peacefully in the arms of the love of her life.

J.T. was always the lovable class clown, and deserved so much better then the hand he was dealt. After getting his girlfriend pregnant, he and Liberty try to make their relationship work, with J.T. stepping up to be the best father he can be. After selling drugs in an attempt to provide for his unborn child, he overdoses on pills. The couple decide to give their baby up for adoption, after which he and Liberty go their separate ways. He starts dating single mother, Mia, but later has a change of heart. While going to look for Liberty at a party to confess his love, he gets into an altercation and is stabbed by a Lakehurst student. Though it’s Liberty who ends up finding him, it’s too little too late; J.T.’s bleeding, motionless and unable to tell Liberty how he feels.

Angel and Buffy Summers always had a complicated relationship. She’s a vampire hunter and he’s a vampire after all. It was a Romeo/Juliet romance right from the start, and so it ended in tragedy. However, we couldn’t help but root for them. When Buffy has to make the heartbreaking decision to stab Angel in order to save the world, she kisses him, tells him she loves him and drives a sword through him. After she sends him into the vortex that takes his life, she flees town to deal with her heartbreak alone and our hearts can’t help but break with her. Sadly, it seems like Buffy’s life has been destined to be plagued with death as her mom, Joyce, passes away in season five, which forces the teenager to grow up and face adulthood on her own.

Jen is introduced in the pilot as a transfer student from New York City. She is sent to live with her conservative grandmother in Capeside after finding her father committing adultery against her mother with a teenager. Jen quickly clashes with Joey Potter over their mutual interest in Dawson Leery. Though Jen later falls in with a bad crowd and distances herself from Joey, Dawson and Pacey, she finally finds her way, leaves Capeside and attends NYU with her best friend, Jack. During the two-part series finale, Jen reveals that she has a fatal heart condition and a one-year old baby. With Jack adopting her daughter, Jen soon sadly passes away with her grandmother by her side, reminding us of the importance of strong friendships and to enjoy life while we can.

Elena’s adoptive younger brother, Jeremy, has always been troubled. After the death of his parents, he starts using drugs to self-medicate. So when Elena’s doppelganger, Katherine, throws Jeremy onto the First Vampire, Silas, and drains his blood, Elena held out hope that he would be brought back to life - because he was wearing the Gilbert ring. After all, the ring had saved him in the past. However, his later membership in The Brotherhood of Five had made him a supernatural vampire hunter, which meant that he could not be revived. And so, wth Jeremy being the last of her living family members, it’s not hard to see why a devastated Elena turns off her humanity and burns the house to the ground with his body inside. Though Jeremy’s love interest, Bonnie, resurrects Jeremy in the season four finale, she dies as a result, and it’s Jeremy’s turn to be a Gilbert who’s utterly devastated.

While Hannah Baker’s death wasn’t the only one in the series, with Jeff Atkins’ demise shown in flashbacks, Hannah is the one after which this teen drama is named. Not only did she commit suicide, but she also lists and records the 13 reasons why she did so, with her rape and the insensitive reactions she encountered as a result. As we listen to these tapes, it’s difficult not to become attached to the teen. So when we watch her go home to take her own life after being disappointed by her guidance counsellor, Mr. Porter, we are poignantly reminded to listen to the ones we love while there is still time.

When actor Luke Perry unexpectedly died in March 2019, “Riverdale” writers had to decide what was going to happen to his character, Fred Andrews. Ultimately, they decided to bring in Perry’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” costar, Shannen Doherty, to play the role of a woman he saved that would cost him his life. When Fred stops on the side of the road to help a woman who was having car trouble, he becomes the victim of a hit and run. Archie’s investigation into his father’s death leads him to discover the culprit is a boy without a license, whom he chooses to forgive as his dad would have wanted. As such, it’s a moving and beautiful tribute to both Luke Perry and his character Fred Andrews.

Before we unveil our #1 pick, here are a few honorable mentions...

Allison Argent
“Teen Wolf” (2011-17)

Chet Hunter
“Boy Meets World” (1993-2000)

Ryan James
“Smallville” (2001-11)

Chris Miles
“Skins” [UK] (2007-13)

Scott Scanlon
“Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000)

In July 2013, Cory Monteith, the actor who played Finn Hudson, died of an overdose, so his character had to be written off “Glee.” Finn played a vital role in the success of the musical TV series, with his on/off relationship with lead singer, Rachel Berry, being a major storyline. So that’s why an entire episode of the fifth season focused on how his friends and family came to terms with his passing. Filled with beautiful songs in Finn’s memory, “The Quarterback” didn’t disclose the cause of the character’s death, with the writers choosing to deal with how he lived a life full of love and touched the lives of many instead. What makes it an even more heartrending memorial is that you can tell that the cast is really singing from their hearts for their lost friend, whether that be Finn on screen or Corey off screen.