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TV shows have an amazing ability to captivate your heart and make you feel true admiration for the characters on it. That’s precisely why it cuts so deep when our favorite characters have an untimely or shocking death. Here are 10 absolutely devastating TV deaths that still stick with us to this day.
PS: Major spoilers ahead!
Scroll to see our definitive ranking of the saddest TV deaths of all time!
NBC
1. Jack Pearson — This Is Us
Jack Pearson wasn’t just a character; he was the emotional backbone of This Is Us. His unwavering love for his family and the way he carried their emotional burdens made his death nearly impossible to watch. After surviving a house fire, Jack dies unexpectedly from cardiac arrest due to smoke inhalation. The slow build-up and heartbreak in the hospital left fans reeling, and his absence was felt through every future timeline the show explored.
ABC
2. Lexie Grey – Grey’s Anatomy
Lexie Grey was the heart of Grey’s Anatomy: smart, sensitive, and deeply kind. Her growth from the shy new intern to a beloved surgeon made her death all the more heartbreaking. In the Season 8 finale, Lexie tragically dies in a plane crash, pinned beneath wreckage while Mark Sloan confesses his love for her. Fans were left anguished by the suddenness of it all, and her final moments remain one of the most painful in the show’s history.
The CW
3. Richard Gilmore – Gilmore Girls
Richard Gilmore’s passing was especially heartbreaking because it mirrored the real-life death of actor Edward Herrmann. When Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life returned, it handled his absence with care and respect. Watching Emily, Lorelai, and Rory each grieve him in their own way provided fans with a moving tribute, not only to a beloved character but to the actor himself.
ABC
4. Derek Shepherd – Grey’s Anatomy
Derek’s unexpected death after a car accident left fans completely shattered. Despite saving lives at the scene, he was fatally injured and denied proper treatment himself—a cruel twist of fate. Watching Meredith say goodbye, alone, to the love of her life while "Chasing Cars" played was emotionally gutting. McDreamy’s death marked the end of an era and reminded fans that Grey’s Anatomy was never afraid to break hearts.
AMC
5. Glenn Rhee – The Walking Dead
Glenn’s shocking and brutal death at the hands of Negan marked a turning point in The Walking Dead’s tone. With no music, no fade-out, just the raw horror of the moment, it was a scene that haunted viewers. What made it worse? Watching Maggie, pregnant with their child, witness it all.
Netflix
6. Poussey Washington – Orange Is the New Black
Being one of the most peaceful and kind-hearted characters in the show, Poussey’s death came as a complete shock. During a protest-turned-riot at Litchfield, she was accidentally suffocated by a guard in a chillingly realistic and raw moment that sparked a riot among inmates and outrage among viewers. Her death felt deeply personal, and the social commentary behind it only deepened the sorrow. Her memory lived on through the foundation her best friend, Taystee, later created in her honor.
Fox
7. Finn Hudson – Glee
Cory Monteith’s untimely death shook fans around the world, which made it fitting for the show to dedicate an emotional tribute episode to him. The episode, "The Quarterback" brought the characters together to mourn the loss of Finn Hudson, a kind-hearted and soulful character who was the moral center of the group. Finn’s death was left ambiguous in the show, but the grief shown by the characters mirrored the real-life loss of Monteith. The blend of fiction and reality allowed viewers to process both the character’s and the actor’s passing, making it one of the most impactful episodes in TV history.
Netflix
8. Sarah Lynn – BoJack Horseman
Who knew a TV show about an anthropomorphic horse could be this gut-wrenching? BoJack Horseman follows a washed-up TV star with self-destructive tendencies, and no character reflects that pain more than Sarah Lynn. Once a child star, Sarah Lynn struggled with her identity and substance abuse for years. Her tragic downfall came to a head in the episode That’s Too Much, Man!, when she overdosed during a drug-fueled bender with BoJack. The fact that BoJack waited hours before calling for help made her death even more devastating. For longtime viewers, it was a gut punch—proof that in BoJack’s world, actions have consequences, and some apologies come too late.
FX
9. Opie Winston – Sons of Anarchy
Opie’s death in Sons of Anarchy was a gut-punch no fan was prepared for. Loyal to the end, Opie sacrifices himself in prison to protect his brothers, beaten to death in front of Jax. The brutal and unrelenting nature of the scene, combined with Opie’s quiet acceptance, made it one of the most emotionally devastating moments in the series. His loss haunted the club—and the show—for seasons to come.
HBO Max
10. Logan Roy – Succession
Despite his ruthless demeanor, Logan Roy’s sudden death in Succession shocked everyone. A titan in the world of media, Logan seemed almost invincible—until he wasn't. His death, occurring offscreen on a plane, stripped viewers (and his children) of closure. The abruptness mirrored the chaotic nature of the Roy family dynamic and left a power vacuum that intensified the series' emotional and political unraveling.
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