WARNING: Spoilers ahead for multiple shows.
When it comes to seismic narrative developments within a TV show, few moments can match a key character’s death for drama and emotional impact. Even when the character dies in an organic, natural fashion, there’s usually a feeling of shock and sadness associated with their loss. However, that sort of demise rarely makes for good television, which has resulted in several major character deaths that blew my mind so thoroughly that I was incapable of offering up more than an unprintable obscenity in response.
There are several ways that television can produce a truly curse-worthy demise. Whether the stunning death in question comes completely out of left field, occurs in an unashamedly brutal and graphic fashion, or is simply bestowed upon the most undeserving of characters in the most inequitable manner imaginable, the aim of the game is to shock and devastate the show’s audience. Eliciting tears, gasps, and groans of horror in equal measure, a simple “WTF” was typically my first stunned reaction to these major character deaths.
10
Glenn Rhee
The Walking Dead – Season 7, Episode 1, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”
Serving as a front-runner for horror television’s most disturbing and terrifying moment, few characters can give The Walking Dead’s Glenn Rhee a run for his money in terms of an obscenity-worthy demise. Glenn had been with the show since the very beginning, but that did precisely nothing to save him from one of television’s most graphic deaths. Glenn was bludgeoned to death by Negan’s barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille, in recompense for Daryl’s attempts to avenge Abraham Ford’s identical fate moments earlier.
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Kicking off the seventh season with an unforgettably desolating offering, The Walking Dead does not shy away whatsoever in bringing Glenn’s harrowing canonical fate to life onscreen, from the visual of his eye protruding from his shattered skull to the sight of Negan continuing to wallop his twitching corpse. In many ways, the shock factor of Glenn’s already appalling death was amplified by an earlier fake-out demise for Yeun’s character in the sixth season, begging the question as to why the show would do one of their longest-serving and most beloved faces so dirty.
9
Omar Little
The Wire – Season 5, Episode 8, “Clarifications”
The Wire
10/10
- Release Date
-
2002 – 2008-00-00
- Network
-
HBO
Invariably touted as The Wire’s greatest character, Omar Little’s reputation as television royalty is only matched by the sheer “WTF” factor of his demise. The most memorable individual in one of the most celebrated crime dramas of all time, Michael K. Williams’ duster-clad, whistling stick-up man is widely regarded as television royalty to this day, highlighting the ignominious nature of his demise in even greater relief.
Little is dead before he even hits the floor, the audience freezing in shock before their jaws swiftly follow suit.
Despite his formidable status in the Baltimore underworld, Little meets his end at the hands of a literal child. Charged with taking out Omar due to his vengeful campaign against Marlo Stanfield, juvenile drug dealer Kenard ambushes Williams’ charge in a convenience store, shooting him through the back of the head without a second’s preamble. Little is gone before his body even hits the floor, the audience momentarily freezing in shock before their jaws swiftly follow suit.
8
Howard Hamlin
Better Call Saul – Season 6, Episode 7, “Plan And Execution”
Better Call Saul may not have featured bodies hitting the floor with the same brutality and frequency as Breaking Bad, but that’s not to say that Saul Goodman’s origin story didn’t feature several curse-inducing deaths. Chief among them was the tragic demise of Howard Hamlin. Jimmy and Kim had already destroyed the lawyer’s reputation by framing him as a cocaine addict, but things got even worse for Patrick Fabian’s charge from there, confronting the pair at the wrong place at the wrong time.
|
Better Call Saul seasons by year |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score |
|---|---|
|
Season 1 (2015) |
97% |
|
Season 2 (2016) |
97% |
|
Season 3 (2017) |
98% |
|
Season 4 (2018) |
99% |
|
Season 5 (2020) |
99% |
|
Season 6 (2021) |
99% |
Hamlin had no knowledge of Jimmy’s connection with the cartel, meaning that he theoretically presented no threat to Tony Dalton’s Lalo Salamanca when the latter unexpectedly arrived on the scene. Regrettably, all this does is amplify the sound of the shocked obscenity usually uttered by audiences in the aftermath of what happens next. Barely breaking stride, Lalo summarily blows Howard’s head off in a jaw-dropping instant, shooting the oblivious attorney from behind without a flicker of emotion.
7
Tara Knowles
Sons Of Anarchy – Season 6, Episode 13, “A Mother’s Work”
Sons of Anarchy played host to its fair share of shocking deaths over seven seasons, but arguably none more so than that of Tara Knowles. Arguably the show’s most tragic and shocking moment, Jax’s childhood sweetheart met her end in an absolutely jaw-dropping fashion. The doctor was ruthlessly murdered in her own home by Gemma Teller after the latter became convinced that Tara had ratted the club out, unaware that her son had already agreed to turn himself in to save his family from prosecution.
In addition to the groundbreaking narrative ramifications of her death for the wider show, the sheer brutality of Tara’s demise left fans utterly gobsmacked. Maggie Siff’s charge had been with the show since the very beginning; to see her stabbed repeatedly in the back of her skull with a meat fork as the SAMCRO matriarch held her head submerged in a sink of water made for utterly horrific viewing, a state of affairs that was only compounded when the devastated Jax discovered her body.
6
Jamie Tovell
Top Boy – Season 4, Episode 8, “Prove Yourself”
The breakout star of Top Boy’s revival, the British crime drama appeared to be setting up Michael Ward’s Jamie Tovell as the new foil for the series’ main characters, Sully and Dushane, a state of affairs that looked poised to form the basis of the final season. Accordingly, there were likely more than a few audible “WTFs” as the penultimate season rolled to a close, with the showrunners choosing to kill off their purported new star just as he seemed to be finding his groove.
Top Boy was revived by Netflix following interest from Canadian rap star, Drake.
Gunned down by Sully on his own doorstep as his brothers watch in horror, Jamie’s death comes out of nowhere. Kane Robinson’s charge had always been a ruthless individual and Jamie had been plotting against him all season, but Sully gives no prior indication of his plans to eliminate Tovell, compounding the sheer shock factor of an already jarring death. Fans were so non-plussed at the development that they were likely trying to convince themselves that Ward’s charge somehow survived his injuries, a split second before Sully swiftly put any such notions to bed with a final bullet through Jamie’s forehead.
5
Christopher Moltisanti
The Sopranos – Season 6, Episode 6, “Kennedy And Heidi”
The Sopranos
10/10
- Release Date
-
1999 – 2007-00-00
- Network
-
HBO Max
With hindsight, Christopher Moltisanti’s demise was always a question of “when?” rather than “if?” by the time his death actually rolled around, but it did little to dampen its earth-shattering shock factor at the time. Tony’s long-time protégé and associate, Michael Imperioli’s charge was once viewed as the long-time successor to Soprano’s crown, but what had once been seen as a natural progression went up in smoke thanks to doubts over Chris’ loyalty and integrity, as well as the ever-tightening grasp of his substance abuse issues.
Despite being referred to frequently as Tony’s “nephew,” Chris was actually the first cousin-once removed-to Tony’s wife, Carmela.
Matters built to a head as Christopher crashed his car while under the influence, prompting a furious Tony to finish his “nephew” off upon realizing that Moltisanti’s daughter would have died had she been in the vehicle with them. Michael Gandolfini’s charge pinches the stricken Chris’ nostrils shut, allowing one of the acclaimed crime-drama’s most prominent faces to choke to death on his own blood in vicious fashion, and concluding The Sopranos’ most notoriously shocking demise.
4
John Shelby
Peaky Blinders – Season 4, Episode 1, “The Noose”
Peaky Blinders
9/10
- Release Date
-
2013 – 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Steven Knight
John Shelby had seemingly no sooner escaped the hangman’s noose in Peaky Blinders’ fourth season premiere before Joe Cole’s charge found himself bowing out in jarring fashion. The Birmingham razor gang were saved from certain death at the very last minute following a royal reprieve, only for John to be brutally dispatched in the very same episode. After the family receive Luca Changretta’s declaration of war, the youngest Shelby brother is the first to bite the dust, gunned down by the Mafia on his own front doorstep.
Despite an earlier attempt on Tommy’s life, the assassins’ appearance on this occasion comes completely out of the blue, with hay bales falling from a truck to reveal a machine gun in jarring fashion seconds before it opens fire on the Shelbys. Compounding the “WTF” worthy aura of his death, John’s fate is left maddeningly ambiguous until the next episode, where a shot of Cole’s character on the slab confirms one of television’s most unexpected ends.
3
Victoria Neuman
The Boys – Season 4, Episode 8, “Season Four Finale”
The Boys
7/10
- Release Date
-
July 25, 2019
- Showrunner
-
Eric Kripke
One of the most powerful characters on The Boys, Victoria Neuman had been touted as one of the few supes who might actually be able to give Homelander some concerns. Unfortunately for Vic, any remaining hopes were swiftly and violently put to bed in short order by Billy Butcher in the fourth season finale, mere seconds after she agreed to help the Boys put an end to Antony Starr’s psychotic superhero. Using his new superpowers, Karl Urban’s charge proceeded to tear Neuman into pieces with his V-tumor tentacles.
|
The Boys’ seasons by year |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score |
|---|---|
|
Season 1 (2018) |
85% |
|
Season 2 (2020) |
97% |
|
Season 3 (2022) |
98% |
|
Season 4 (2024) |
92% |
Underlining its status as one of television’s most astonishing deaths, the “WTF” factor of Neuman’s demise is arguably threefold: the twist revelation of Butcher’s terrifying new powers and mandate, the ease with which he overpowers one of the most powerful characters on the show, and the sheer levels of nauseating gore as he literally rips the former congresswoman in front of her young daughter. The Boys is arguably the gold standard for WTF-worthy television deaths, with Neuman’s demise clocking in as the latest spectacularly gruesome high-profile demise.
2
Angela Moss
Mr. Robot – Season 4, Episode 1, “401 Unauthorized”
Mr. Robot
8/10
- Release Date
-
2015 – 2019-00-00
- Network
-
USA
Arriving like a literal bolt from the blue, Angela Moss’ demise on Mr. Robot is one of those deaths that viewers frequently find themselves rewinding to confirm whether their eyes were actually deceiving them. Elliot’s friend since childhood and a prominent staple of the show since the very beginning, Portia Doubleday’s character refused to budge from her plans to expose the Dark Army leader, Whiterose, despite her estranged father’s pleas in the third season finale, signing her death warrant in the process.
Audiences watch in shocked bewilderment as the angle captures the look of agony on her estranged father’s face, just as Doubleday’s charge is summarily executed with a single shot to the head from behind.
Kicking off the fourth and final season with one of the show’s most “WTF”-inducing moments, Mr. Robot picks up right where it left off in unforgettable fashion. The camera angle doesn’t shift as Price is revealed to have been wearing a wire during their discussion, with Dark Army agents appearing as he walks away from his daughter. Audiences watch in shocked bewilderment as the angle captures the look of agony on Price’s face, just as Doubleday’s charge is summarily executed with a single shot to the head from behind.
1
Robb, Catelyn, & Talisa Stark
Game Of Thrones – Season 3, Episode 9, “The Rains Of Castamere”
Game Of Thrones
10/10
- Release Date
-
2011 – 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
-
David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
It speaks volumes to the notoriety of Games of Thrones’ Red Wedding that, despite the litany of appalling fates suffered by the Starks and their bannermen during Season 3’s “The Rains of Castamere,” their deaths are usually classified as a single horrific demise. Robb Stark’s tactical mistakes ultimately ended up costing the lives of his wife, his mother, and his army, as well as his own head to boot, with the duplicitous Freys betraying and slaughtering their guests during an alleged wedding in abjectly harrowing fashion.
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Fans of George R.R. Martin’s source material knew what was coming, but it did little to prepare them for the extent of the horrors that would unfold onscreen as the Red Wedding began in earnest. From the sight of Talisa being stabbed repeatedly in her pregnant belly to Catelyn’s final howl of despair as her son dies before her eyes, the Red Wedding remains one of television’s most notoriously disturbing and shocking moments, underlining the merciless nature of Martin’s universe with unflinching clarity.