Screaming, crying, throwing up.
There’s really nothing like the feeling of watching the season finale of your favorite show, clutching your pillow and wheeze-crying as you watch your most treasured character bite the dust.
Some character deaths are just so painful that they make you want to stop watching the show entirely. I’m usually strong enough to power through, despite my tear-stained cheeks and that feeling like your chest has been hollowed out. Then I’ll talk to people about the tragedies that characters experienced as if I were there myself. Maybe I get too attached to fictional people on my screen. But that’s neither here nor there.
Anyway, please be aware — while we’re discussing a number of different shows today, the most recent one is The Last of Us, and there are MAJOR spoilers ahead for that one. Tread carefully, and don’t say I didn’t warn you. And with that, here’s a roundup of 17 of the most harrowing TV show deaths that I will never recover from.
1. Tara Maclay — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Starting out with a strong contender for one that hurt our souls. Tara’s death was particularly sad as it felt like she and Willow were finally happy, only for that happiness to be ripped away.
2. Lance Sweets — Bones
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
This emotionally devastating moment was the reason why some fans dropped Bones, and some can’t even bear to revisit the first episodes of Season 10 in order to avoid the weight of it. The worst part was how quickly it all happened, and some people were even upset at the lack of dignity Sweets had in his death, because being beaten up in a parking lot is certainly not how most of us would like to go.
3. Poussey Washington — Orange is the New Black
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
I know this one was an accident. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less. And the show definitely handled it fantastically, as Poussey’s death was used to illustrate the flaws in correctional facilities and the notion that just because something was an accident, it definitely doesn’t mean you don’t take accountability.
4. Ben Sullivan — Scrubs
NBC
This reveal was WILD. Cox’s refusal to accept the death of his friend resulted in him imagining that Ben had stayed alive after he had passed away from leukemia, and it gave us the “Where do you think we are?” scene. Maybe I’m too attached to Brendan Fraser, but this one kills me.
5. Seymour — Futurama
Fox Broadcasting Company LLC
I’ve literally only watched this episode once, and I never will again. While this plot line was later retconned after the different writers took over, it was revealed in Season 4 that after Fry had been cryogenically frozen, his beloved dog Seymour had spent fifteen long years waiting for his owner to come back. The whole time, he was sitting right outside of the pizza shop exactly as Fry had instructed him, until his eventual death. I’m getting emotional just typing this out.
6. Marvin Eriksen Sr. — How I Met Your Mother
CBS
Oh my goodness, deaths of father figures. While the viewers may not have been attached to Marvin himself, Marshall’s reaction to learning his dad passed away was one of the emotional cruxes of the sitcom, and it hits like a punch to the gut every time.
7. Bobby Singer — Supernatural
©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection
Yet another father figure. This death definitely had fans upset, and many felt his death was inadequate for such a beloved character. And honestly, they’d be totally right. Especially seeing as Bobby returned as a ghost in later seasons, which kind of made his demise at the hands of the Leviathans seem unnecessary.
8. Hodor — Game of Thrones
HBO
Hold the door…. I will never be the same. Learning Hodor’s true backstory before his death just made it that much more impactful, and knowing that he did what he set out to do makes me sob. You held the door, king.
9. Mona Simpson — The Simpsons
Fox Broadcasting Company LLC
Am I the only one who feels weirdly maternal toward Homer Simpson? Homer’s testy relationship with his mother ended when Mona passed away, right when Homer had planned to go see her and apologize. And seeing him learn that he just missed his opportunity is SO sad. Maybe it’s just me.
10. Wallace — The Wire
HBO
I’m already attached to Michael B. Jordan’s characters, but baby Michael? It’s over for me. Bodie, Poot, and Wallace were all just kids, and seeing them turn on their friend to prove themselves is pure agony.
11. Boo — Fleabag
©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection
Any character haunting the narrative already has me hooked, but learning the true reason and futility of the death of Fleabag’s best friend is just excruciating. Death follows Fleabag wherever she goes, and watching this show definitely made me feel the same way.
12. Sarah Lynn — Bojack Horseman
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
Oh, Sarah Lynn. What could have been. Starting out as a misguided child star and ending after a tragic overdose, Sarah’s death was one of the most painful moments in the show, and it really solidifies Bojack’s irredeemability, for me at least. I will never stop thinking about those 17 minutes.
13. Lady — Game of Thrones
HBO
Why do the dogs have to die?! While Lady’s death was a perfect representation of the harsh realities Sansa would be facing, it was still so hard to witness. Especially since her loyal dog was completely innocent. Man, this one still hurts.
14. Sean Devlin — Derry Girls
Channel 4
I literally can’t make it through a Derry Girls rewatch because this one hurts so much. An incredible representation of the loss of childhood, Claire’s dad’s untimely death on what would have been such a great day was as painful as it was sudden. And just like that, they were all grown up.
15. Ashtray — Euphoria
HBO
This one is the epitome of the sinking feeling you get when you realize a character really is just a kid, no matter how grown they act. Ashtray’s fate felt inescapable, especially given the mindset he had growing up due to his harsh childhood, but what broke me was Fezco’s desperate attempt to save his baby brother.
16. Glenn Rhee — The Walking Dead
AMC
It wouldn’t be a character death list if I didn’t mention Glenn, now, would it? Maybe it’s because I adore Steven Yeun so much, but this death is one that I still haven’t fully processed to this day. Glen was one of the most beloved characters on the show, and his death left fans so enraged that many stopped watching out of protest.
And finally, 17. Joel Miller — The Last of Us
HBO
This one hurt bad. If you haven’t played the games, you were definitely in for a shock with this week’s episode. Joel and Ellie’s relationship was the core of the show, and Bella Ramsey took no prisoners with their devastating performance as Ellie reacted to the death of her beloved mentor. This one’s gonna stick with us for a while.
