Is there anything more devastating in TV than losing your favorite character?
Strangely enough, yes: it’s losing them unexpectedly.
From killing off main characters, to deaths that started social movements, here’s the most shocking moves television has made.
SPOILER WARNING: This is a list of shocking deaths. Some of them are recent.
There will. Be. Spoilers.
Phillipa Georgiou (“Star Trek: Discovery”)
When Star Trek: Discovery was announced, one of the biggest selling points was having Michelle Yeoh in the Captain’s chair…
…which she stayed in for about 3 episodes. The show killed Captain Georgiou off almost immediately.
Yeoh remains on the show, however, as an alternate universe (or “mirror”) version of Georgiou. But there’s no replacing Discovery ‘s first Captain.
Sayid, Jin, and Sun (“Lost”)
We barely had a chance to let Sayid’s self-sacrificial death (via bomb) sink in before an unintended consequence emerged: the bomb had trapped Jin and Sun in a sinking submarine.
Losing Sayid, Jin, and Sun all on the heels of one another is what pain is made of, people.
Zoe Barnes (“House of Cards”)
I remember actually screaming when this death happened.
Zoe Barnes was an intrinsic part of House of Cards.
So, having the first episode of Season 2 involve Frank Underwood pushing her in front of a train? Scream-inducing.
Bob Newby (“Stranger Things”)
Bob is the new Barb.
I said it, I meant it.
It looked like Bob was totally going to survive his encounter with the Demodogs — until one got him at the very last second, just as he and Joyce thought he’d made it.
Dan Conner (“Roseanne”)
The story behind this death is wild.
Season 9 was a fictional novel, conjured up by Roseanne to cope with Dan’s death in the season 8 finale.
And viewers only found that out in the series finale of the show.
When Roseanne came back in 2017, the show undid Dan’s death by having it happen in the actual book Roseanne had been writing.
Yeah. Idk either.
Omar Little (“The Wire”)
One of the most heart-wrenching deaths in TV history has to go to Omar Little.
After 5 seasons, he was killed in a random shooting in a convenience store, striking down an iconic character before his time.
Derek Shepard (“Grey’s Anatomy”)
I still can’t believe they killed McDreamy.
Grey’s Anatomy closed off Season 11 with our beloved Derek Shepard injured in a car accident.
He was eventually taken off life support by his wife, Meredith.
Michael Cordero (“Jane the Virgin”)
The only thing more shocking than his death was what happened after it.
Michael was shot by his partner at the end of Season 2, and died in Season 3.
…Except that he didn’t. In Season 4, it’s revealed that his death was faked. Um…what?!
Lexa (“The 100”)
The death felt ’round the entertainment industry.
The death of Commander Lexa by a stray bullet unveiled some ugly statistics about the death rate of LGBTQIA characters in TV.
It also perpetuated the “Bury Your Gays” trope.
From her death came “LGBT Fans Deserve Better,” as well as “The Lexa Pledge.”
Anastasia Dualla (“Battlestar Galactica”)
The death of the character lovingly called “Dee” came as a massive shock in Battlestar Galactica ‘s fourth season.
After seemingly enjoying a night with her estranged husband, Lee, Dualla took a gun out of her locker and killed herself.
You deserved better, Dee.
Will Gardner (“The Good Wife”)
The Good Wife was only halfway through its fifth season when the unthinkable happened.
During a courtroom scuffle, Will — who was one of the show’s key characters — was shot in the neck and died.
Poussey Washington (“Orange is the New Black”)
This one is a double whammy.
While Poussey’s death was handled far more carefully and with more respect than most (the episode was written by actress Samira Wiley’s real-life wife, Lauren Morelli), it had the misfortune of happening right after Lexa’s.
Poussey was killed unintentionally by a poorly trained guard trying to restrain her.
Midge Klump (“Riverdale”)
Iconic comic book character Midge Klump was killed by The Black Hood, aka Betty Cooper’s father.
It’s safe to say that never happened in the Archie comics.
Another shocking Riverdale death? Mild-mannered Dilton Doiley.
Joss Carter (“Person of Interest”)
This death came out of nowhere.
In the middle of one of Joss Carter’s best arcs, she was struck down by a henchman in an alleyway.
She died in Reese’s arms, having only just discovered that he and Finch were the dedicated agents of an all-knowing AI.
Ned Stark (“Game of Thrones”)
Of course Game of Thrones would be on this list.
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Arguably one of the most shocking deaths ever , Ned Stark’s beheading set the entire course of Game of Thrones.
It also demonstrated the show (and book’s) willingness to kill anyone — even the main character.