The 20 most heartbreaking TV deaths

Finn Hudson’s death was due to Cory Monteith’s death in real life, resulting in one of the most moving episodes in television history. Any time a character dies because an actor did in real life, it’s bound to be a harrowing episode to get through, but this one was profoundly sad. 

It’s hard to say what was more heartbreaking: Santos being shot at a gas station in the season 1 finale or being duped in the season 2 premiere that he was still alive just to find out at the end that it was all in Hilda’s head. 

Audiences knew Chuckie’s mom wasn’t around, but no one was exactly sure what happened to her until one episode revealed that she had tragically died. Despite not knowing her as a character, it was an upsetting revelation for children and adults. 

Whether you wanted Jane to end up with Michael or Rafael, it’s impossible to deny that Michael’s death was a shot to the heart. In true telenovela fashion, we got to see Michael once again, but that didn’t make his death on their wedding night any easier to swallow. 

It’s rare to see such a prominent character be killed off so early in a show, which is part of the reason Wes’ death on How to Get Away with Murder was so gutting. If you’re anything like us, you kept hoping it was all smoke and mirrors, only to be hopelessly disappointed. 

Will Gardner’s death was equally shocking and heartbreaking. Alicia Florrick had been through enough, and to see her lose her most consistent ally was about all the audience could take. It was another TV death we were sure would be somehow reversed, but sadly, that wasn’t the case. 

Marissa Cooper’s death is one that’s hard to forgive the writers for. She had had a rough go of it, and she was finally on her way to start over. But instead of seeing her off on a Pacific adventure, Ryan had to hold her in his arms as she died. 

Whether you’ve seen every episode of Grey’s Anatomy, are a casual viewer, or have only heard of it, you know how important Derek was to Meredith. Grey’s fans are well-acquainted with emotional rollercoasters, but nothing was quite as tough a ride as Derek’s death. 

Edward Herrmann had already died by the time they started filming Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, so we knew that Richard was likely going to be dead in the reboot and that we weren’t going to have a death scene. Still, those two absences didn’t make his absence in the show any less heartbreaking. 

Did anyone correctly predict anything in Scandal? The plot was insane all of the time, and James Novak’s death felt totally unnecessary. He was one of the best characters on the show, and Cyrus didn’t deserve to lose his husband. He deserved other things, but not that. 

The entire premise of The Good Place was about life and death, and technically, all the main characters were already dead, so perhaps we should’ve seen Chidi’s death coming, but we didn’t. The only silver lining is that it was coupled with the completion of Eleanor’s character arc, making it an incredibly beautiful scene. 

Jack Pearson’s death was a death we were explicitly warned about from the beginning, but we were given too much time to fall in love with him as a father and a husband. Nothing could’ve prepared us for the episode in which we finally learned his fate. 

Ashtray’s death on Euphoria was deeply upsetting for multiple reasons: he was young, it was violent, and it could’ve been prevented. But perhaps the most poignant reason it was so saddening was his relationship with Fezco, who had to bear witness to the entire tragedy. 

Almost every death on This Is Us was emotional, but William’s was particularly heartbreaking. He had made mistakes in his past, but he was a good man with a beautiful spirit. We all needed an extra box of tissues to get through that episode. 

Again, any time a character’s death is because of the actor’s death in real life, it’s going to be difficult to stomach. The other actors’ on-screen reactions are that much more emotional, and Fred’s death on Riverdale after Luke Perry’s death in real life was no exception. 

Big vs. Aidan will be debated as long as people are rewatching Sex and the City, but whether you like it or not, Carrie married Big. She was happy and in love, and she had been for years at the time he died, which made it heartbreaking no matter which of her former loves you stanned. 

House’s doctors had left his practice for various reasons in seasons past, but none made the doctor reckon with his treatment of people quite like Lawrence Kutner’s death. It was shocking and heartwrenching, and it showed how tragic it is when someone takes their own life. 

While many will say Rebecca Pearson’s death was not nearly as sad as Jack’s, it was still heartbreaking for loyal This Is Us fans. Rebecca certainly had her faults, but she was part of the Pearson fabric, and watching people say goodbye to a person they’re so connected to is devastating. 

Scandal fans constantly hoped that Rowan/Eli would miraculously and permanently exit Olivia Pope’s orbit. Instead, he continued wreaking havoc in her life and killing her employees, like Harrison Wright, whose life came to a tragic end at the hands of one twisted man. 

Characters aren’t supposed to die in sitcoms, especially when they’re as beloved as Dan Conner. Not only was his death heartbreaking, it was confusing. Although the show’s reboot reversed his death, it still stands as one of the saddest TV deaths of all time.