21 Times TV Shows Killed Off A Character And Ruined The Entire Series For People

WARNING: Contains big, sad, potentially series-ruining spoilers.

Recently, we asked TV fans to share a character death that devastated them and pretty much ruined the series in the process. Here were some of the 300+ submissions!

1. Lexa from The 100 being shot. (SEVERAL FANS MENTIONED THIS DEATH)

The CW

"It was like a switch flipped and I went from obsessed with the show to completely uninterested. I didn’t even finish the season."

—jennahanes

2. Michael from Jane the Virgin having an aortic dissection after initially surviving a gunshot.

The CW

"My sister and I binged that season and loved it so much, but when Michael died we were absolutely devastated. I was a wreck for days. Gina Rodriguez is a fantastic actress and her sobs at the end of the episode just made it all the more heartbreaking. We watched a couple episodes afterwards, but it just wasn't the same. Apparently he comes back, but I don't care to know how or why."

—recklingturtle

3. Quentin on The Magicians sacrificing himself to defeat the Monster. (SEVERAL FANS MENTIONED THIS DEATH)

Syfy

"Killed off because the writers couldn't see that staying true to the source material at least with main/essential characters being ALIVE is, you know...important for your viewers to feel vindicated in their dedication. It was blatant shock value that added nothing to any other character arcs or the story overall but a gaping, emotionless hole."

—paigeas

4. Tara from Sons of Anarchy being brutally murdered.

FX

"I hated that her storyline took such a turn, and it made Jax into everything he was trying to run from. That scene when he walked in and found Tara on the ground was GUT-WRENCHING and I bawled my eyes out. It was never the same after that."

—jenmarie11x1203

5. Carl from The Walking Dead being bitten by a walker. (SEVERAL FANS MENTIONED THIS DEATH)

AMC

"Glenn from The Walking Dead was really bad, but I didn't stop watching until they killed Carl. It felt like a betrayal that they would deviate from the comics to kill Carl but not keep Glenn. It's also depressing how the show kept killing off its moral center each season."

—susank43293cb70

"Carl from The Walking Dead. He wasn't even my favorite character by any means, but if you know how the comics go, it was a pretty disappointing death to see. To add to that, what made it worse for me was that they seemed to have only done it for shock value. It was a waste of not only a main character but also took the show in a completely different direction. I haven't watched since."

—mrsnegan

6. Silus from Vampire Diaries being stabbed by a dagger.

The CW

"Why? They spent what felt like seasons building him up to the biggest baddie, only for him to die in like three episodes after he was revealed. All that buildup and suspense...for nothing? His quick death and lack of action did it for me. What a waste."

—nicolexmartin

7. Poussey Washington on Orange Is the New Black getting killed during a confrontation. (SEVERAL FANS MENTIONED THIS DEATH)

Netflix

"This show did such a good job showing what it is like inside a prison and in the instance of her death, too good of a job. This was such a real death for me. So many things on this show made me angry about the treatment of people in prison and especially those in minority groups. The hate and cruelty they face.

But to make her death even worse, it was the most innocent and naive guard who used lethal force without even knowing, because they couldn’t afford training since they'd become a for-profit corporation. It made me angry and sad to know this could happen 10 times a day for real and we would never know. I couldn’t reach another season because it was too much and made me feel so helpless."

—b4fd29efa2

8. Allison in Teen Wolf being stabbed.

MTV

"I loved her and Scott’s relationship and it devastated me for days when she died. Couldn’t watch it after that."

—idiot1012

9. Prudence from Charmed being killed by a demon shooting her into a wall.

CBS Television Distribution

"I gathered my wits and waited four long years to continue watching it. It was so disrespectful how she wasn't acknowledged the rest of the show, especially the ending scene where they show the photos of the sisters in the Halliwell house with no sign of Prue."

—nahomistgo

10. J.T. from Degrassi: The Next Generation being stabbed.

CTV

"Degrassi. J.T. That is all I need to say."

—sarahglory13_

11. Rayna James from Nashville being in an accident.

CMT

"Survived a whole hostage situation only to die from a car accident as she was rescued and heading home?"

—guillendenise65

12. Billy from Ally McBeal dying from a brain tumor.

20th Television

"When he was in the middle of trial and then he just turned to Ally and says he's loved her since he was 8, and then he just dropped. How do you recover from that?"

—carmen5731

13. Charlie from Lost drowning.

ABC

"I never watched a single episode after he died. He was my favorite character and at least 75% of the reason I watched the show."

—a-whale

14. Edie Britt crashing into a pole and then being electrocuted on Desperate Housewives.

ABC

"That death was just so unfair and cruel."

—mattyc3

15. Marissa from The O.C. dying in a car accident.

Fox

"She had great character development, then they killed her off! The show wasn’t the same after that!"

—katieh444fe3bbc

16. Mark Greene from ER dying of a tumor.

NBC

"Absolutely devastating."

—plumjo

17. Sybil in Downton Abbey dying of a condition related to her pregnancy.

ITV Studios / Carnival Films

"She was such an important part of the show and was objectively the sweetest character. She always tried to do what was right and always wanted to help others, whether it was her family, husband, servants, or the wounded soldiers she nursed. Her death made my entire family cry, and I stopped watching for months after."

—niddekoala

18. Tom Keen from The Blacklist being stabbed and shot.

NBC

"I was a huge fan of The Blacklist and would watch it every night it was airing religiously. Then they killed off Tom for shock value and lost a major component of what made the show so compelling. The show has lacked a lot of heart, humor, and electricity since Tom died. He had great chemistry with all the other characters and they never closed off his storylines. Really crappy writing."

—cadyj1392

19. Dr. Melendez in The Good Doctor dying from injuries suffered during an earthquake.

ABC

"I stopped watching. I felt they did it just for the sake of killing someone off, and it didn’t fit in with the storyline they had been setting up AT ALL."

—stingraykat820

20. Rita from Dexter being murdered.

Showtime

"When I saw that episode, I was so mad and upset I didn’t continue watching the show for like six months, and it still wasn’t the same."

—kelcea

21. Logan from Veronica Mars dying in a blast.

Hulu

"He went from psychotic jackass to unpredictable shady boyfriend to stable healthy husband. And then BOOM. He was one of the most complex, witty, and charming characters on the show, yet he didn't get any sendoff. The show fast-forwarded a year and wrapped up in the space of a few minutes, not giving fans or viewers any time to process the knife in our guts."

—r2them

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