35 TV Characters Who Deserved Better Endings Than The Ones They Got

    "Bob Newby, superhero."

    Nora Dominick
    by Nora Dominick

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV characters should've gotten a happy ending. Here are some of the best responses:

    🚨Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead!🚨

    1. Justin Foley from 13 Reasons Why

    Justin asking Clay to hold his hand right before he died
    Netflix

    "He had the best character development on 13 Reasons Why and there was just no reason for his death. I’m still asking myself why the writers did this!"

    —samjones88

    2. Tara Maclay from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    Tara accidentally getting shot and dying in Willow's arms
    Warner Bros.

    "She had so much character growth. Tara became confident and strong enough to leave Willow when their relationship wasn't working. She went through so much in the series and was so loving to Dawn and supportive of Buffy. She deserved a happy ending with the woman she loved."

    —dlthom27

    3. Poussey Washington from Orange Is the New Black

    Taystee crying over Poussey's body and curling up next to her on the floor
    Netflix

    "Poussey Washington's death was the most hurtful death on television. I was a mess for days. Not only did she deserve a happy ending, she also had good opportunities planned for herself too."

    —purplepaperplane

    4. Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars

    Logan smiling at Veronica and Veronica in shock after the car explodes
    Hulu

    "Logan freaking Echolls. He had such amazing growth throughout the series, but for some reason the writers didn't think Veronica could grow with him. So, instead of making them break up, they killed him off in the last 10 minutes of Season 4. This is a series that only made it past Season 3 because of the fans, and now the fans are pissed off. It was a horrible way to end the character and the show."

    —volley13

    5. Lexie Grey from Grey's Anatomy

    Lexie telling Mark they are "meant to be" right before she dies under the plane
    ABC

    "Lexie Grey was the best character on Grey's. She didn’t deserve to die so tragically. She belonged with Mark and they should have had kids and she should’ve been a neurosurgeon. I still sob from her death. I realized months ago that Lexie said to Mark once, 'When I’m hurt I would want someone to stroke my hair' and when Lexie was dying Mark was stroking her hair and that just makes it so sad. If Lexie was still alive (and with Mark), the show would be good again."

    —liliescandon34

    6. Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy

    Jo reading Alex's letter and learning that he's still in love with Izzie
    ABC

    "This is the hill I'm willing to die on. His character still had so much more story and I wanted to see him and Jo starting their family and continuing to fall in love with each other. He deserved his happy ending with Jo, not Izzie."

    —beccaf16

    7. Quentin Fields from One Tree Hill

    Jamie and Brooke crying over Quentin's casket with his cape draped over it
    The CW

    "I sobbed and bawled my eyes out after he died. Quentin had a great character arc that really resembled Nathan's from Season 1, and he had such a close bond with Nathan, Haley, and Jamie. He ended up being a lovable and great guy, but he didn't get to live the life he dreamed of. It was just truly heartbreaking. Quentin's entire ending was so sad and he deserved to live the life he always wanted."

    —orpinko1

    8. Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls

    Lane telling Rory that she was super nervous before her babies were born
    Warner Bros.

    "The writers did her so dirty by making her get pregnant with twins at such a young age after having sex ONE time! She always dreamed about being famous and was well on her way to having an amazing music career, but she never got the opportunity to leave Stars Hollow."

    —icedchai22

    9. Bob Newby from Stranger Things

    Joyce screaming while Bob gets eaten by a demodog
    Netflix

    "Bob did not deserve to be Demodog dinner. Considering how new his relationship was with Joyce and the fact that Will was not his responsibility, he had every reason to leave when things got complicated, but he stayed and fought for them. He literally died for them. Bob deserved a better ending than getting ripped to shreds and nothing will ever change my mind."

    —sabrinaslaughter

    10. Alexei from Stranger Things

    Alexei getting shot at the carnival in front of Murray
    Netflix

    "I hope he's getting as many cherry Slurpees as possible in heaven."

    —broadway_person

    11. Glenn Rhee from The Walking Dead

    AMC

    "I stopped watching after his death, so I don't know how Maggie's doing, but they both deserved as much happiness as one can get during a zombie apocalypse."

    —purplepaperplane

    12. Forty Quinn from You

    Love crying over Forty's body
    Netflix

    "He was the sweetest and didn’t deserve his cruel fate."

    —eviea44a40ff80

    13. Lance Sweets from Bones

    Sweets bleeding out and telling Booth that he fought and that the world is a lot better than Booth thinks
    Fox

    "He spent a lot of time and energy helping his friends find their way to a happy ending, and he was finally going to be a husband and father, which is all he dreamed of, but then he was killed. Sweets brought a joy and lightness to the show that was never able to be replicated by any other character."

    —thegingerelizabeth

    14. Missandei from Game of Thrones

    Missandei saying "Dracarys" before dying
    HBO

    "Missandei DID NOT deserve to die like that in Season 8. The writers already did her dirty by hardly giving her any significant lines and screentime despite her being one of Dany's closest friends. The least they could have done was let her live."

    —madzx41097

    15. Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones

    Jaime assuring Cersei that nothing else matters but them, before they are buried alive
    HBO

    "Now, don’t get me wrong, I hated this guy at the beginning of the series, but I really liked him in the later seasons. It was great to see him evolve during Season 3, and finally break free of Cersei in Season 7. I can't believe the series ended with him just going back to her and dying together in the end. He deserved so much more than to lose his entire character arc."

    —jazzy728

    16. Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones

    Daenerys asking Jon to "break the wheel together," and then Jon stabbing her
    HBO

    "It wasn’t fair that her character was written into turning into the Mad Queen. I don’t dislike the final season, but it wouldn't have been hated as much if what happened to her just didn't."

    —donotgogentleintothatgoodnight

    17. Lexa from The 100

    Lexa dying and Clarke telling her, "May we meet again"
    The CW

    "She was smart and open-minded, and crucial to Skaikru’s survival. Lexa was willing to go against the wishes of all her people and risk her authority and her life by making a peace agreement with Skaikru. She was also great for LGBTQ representation. She deserved better."

    —monikaaat

    18. Lincoln from The 100

    Lincoln whispering "May we meet again" to Octavia before Pike kills him
    The CW

    "Lincoln always put himself before everyone else and sacrificed himself to make sure his people would be okay. He should've gotten a happy ending."

    —hollyb05

    19. Nairobi from Money Heist

    Gandía shooting Nairobi in the head
    Netflix

    "All she wanted was to see her son and when she finally had the chance to see him, she was shot and almost died. Then, she survived this, only to be killed later on. Her death scene hit hard because it was so brutal and because she didn’t deserve it. The Professor promised her another child, but sadly that will never happen. She was one of my favorites and I hate how tragic her story was."

    —babystark3000

    20. Charlie Bradbury from Supernatural

    Sam and Dean finding Charlie dead in the bathtub
    The CW

    "She was one of my favorite characters, and her death was so brutal. She was the first female character I loved because there was no awkward romance with her and the brothers."

    —rose2105

    21. Bonnie Bennett from The Vampire Diaries

    Bonnie promising to travel the world and be happy, and Enzo looking after her
    The CW

    "Bonnie Bennett deserved better. She did so much for her friends, she sacrificed everything for them, and when she finally met a person who loved her unconditionally, they decided to kill him for absolutely no reason. Bonnie traveling the world while Enzo is 'looking out' for her is a shitty excuse to cover up the horrible way they messed up Bonnie and Enzo's storyline."

    —s4bb472acb

    22. Stefan Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries

    Stefan reuniting with Elena after he died and explaining why he let Damon live
    The CW

    "First off, there was no reason for him to die. If anything, both brothers should have died to save Elena and the town. The writers killed Stefan as a way to prompt Damon and Elena. Secondly, all Stefan wanted in life was to be human again and he was robbed of that! He spent the whole show being selfless and atoning for his mistakes, yet he still got screwed in the end for no reason! Forever my biggest loss on TV and I will forever be bitter about it."

    —carolync4178cbdc3

    23. Allison Argent from Teen Wolf

    Allison dying in Scott's arms and telling him that she will always love him
    MTV

    "She was so young and all she wanted to do was save her friends. Her story could’ve evolved so much more. Her death was incredibly sad and powerful. The impact it had on the other characters was written so well, but she deserved more."

    —larissavdmeer

    24. Opie Winston from Sons of Anarchy

    Opie looking at Jax one last time before dying
    FX

    "I know what happened to him happened because it affected Jax’s story, but still! It was horrible."

    —elmobeth

    25. Jin-Soo Kwon from Lost

    Jin telling Sun, "I won't leave you" before they both drown
    ABC

    "He tried and developed so much for Sun, only to die a few hours after being reunited, and he never got to meet their daughter."

    —hope1996

    26. Cordelia Chase from Angel

    Cordelia and Angel sharing a final kiss before Cordelia has him answer the phone
    Warner Bros.

    "The show spent the entire time building her character into being lovable, kind, and hilarious. Then, the writers sent her on a ridiculous arc that ended in the most anticlimactic death ever. She didn’t deserve to die, and even if she had to die, it didn’t have to be brushed off after ignoring her character for months."

    —kayasuraci

    27. Tracy McConnell from How I Met Your Mother

    Tracy in a hospital bed while Ted reads to her
    CBS

    "The entire series was supposed to be a buildup to Ted meeting Tracy and getting their happy ending together, but the show killed her off as soon as they really introduced her. It made it seem like the Mother was just a throwaway character and once she served her purpose of making Ted a dad because Robin didn't want/couldn't have kids, they killed her off so Ted could be with Robin."

    —xomollykatxo

    28. Klaus Mikaelson from The Originals

    Klaus thanking Elijah for being his brother and loving him right before he dies
    The CW

    "Everyone knows Klaus deserved redemption. I don’t understand why the writers ended his great character arc like this!"

    —eveythingpink

    29. Elijah Mikaelson from The Originals

    Elijah telling Klaus, "It's been a glorious ride, Niklaus" before dying
    The CW

    "He had no reason to die, and even though he did die, he should have gotten his last dance with Hayley. It hurts."

    —hannahy41ce4c197

    30. Hayley Marshall from The Originals

    Hayley telling Hope that she needs to leave before Hayley catches fire in the sun
    The CW

    "She was the most badass and loving character on this show and all she cared about was taking care of her daughter. She deserved to get her happy ending with Elijah and Hope, but instead, she was forced to sacrifice herself for her daughter. Elijah and Klaus’s deaths were sad, but at least they had lived long lives. Hayley was still a young mother."

    —emmaloveschocolate

    31. Kalinda Sharma from The Good Wife

    Kalinda telling Alicia that she will never see her again
    CBS

    "Kalinda basically carried the show on her back for most of its run and her hasty exit from the show was totally unfair and unsatisfying to longtime viewers. I would have loved to see her get a more definitive and satisfying ending."

    —mattyc3

    32. Wes Gibbins from How to Get Away With Murder

    Wes' dead body and Annalise screaming
    ABC

    "Wes was my favorite character, and killing him off was like killing off the heart of the show. I stopped watching after his character was written off. It just wasn’t the same to me. When I saw Alfred Enoch was returning for the final episode, I was hoping that his character had somehow survived, but I was wrong."

    —megana459810788

    33. Bonnie Winterbottom from How to Get Away With Murder

    Annalise trying desperately to save Bonnie after she's shot
    ABC

    "She went through so much and was finally gaining some stability when she was killed at the last second. I feel like they killed her just so they could have some tragedy in the final episode, but it came out of nowhere and didn't do her justice."

    —mariahjfarris

    34. Mulan from Once Upon a Time

    Mulan telling Ruby that she shouldn't wait to tell someone how she truly feels
    ABC

    "She was such a great character and was constantly used as an aid in other characters' storylines, but barely got her own. She’s one of the best characters on the show and deserved a happy ending."

    —sohansoni

    35. And finally, Rachel Green from Friends

    Ross finding out that Rachel actually got off the plane
    NBC

    "Rachel grew the most out of all of the Friends characters and she really became a better person, an independent woman, and an amazing mother. However, all she got in the end was Ross."

    —oliviaf4a3e89b74

    Are there other TV characters who deserved better endings? Tell us in the comments below!

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    Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.