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Billy Baker in 'All American' (2018–) -

Taye Diggs' character Billy Bake, who had been in the show since 2018, was killed off (in a bus crash) in February 2023. "It has truly been a gift for me and my fellow writers to write a character that was equally flawed and heroic. Billy was all of us and what a joy it was to watch this character grow as he raised his kids and his football players as one big family." said showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll. 

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Derek Shepherd in 'Grey's Anatomy' (2005–) -

There have been a few controversial deaths in the show, but perhaps the most painful was that of 'Dr. McDreamy.' Fans were in shock when Dr. Shepherd's vehicle was smashed by a truck after he saved a family from a car crash. He died in hospital. 

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Finn Hudson in 'Glee' (2009–2015) -

Corey Monteith, the actor who played Finn, tragically died in real life, so the writers had to kill off the character during the fifth season of the series. This made it even more heartbreaking for fans. 

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Hank Schrader in 'Breaking Bad' (2008–2013) -

The DEA special agent played by Dean Norris discovers that local drug lord Heisenberg is actually his brother-in-law, Walter White (Bryan Cranston). Hank ends up being executed by a criminal named Jack (Michael Bowen). 

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Tracy McConnell in 'How I Met Your Mother' (2005–2014) -

Architect Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) spends the whole show dropping hints to his children about how he met their mother. The mystery has a dramatic twist in the end. Spoiler alert: their mother was Tracy, Ted's late wife. 

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Rita Bennet in 'Dexter' (2006–2013) -

In a show full of deaths, the loss of the protagonist's wife and mother of his son, Rita Bennet (Julie Benz) was one of the most painful to watch. She was murdered in a bathtub by a serial killer.

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Ned Stark in 'Game Of Thrones' (2011–2019) -

GoT is just one of those shows where you know your favorite character will die, and of course, Ned Stark (Sean Bean) is one of them. The Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, and Hand of King Robert was executed by Ilyn Payne. The order was given by Joffrey Baratheon.

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Will Gardner in 'The Good Wife' (2009–2016) -

Fans mourned the death of the character played by Josh Charles after he was unexpectedly shot dead in a courtroom.

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Lori Grimes in 'The Walking Dead' (2010–2022) -

The character played by Sarah Wayne Callies is not attacked by a zombie. Instead, she dies during childbirth. Even more shocking was that her son had to shoot her in the head to make sure she didn't come back as a zombie.

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Marissa Cooper in 'The O.C.' (2003–2007) -

The character played by Mischa Barton was one of the main protagonists in the show. She tragically dies after being hit by a car. 

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George O'Malley in 'Grey's Anatomy' (2005–) -

George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) heroically jumped in front of a bus to save a woman's life, but ended up losing his own life as a result. 

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Matthew Crawley in 'Downton Abbey' (2010–2015) -

The character played by Dan Stevens manages to survive the war, but ends up tragically dying in a car accident following the birth of his child.

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The Tenth Doctor in 'Doctor Who' (2005–) -

David Tennant played one of the most beloved reincarnations of the Doctor and fans were devastated when he died.

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Mark Greene in 'E.R.' (1994–2009) -

The character played by Anthony Edwards was diagnosed with brain cancer and ended up succumbing to the illness. 

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Charlie Pace in 'Lost' (2004–2010) -

Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) sacrificed himself to save his friends and guide them to safety. 

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Jen Lindley in 'Dawson's Creek' (1998–2003) -

We all loved the show's rebellious teen Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams). It was so sad to see her die in a hospital bed. "Dealing with the death of one of their own was the final thing that thrust them into adulthood forever. Dawson's Creek was a coming-of-age story and that was the idea behind that ending. That's why we killed Jen, because I wanted them to deal with a death of one of their own as that final lesson. That's what forced Joey to make a decision," said the show's creator Kevin Williamson. 

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Jane Margolis in 'Breaking Bad' (2008–2013) -

Despite the toxic relationship Jane (Krysten Ritter) had with Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), they really loved each other. Fans couldn't believe when Walter White (Bryan Cranston) just allowed her to choke to death on her own vomit after an overdose. 

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Hodor in 'Game of Thrones' (2011–2019) -

Hodor was a loyal servant of House Stark. So much so, that he sacrifices his life to save that of Bran Stark (Kristian Nairn). It was both a sad and beautiful ending for the endearing character. 

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Lady Sybil in 'Downton Abbey' (2010–2015) -

Jessica Brown Findlay's character had to be killed off as the actress wanted to leave the series. It was sad to see such a fan favorite go, though. 

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Glenn Rhee in 'The Walking Dead' (2010–2022) -

Steven Yeun's character grew throughout the series and became a fan favorite. The death of the pizza delivery boy turned zombie killer was a sad one indeed. 

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Robb Stark in 'Game of Thrones' (2011–2019) -

Being stabbed in the heart is not the most peaceful way to die, but this is what happened to Robb Stark (Richard Madden) at the Red Wedding.

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Lexa in 'The 100' (2014–2020) -

The character played by Alycia Debnam Carey was accidentally killed by a stray bullet. Lexa's death sparked a massive backlash, especially from members of the LGBTQ+ community, who claimed gay characters are constantly being killed off in shows. 

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Ben Sullivan in 'Scrubs' (2001–2010) -

Brendan Fraser played Sacred Heart patient, Jordan's (Christa Miller) brother, and a friend of Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley). While suffering from leukemia, Ben died from a sudden heart attack.

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Poussey Washington in 'Orange Is The New Black' (2013–2019) -

When inmate Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley) was suffocated to death by an officer, it was a devastating moment in the show and an example of the real violence that people suffer at the hands of law enforcement officers. 

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Alaric Saltzman in 'Vampire Diaries' (2009–2017) -

The death of history professor Alaric Saltzman (Matthew Davis) came as a shock, but luckily, he returned to the series later on. Vampires, right?

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James Novak in 'Scandal' (2012–2018) -

Reporter James Novak (Dan Bucatinsky) knew too much so he was killed. Fans shed a tear when James uttered his last words: his daughter's name.

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Lexie Grey in 'Grey's Anatomy' (2005–) -

The character played by Chyler Leigh loses her life in a plane accident. It was another sad and tragic death for fans of the show. 

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Mark Sloan in 'Grey's Anatomy' (2005–) -

Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) perished after a long coma, that he fell into after a plane accident. This was yet another sad death in the series. 

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Carl Grimes in 'The Walking Dead' (2010–2022) -

Fans of the show couldn't believe it when Chandler Riggs' character Carl Grimes was bitten by a zombie and later took his own life.

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Tara Maclay in 'Buffy - The Vampire Slayer' (1997–2003) -

Witch Tara (Amber Benson) is tragically shot and dies in the arms of her girlfriend.  

See also: These TV characters were killed off because of their actors' behavior

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