10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths In TV Shows (SPOILERS)

Ah, deaths on TV shows. There’s something about watching a show for hours on end, growing to love the characters and then witnessing them being struck down in front of you that film deaths can’t quite match up to. In terms of making you feel like you’re dead inside, that is.

Whether in a medical drama or a bastard unfair adaptation of a fantasy epic (you know what we’re talking about), here are the most tragic TV deaths from Jimmy Donnellan and Callum Davies in order of tissues used by men and women alike.

FINAL SPOILER ALERT. CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO RETURN TO THE CV HOMEPAGE.

10. Jimmy – Boardwalk Empire

It’s certainly a brave step by showrunners to kill off one of the two lead characters, especially if it’s at the hands of Steve Buscemi.

No matter what bastardly acts he was capable of towards the end of his on-screen life, you couldn’t help but root for Jimmy Darmody of Boardwalk Empire. The bond with someone who was essentially his surrogate father, Nucky, had been tested to the limit throughout the season and finally reached breaking point in the finale.

Viewers were urging Nucky to not pull the trigger and you could tell by his eyes that he didn’t want to either, but business is business in Atlantic City.

 

9. EVERYONE – Six Feet Under

Being a show about death, which was set in a funeral home, Six Feet Under was an ever-reliable source of tragedy, but in the series finale they went all out.

We were treated to a heart-rending montage that flashed through time showing us the final moments of every single member of the main cast. It’s so powerful that people are known to watch it on YouTube when they’re in need of a good cry.

Cheaper than a bag of onions I guess.

 

8. Jane – Breaking Bad

Jane was a bit of a dick, let’s just be clear about that.

Her death in Breaking Bad is one of the saddest committed to the small screen mainly because of the tragic way in which she choked on her own vomit as Walter watched on.

But the real reason why it’s made this top 10 is because of what it did to Jesse. After being found in a drug den by Walter, the look of absolute agony all over Pinkman’s face is hard to forget. He was never the same again, paving the way for the show to get going as the remorseless, groundbreaking series it deserved to become.

 

7. Omar – The Wire

This death is as sad as it shocking; it comes out of absolutely fucking nowhere.

Omar is perhaps the most well-loved character in The Wire, charming, principled and capable, but when he idly walks into a local liquor store for cigarettes only to get his head blown open by a kid no older than 12, none of that matters, he didn’t see it coming and neither did we.

 

6. Marshall’s Dad – How I Met Your Mother

Many people may deride the finale as the main tearjerker, as in providing tears of frustration, but this is hard to beat in terms of unexpected television deaths.

A very solid episode which has a strong father/son theme throughout, Marshall is seen talking to his dad on the phone throughout who is giving him guidance after Marshall’s struggle to get pregnant with his wife, Lily.

After hearing the good news that the pair can actually conceive, Lily breaks the bad news of Mr. Eriksen’s death, leading to Jason Segel knocking the ball out of the park with his reaction and leaving us all back in diapers.

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