1. Quentin Fields ("One Tree Hill")
I know a lot of people may disagree, but this death in "One Tree Hill" hurt me so much more than Keith Scott's death in the show. Quentin had been working so hard to be a better student, basketball player, and person, only to have his life cut short by a gunman in a gas station. The fact that he became so close with Nathan, Haley, and their son Jamie only makes it hurt worse. I still don't think it's fair that he never really got his chance to shine.
2. Alexei ("Stranger Things")
Ugh, poor, sweet Alexei deserved so much better in life. He was forced to work for a dangerous Russian agency that needed him to find "The Key" to other portals in the world. When he was arrested by Jim Hopper, he befriended the officer, Joyce Byers, and Russian translator, Murray. When the gang stopped at the fair to find the kids, Murray and Alexei went to have some fun with the carnival games. Innocently distracted by the large, stuffed bear he won, Alexei was shot and killed by a Russian hitman. Alexei just wanted to have some fun and drink his cherry slurpee!
3. Derek Shepherd ("Grey's Anatomy")
Where do I even begin with Derek Shepherd? This man was such an intelligent brain surgeon, a wonderful husband, an amazing father, and an overall great person. He endured far too much trauma in his life, much like every "Grey's Anatomy" character, including Meredith's near-drowning, a shooting, and a plane crash.
The amount of PTSD Derek had was probably off the charts, but none of those horrific accidents killed him. Instead, he was sitting in his car on a mountainous highway after helping car crash victims, when a semi-truck slammed into the side of his car.
When he was transported to the hospital, the surgeons neglected to order him a head CT, which ultimately resulted in his death. The brain surgeon dying due to not having his head checked pains me is so unbelievably frustrating and cruel.
4. Alex Karev ("Grey's Anatomy")
Alex Karev may not have died, but the way he was written off of "Grey's Anatomy" is just despicable. After years of trauma and self-growth, Alex went from being a total jerk to a loving, thoughtful, and kind man who loved caring for children. He had found his one true love with Jo, or at least we all thought! I was so hurt by Alex disappearing out of the blue without telling Jo, whom he told he would never hurt or leave.
Then finding out that he went back to Izzy, who had abandoned him in the past, just threw me over the edge. It was totally unlike him to do that, and it completely ruined all of his character development. Alex deserved to be written off the show in a way that did not stain his character.
5. Lance Sweets ("Bones")
I remember when Sweets died I was so shocked and heartbroken. He spent so much of his time devoted to helping his friends figure out their problems and putting his own on hold. Sweets always looked for the light at the end of the tunnel when his friends or colleagues were experiencing darkness.
He also created a little bit of comic relief amongst serious plot lines. His death was even more tragic because he was just about to become a husband and a father. I really wish Sweets could have lived to experience the life he wanted.
6. Bonnie Bennett ("The Vampire Diaries")
Talk about a woman who couldn't catch a break. Bonnie was one of the strongest, bravest, and most selfless characters on "The Vampire Diaries." She was constantly putting others' needs before hers and she would overexert herself when using magic to save her friends time and time again.
There is no question about it, the rest of the characters would not have survived without her. I always felt so angry for her because every time she was about to find some happiness, it was torn away from her. She had finally fallen in love with Enzo, only to have him ripped away from her and she was left to live her days all alone.
Bonnie should have been treated better by everyone on that show and she deserved all the happiness in the world after sacrificing herself countless times.
7. Lexa ("The 100")
Lexa was so incredibly strong and a fantastic leader. She made decisions that ultimately helped Skaikru survive against the other factions, despite the fact that many of her own followers disagreed with her choices. She did whatever she had to do to save her own people, but never did so without fully thinking it through. Lexa was incredibly wise and helped guide Clarke in becoming a better leader.
The Commander was also a great character for LGBTQ representation when it was still somewhat unpopular to show on television. Clarke and Lexa should have been able to have a longer relationship, but their time together was cut short when Lexa's guard accidentally shot her in an attempt to kill Clarke. Maybe things wouldn't have gone so far South for the other characters if she had lived longer.
8. Kevin Pearson ("This Is Us")
Kevin Pearson is not dead and is still on "This Is Us", but that does not change the fact that he continues to be treated with so much disrespect. I understand that his relationship with his brother and sister mirrors the complications of sibling relationships that many people experience in real life, but it still hurts me to see him constantly hurt by the ones he loves, especially Randall.
Kevin had to endure the horrific loss of his father, the burning of his home, and the guilt of not being with his family when the tragedy occurred. Not to mention, in his adult years he becomes addicted to alcohol, goes through a heartbreaking divorce, and struggles to find his purpose in life. It seems like every time Kevin tries to do the right thing, someone finds a way to criticize him in the cruelest of ways.
All I ask is for the writers to show Kevin some well-deserved love and appreciation because he has an amazing heart.
9. Robb Stark ("Game of Thrones")
To be fair, the entire Stark family deserves a million times better than what they endured in their lives. I chose Robb because he was the leader in trying to avenge his father's death, fighting for his two sisters and brother who were being held captive, and taking down the evil King Joffrey. He held the weight of the world on his shoulders for his family and he was genuinely a good guy.
All he wanted was his family to be safe, and he even found love during the journey. The fact that he was just married and about to have a child with his wife, who was also murdered, makes it so much more heart-wrenching. The Red Wedding is one of the most horrifying television scenes I have ever watched and it made me feel sick for Robb and his loved ones. He would have been an incredible and fair leader. Rest in Peace to the King of the North!
10. Daenerys Targaryen ("Game of Thrones")
Yes, let's completely throw away all of the time spent on character development throughout all seven seasons and make the Dragon Queen go illogically mad. Nothing makes me more upset than the destruction of Daenerys' character. Sure, everyone in "Game of Thrones" is a little murderous because they literally have to be in order to survive. However, for the majority of the show, Daenerys avoided killing innocent civilians, and people who did not quite deserve to die.
She was fair and just, but strong and not to be messed with, that's for sure. Khaleesi loved her dragons and her people, but for her to go and burn an entire city of innocent people? That is taking it too far for me. Although it made sense for Jon Snow to kill her after her terrifying attack on King's Landing, it still made me angry because I could not see her character creating as much carnage as she did.
There's nothing like destroying a strong female character by making her insane when she's becoming too powerful, right? Daenerys deserved to be the queen and she would have never murdered so many civilians, period.
11. Ruth Langmore ("Ozark")
I cannot tell you how many times I have uttered the words "Poor Ruth," while watching "Ozark." This girl grew up in a poor home life with an abusive, jailed father, irresponsible uncles, and no mother. She already had a life of crime because she was trying to survive with little money, but then Marty Byrde comes into her life and messes things up even more for her. At first, it seems like Marty is helping her life become better, which he does slightly, but for the most part, he ruins her life.
Her devotion to him and his business drives her to kill her two uncles, tangles her up with the drug cartel who waterboards her, gets her beaten up by the mafia, gets her father killed, and gets her boyfriend murdered. The only family she has left are her two younger brothers, whom she tries her best to take care of amongst everything else. I hope in the last season of Ozark, Ruth gets at least a little bit of happiness to hold onto because within her rough exterior is a woman with a good heart.
12. Ben Davis ("Ozark")
Ben's death was one of the most depressing and heartbreaking scenes I have ever watched on television. Ben was the brother of Wendy Byrde, who launders money for a Mexican drug cartel, and he had no idea about her crimes until he went to visit her and the family. I wish so much for Ben that he had never visited Wendy. He stayed at the Byrde household too long and became wrapped into the dangers of their business.
Although he met Ruth and fell in love, Ben witnessed far too many traumatic events in the Ozarks, like the shooting of the mafia and Ruth being beaten nearly to death. He also suffered from bipolar disorder, which made him a huge liability for the cartel, once he learned about it. Poor Ben couldn't handle the shock of everything and had multiple outbursts around extremely dangerous people in the cartel, like revealing their business to their children. Eventually, Wendy and Ben had to quickly flee from the Ozarks to avoid his execution.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that Wendy was driving Ben across the country, only to have him killed by the drug cartel's hitman. The image of his sad eyes looking for his sister in the restaurant parking lot still breaks my heart.
I hope everyone can agree that these characters deserved better than what they were left with! I'm sure there are plenty of others who should also be on this list, but that would take all day.
Thanks for reading, and hang onto your favorite characters for as long as you can before the writers decide to break your heart!
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