Death in television is inevitable. Practically every TV show from The Walking Dead to Sesame Street has addressed the topic in some sort of way.
The death of a fan favorite TV show character is always painful to watch, but sometimes they make sense. They add to the overall story being told, and the character's legacy is never forgotten throughout the course of the show's run.
Related: Get HBO via Prime Video Channels for Addictive Dramas, Hilarious Comedies & Hit Movies!
Yet, some shows decide to kill off a character without any real reason behind it. The loss of that character didn't progress any storylines and it for sure didn't make the show any better. In fact, these needless TV deaths just pissed fans off and had them questioning why they even watch the show.
You would think showrunners would have learned by now. Don't kill off our favorite TV characters unless there is a very valid reason for it. But somehow every year it keeps happening.
Be warned; this is bound to trigger anger and resentment for television shows that you thought you had forgiven. Also, make sure to share your picks for the most needless TV deaths in the comments below.
1. Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead)
Glenn's death was super sad, but it seemed like it was going to pay off by the end of the season. Rick and Co. would get their comeuppance, and the show would grow in the process. Two seasons later and none of that has happened and doesn't look likely to happen. The Negan storyline continues to drag on, despite how boring it has become. New characters that nobody cares about continue to be introduced and The Walking Dead is just not as popular as it once was. This can all be retraced back to the death of Glenn. His death has now become meaningless, and the show has lost fans because of this poor decision. Glenn deserved better!
2. Abbie Mills (Sleepy Hollow)
There wasn't a lot of diversity in the sci-fi/fantasy genre before Sleepy Hollow. That's why so many people were excited when the character of Abbie Mills was introduced to the world. A black female lead in a fantasy show is a rare commodity. It was an exciting time, but after a couple of seasons, Sleepy Hollow's use of Abbie began to frustrate fans. And just when it looked like the show was finally going to give Abbie a good story to tell again, she was killed off. She supposedly served her purpose by helping Ichabod. Abbie's death destroyed any chance of the show surviving. Sleepy Hollow only had one more season before the show got canceled. A leading lady should never be treated the way Abbie was.
3. Leslie Shay (Chicago Fire)
Dick Wolf loves killing off major characters; it's just what he does. However, no Chicago Fire fans saw this one coming. The Season 2 cliffhanger saw a building that had all our favorites from Firehouse 51 inside explode. Fans knew a character was going to be killed off, but no one thought it would be Shay, especially because she was one of two women in the male-dominated cast and the only LGBT character on the show. When the show came back for Season 3 and fans found out it was Shay that died in the explosion, they were outraged. It didn't help that after just a few episodes, Shay had become an afterthought. The rest of the characters moved on from her death and never looked back. Yet, fans are still angry, and four seasons later, the show still hasn't found someone that's been able to replace this beloved character.
4. Anya Jenkins (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Although Anya just started off as a one-episode "demon of the day," she ended up coming back and became a fan favorite. She and Xander's relationship became a focal point in the last few seasons of the show and helped them both grow as characters. When Anya rejoins the Scooby Gang in the final season, fans were hopeful that she and Xander would reconcile. That did not happen. Anya was abruptly killed in the series finale, and very little was made of it for the remainder of the episode. Not only were fans upset that Anya and Xander never got their happily ever after but they were also angry that Anya was killed without any fanfare.
5. Poussey Washington (Orange is the New Black)
The number of black LBGT television characters can probably be counted on one or two hands. Poussey was one of the first representatives of this community on television, so Orange is the New Black fans had every right to be upset when she was killed off in the fourth season. The show tried to defend its decision to kill off the beloved character by saying they wanted to draw attention to the serious problem of prison and police brutality towards the black community. With a show consisting of so many characters, the same story could've been told without killing off a character who meant so much to so many people.
6. Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time)
Regina just couldn't catch a break. Even though she was supposed to be an evil character, in the beginning, Regina became a fan favorite right away. Once Upon A Time fans wanted to see her find love and after seasons of waiting for it to happen, she finally found it. Robin Hood was someone who could match Regina in every way. Outlaw Queen faced so many obstacles throughout their courtship including him accidentally getting her sister pregnant (it's a long story) but they managed to overcome it all. Just when it looked like Regina would finally get her happily ever after, Robin was killed by Hades. It was devastating and an unnecessary blow to fans of the show. There was so much more to explore in the Robin and Regina relationship, and it was ruined by this moment. Team Outlaw Queen Forever!
