Top 10 Most Disturbing Deaths in TV History

WatchMojo

From shocking executions to brutal combat scenes, television has given us some truly unforgettable departures. Join us as we explore the most haunting character deaths that left audiences traumatized. Warning: this list contains graphic content and major spoilers for several popular series.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the TV

00:09character deaths that left us distraught, whether from shock, brutality, or other

00:13reasons.

00:14The first pick is Red Light, Green Light.

00:21Number 10, Nicholas Brody, Homeland.

00:24A complex and conflicted former soldier and prisoner of war, Nicholas Brody was originally

00:37intended to die early on in the show, however it wasn't until season 3 that he met his end.

00:42After assassinating the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Brody is sentenced to

00:46execution.

00:47Most of the crowd cheers as he's slowly hung.

00:53However, his handler, Carrie, calls out to him, letting him know she's there.

01:00Her distress is contagious and our hearts go out to her, having to watch the father of

01:04her unborn child die like that.

01:05For many viewers, Homeland died along with Brody.

01:17Number 9, Rita Morgan, Dexter.

01:19Grizzly deaths are the order of the day in a show where the protagonist is a serial killer.

01:23But this one left Dexter and the audience shell-shocked.

01:26Dexter's latest and arguably greatest victim, the Trinity Killer, has some parting words

01:30for him before he dies.

01:31It's already over.

01:32I accept.

01:33Nothing.

01:34Nothing is inevitable.

01:37It's already over.

01:39Dexter doesn't discover what he means until he gets home, ready to go on a trip with his

01:43wife Rita.

01:44Tragically, he discovers that Trinity had murdered Rita before Dexter got to him.

01:48Their young son Harrison being left amid the carnage only adds an extra layer of heartbreak.

01:53Rita always helped Dexter find the best parts of himself, and losing her was like the heart

01:57of the show and the character being cut out.

02:00It was in such a rush to get Harrison organized, I forgot my ID for the plane, so I'm zooming

02:04home for it.

02:05It means we'll be on a later puddle jumper, but we'll still be there waiting for you.

02:08Number 8, Warren Mears, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

02:11When teenagers fight vampires and other supernatural foes, things get bloody frequently.

02:15However, one of the most disturbing deaths in Buffy comes at the hands of one of the heroes.

02:20After wannabe big bad Warren Mears accidentally kills Willow's girlfriend Tara, the young witch

02:24embraces dark magic to unleash a rampage in pursuit of revenge.

02:37Catching up with Warren, Willow proceeds to force a bullet through Warren's body, torturing

02:41him and sewing his mouth shut.

02:43And just when the rest of the Scoobies arrive to convince her to stop, she removes Warren's

02:47skin in an instant.

02:48It's one of the show's most graphic deaths, and the usually sweet Willow being the one to

02:52do it is especially unnerving.

02:54You know what, I know you're in pain, but...

03:00Bored now.

03:01Number 7, Opie Winston, Sons of Anarchy.

03:03Boy, is you okay?

03:05Yeah.

03:06You, uh, find out what's going on?

03:10The Pope wants one of us dead.

03:13Even going out like a hero can be traumatic.

03:15When a kingpin demands that Sam Crow's young head Jax Teller sacrifice one of his members

03:20while in prison, he's torn on who to choose.

03:23Rather than see his friend forced to make that terrible choice, Opie Winston makes it

03:26for him.

03:27Forced to fight for his life, Opie doesn't go down easily.

03:29Wrong, man.

03:30No!

03:31No!

03:32No!

03:33No!

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04:15No!

04:16Poussé is then restrained improperly with Bayley putting his weight on her lungs.

04:20Unable to breathe or get their attention in the chaos of the moment, Poussé suffocates.

04:31It's a tragic, preventable death that leaves her friends especially tasty distraught.

04:36And given that it calls to mind real-world examples of police brutality,

04:39this death feels especially visceral.

04:46Number 5. Gustavo Fring, Breaking Bad.

04:55Even villains can meet upsetting ends.

04:57Gus Fring is locked in a battle of wills with protagonist Walter White.

05:00However, Walt hatches a plan with Gus's old enemy, Hector Salamanca.

05:03The aging cartel gangster pretends to cooperate with the DEA to lure Gus to his nursing home.

05:09A crippled little rata. What a reputation to leave behind.

05:13It isn't until the last moment before he kills Hector that Gus realizes something is wrong.

05:18As Hector rings his bell, Gus realizes too late that Walt has rigged it with an explosive.

05:22As satisfying as it is to see Walt finally defeat Gus,

05:26it's equally upsetting to see the state of Gus's body after the fact.

05:29Face-offs aren't usually quite so literal.

05:38Number 4. Chrissy Cunningham, Stranger Things.

05:42Chrissy? Hello? Hey, Chrissy!

05:47The horror inspiration is pretty clear throughout this throwback 80s sci-fi show,

05:51but this scene takes it to a whole other level.

05:53Chrissy Cunningham has been seeing things,

05:55and upon visiting Eddie Munson to buy drugs to take the edge off,

05:58she experiences something worse.

06:00Chrissy!

06:01Chrissy!

06:01Brought into a trance by the monstrous Vecna,

06:13Chrissy is terrorized by him and his mind-skinned.

06:15Back in reality, Eddie is traumatized by the sight of Vecna

06:18psychically breaking Chrissy's body piece by piece until she dies.

06:22The sadism and brutality of the death is enough to turn the stomach.

06:25Number 3. Noah, The Walking Dead.

06:33While on a supply run, Glenn, Noah, and Nicholas are trapped in a revolving door

06:37when trying to leave an unfinished mall.

06:42With walkers to both sides, it seems hopeless for all three of them.

06:47Thankfully, Eugene swings by and creates a distraction,

06:50luring the undead outside away.

06:51But that brief hope is soon dashed.

06:53Glenn's attempt to break the glass leads a panicking Nicholas to escape on his own.

06:57Hey! Hey! Over here! Come get me!

07:01Come get me!

07:03Come on!

07:04By opening the gap on his side,

07:06he leaves enough space for walkers to grab Noah.

07:08The poor guy is quickly devoured and torn apart by the zombie horde

07:11in uncomfortably graphic detail.

07:13There are upsetting deaths aplenty in this zombie apocalypse series,

07:17but this one is downright horrific.

07:20Don't let go.

07:21Number 2. Half the Players.

07:26Squid Game.

07:26When masked strangers drug you and bring you to an island

07:29to play games with a ton of money on the line,

07:31things aren't likely to end well.

07:33Holy crap.

07:35Oh!

07:40Oh my god, this is serious.

07:41This is serious now.

07:42The various indebted contestants are disarmed at first

07:45as they play a game of red light, green light with a robotic little girl.

07:48But then the guy in the lead wobbles a little as he stops and is promptly shot.

07:52As more players drop, the room turns to panic.

07:54And over 200 people,

07:56half of the players, are quickly massacred.

07:57Even the survivors aren't much better off,

08:08as many more are picked off on the way to the finish line.

08:11It's a bloody vicious introduction to the cutthroat nature of the squid games.

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08:37When it comes to appalling deaths in this grim fantasy series,

08:44we're spoiled for choice.

08:46Man, Tyrion Lannister, may the mother grant her mercy.

08:51May the father give them such justice as they deserve.

08:55And may the warrior guide the hand of our champion.

09:00And yet, this one still makes us shudder.

09:03In a trial by combat for Tyrion's life,

09:05Oberyn Martell faces Gregor Clegane, a.k.a. the Mountain.

09:08The Dornish prince acquits himself well against the massive knight.

09:11But Oberyn doesn't just want to win.

09:13He wants a confession from the Mountain about the fate of his sister and her kids.

09:22Unfortunately, he strays too close and is brought down by his wounded enemy.

09:26Clegane knocks out Oberyn's teeth,

09:28gouges out his eyes, and squashes his head like a watermelon.

09:31Oberyn's lover Ilaria's reaction really says it all.

09:34Who gave you the order?

09:37Who gave you the order?

09:40Say her name!

09:41Is there a gruesome TV death that still haunts you?

09:43We'll never get bored of reading your favorites in the comments.

09:46It's not like in the comics.

09:48No.

09:49No.

09:51I think you need to.

09:52I think you need to.

10:01I'll be right back.

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