7 TV Characters Who Should Never Have Been Killed Off

1 day ago 14

Brian (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) in 'Family Guy'

Published Jul 1, 2026, 6:03 PM EDT

Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for multiple shows.TV characters die all the time. This isn't anything new for the medium, as showrunners want their series to be able to deliver emotional moments, regardless of genre. When characters die, it could be for any number of reasons. Sometimes the actor might just want to move on. They might have gotten fired due to a scandal or being hard to work with, or the character's death might have just made sense for the story.

Sometimes though, a character's death might just make no sense whatsoever. It can feel abrupt, cheap, ridiculous, or unnecessary if it's not handled properly, especially if that character is one that fans love. This has also happened a lot, in many TV shows of all genres, leaving audiences scratching their heads rather than crying. These are the TV characters that never should have been killed off.

Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky

'The Simpsons' (1989–Present)

Rabbi Krustofsky sits at his desk with hands folded and looking ahead in The Simpsons.

By the time Season 26 of The Simpsons rolled around, it was at a point when it had been on for a long time and many had stopped watching it. The humor was growing stale, and very few significant things were happening, though the show still pulled millions of viewers. So, when the creators announced a major character would be killed off during the Season 26 premiere, netizens were wildly speculating on who it could possibly be, because it could potentially save the show and completely change its direction.

Viewers were disappointed when they found out the person to bite the dust would be Rabbi Krustofsky (Jackie Mason), who had only appeared in a handful of episodes prior. Worse still, he went out in such an unceremonious way, so it didn't even deliver the emotional punch that people were expecting. Overall, this death serves very little purpose other than to get people to tune in to the new season. It didn't change the trajectory of the show, and it felt unnecessary, solely because the rabbi had barely appeared in the show prior to that.

Tracy McConnell

'How I Met Your Mother' (2005–2014)

Josh Radnor as Ted reading to Cristin Milioti as Tracy, who is in a hospital bed in How I Met Your Mother.

How I Met Your Mother famously has one of the worst sitcom endings in TV history, largely due to how the story was handled. The sitcom is about Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) recounting the story of how he met the mother of his children. However, the name of their mother is kept ambiguous, never fully revealed until the eighth season, when her face is finally seen. Even then, her name isn't dropped until the series finale.

Ted's wife, Tracy (Cristin Milioti), became a beloved character. Even though she was never seen until Season 8, words about her actions and her life made people fall in love with her just as much as Ted did. Season 9, the final season, spent its time building up to Ted and Tracy's wedding. In the end, Tracy abruptly dies of an unspecified illness, and Ted ends up with somebody else in just two short episodes. It felt like a bait-and-switch and a total cop-out that fans were not happy about.

Loial

'The Wheel of Time' (2021–2025)

Loial (Hammed Animashaun) is an Ogier in the world of The Wheel of Time. This gentle giant may not be human, but he serves as a wise, scholarly figure. He is dedicated to writing a book chronicling the adventures of the Dragon Reborn and the chosen ta'veren, so he often follows them around to document their experiences. Fans were shocked then, to find that he met his end in the penultimate episode of the series. While his death was emotional and heroic, and felt like it was done justice, it doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't have happened.

In the original novel series by Robert Jordan, Loial does not die at all. He survives all the way until the very end, and is able to finish his book about the Dragon Reborn. In the show, he still finishes his book, but this doesn't really make a lot of sense, since the story was far from over prior to the show's cancellation. The TV series had killed off a few more people than the books did, but Loial was a strange pick, especially since he's such a major character and is really important to the books. It would have been interesting to see how this decision played out for the rest of the show, but sadly, Prime Video cancelled it before that could happen.

Ser Barristan Selmy

'Game of Thrones' (2011–2019)

Barristan Selmy ( Ian McElhinney) noticing citizens fleeing danger in 'Game of Thrones'

There are a lot of character deaths in Game of Thrones. This is a well-known and established fact of the franchise. Any time a new character is introduced, there's a significant chance that they won't make it to the end. Even though this is known, and is a celebrated feature of the series, that doesn't change how some of them were handled. By the time Season 5 of the show came out, it was getting to the point when they were outpacing the unfinished novel series by George R. R. Martin. The showrunners had to make a lot more of their own decision, and rely solely on Martin's rough notes.

This resulted in the death of Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney), a fan-favorite character. Ser Barristan was known for being one of the greatest knights in the land, who had bested many foes and done his duty to protect the kings and queens he served under. He was said to be a combat master, which makes his death pretty anti-climactic. He dies after being attacked by members of the Sons of the Harpy, a cult-like movement, in the streets of Meereen. He barely gets a chance to fight back, making this death feel undeserved and nonsensical, especially considering he's still alive in the books.

Collider Exclusive · Game of Thrones Personality Quiz Which Game of Thrones House Do You Belong To? Stark · Lannister · Targaryen · Baratheon · Tyrell

Five great houses. Five completely different answers to the same question: how do you hold power in a world that will take it from you the moment you stop paying attention? Eight questions will determine where your loyalties — and your nature — truly lie.

🐺Stark

🦁Lannister

🐉Targaryen

🦌Baratheon

🌹Tyrell

FIND YOUR HOUSE →

Someone powerful is acting dishonourably and everyone knows it. What do you do? In Westeros, the answer to this question has ended more than one great house.

ACall it out, openly and on the record. If honour means anything, it has to mean something when it's costly. BUse it. Information about someone else's dishonour is leverage — and leverage is power. CAct decisively to correct it — with or without the approval of those around me. DChallenge them directly. Strength settles disputes more honestly than courtroom manoeuvring. ENavigate carefully — build alliances, apply quiet pressure, and create a situation where the right outcome becomes inevitable.

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What is the source of your power? Every house endures because of something. What is it for yours?

AThe loyalty of people who trust me — earned over generations, not bought with gold. BWealth, intelligence, and the willingness to use both without sentiment. CA legacy so fearsome and a vision so total that opposition becomes unthinkable. DPhysical strength, military force, and the respect that comes from being the kind of person nobody wants to fight. ECharm, connection, and the ability to make powerful people feel that my success is also theirs.

NEXT QUESTION →

Who do you truly fight for? Strip away the banners and the words. The honest answer tells you everything.

AMy family and my people — those who depend on me and have kept faith with me through everything. BMy family — the ones who share my blood, even when they exhaust me, even when they disappoint me. CMy cause — a vision larger than any single person, including me. DMyself, and those few who've proven themselves worth fighting beside. EMy house — its name, its future, the position I intend to leave it in when I'm gone.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you deal with your enemies? A house's method reveals its character as clearly as its words ever could.

AHonestly — I face them directly, and I give quarter when it's warranted. BThoroughly — I don't leave loose ends, and I don't make the same enemy twice. CDecisively — fire answers questions that diplomacy only delays. DHead-on — I'd rather meet a threat on the battlefield than behind closed doors. EElegantly — I prefer to make former enemies into allies, or at least into people who owe me something.

NEXT QUESTION →

What kind of ruler do you believe in? Westeros is full of answers to this question. Most of them end badly.

AA just one — someone who serves the realm rather than using it, who leads by example rather than fear. BA capable one — someone smart enough to navigate the game, ruthless enough to win it, and realistic about what winning costs. CA transformative one — someone who doesn't just rule what exists but reshapes what's possible. DA strong one — someone whose authority is beyond question because the alternative is obviously worse. EA wise one — someone who understands that the realm is fed by more than armies, and that a full stomach keeps more peace than a sharp sword.

NEXT QUESTION →

You suffer a devastating loss. How does your house respond? How a house handles defeat tells you more about it than how it handles victory.

AWe grieve, properly and together — and then we endure, because endurance is what we do. BWe adapt. We reassess. And we ensure that whoever caused this loss comes to regret it completely. CWe burn hotter. Setbacks don't soften us — they clarify what needs to happen next. DWe hit back. Grief and revenge are the same motion in our house. EWe regroup quietly, rebuild our position, and return when we're ready — on our terms, not theirs.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which of these truths about Westeros do you most believe? Every house has a philosophy. This is yours.

AThe lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Nothing matters more than the people you protect. BA Lannister always pays their debts — in gold or in kind. Reputation is built on consistency. CI am the blood of the dragon. Some destinies are written before the person who carries them is born. DOurs is the fury. When we move, we move completely — and we don't stop until it's done. EGrowing strong means knowing when to bloom and when to wait. Patience is its own kind of power.

NEXT QUESTION →

The Iron Throne is within reach. What do you do? The answer reveals not just your ambition — but your character.

AClaim it only if the realm needs me to — and rule in a way that makes it worth having. BEnsure someone who owes us sits in it. The power behind the throne is safer than the throne itself. CTake it. It was always meant to be mine — I feel that in my bones and in my blood. DSeize it — with both hands, without hesitation. Opportunity in Westeros does not wait to be asked. EPosition my house to be indispensable to whoever sits there — influence outlasts any single reign.

REVEAL MY HOUSE →

The Maester Has Spoken Your House Is…

Your answers point to the great house whose words, values, and way of surviving in Westeros match your own. Bend the knee — or don't. That's very much up to you.

🐺 House Stark

Winter is Coming — and you have always known it. You prepare not out of fear but out of duty, because the people who depend on you deserve someone who takes the long view.

You lead with honour even when it costs you, because you understand that a reputation built on integrity is the only one worth having.
Your loyalty to family and people runs deep — not as sentiment but as a code that doesn't bend when things get difficult.
The North endures because Starks endure — not by being the cleverest players in the game, but by being the kind of people others are willing to follow into the cold.
You are that kind of person. The pack survives. The lone wolf dies. You already know which one you are.

🦁 House Lannister

You understand the game — its rules, its exceptions, and exactly when the rules become the exception. You play it without illusions and without apology.

You are sharper than most people realise, and you have learned to use that gap to your advantage.
A Lannister always pays their debts — and you always keep your word, because your word is an instrument of power, and instruments must be kept in working order.
You love your family with a ferocity that sometimes blinds you, and you know it, and you do it anyway.
The lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep. Neither, in the end, do you.

🐉 House Targaryen

You carry a sense of destiny that is difficult to explain and impossible to ignore — the feeling that you are not simply participating in the world but meant to reshape it.

You are capable of extraordinary things, and you know it, and that knowledge is both your greatest strength and your most dangerous quality.
Fire and blood are not just words to you — they are a philosophy about what change requires and what it costs.
The Targaryens at their best were transformative rulers who broke chains and defied the limits of what anyone thought possible.
At your best, so are you. The dragon has three heads. You are one of them.

🦌 House Baratheon

You are a force — direct, powerful, and difficult to ignore when you enter a room or a conflict. You do not negotiate with challenges. You meet them.

Ours is the fury — and yours is a kind of intensity that commands attention, respect, and occasionally fear from those who underestimate what's behind it.
You value strength and straight dealing. You'd rather know where you stand in a fight than navigate a web of courtly whispers.
The Baratheons built their house on the back of one of the greatest military victories in Westerosi history — and then struggled with what came after.
The lesson of your house is that winning is not the end of the story. Governing is. You are learning that too.

🌹 House Tyrell

You understand that power does not always announce itself — that sometimes it arrives with flowers, good wine, and a smile that doesn't quite reach the eyes.

Growing strong is your house's motto, and you live it: patiently, strategically, always investing in the relationships and resources that will matter most when it counts.
You are charming by choice and calculating by nature — a combination that makes you one of the most effective players in any room you enter.
The Tyrells fed King's Landing and shaped its politics without ever sitting on the Iron Throne — and they were arguably more powerful for it.
You know that the person who controls the food controls the kingdom. And you always know where the food is.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

Denholm Reyhnolm

'The IT Crowd' (2006–2013)

Chris Morris as Denholm Reynholm in 'The IT Crowd'

Denholm Reynholm (Chris Morris) is the egomaniacal, tyrannical CEO of Reynholm Industries in The IT Crowd. Denholm was sort of an absurdist parody of greedy corporate CEOs, which made him a character that audiences can relate to, as many have worked for bosses just like him. Unfortunately, Chris Morris decided to step away from the show and move on to other prospects at the beginning of Season 2, so the show wrote him out by killing him off.

In the middle of a meeting, Denholm is informed by his secretary that the police have discovered he is embezzling money from the company's pension fund. Without missing a beat, Denholm gets up, walks to the window, and jumps to his death. This is actually a hilarious moment since he doesn't say a word or hesitate for even a moment, leaving behind a room full of stunned executives. From then on, his role is replaced by Douglas Reynholm (Matt Berry), his son, who has inherited the company. While the death scene was funny and was the perfect send-off for the character, fans noticed a marked shift in the show's style of comedy, which became even more over-the-top than it already was. This was off-putting to a lot of people. Even though the show was just as good following his departure, it just wasn't the same.

Charlie Harper

'Two and a Half Men' (2003–2015)

A close up of Charlie Sheen thinking in Two and a Half Men.

Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) is one of the central characters of Two and a Half Men. He's basically the bread and butter of the show, serving as the primary source of comedy due to his hedonistic lifestyle. When the show decided to give him the axe, it was already on a bit of a downturn, with the humor being noticeably less amusing than it used to be. Following multiple scandals involving actor Charlie Sheen, he was fired from the show, and the character was killed off-screen.

The worst part is, the season finale before his departure would literally have been the perfect conclusion to the series. Bringing on Ashton Kutcher to replace Charlie Sheen as an entirely new character just did not work, and proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the once-beloved series. Though the show dropped some hints and implications that Charlie might have actually survived his brush with death, it wasn't enough to bring Charlie back. His death was the definitive moment the show got much worse, and it felt like it was being stretched taut beyond what was acceptable.

Brian Griffin

'Family Guy' (1999–Present)

The death of Brian (Seth MacFarlane) in Family Guy was a cause of immense backlash unlike anything the show had ever seen before. The Griffin family dog was one of the best characters on the show, though in recent years, he has been getting more detestable than realistic. Still, fans weren't too happy when the show announced they were going to kill off a major character, only for it to be Brian. Brian dies when he is abruptly struck by a car. While this should have made fans sad, fans only got angry.

It's not even clear why this decision was made. Maybe the show needed some extra shock value since it was starting to grow stale, maybe it was aware that fans were growing to hate Brian (the solution, then, is to write Brian to be more likable in the future). In any case, this character's exit felt like a cheap cop-out, and prompted such a massive fan response that the show was forced to undo their decision in a later episode.

Family Guy

Release Date January 31, 1999

Network FOX

Directors Peter Shin, Pete Michels, John Holmquist, Greg Colton, Brian Iles, Julius Wu, Joseph Lee, Joe Vaux, Mike Kim, Steve Robertson, Dan Povenmire, James Purdum, Dominic Bianchi, Dominic Polcino, Bob Bowen, Monte Young, Zac Moncrief, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bert Ring, Seth Kearsley, Scott Wood, Chuck Klein, Brian Hogan, Gavin Dell

Seth MacFarlane

Peter Griffin / Brian Griffin / Stewie Griffin / Glenn Quagmire / Tom Tucker (voice)
Alex Borstein

Lois Griffin / Tricia Takanawa / Loretta Brown / Barbara Pewterschmidt (voice)