One of the truest tests of the quality of a TV show is the strength of its characters. Whether they be leads, antagonists, or just minor roles, everyone in the cast is an important part of how the show comes together, and can really impact viewers' enjoyment of a series.
Not every character gets a happy ending though. Some suffer unnecessary deaths, some are written out entirely, and some just get unsatisfying conclusions to their arcs. While not everyone can live happily ever after, some characters really deserved better endings than they got.
Katy Moore - The Office
Katy, played by the incredibly talented Amy Adams, was an early love interest for Jim in The Office who committed the unforgivable crime of not being Pam. Katy was never a very complex character, but she was still likable and even managed to make friends with Pam's fiancé Roy.
While the show tried to sneak in small references to how she and Jim weren't right for each other, she still came off as a good person who could have been good for Jim if he had tried. Unfortunately, after putting up with him for several episodes, Katy is rudely dumped by Jim in the middle of a booze cruise and is never seen again.
Beth Quinn - The Punisher
Beth was another brief love interest who was booted off her show far too abruptly. Frank Castle, A.K.A. The Punisher, is introduced to Beth in the first episode of the second season. Running the bar where most of the action takes place, Beth and Frank have real chemistry and she is one of the few people who Frank is willing to let down his guard around.
She bonds with Frank after spending the night and backs him up in a shootout at the bar but after a brief appearance in episode two, her part in the show is over. She could have been an emotional core of the season, but unfortunately, she is basically forgotten by the final episode.
Billy Malone - Arrow
Billy Malone was a romantic partner of Felicity Smoak in Arrow, and it was possibly because he was in the way of one of Arrow's best relationships that he had to go. Malone was a loving boyfriend and an incredibly skilled detective who worked alongside Team Arrow through the first half of the season.
He meets his end dramatically when villain Prometheus tricks Oliver into killing him. His death is a shocking moment and kicks off several great plot threads, but he was such a great guy it was a shame to see him die so suddenly. Plus, Oliver and Felicity get back together anyway and practically forget the whole thing.
Lexa - The 100
Lexa's death in The 100 has always been a sore spot for fans and has become an infamous moment in CW history. Lexa was a major character in the second and third seasons of The 100, and was popular among fans for being a strong female figure and for her relationship with Clarke, one of the show's leads.
Their relationship was an important part of the show and was a significant moment of LGBTQ+ representation on television. Unfortunately, she was killed off abruptly and haphazardly in season 3 when she was shot by a stray bullet, leading to a significant outcry from fans of the series.
Brother Ray - Game Of Thrones
Game of Thrones had a habit of killing off as many characters as possible, so it was probably foolish to think that Brother Ray would be long for this world. Given even more gravitas by the always excellent Ian McShane, Brother Ray, one of the best GOT characters who appeared in only one episode, was a charismatic voice of reason and peace amid the violent world of Game of Thrones.
He nursed The Hound back to health after finding him almost dead and spent much of the episode sharing his wisdom from a long and troubled life. McShane was brilliant as always and Ray proved to be a true source of inspiration for The Hound, so it hurt even more when he and his entire congregation were massacred before the end of their single episode.
Noah - The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead has never shied away from reminding viewers that no one in its zombie-infested world is safe and that anything can happen at any time. Numerous characters have unnecessarily brutal or undeserving deaths, but few can quite compare to Noah's.
Joining the cast in season 5, Noah is a good man and a capable survivor despite his young age. He does everything he can to help Beth, and very quickly becomes a member of the main group of survivors. Unfortunately, Nicholas causes him to be quite literally torn apart by walkers in a death that went a little too far, even for the Walking Dead.
Dennis Grant - ER
ER was up there with the longest-running TV shows of all time, seeing a huge cast cycle through the hospital doors over fifteen seasons. Dennis Gant, played by Omar Epps, joined the cast in season 3. Gant was a surgical intern who became good friends with other members of the cast.
Gant managed to be an endearing character despite his rough treatment on the show, especially through the harsh conduct toward him by his supervisor, surgeon Peter Benton. Sadly, instead of giving Gant a chance to find his footing, the show simply throws him under a train instead.
Benny Hammond - Stranger Things
Every Stranger Things fan knows the rallying cry of "Barb Deserved Better," but there is another character who deserves just as much love. Benny was the first person to find the super-powered Eleven in the show and takes her into his diner to care for her while social services arrive.
Benny is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark show and is easily one of Stranger Things' best supporting characters. His role in the show is tragically cut short when he is gunned down for trying to help Eleven in only the second episode. His death is one of the main catalysts of the show, but for Benny, it was still too little, too late.
Cornell Stokes - Luke Cage
Cornell Stokes, A.K.A. Cottonmouth, was the villain for the first several episodes of Netflix's Luke Cage. In the tradition of the Netflix shows, Stokes was a very layered and intriguing villain, being ruthless in his quest for power but also one of the most sympathetic villains in the MCU.
Stokes was portrayed fabulously by Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and was by far a highlight of not only the show but the entire Netflix universe. It seemed like he would be the main antagonist of the show, but in a shocking rug pull, he is killed by his cousin halfway through the first season and replaced by a villain who is not nearly as interesting.
Tracy McConnell - How I Met Your Mother
The finale of How I Met Your Mother has been one of the most controversial TV show endings in recent memory, with the handling of the titular mother being one of the primary complaints. Having been an unseen figure in several appearances throughout the show, Tracy McConnell is finally revealed in the flesh at the end of season eight before becoming a major part of the final season.
Despite her short run on the show, Tracy endeared herself to fans quickly, mostly because she was who the whole show was supposed to be about. In the series finale though, it is revealed that she had died of some unexplained illness, and Ted simply goes back to Robin. Too many fans felt like it was a betrayal of the show's premise, and was so controversial that an alternate ending was even included on DVD releases.