Warning: This article contains discussions about substance abuse.
Stranger Things fans are still reeling from the death of Eddie Munson. The outcast leader of the Hellfire Club stole hearts with his guitar skills in the Upside Down but met his untimely death from the Demobats. It's a tragic death for a character that resonates with audiences, but Eddie is not the only television character who didn't deserve to die.
Fans on Reddit have strong opinions over the deaths of TV characters, especially those who did not deserve to die from such pain and suffering. From likable characters to deaths that have zero impact on storylines, these characters from popular shows are the most devastating for audiences.
Hodor (Game Of Thrones)
Actually named Wylis, Hodor is a strong, loyal friend to the Stark family in Game of Thrones. Despite becoming a likable character who says three simple words, he sacrifices himself to save Bran and Meera from the white walkers. Reddit user michaelmozden is displeased with Hodor’s death, writing, “I would’ve been more okay with it if anyone had called Bran out on how f**ked up it is to treat a human like a transportation animal – or…that Bran is the one who caused Hodor’s disability.”
Audiences learn through Bran’s warging that Hodor was once an articulate boy who had a seizure after Bran linked the minds of past Wylis with present Hodor. This flashback brought chills to the spine of many viewers, who soon realized that Bran takes responsibility for Hodor's disability while Hodor has since used his strength when he is unable to voice his own thoughts.
J.T. Dolan (The Sopranos)
J.T. is a screenwriter who is friends with Christopher on The Sopranos. He’s shot in the head after Christopher shows up drunk, rambling about murders, and J.T. shouts how he is in the mafia. Reddit user UncleRudolph dislikes J.T.’s death, stating he’s “basically caught in the crossfire of Chrissy’s crisis.”
Christopher has an emotional breakdown, and J.T.’s death is the consequence of his relapse with alcohol. He battles multiple addictions, including alcohol and gambling, but he’s trying to do better and succeed again at screenwriting. That said, J.T.’s death is completely unnecessary and does nothing to move the story along, making him another one of Christopher's victims.
Justin Foley (13 Reasons Why)
The fallout from Hannah’s cassette tapes in season 1 shape Justin throughout 13 Reasons Why. Coming from a rough home life, he begins abusing prescription drugs and experimenting with harder drugs like heroin. He’s diagnosed with AIDS and died after contracting an infection that spreads to his brain.
Reddit user thatindecisiveloser is outraged at the storyline, saying, “the only thing i learned from it is that it doesn’t matter if you get better.” 13 Reasons Why captures the teen experience but goes too far with the storyline. Justin tries to become better, especially after being adopted by Clay’s family, so he doesn’t deserve such a painful death on his road to recovery. After everything he has gone through, he deserves a happy ending as part of a loving family.
Pops (Regular Show)
Pops is the cheerful lollipop-shaped man in Regular Show. In the series finale, he sacrifices himself and his evil twin brother by flying into the sun to save the universe, and their deaths erase all the damage done by Anti-Pops. Not all fans are pleased with the series ending. Reddit user sem022 explains Pops is the one “who least deserved to die.”
As the most gentlemanly of the main characters, Pops gets into the least amount of trouble. He’s childlike and enjoys things like butterflies and his reflection in the water. That is why his death is surprisingly out of place and feels more like it was done only as a catalyst for Mordecai and Rigby to go their separate ways.
Poussey Washington (Orange Is The New Black)
Poussey was a nonviolent offender at Litchfield Penitentiary in Orange is the New Black, and shown as intelligent and caring, her season 4 death shocked audiences. Reddit user Luccinda writes, “SO many people died in that show, but that was the worst.” During a peaceful protest for bettering the treatment of inmates, a correctional officer improperly restrains her, kneeling on her back until she dies.
Orange is the New Black is an LGBTQ+ series with a realistic glimpse into female inmates. Poussey’s death is intense and felt real, but she didn’t deserve to die, especially when the corrections officer grabbed the wrong inmate. He’s supposed to restrain Suzanne while Poussey is trying to deescalate the situation, and had the officers been properly trained for all situations, Poussey would be alive.
Charlie Pace (Lost)
Charlie is one of the survivors of the plane crash on Lost, but unfortunately, he drowns in the underwater DHARMA station. Many viewers were shocked by this, given that Charlie had undergone a powerful journey fighting his heroin addiction on the island, but his main goal was to be useful in their survival. His death and a final message written on his hand help the remaining survivors.
Reddit user mjstephens19 is disappointed in his death, posting, “he had so much to live for.” Charlie is a sweet, likable character, desperately trying to change his life by being more selfless, yet he dies way too soon. There are more unlikable characters in the ensemble cast who deserve to die before Charlie.
Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead)
Glenn is a survivor of the outbreak in The Walking Dead. In season 7, he is beaten to death by Negan and his barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat. It’s an intense moment for the good guy that audiences fell in love with, as Reddit user phantom_avenger writes, “Glenn was a great guy, and his death will always be the saddest in the series for me.”
Glenn is as quick-witted as he is quick on his feet, and he slowly became a fan-favorite character with viewers, given his immense growth through each season. He even fell in love with Maggie, which had viewers hoping that he wouldn't meet the same demise as his character in the comics, but that was not the case. He didn’t deserve a painful, bloody death, and Maggie didn’t deserve to watch it happen. He is a well-liked character, and Glenn’s death ruined The Walking Dead for many viewers.
Steve Gomez (Breaking Bad)
Gomez is a DEA agent and Hank Shrader’s partner in Breaking Bad, who is highly intelligent and well-respected. He’s a loyal friend to Hank, offering to kill the Salamanca twins after the attack on Hank. But his death at the hands of Jack and his gang during a desert shootout was wholly unnecessary to the plot.
Reddit user yjacketcbr600 is outraged by how his death is handled, writing, “Great supportive sidekick, yet not worth an on-screen death, not even an acknowledgment.” The audience never sees Gomez die, just his body when the fight is over. His death is only a byproduct of Hank needing to die to move along the storyline.
Black Noir (The Boys)
Audiences learned more about Black Noir, like comic book fans, in the newest season of The Boys. He’s shown to be a ruthless fighter and one of the most lethal members of the Seven, but fans started to see his personal and emotional side as the supe fought for his survival. Unfortunately, Homelander rips out his organs upon discovering Black Noir’s knowledge about his father.
Reddit user 99ale thinks he deserved more, writing, “they just had to hit us with a sad backstory right before his death.” The supe exudes his anger and imagines cartoon characters to comfort him after an incident that left his brain damaged and scarred by Soldier. Black Noir's death was somewhat anti-climatic as he could’ve been utilized more to help stop Homelander or Soldier Boy but instead was brutally killed.
Bob Newby (Stranger Things)
Bob is Joyce Byers' loving boyfriend in Stranger Things season 2, and he, unfortunately, endures an early death after being killed by a young Demogorgon in front of her. He wants to be helpful and move the entire family to a new state for a fresh start but is used as bait to allow Joyce to make it out of the lab alive.
Reddit user ParkityParkPark shared that it “feels like the sole purpose of his existence was to have a character everybody loved that they could kill for a good tearjerker.” Indeed, Stranger Things has a history of introducing new and likable characters like Bob, who then suffers a brutal death. Unlike Joyce's ex-husband, Bob was a genuine and dependable person and decided to do a heroic act, making his death so much more underserving.