Peaky Blinders excels at crafting complex characters that build a strong relationship with viewers, which makes the show’s deaths all the more heartbreaking. Peaky Blinders follows a razor gang in early 20th-century Birmingham, England, headed by the notorious Shelby family. The show follows the Shelbys’ journey from small-time bookmakers to one of the most powerful gangs in England. By the end of the series, Tommy (Cillian Murphy), the leader of the Shelby family, is an influential member of the British Parliament.
Their journey from fixing horse races to becoming an economic and political force to be reckoned with is not a peaceful one, however, and there are plenty of sacrifices made to fulfill Tommy’s ambition. The Shelbys quickly get themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game that leads to the deaths of countless friends and family members. Of all these deaths, a number of them stand out as being some of the most emotional moments in the show’s run.
10 Grace Shelby
Grace Shelby (Annabelle Wallis) dies a horribly tragic death in one of Peaky Blinders‘ best seasons. While dancing at a party hosted by the Shelbys, Grace is shot dead by an Italian assassin attempting to kill Tommy. Adding to the tragedy of it all is the fact that Grace, unlike many of the deplorable characters in the Peaky Blinders cast, is never anything but kind and caring. What’s more, her death is so abrupt that it comes as a terrible shock, making the moment even harder to bear.
9 John Shelby
John Shelby dies in Peaky Blinders season 4, and it’s easily one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the show. Of all the Shelby brothers, John (Joe Cole) had the biggest family and took the best care of them. John’s death is felt keenly by Arthur (Paul Anderson) and Tommy, and their grief in the following episodes only makes things worse. John was not always a good person, but he had a better heart than Tommy or Arthur, and he had a family that loved him. John’s death sticks with Peaky Blinders fans for the rest of the show.
8 Polly Gray
Polly Gray’s death is one of the saddest in the show, not only because she is one of the best-developed characters, but because it was necessitated by the death of the 52-year-old actress who plays her, Helen McCrory. McCrory passed away in 2021 while season 6 was in production, forcing the show to change course and kill off her character. Peaky Blinders season 6 pays an emotional tribute to Polly and McCrory that perfectly honors both the actress and the character.
7 Ruby Shelby
Ruby Shelby (Orla McDonagh) dies in Peaky Blinders season 6 at the tender age of seven after a bout with tuberculosis. Any time a child character dies it’s bound to be sad, and the way Peaky Blinders draws it out to make the outcome of her illness uncertain just makes it more heartbreaking when she dies. Ruby never had a chance to do anything wrong in her life, and watching her grow ill and die over several episodes demonstrates Peaky Blinders’ willingness to kill off anyone, no matter how young or how innocent they may be.
6 Freddie Thorne
Freddie Thorne (Iddo Goldberg) dies of influenza off-screen in Peaky Blinders, and though his death isn’t shown, the aftermath is a heavy blow. Tommy speaks over Freddie’s grave, fulfilling the promise he made Freddie when they were fighting in World War I, and his speech is a real gut-wrencher. On top of that, Ada (Sophie Rundle) is forced to raise her and Freddie’s child alone after his death, which also contributes to the heartbreak of his premature passing.
5 Digbeth Kid
Digbeth Kid (James Eeles), whose real name is Harold Hancox, is an innocent young man who ends up being killed in jail after the Shelbys promise to pay him for getting locked up for a night. The plan is for Harold to be released after a day, but he ends up being murdered by enemies of the Shelby family that same night. Harold’s youth and innocence are emphasized by his desire to be called Digbeth Kid, after the infamous outlaw, Billy the Kid, despite being a harmless young man with a spotless record. What happens to Harold is one of the saddest deaths in Peaky Blinders.
4 Bonnie Gold
Bonnie Gold (Jack Rowan) is the son of Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen), and he is tragically murdered by a Scottish gang called the Billy Boys. Bonnie’s death is deeply felt in the series because he’s so young, and in the world of Peaky Blinders, he is a relatively innocent character. Bonnie is a talented boxer, and his father’s pride in him is touching to watch. Sadly, that only makes it more heartbreaking when he is killed in brutal fashion by the Billy Boys.
3 Ben Younger
Colonel Ben Younger (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is killed by a car bomb in Peaky Blinders season 5 after Tommy tries to give him information that implicates Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin) in a number of criminal dealings. Mosley is one of Peaky Blinders‘ most devious villains, and it’s obvious that he ordered Ben’s murder. Ben Younger is a good man, and he develops a relationship with Ada before his demise, which makes his death a tough pill to swallow. Ada seems to lose every man she loves in Peaky Blinders, which makes Ben’s death even sadder.
2 Aberama Gold
Aberama Gold is a complex and not always likable character, but by the time of his death, he’s become a highly sympathetic figure. His relationship with Polly is one thing that makes him likable, as is his love for his son. After he and Polly both lose loved ones, it’s hard not to cheer for them to find some happiness together. Sadly, Aberama becomes intent on killing the man who murdered his son, and it ends up getting him stabbed to death by the IRA.
1 Danny Whizz-Bang
Danny Whizz-Bang’s (Samuel Edward-Cook) death at the end of Peaky Blinders season 1 is heartbreaking, but he goes out a hero by jumping in front of a series of bullets meant for Tommy. Danny is also mock-executed earlier in the season, and the audience doesn’t know it’s faked for some time after the shot is fired. Danny’s miraculous return to life after this lifts the audience’s spirits just long enough to dash them again with his real death at the end of the season.
Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a historical crime drama created and written by Steven Knight and starring Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, and Helen McCrory. The television show is based on the gang, Peaky Blinders, a group that banded together after the end of World War I.
- Release Date
- September 12, 2013
- Cast
- Annabelle Wallis, Ian Peck, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Cillian Murphy, Ned Dennehy, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Sam Neill, Sophie Rundle, Tony Pitts, Joe Cole
- Rating
- TV-MA
