The second part of Better Call Saul’s season 6 will premiere on July 11, and it will finally see the return of the Breaking Bad’s two main characters, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. From Hank Schrader to Jane Margolis, Heisenberg and Pinkman witnessed many dreadful deaths that were as shocking for them as they were for most viewers; however, other series have also excelled in surprising audiences with unpredictable deaths.
Character deaths are always hard to watch, but there are some that are so effectively written and so unexpected that audiences feel like they have been hit by a train. It is challenging to make a successful death-related plot twist that causes multiple jaws to drop, but some took to Reddit to share the deaths that they most never saw coming.
Maes Hughes – Fullmetal Alchemist
Redditor Logical_Paradoxes mentioned “Maes Hughes. It’s a terrible day for rain” and met many users who shared the deep grief of this beloved character’s departure. Most fans can agree that Hughes’s death was truly hurtful because he was a character that had just done good for others throughout the entire anime.
But what is even more devastating about his death is the heart-wrenching funeral scene that comes right after, where her loving daughter asks why her daddy is being buried. This Redditor spoke for many when he stated “that is one of the few scenes that can get me bawling”.
Opie – Sons Of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is one of the best shows that didn’t win an Emmy, and it has many hard-to-watch scenes. Nevertheless, none of them can come close to the devastating effect Opie’s death had on fans of the series. Redditor wu_tareno commented “Opie. It still hurts, man” and many agreed.
SwonRonson91 added, “Opie was my favorite character. Almost couldn’t watch after that,” which explains why many almost dropped the series afterward. For most viewers, as of this moment, it was very distressing to see how a part of Jax died.
Rita – Dexter
Nobody expected the most sanguinary, calculative, cold, and smart serial killer to be outrun by an even more methodical and sociopathic (with the highest tv serial killer homicides count) murderer in Dexter. That is why cdet commented “Rita” and Stitchosour replied “I couldn’t move from my sofa at the end of season four. Her death caught me completely off guard.”
Everybody trusted Dexter to eliminate every serial killer before they could take more lives, especially his wife’s. That’s why it was an absolute shock when the Trinity Killer managed to murder Rita. Her character had always won viewers’ sympathy because she was a loving wife and a wonderful mother, so her death caused many jaws to drop.
Mr. Eko – Lost
Redditor hipships commented, “Mr. Eko on LOST. He was cool,” and indeed, he was one of the series’ most beloved characters. His brutal death was very much unexpected and hard to watch for most fans, and for some, his death meant a huge quality decline in the series.
The end of his life did not feel insignificant, and the scene of his departure dignified him as a character when emotional flashbacks appeared. They showed how loving and caring he was, and most importantly, they depicted what was most important to him – his sense of what was right was not faltered by his death.
Omar – The Wire
A deleted user mentioned “Omar in the Wire” and was met by agray20938, who added, “Just finished watching all 5. It’s crazy how much sympathy you feel for Omar even though he’s a murderer who robs drug dealers.” It was a very good comment to point out the great three-dimensionality the show is admired for.
The Wire depicts how life is not black and white and that being glorious in some aspects of life doesn’t save anybody else from dying – much less in a neighborhood rotting in social injustice and violence because of poverty and drug dealing.
Zoe Barnes – House of Cards
Redditor super_sayanything commented “Zoey House of Cards. Still a good show, but really misses her”. Any fan who says they saw this scene coming is probably lying. Francis Underwood is one of the most despicable villains on TV, but his murder of Zoe surpassed any expectations of his evil boundaries.
It happens in seconds, it’s brutal, and out of nowhere. Zoe’s death could be considered one of the most effective and successful plot twists in a television series, and for sure had fans gasping and wondering what had just happened. What viewers can learn from this death is to not ask sensitive questions to the wrong person.
Oberyn Martell – Game Of Thrones
HappyFir3 mentioned, “From Game of Thrones: Oberyn. He was kicking so much ass then BLAM no eyeballs for you. And the screams… oh the screams…” and triggered many disturbing flashbacks of this merciless death that had viewers screaming in horror along with Ellaria.
Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, had a lot of strength and gigantic size, but Oberyn was agile and fast – the perfect combination of skills to win against a slow heavy enemy. Oberyn could have won without a question, and fans had already bought his victory. Unfortunately, his need to give a speech before killing Clegane led him to die in a horrendous way that took everyone off guard.
Eddard Stark – Game Of Thrones
The Stark patriarch was another unexpected death that threw everyone of. Mattieohya stated, “Eddard Stark. He was built up using all of the hero tropes you can think of. The honorable man beating out the pretenders, then he is done. After that moment no character is safe”.
As the Redditor mentioned, the Ned Stark’s death set up the tone for the rest of the series. For an entire season, fans saw the protagonist develop and acquire all the traits and power to be the hero of the entire show. Given that only very few pieces dare to kill a character that has been introduced as the main character in such a manner, most didn’t predict his death. This made the series be recognized as one of the top ten tv shows where the protagonist dies.
Robb And Catelyn Stark – Game Of Thrones
When talking about Game of Thrones’ most unexpected deaths, no other comes close to the names mentioned by eladle – “Rob & Catelyn Stark at the Red Wedding.” which granted Walder Frey a spot amongst the most evil Game of Thrones characters.
The Red Wedding made thousands of fans stunned because it was absolutely unexpected, barbarous, and merciless. Rob getting shot, pregnant Talisa stabbed, and Catelyn having her throat sliced made the scene too much to bear, but a happy ending in Westeros was only wishful thinking.
Hank Schrader – Breaking Bad
Redditor way_fairer commented, “Hank Schrader in Breaking Bad.” which is commonly pointed out as one of the most heart-breaking scenes to ever happen in a TV series. But a strong and devastating death like this is only befitting of the overwhelmingly compelling nature of Breaking Bad.
CrimsonPig added, “At least he got a kickass line before he went.”My name is ASAC Schrader, and you can go f**k yourself.”‘ which comforted some viewers. The truth is most were as hurt and shocked as Walter, with Bryan Cranston delivering an extraordinary performance when he reacted to Hank’s death.
