Quite a few main characters in The Handmaid’s Tale are at the risk of being killed off in the show’s final outing. While certain key players — June (Elisabeth Moss), Aunt Lydia (Anne Dowd), and both of June’s daughters — are safe thanks to their mentions in The Testaments, The Handmaid’s Tale‘s sequel, others are not so fortunate. Of course, just because Hulu is making an adaptation of The Testaments doesn’t mean June is completely safe; although Dowd is confirmed to be returning as Aunt Lydia for the sequel, it’s hard to imagine Moss committing to another in-universe show.

Based on Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale has been one of Hulu’s flagship series since it debuted in 2017. The first streaming original to nab the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, The Handmaid’s Tale is packed with powerhouse performances from its incredible ensemble cast. The first season of the acclaimed series follows Atwood’s source material pretty closely. As fertility rates drop worldwide, a civil war breaks out in the US, leading to the installation of a new republic: Gilead. A theonomic, totalitarian government, Gilead treats women like property.

Those who are deemed fertile, like Moss’ June, are enslaved by Gilead’s ruling class and forced to bear children for these impotent couples. Forbidden from reading, all women in Gilead — even the wives of high-ranking commanders — are second-class citizens who lack any agency. Throughout the show’s five-season run, June struggles to escape Gilead with her daughter, Hannah, who was abducted by the republic. While navigating the horrors of Gilead, June encounters familiar faces from her past and comes into conflict with adversaries like Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), the manipulative wife of Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes).

That said, The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will see June, who was able to escape to Canada with one of her daughters, confronting both Gilead and the rising anti-refugee sentiment in Canada as she tries to reunite her ever-fractured family. Across its nearly 8 years, The Handmaid’s Tale has never pulled punches when it comes to showcasing Gilead’s violence and cruelty. If the series wants to create a fitting ending — one that’s both true to its world and somewhat hopeful — major character deaths are bound to happen.

9

Moira Strand

Samira Wiley

June’s best friend from college, Moira has been a constant throughout the series. When June first arrives at the so-called Red Center, Moira is already there; although their reunion is under less-than-desirable circumstances, the best friends support each other through the horrors of Handmaid “training.” For a time, Moira resigns herself to being a Jezebel, but June reignites her drive to escape Gilead. Long before June makes it across the Gilead-Canadian border, Moira escapes the Republic’s clutches. The last few seasons have shown how Moira is navigating being a survivor.

In addition to helping other refugees and survivors of the Handmaid enslavement adjust to life in Canada, Moira helps provide aid to those in need who are still within Gilead’s borders. This role leads to a chance encounter with a runaway June. While June is willing to risk her freedom to save Hannah, Moira is slightly more realistic and cautious, preferring to fight Gilead from afar. Given Gilead’s horrendous treatment of queer people, it would be affirming to see Moira take a stand against Gilead and survive. Killing Moira would be needlessly cruel and, in narrative terms, pointless.

8

Rita Blue

Amanda Brugel

Another survivor of Gilead’s abuse, Rita Blue served as the Waterfords’ housekeeper and became a central figure within the covert rebel network Mayday. One of June’s closest and most loyal allies, Rita has suffered immense loss throughout the series. Prior to The Handmaid’s Tale‘s start, Rita lost her 19-year-old son, Matthew, during the civil war. While she has escaped to Canada, Rita struggles to adapt and finds herself pulled back into the routines she had while enslaved by Gilead. Since she’s a little more on the periphery of June’s story, Rita will likely be safe.

7

Naomi Lawrence

Ever Carradine

A Handmaid’s Tale season 6 actor change sees Ever Carradine, the actor who plays Naomi Lawrence (formerly Putnam), promoted to series regular. Newly married to Bradley Whitford’s Commander Lawrence, Naomi is primed to have a much bigger role in the final season. While more screentime could hint at her demise, Naomi holds a unique position within The Handmaid’s Tale‘s story. Although she’s very much complicit in Gilead’s inner-workings, Naomi does seem sympathetic to characters like Janine — the Handmaid who birthed Naomi’s child. It’s possible that Janine could end Naomi, but more likely that Naomi will do something “redemptive.”

6

Mark Tuello

Sam Jaeger

An operative of what remains of the US government, Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) works to re-establish his country’s presence and rescue its citizens from Canada. It’s difficult to fully trust Tuello; his commitment to the greater good ultimately makes others pawns in his long game. For the most part, he’s worked to gain Serena Joy’s trust, hoping to turn her against Gilead by leveraging what he can — her child, diplomatic immunity, and so on. Since he’s willing to play all sides, it seems pretty likely that Mark will be killed, especially as Canada’s anti-refugee sentiment surges.

5

Serena Joy

Yvonne Strahovski

It’s clear that June and Serena’s stories in Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will take center stage. The two women have become narrative counterparts — even more so than in the source material. Serena Joy has a much larger role, partly because the Hulu series expands well beyond the pages of Atwood’s book. Across the show’s five seasons, Serena has aided June, but she’s also mercilessly abused her. Although the two have turned to each other, they’ve also thwarted each other’s plans time and again.

Serena is hard to predict and, similarly, the character’s death is a coin flip. The Handmaid’s Tale could go all in on Serena Joy’s redemption arc — whether it’s deserved or not — or the show could finally see her brought to justice by having her pay for her many crimes. Although Serena has little agency within Gilead, she was one of the founders of the Republic’s guiding principles, and should be held accountable. Of course, in a world where sequels and cinematic universes are everything, Serena Joy’s story may continue in The Testaments.

4

Janine Lindo

Madeline Brewer

Over the course of The Handmaid’s Tale‘s five seasons, Janine has survived a lot. From losing her eye to nearly taking her life after being torn away from the child she birthed for the Putnams, there are few characters who have been dealt a more brutal hand. Janine’s survival has also been a little difficult to believe at times. She survives a massive explosion and, somehow, even Aunt Lydia can’t seem to fully turn on Janine and order her death. It seems like Janine’s luck will run out before the credits roll — unless Hulu casts her in The Testaments.

3

Commander Lawrence

Bradley Whitford

The architect of Gilead, Commander Lawrence is, perhaps, the most difficult character to predict. That fact alone puts the character high on the “must die” list. Although he’s been an ally to Mayday and June — partly because he wanted to protect his wife from the horrific policies he created — he also isn’t totally trustworthy. Part of Lawrence truly believes in Gilead’s mission, even if the execution of his Republic didn’t pan out. It’s possible season 6 will delve into Commander Lawrence’s New Bethlehem plan — his “better” version of Gilead — and give more reasons for his death.

2

Luke Bankole

O-T Fagbenle

In The Handmaid’s Tale season 5’s ending, Luke is taken into custody after attacking a Canadian citizen to protect June. Even if his intentions were understandable — and a matter of self-defense — Luke might be made into an example by the Canadian government, especially as the country’s anti-refugee sentiment grows. It would make sense for a drama as harrowing as The Handmaid’s Tale to create a “nowhere is safe” atmosphere; escaping Gilead doesn’t mean one is home. Luke’s death will be tragic, but he’s one of two characters who will die in Handmaid’s Tale season 6.

1

Commander Nick Blaine

Max Minghella

From the moment he first met June, Nick was fated for a tragic end. Commander Waterford’s former driver, Nick has risen in Gilead’s ranks, becoming a Commander himself — though his real loyalty lies with June (and their daughter, Nichole). Nick loves June, and would do anything to protect her and Nichole. Not to mention, Nick has been playing Gilead’s elite for a long time, and that’s bound to catch up with him. That said, Nick definitely won’t make it to the end of The Handmaid’s Tale — the big question mark is just how, exactly, he’ll meet his end.

The Handmaid’s Tale, which streams exclusively on Hulu, is slated to release its sixth and final season in 2025.