Some TV deaths change a series forever — and I mean forever. Seriously, I think I stop watching shows sometimes just because of it. Something just shifts after your favorite character dies. Sure, some deaths shape a story in powerful ways, but most of the time? It’s just pain for the sake of pain. And when those deaths happen, fans end up heartbroken, furious, and questioning why we ever got attached in the first place.
Today, we’re looking at the TV deaths from 2025 that crushed us inside and out — the ones we wish we could take back across shows like 9-1-1, Gen V, Fire Country, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Grey’s Anatomy, The Pitt, Yellowjackets, and Daredevil: Born Again. These moments didn’t just sting — they altered entire fandoms.
Andre Anderson — Gen V
Knowing the real reason Andre’s death happened in Gen V doesn’t make it hurt any less – it was truly gutting. I felt like we knew so little about his character yet so much, and going from being Golden Boy’s best friend to somebody desperately trying to do the right thing for himself and his friends in this messed-up world made me see him differently. And then, just like that, he vanished from the story. It felt sudden — and understandably heartbreaking. Andre had a lot left as a character, and it’s unfortunate; he was due so much growth and a much bigger story. His loss hit deeply both on and off-screen, ripping the heart out of Gen V’s fans everywhere. I’ll never get over it.
Vince Leone — Fire Country
This one hurt beyond words. I did take a break watching the series prior to season three and thought good and well, I ought to get back into it. Boy, was I so wrong. The series was a comfort watch of mine, and Vince was the character who grounded everyone — and the entire series. He was strong, steady, and deeply human. His death was not just emotional because I love the actor, but because it felt unexpected, and most of all, it hurt to see the entirety of the Leone family unraveled. The shock and the grief hit all at once, and then you have Gabriela leaving? I couldn’t take it anymore, and Vince’s death just added to it. Fire Country has always been a series I felt such comfort in, but this? It felt so deep and personal, and it completely blindsided me.
Joel Miller — The Last of Us
Yes, I played the game, and I very well knew what was going to play out on my screen — but watching it and reliving that moment? Pure torture. It was the most devastating, next to Bobby Nash. Even knowing how the story goes, there’s a small part of you that hopes maybe the writers will change it. Joel’s death was messy and brutal — even more so seeing it on my screen and not just in the game. It was a traumatic moment that leaves you shattered, and the character just as much. Pedro Pascal has been a favorite actor of mine these past few years and brought such depth and realness to Joel that reliving it truly felt like the first time. It was like reopening an old wound I thought had long healed. It is one of those deaths that lingers and hurts just as deeply the second time around.
Monica — Grey’s Anatomy
I caught up on Grey’s Anatomy earlier this year, and after a few rewatches, I’ve come to expect the deaths they throw our way — more than they should, if you ask me. But of course, they stayed true to their roots this year by ripping my heart out once again and stomping on it. Monica’s death was heavy and tragic, and she deserved so much more. I genuinely had so much hope for her character, and the storylines I had in my head were legendary, let me tell you. I don’t care — Amelia and Monica were going to end up together in my mind, and now it’ll never happen. Imagine our pain. There was no getting away from that one, and it was devastating in the only way Grey’s knows best. Even after all these years of watching the series, they still know how to hurt us.
Leah — The Pitt
Now, I try to stay away from doctor shows — I really do — but something sucks me in every time. Leah from The Pitt was a terrible death, and honestly, quite the emotional shock for me. I feel like things have to happen in order for plot lines to move forward, but that doesn’t always mean I’ll like the outcome — and I didn’t. I love Dr. Robby’s character, and seeing him make choices influenced by his personal connection to his stepson Jake reminded me that the personal losses — the ones that affect characters’ relationships — are the ones that stay with me the longest.
Ben Scott — Yellowjackets
I recently started Yellowjackets last year and am always expecting unhinged things to happen on a normal day, but Ben Scott’s death took my heartbreak to another level. I feel like losing any of the characters would hurt, especially after everything they went through–all the trauma and survival. He was someone I truly believed would survive. This didn’t only affect everyone around him but Natalie, who had to end his suffering — and she’s been through so much that we still don’t fully know. It feels unbearable sometimes to see favorites of mine die and to watch others go through the aftermath.
Foggy Nelson — Daredevil: Born Again
Foggy? They really killed Foggy in 2025 and expected us to live with it? His death hit so incredibly hard and impacted every Daredevil fan — I don’t care what anyone says. Foggy was such a grounding force not only to Matt but to the entire series. I love the best friend characters in shows, and it hurts to see them go — they’re always loyal, compassionate, funny, and the human to the not-so-human. Taking him away felt like removing the heart of the series, and the fallout is equally as emotional. Whenever a series kills off a character I love, I’m always in denial. Daredevil without Foggy feels wrong and makes me wonder where it goes from here — a feeling I hate feeling so deeply.
MORE: The death of Foggy on Daredevil: Born Again also made it on our We’re Still Bummed About TV’s Biggest Disappointments of 2025 list!
Jesse — The Last of Us
And if Joel wasn’t enough, they just had to kill Jesse. Again, seeing these characters die while playing is so much different from seeing it come to life. After seeing Joel pass, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I loved Jesse — and watching his story end with so much — and I mean so much — unfinished business was frustrating to see, a common feeling for the deaths on this list. In environments like The Last of Us, people like him feel more human than the rest. The deaths in this universe stay with you and make you wonder — if you took it back, where would they be? Or was it for the best?
Rick, Chelsea & Jim Hollinger — The White Lotus
The White Lotus is chaotic, and I never know what to expect, but this year? They really said, “If you can’t have one die, have three die.” Losing Rick, Chelsea, and Jim in the finale felt like — if we thought we knew what was coming — think again. It was like getting the rug pulled out from under you, and it was shocking. Somehow, during the show, I wanted happiness for them — especially Rick and Chelsea. You didn’t quite know the details, especially when it came to Rick believing Jim killed his father, and the truth left my jaw on the floor. Even knowing shows like these end with death, I am never prepared for it — and I’m still recovering, in case you were wondering.
Bobby Nash — 9-1-1
Now, I have to end with this one because it affected me the most. Bobby Nash dying was it for me — and many fans. He was the emotional backbone of 9-1-1 and one of my most beloved characters in the series. It was shocking — even though after the leaks, I knew, a part of me wished it wasn’t true. After years of watching Bobby turn his life around and finally be happy, losing him in an instant felt unbearable. Bobby Nash felt was the soul of the show, and when he died, fans — myself included — were gutted and left in complete disbelief. If there was one death in the entirety of TV history I would absolutely take back, this is the one — through and through.
