In recent years, the number of major deaths on television has been climbing rapidly, and the 2015 – 2016 TV season was no different.

Lately there’s an alarming trend of getting rid of the main characters on a show, either because the actor wants to leave but the writers or network want to keep going, or because it provides a shocking plot twist the audience just won’t see coming.

It didn’t start with Elena from The Vampire Diaries, but this has certainly been one of the most surprising departures in recent years. Not only was she a lead character, but the entire show centered around her interest in the Salvatore brothers, her family, and her future as a human and a vampire. Nina Dobrev left because she thought it was time to work on other projects, and though the show has continued, the dynamic has certainly changed. Whether that change is for better or for worse is up to the fans.

With so many major TV deaths happening recently, we thought it was a good time to start keeping track of the big deaths in the 2015 – 2016 TV season. Particularly those that came towards the end, where so many of them typically happen.

Most of these are series regulars or characters in major reoccurring roles because those are the kinds of characters whose lives hang in the balance. We’ve broken them down by network, and explain what each death means.

ABC — 14

Felicity from ‘The Catch’ — Kendra Cleary

Actor: Shivani Ghai

Reason: Felicity definitely wasn’t considered a main character on The Catch, but both her life and death had a big impact on some of the more central players in the cat and mouse game. Felicity was introduced to the show as the collector for Margot’s benefactor, but almost immediately began a romantic/physical relationship with Margot. When the benefactor, Rhys, came to investigate, Felicity’s loyalties had shifted. Rhys didn’t take this news kindly and fatally shot Felicity after she gave him some game changing information about Alice and Ben.

Impact: The actual shooting of Felicity served to highlight how dangerous Rhys is as a character. When we first met him, he was nothing more than a jovial, slightly unhinged, older brother character. His true intentions were made clear as his actions became more severe, finally amounting to Felicity’s death. The information that was coerced out of her is sure to put Ben and Alice in a lot of danger going forward. Felicity’s presence on the show introduced us to Margot’s bisexuality, and many fans were upset that another LGBTQ+ character was unceremoniously killed with no real chance to have a story of her own. At the very least, her death will cause some extreme tension between Margot and Rhys, and will probably effect Margot on a deeper emotional level.

Natalie Vasquez from ‘Quantico’ — Kendra Cleary

Actor: Anabelle Acosta

Reason: Natalie endured a rather tumultuous relationship with Alex Parrish throughout season 1 of Quantico. Their rivalry began with an innocent desire to be the best in the class, escalated when they fell in love with the same man, and culminated when they were supposedly on opposite sides of the law. Natalie’s discerning character kept her from turning Alex in when she had a chance, and they eventually became unlikely allies when Natalie was used as a pawn in the Voice’s scheme. As a reminder that Alex is perpetually alone in her quest for the truth, Natalie was killed in an explosion during a mission to catch the Voice.

Impact: For a show that centers around a large-scale terrorist attack, there have been surprisingly few main character deaths. With only minor characters and Elias, who confessed to participating in the aforementioned attack, being killed, Quantico was beginning to feel like a rather safe show. I’m still not convinced that Natalie is truly dead, since we’ve seen no real confirmation, and this show is a giant mystery, but her alleged death made it clear that the Voice, and Quantico as a show, had no reservations about taking out Alex’s fellow NATs, and potentially even Alex herself. Ever since we saw Natalie for the last time, the tension has been elevated for viewers, who are now worried for anyone that becomes involved in Team Alex, and distrust towards Alex has grown among her former friends and classmates.

Alisha from ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ — Michal Schick

Actor: Alicia Vela-Bailey

Reason: Things had been going downhill for the Inhuman Alisha ever since she’d been Hived and sacrificed one of her clones. But though the self-multiplying Alisha had skillz enough to defeat even Agent May at hand-to-hand combat, a Kree Reaper proved too much for her to handle — and she wound up as a red splash on a wicked-looking axe.

Impact: Alisha was always a bit player in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., usually turning up to provide a little snark and a lot of martial arts badassery. Though her death won’t make much of an impact on the show, we’ll certainly always miss the “Ginger Ninja.”

Bridey from ‘The Family’ — Brittany Lovely

Actor: Floriama Lina

Reason: No one is safe if they have information surrounding Maine’s most media-centric family. Bridey met her end in the season, and subsequently the series finale, and it seemed like her most recent lover, Willa, was the culprit. But since Bridey, a lesbian lifestyle journalist, began to dig up more information on the disappearance of Willa’s brother, someone had to literally bury the story before it went public.

Impact: Unfortunately, Bridey’s death falls into a huge pile of lesbian deaths this television season. While Willa, her current partner, is the suspected culprit at this time, it would appear that her onscreen lover took her life to protect her family from another media scandal. But the world will never know unless The Family is picked up outside of ABC for a second season.

Hades/King Arthur/The Dragon from ‘Once Upon a Time’ — Brittany Lovely

Actor: Greg Germann (Hades), Liam Garrigan (King Arthur), Tzi Ma (The Dragon)

Reason: Not all fairy tales have a happy ending. Especially if your fairytale is being used as a single season arc on Once Upon a Time. While some characters get sent back to their realms unharmed, the threat of a king running amok in a new world, a god living among men, and an innocent man knowing the truth about the Evil Queen’s return are too many loose ends for one show to keep around for the fall.

Impact: Hades and Arthur’s departure were a long time coming, but still hold some ramifications. Camelot, a land we may never see again, has no leader. The Underworld may be under the leadership of Cruella, but now a grieving Zelena roams above ground. As for The Dragon, well, we barely knew him.

Robin from ‘Once Upon a Time’ — Brittany Lovely

Actor: Sean Maguire

Reason: Was there a reason for Robin Hood’s death? Rumors surrounding the actor’s troubles with the creative team and crew on set circulated a few months ago, though the Once Upon a Time team swiftly replied that was not the reason behind the actor’s name appearing on the grave.

Impact: Robin Hood’s death did little to affect the residents of the Sherwood Forest. Poor Roland was sent away with Little John to live his life as an orphan under the Merry Men’s care. His daughter will live with her mother, Zelena, carrying on the family name. Beyond biology, however, is his love Regina, who must now face another dark moment in her life grieving the loss of her second great love. If Regina has any hope of achieving true happiness, this death is not an indication that the writers want it to happen soon.

Andrew Garner/Lash from ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ — Michal Schick

Actor: Blair Underwood and Matthew Willig

Reason:Lash’s long-awaited confrontation with Hive went surprisingly well at first, with the Inhuman Andrew taking a few satisfying chomps out of Hive. But when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed the true nature of Lash’s power — that he was not the anti-Hive, but rather the cure for his infection — then tragedy struck. No sooner had Lash cured Daisy of Hive’s sway than James lances Lash through the heart, killing the killer-turned-savior.

Impact: With the permanent Lash-ification of Andrew, it’s felt for a while as though the character was being saved for one last hurrah. But the suddenness of Lash’s loss, and the fact that his death played into Daisy’s newfound freedom, is certain to leave both May (who sanctioned the risky mission) and Daisy grappling with guilt and responsibility.

Simon Asher from ‘Quantico’ — Kendra Cleary

Actor: Tate Ellington

Reason: Even before Simon came to train at Quantico, he had incurred a lot of guilt. This burden grew exponentially when his plans were stolen and used to bomb Grand Central station, and again when he was used as a pawn in Liam’s second attack. Simon and his friends managed to find Liam’s third bomb before it went off, but it was too late to disarm it. The only way to prevent casualties was to have the bomb detonate under water. To free himself from the immense guilt he was carrying, and to save the lives of his friends and the other potential targets, Simon took the bomb and drove it into the water, making him its only victim.

Impact: If the bomb had detonated on land, the results would have been catastrophic. Simon’s sacrifice foiled Liam’s final attack, and saved the lives of many, including his friends, the graduating class of NATs, and everyone in the surrounding area. Simon’s death will have an enormous effect on both Alex and Raina, for whom he was a trusted ally and beloved friend.

Liam O’Connor from ‘Quantico’ — Kendra Cleary

Actor: Josh Hopkins

Reason: Throughout Quantico season 1, we thought Liam was nothing more than a teacher who made a lot of questionable decisions. However, it turns out he was the mastermind that framed Alex Parrish, and executed the attacks against the FBI! Alex eventually discovered his secret, and she and her friends showed up to stop him from carrying out his next attack. After Alex rejected his offer to join him, he attempted to shoot her, but she was faster on the trigger. He died with three bullets in him, from both Alex and Ryan.

Impact: Now that Liam is dead, Alex will no longer have to worry about being framed for crimes she would never commit, and we won’t have to worry about someone trying to attack the FBI (probably). Aside from the surprise Senator Haas drama, Liam’s death effectively wraps up the Quantico season 1 terrorist plot, and opens the door for whatever is to come in season 2.

Kyle Diaz from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ — Sonya Field

Actor: Wilmer Valderrama

Reason: When Kyle was added to the show, it was only ever supposed to be for a recurring role. As his character had a tumor problem, it’s not surprising that he ended up dying.

Impact: Kyle wasn’t around for very long, so the impact doesn’t seem like it will be huge. Stephanie is definitely upset, but since they weren’t in a long relationship, it’s not going to be a McDreamy situation. It may have Stephanie choosing not to work with Amelia for a while, if she places blame on her. This could mean that Stephanie switches to a different specialty. Worst case scenario: maybe she will leave the program. Her character tends to have smaller storylines than the rest anyway.

Lincoln and Hive from ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ — Michal Schick

Actor: Luke Mitchell and Brett Dalton

Reason: We can’t say we weren’t warned, but that doesn’t mean this loss doesn’t hurt. After two episodes of “Fallen Agent hot potato,” it was Lincoln Campbell who hijacked both the reigns of Daisy’s destiny and the doomed quinjet. Frying the override, he propelled himself, the poison-laden warhead, and Hive into the stratosphere to explode as fate ordained. It was a tragic fate for a complicated character, but a worthy ending for an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.; Lincoln went out on a wave of heroism, selflessness, and great dignity.

As, strangely enough, did Hive. The most formidable enemy in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s history accepted his death with an unnerving but fitting calm. While we’re certainly not sad that Hive is dead, there was something horribly moving in the Inhuman god joining Lincoln in quiet acceptance of their long-awaited demise.

Impact: Seismic — literally. Lincoln may have found his peace in sacrificing himself for Daisy, but Daisy herself experienced no such succor. Quite the opposite, in fact; losing Lincoln to her own perceived destiny seems to have overwhelmed Daisy’s already critical levels of guilt, resulting in a break with S.H.I.E.L.D. and transforming her into the MCU’s version of “Quake” — not a superhero, but a criminal armed with unbelievable power that Daisy doesn’t hesitate to use. Though the chain of events is shrouded in mystery, it seems that Daisy’s actions have caused major upheaval at S.H.I.E.L.D., leaving Quake’s former friends standing on shaky ground for the shocks to come.

NBC — 12

Elizabeth Keen from ‘The Blacklist’ — Laura Byrne-Cristiano

Actor: Megan Boone

Reason: After joining the FBI and meeting Red Reddington, Lizzy learned that her life was nothing more than an elaborate tangle of lies. Her marriage was a sham, her mother was a spy/assassin, and no matter how many times she tried to just lead a semi-normal existence, there was always the specter of Red Reddington and the cabal to ruin those dreams. In the life and death game that has been Lizzy’s experience since she was born, Lizzy finally paid the ultimate price minutes after delivering her daughter.

Impact: It’s hard to know where The Blacklist goes from here. Successful TV series don’t tend to kill off their female lead in the middle of their third season without warning. In the short-term, we want to know what measures Tom and Red will take to protect Lizzy’s daughter. What vengeance will Red bring down on those responsible for Lizzy’s death? Long-term we wonder who, if anyone, will be Red’s FBI confidante. Is this all an elaborate trolling that will lead to Lizzy’s return? Literally, where does a series based around the relationship between Red and Lizzy go from here? Fans all seem to agree with what Red said after Lizzie’s funeral: “I can’t live for long with what I feel inside. I don’t see how anyone can.”

Alexandra from ‘Blindspot’ — Jen Lamoureux

Actor: Eisa Davis

Reason: Alexandra wasn’t a major character on the show; in fact, we never even learned her last name. She was a plot device, plain and simple. Bethany Mayfair is the target of Jane Doe’s secret group and someone wanted to prove a point. Alexandra was unfortunately a causality of poor plot, another lesbian character killed off to further the storyline of her almost-love interest.

Impact: Minimal. Alexandra wasn’t involved in the overall plot. She met Mayfair, who saved her from a handsy co-worker, in a bar. She reminded Mayfair that she could be involved with someone after the suicide of her other lover, which wasn’t actually a suicide (but that is a different story). Overall, this death will affect Mayfair the most. It even came with the ominous altered voice phone call telling her to back off investigating Carter’s death. This death was unnecessary and a poor way to further a plot point. The audience had zero connection to her, as she was only on screen a handful of minutes.

Danny Borrelli from ‘Chicago Fire’

We don’t watch this show, but even though this character is gone, he will not be forgotten.

Downey from ‘Chicago Med’

We don’t watch this show, but even though this character is gone, he will not be forgotten.

Justin from ‘Chicago P.D.’

We don’t watch this show, but even though this character is gone, he will not be forgotten.

Sgt. Dodds from ‘Law & Order: SVU’

We don’t watch this show, but even though this character is gone, he will not be forgotten.

Captain Mayfair ‘Blindspot’ — Jen Lamoureux

Actor: Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Reason: Mayfair had to go once she discovered Jane was lying to the team. She also presented a physical danger to Jane in the moment, which prompted Oscar to shoot her.

Impact: Mayfair’s death will heavily impact the team, as well as Jane, who was distraught over her being shot. Jane refused to let Mayfair die by herself, even though Mayfair was ready to kill Jane. Weller will probably be the most effected by the loss of Mayfair, who was like a mentor to him. If Weller ever discovers Jane’s role in her death, it will be even more painful for him.

The team as a whole didn’t feel like Mayfair was guilty of killing Alexandra, so discovering she has now been killed will only heighten their suspicions about Mayfair being framed. No matter how this plays out, Mayfair’s death will forever alter the team and how they function moving forward.

Oscar ‘Blindspot’ — Jen Lamoureux

Actor: François Arnaud

Reason: Oscar was trying to make Jane forget again and she just wasn’t ready to allow him to get away with murdering Mayfair. Jane didn’t want to kill Oscar, and in fact the old Jane loved him, but she couldn’t allow him to continue hurting people and only wanted to bring him in.

Impact: Oscar was Jane’s link to the secret group that put her on this path. Without Oscar, it seems Jane has no connection to the mysterious leader Sheppard or the group that has been pulling the strings. The season finale left a lot of questions for Jane, and without Oscar as her handler, it seems Jane may be left to fend for herself with the FBI. By killing Oscar, Jane has possibly put a target on her back with the group she works for and with the FBI. There are also the psychological effects of Jane killing someone she loved. She had been having more frequent memories of her time with Oscar and those certainly won’t stop just because he is dead.

Rachel/Bonaparte/Meisner from ‘Grimm’

We don’t watch this show, but even though these characters are gone, they will not be forgotten.

Bill Weller — Jen Lamoureux

Actor: Jay O. Sanders

Reason: Bill Weller was the terminally ill father of Kurt Weller. The two were estranged because of the suspicion that Bill killed Taylor Shaw. His death brought out the truth about both Taylor and Jane.

Impact: Bill Weller’s death is the catalyst for Kurt finding out that Jane is not his long lost friend. It also proved he was right and his father, who confessed, had killed Taylor when they were kids. This death and revelation will definitely affect Kurt in season 2. In the finale we see Kurt confessing his feelings to Jane only to later discover she isn’t who he thinks. Kurt arrests Jane and demands to know who she is, making their relationship even more complicated. Just when we thought Jane and Kurt were going to be happy it is clear that things are going to take a drastically different turn. One of the big questions is, did Kurt actually have feelings for Jane or was it only because he thought she was Taylor?

The CW — 27

Laurel Lance from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Katie Cassidy

Reason: In the Arrow season 4 premiere, we got a flash forward to six months later with Oliver at the graveside of someone he cares for. “[W]hen we worked our way through our various creative choices, we realized that the thing that will give us the most pop going into the end of the season, going into next season, unfortunately would be Laurel,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim said.

Impact: Laurel’s death had an immediate impact on her loved ones, as each felt their own measures of guilt for her fate, particularly John Diggle, whose brother betrayed the team to Damien Darhk, Laurel’s murderer. Hit hardest, though, was Quentin Lance. He was in denial for much of the first episode after her death, looking for a way to revive his daughter but eventually broke down in acceptance, grieving the loss of his rock. Laurel’s death comes not long after becoming a fully-developed Black Canary, taking her lumps and earning her stripes as a vigilante for nearly a full season — and all this after she worked through her drug addiction. Moreover, the Black Canary is a major character in the Green Arrow comics, so her departure is a huge shock, but as Guggenheim reminds us, “We now live in a world and universe where there is resurrection, parallel earths, time travel and flashbacks” so “death does not mean goodbye on any of these shows.”

Lexa and Lincoln from ‘The 100’ — Selina Wilken

Actor: Alycia Debnam-Carey (Lexa), Ricky Whittle (Lincoln)

Reason: Lexa was not a main character, but based on the audience’s reaction, she may as well have been. Lexa died taking a bullet meant for Clarke, on accident. The great Heda’s death was pointless and easily avoidable, and ultimately there to remind us that death can strike at any time, without rhyme or reason. Her death forced Clarke to abandon her safe haven, and propelled her on a path to reconnect with the other delinquents, in order to find Luna and pass on the Flame. We’re left to suspect that Lexa, or whatever is left of her, may very well still exist in some form inside the City of Light.

Lincoln died only a few weeks later, executed by Pike while Octavia watched. While Lincoln’s death did send Octavia on an interesting path, it was upsetting to lose the friendly grounder, who’s been with the show since season 1. The official reason for Ricky Whittle’s departure was behind-the-scenes tensions, that unfortunately led to Lincoln’s death. At least we’ll still be able to see Whittle on screen in the American Gods miniseries.

Impact: We’ve spent enough time talking about the terrible timing of Lexa’s death, coming right on the heels of her and Clarke finally acting on their feelings for each other. The upside to Lexa’s death, if you want to look at the bright side, is that it has put such a blinding spotlight on TV’s treatment of LGBTQ+ characters and it may just have impacted the entire TV industry going forward. As for Lincoln, his death (and the terrible timing) led a lot of The 100 fans to consider season 3 too brutal, even by this show’s standards. We’ll have to wait until the finale to see the full repercussions of both Lexa and Lincoln’s departures moving forward.

Rayna Cruz from ‘The Vampire Diaries’ — Kendra Cleary

Actor Leslie-Anne Huff

Reason: Rayna was introduced as a villain in The Vampire Diaries season 7, and on this show, unless their last name is Mikaelson, it’s a pretty safe bet that villains will meet their demise at the hands of Salvatore and co. Rayna was no exception, and after many human lifetimes of hunting vampires, she voluntarily forfeited her life for Bonnie, who was dying from being poisoned by Rayna’s blood.

Impact: If Rayna had truly just given up her life so Bonnie could continue living, it would have been far too simple. To make Damon and his friends pay for everything they’d done to Rayna, she made it so Bonnie would be forced to take up the mantle as the new vampire huntress. This will surely affect her relationships with her loved ones, who are primarily vampires!

Cami O’Connell from ‘The Originals’ — Kristen Kranz

Actor: Leah Pipes

Reason: If it weren’t for Cami’s death scare at the end of the mid-season finale this past December, this sudden and unpredictable end to her character’s story would have been a bigger surprise. Since the moment she chose to become a vampire, it seemed her days were numbered, we just didn’t know how small that number truly was. Cami’s death was the first big move in a chess game that Lucien and Klaus have been playing all season long. Lucien has been biding his time while he concocted one hell of a plan and it all hinged on finding the right person to rip out of Klaus’ life, sending him straight into Lucien’s welcoming arms so he can end him and his family once and for all. Lucien’s evil plan may not have worked out for him, but it took one of our favorite characters with it.

Impact: Cami. Will. Be. Missed. By fans, by the characters, and by everyone who’s been lucky enough to interview the lady behind Cami at press events. Leah Pipes has always been a class act and we will miss her more than anything when the show returns for season 4 next fall. As far as her character goes, Klaus has lost a lover as well as the first person to truly understand what makes him tick. Hayley, Davina, and Josh lost a friend they knew they could trust with anything. Vincent lost an ally, a friend, and a kindred spirit. Her loss will be felt in the Quarter for a long time to come, and we will never forget the blonde barkeep that brought the immortal hybrid to his knees over love.

Jeffrey from ‘Reign’ – Brandi Delhagen

Actor: Morgan David Jones

Reason: Jeffrey was the servant-turned-spy to English Ambassador Gideon. [Queen] Elizabeth sent him to watch Gideon and make sure he was seducing [Queen] Mary. We didn’t know much else about him, poor guy. Jeffrey revealed to Gideon that he noticed the Archbishop in town and that he thought Mary may be lying to the English about her building a Catholic army. Gideon, now on Mary’s side, couldn’t allow Jeffrey to send a letter to Elizabeth informing her of such news because it could have resulted in Mary’s demise. Therefore, Gideon all too casually bashed Jeffrey’s head in with a trunk lid.

Impact: In all seriousness, Jeffrey’s death shouldn’t impact much of anyone’s lives. Since Gideon finished Jeffrey’s letter — changing some things, of course — and sent it to England, Elizabeth may be a bit curious to find out where Jeffrey has gone after the fact, or more so, how he died. Gideon left his body in the trunk, so unless he disposes of it and comes up with a story about how Jeffrey decided to head back to England and somehow didn’t make it, Gideon could become suspicious in Elizabeth’s eyes. We’ll soon find out if the red queen yells, “Off with his head!” anytime soon.

Andy Diggle and Milo Armitage from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Eugene Byrd (Andy) and James Kidnie (Milo)

Reason: John Diggle was forced to kill his younger brother, Andy, who had irrevocably sided with Damien Darhk and H.I.V.E. After his betrayal led to the death of Laurel Lance, Andy then threatened John’s wife and baby daughter. Despite numerous attempts to let him redeem himself, John was forced to shoot his brother to protect his loved ones, even if the target was his brother. Meanwhile, Damien Darhk had no love lost for the H.I.V.E. members who left him to rot in prison and Milo took a bullet in the forehead for his lack of action.

Impact: While Milo’s death feels like more of a background moment to highlight Darhk’s evilness, Andy’s death is likely to have a lasting impact on John. Though John is a soldier and has killed before, it’s different when it’s his family. John went off the rails after Laurel’s death, and killing Andy is probably John’s rock bottom that will bring him back into the fold of Team Arrow and back to the voice of reason he once was. There will likely be no time in the final three episodes of Arrow‘s fourth season for John to work through what has happened, but expect it to haunt him for a long time to come.

Metatron from ‘Supernatural’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Curtis Armstrong

Reason: Metatron, in an uncharacteristic show of heroism, sacrificed himself to hold off Amara while Sam rescued Lucifer from her, a new prophet in tow. Unfortunately, his attempt at using magic against her failed, and his death was not much of a struggle, but in his final two episodes, Metatron seemed to be on the path to redemption after all the horrible things he’d done — including killing Dean.

Impact: Metatron’s death feels a bit like a drop in the bucket of the havoc Amara might unleash on the Earth; he was powerless and has been more or less off the Winchesters’ radar as of late. Metatron has long been an unpopular character, so the fact fans found him sympathetic and even likable in his penultimate episode shows that he’s learned quite a bit about humanity and sees the good in it — a pretty big step for him. Don’t expect the Winchesters to mourn for his loss, but it was a satisfying end for the character.

Alex from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Parker Young

Reason: After being brainwashed to follow Ruve Adams and Damien Darhk, Alex brought Thea to H.I.V.E.’s underground bunker. However, his fate was sealed when Anarky snuck into the bunker and attacked him when he realized Thea cared about him. He took a shock of electricity to the chest that must have stopped his heart.

Impact: I’m going to channel Avatar: The Last Airbender here and say this death was really unclear. We saw him fall over and Thea look sad over him, but I couldn’t tell if she was sad he was dead or that he was hurt. Moreover, Alex was a pretty flat character; the main effect of his death will be on Thea, who had opened her heart to someone for the first time since Roy left. It will definitely be painful for her moving forward, losing another person she cares for.

Time Master Druce and Leonard Snart from ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Martin Donovan and Wentworth Miller

Reason: Time Master Druce’s days were numbered the moment we discovered he was working with Vandal Savage. The penultimate episode of Legends of Tomorrow season 1 revealed that the Time Masters were the true villains all along, manipulating people and time. Leonard Snart was the one to take Druce and other Time Masters out by overriding a manual switch to cause the Oculus, the device the Time Masters used to manipulate time. After a long arc of evolving from villain to antihero to hero, Leonard Snart went out, putting everyone’s fates back in their own hands.

Impact: While no one will mourn for the loss of Druce, especially after he revealed that he had been manipulating the Legends all along and that free will is an illusion, Snart’s death is a major blow. However, the fact that Wentworth Miller signed a groundbreaking contract with WBTV to recur simultaneously on multiple Greg Berlanti-produced shows as Leonard Snart in upcoming seasons seems to indicate he won’t stay dead for long.

Lucien Castle from ‘The Originals’ — Kristen Kranz

Actor: Andrew Lees

Reason: The minute Lucien found a way to become more powerful than the Mikaelsons, we started to worry about how his story was going to play out. He was a true adversary to them, as he created a brand new weapon in the fight against the invulnerability of the Mikaelsons. That weapon lives on, as Marcel has taken up where Lucien left off, but unfortunately, its first incarnation is gone. We can’t say we’ll miss Lucien much, as he was the impetus for Cami’s death, but he was a worthy opponent in a show that definitely has had its share of badass villains.

Impact: Lucien’s demise will unfortunately not impact many, but the legacy and serum he left behind will. Marcel has become the beast that Lucien once was, and in that way, Lucien will never be truly gone. He may not be a missed or beloved character, but he was a fun addition to The Originals’ third season. The battle of the sire lines may have fizzled out, but Lucien Castle went out with a bang.

Davina Claire from ‘The Originals’ — Kristen Kranz

Actor: Danielle Campbell

Reason: Davina Claire’s death was more abrupt and unexpected a death than any we’ve had on this show before. We never thought it was possible to say goodbye to two series regulars in a matter of two or three episodes. We expected them to find a way to save her. Her death was a result of the ancestors meddling in human affairs, and now that Davina has sacrificed herself and stayed behind on the ancestors’ side of the bridge between living and dead, we don’t know how she could ever return.

Impact: The loss of Davina will impact Kol most directly, as he was the cause, but we saw Marcel crumble with the news. Davina was never a romantic interest to Marcel, but they’ve been closer than any two characters on this show. She loved and looked up to Marcel as a brother, an advisor, and a supernatural guide. When she came upon a problem she couldn’t find an answer to, a few minutes with Marcel would always inspire her. Losing Davina was the final straw to break Marcel from his bond with the Mikaelsons. They were so willing to sacrifice her to save themselves that Marcel now sees the world clearly, and the only way to avenge Davina is to finally bring them to justice for their crimes.

Ontari from ‘The 100’ — Selina Wilken

Reason: Poor Ontari. Not in the sense that I feel bad for her in any way — she was awful and literally raped Murphy — but talk about unfinished business! Ontari was the anti-Lexa, the ruthless, selfish would-be Commander with big plans for world domination, and then… whoomp. ALIE arrives in Polis and tricks Ontari into her mind palace, and two episodes later, ALIE renders her brain dead to avoid the delinquents from using her precious Nightblood.

Impact: Lucky for Clarke and the squad, Ontari’s blood is conveniently still pumping through her veins, which means there’s one final chance of getting the Flame into the City of Light. Ontari’s mind is probably still floating around in there, so she’s technically not completely gone yet, but it doesn’t look like the Ice Nation’s grip on Polis will last long. Hey, at least there’s always King Roan, right?

Henry Allen from ‘The Flash’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: John Wesley Shipp

Reason: Hunter Zolomon/Zoom has not been shy about drawing comparisons between himself and Barry, as both men lost their mothers at age 11. However, while Barry went on to become a hero, Zolomon went on to become a serial killer and supervillain. He didn’t think it was fair that Barry was shielded from his mother’s murder, so he kidnapped Henry and killed him in front of Barry to put them on what he believes to be even ground.

Impact: Henry spent more than a decade in prison, having been falsely convicted of his wife’s murder, meaning Barry only got to see him on prison visits in years he really needed his father. Not even a year after finally helping free his father from prison, Barry lost him permanently. To add insult to injury, Henry was murdered an episode after Barry finally came to terms with his mother’s death — more than a decade after the fact. This is the second supervillain to kill one of Barry’s parents, and Barry will be dealing with fresh grief when his final showdown with Zoom arrives. For being a “lighter” superhero, Barry’s life is sure shaped by tragedy.

Ruve Adams from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Janet Kidder

Reason: In his quest for revenge against Damien Darhk, Anarky snuck into H.I.V.E.’s underground bunker and kidnapped Ruve and her daughter. When a fight with Team Arrow caused the bunker to start breaking apart, Anarky stabbed Ruve and left her to be crushed under the rubble. If he couldn’t get at Darhk directly, he at least destroyed the man’s heart.

Impact: The death of his wife has clearly taken Damien Darhk off the rails. Upon hearing of her death, Darhk dropped all desire to stick with his carefully constructed plan to destroy the world and build it anew, instead deciding only to destroy the world. Ruve was her husband’s equal in every way, and losing the love of his very long life clearly broke something in the villain. Going into the finale, it seems as though he’ll be fighting Team Arrow with the feeling that he has nothing left to lose.

Donatello Redfield from ‘Supernatural’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Keith Szarabajka

Reason: Being a prophet is a dangerous gig on Supernatural, and that trend remained true for the newest prophet, Donatello. A mere episode after being called, Donatello had his soul devoured by Amara while she was looking for God.

Impact: Donatello was a surprisingly delightful addition to the show, so seeing his demise so soon after his introduction was disappointing. The Winchesters will likely feel guilty for Donatello’s fate, if they ever learn of it, but unfortunately for Donatello, there is unlikely to be an extended mourning period for him as there was for the previous prophet, Kevin.

Vandal Savage from ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Casper Crump

Reason: After a season-long quest to kill Vandal Savage to save the world — and potentially Rip Hunter’s family — he went out in grandiose blaze, suited to an immortal dictator. Exposure to radiation from an alien meteorite allowed him to be killed simultaneously in three separate time periods, preventing him from performing a ceremony that would send the world back into ancient times. Mick Rory, Sara Lance and Kendra Saunders each performed the act in their respective time periods, leading to his permanent end.

Impact: With Savage’s death, Kendra and Carter left the team to live their lives out of Savage’s shadow. This will be their first chance to live freely in 4,000 years. Moreover, the team accomplished their season-long goal, but along the way lost friends and discovered their actions had been manipulated by the Time Masters — who had allied themselves with Savage — all along. With the Time Masters defeated and Savage dead, the Legends will have to find new purpose in season 2.

ALIE from ‘The 100’ — Selina Wilken

Actor: Erica Cerra

Reason: The City of Light was finally destroyed in The 100 season 3 finale and with it, presumably, ALIE disappeared too. There are interesting fan theories about her still being around either on the Ark or in the house where Jaha found her, but we’ll believe it when we see it.

Impact: ALIE was the temptress, Battlestar Galactica‘s Red Six whispering in the characters’ ears, her right-hand man Jaha ready to do her bidding even before he was chipped. With ALIE’s destruction, everyone is free (at least until the world ends), and so is Jaha. We can’t wait to see what will happen to this former Chancellor, who almost destroyed humanity in a misguided attempt to save them.

Pike from ‘The 100’ — Selina Wilken

Reason: If ALIE was the season’s metaphysical villain, Pike (Michael Beach) was her human counterpart. Continuing with our BSG theme, Pike was the Cain to Kane’s Adama, his experiences on the ground leaving him with a much different, more ruthless attitude toward the cylons Grounders.

Pike’s attitude made sense. What didn’t make sense was his insistence on waging war against the clearly superior Grounder force. While we don’t yet know how many Grounders there are, clearly destroying 300 of their soldiers barely made a dent in the population — and clearly, the Arkadians were trying to foster peace for a reason. Pike’s inability to see reason from people whose knowledge could supplement his own made it hard to have any kind of affection for him, and when he killed Lincoln, our hearts turned as cold as Octavia’s did.

Impact: Even though Pike’s help at Polis was invaluable to the cause, it didn’t make up for what he did at Arkadia. Octavia jamming a sword through his gut to avenge Lincoln was only upsetting because of what it might mean for her.

While we won’t miss Pike, we’ll definitely miss Michael Beach and his brilliant Twitter interactions with fans. Luckily we’ll catch him in Pitch this fall, which looks fantastic!

Taiana and Reiter from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Elysia Rotaru and Jimmy Akingbola

Reason: The flashbacks came to a close in the season 4 finale with the deaths of both Taiana and Baron Reiter. Both individuals were stuck in a struggle over the magic that was channeled by the idol. During a struggle between Taiana and Reiter, Reiter’s magic was temporarily disabled and Oliver was able to throw a knife into his back, thus ending his reign of terror on Lian Yu. Meanwhile, Taiana begged Oliver to kill her before the magic caused her to lose herself completely and kill someone else. Oliver tearfully obliged and eventually buried her.

Impact: Reiter’s death completed the mission Amanda Waller had for Oliver, while Taiana’s death sets up Oliver’s flashback arc in season 5; in the final season of flashbacks, Oliver will travel to Russia to inform Taiana’s family of her death as well as make the Bratva connections we learned about in season 1.

Cooper Seldon from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Nolan Gerard Funk

Reason: After being brought in by Damien Darhk to do some hacking opposite his ex-girlfriend, Felicity, Cooper was left in a rather pathetic position: shot with a bullet in his spine. If he didn’t continue helping Darhk, Darhk would use magic to kill him with the bullet. Felicity managed to reach his heart one final time, encouraging him to do what they’d aimed to do back in college: save the world. Refusing to continue working, though, resulted in Cooper’s death.

Impact: Felicity, after a tearful plea to get Cooper to stop helping Darhk, was surprisingly unbothered by the death of her ex, whose return had once been an emotional roller coaster. However, he had a rather unceremonious end, and I have to wonder if this will ever be mentioned again.

Damien Darhk from ‘Arrow’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Neal McDonough

Reason: After a season-long plot involving the destruction of the world with only a select few remaining alive, Darhk’s reason for destroying the world was lost with the death of his wife. After Ruve’s death, he decided to continue his plan, but without any safe havens; he just wanted to see the world burn. Oliver was finally able to defeat him after helping the citizens of Star City regain their hope. With Darhk’s magic useless against him, Oliver took him down and stabbed him with an arrow, killing him.

Impact: With Darhk’s death, Oliver found justice for Laurel’s murder and settled himself in as Star City’s hero — something he’d been aiming to do. Ruve’s death also left a vacancy in the mayor’s office, which Oliver was elected to fill on an interim basis. The death of Darhk, pardon the pun, helped bring Oliver and the Green Arrow into the light.

Delphine from ‘Reign’ — Brandi Delhagen

Actor: Alexandra Ordolis

Reason: Delphine’s demise was her bloodmagic once again. She was almost killed due to possible devil worshipping but instead ended up helping Bash instead. Delphine sensed that Christophe was the killer everyone had been searching for once she accidentally bumped into him. When he knew that she knew, Christophe couldn’t risk her telling Bash or anyone else.

Impact: The only one who cared for Delphine was Bash. He was happy when she returned to court. Now that she’s been taken from him, Bash will go after her killer, once he discovers who the killer is. Bash doesn’t have much of anyone left at this point.

Chistophe from ‘Reign’ — Brandi Delhagen

Actor: Nathaniel Middleton

Reason: If Christophe would have kept his sadistic love for killing under wraps a bit longer, and not killed Delphine, he might have gotten away with it all. Once Bash put it together that Catherine was covering for Christophe, there was no stopping him. Bash ended Christophe’s life quickly, and found out Catherine’s secret in doing so.

Impact: Well now the killer is finally taken care of. Bash has learned Catherine’s secret and informed her son, the king, and the princess. Catherine is left at the end of season 3 with no one and nothing. Bash realizes that he’s not needed in France anymore and leaves to help Mary get to Scotland.

CBS — 6

Carl Elias from ‘Person of Interest’ — Brittany Lovely

Actor: Enrico Colatoni

Reason:How can you hurt someone who has spent his life protecting people? Kill one of his first cases in cold blood right in front of him. Elias, already killed, but resurrected at the start of the season, now had to die to show that no line exists for the Samaritan army Harold must now face.

Impact: Elias is now truly dead. Harold had to watch his friend die while putting Harold’s safety first. This was the first straw to nearly break Harold’s back. With Elias’ reign as the supreme crime boss coming to a close, Harold must now realize that even the most feared and revered man in New York crime circles is nothing to the invisible hand controlling the game now. Elias’ actual death sets off the chain reaction of Harold’s impending breakdown and ultimate betrayal of the rules he is so keen to follow for all these years.

Gabriel from ‘Hawaii Five-O’

We don’t watch this show, but even though this character is gone, he will not be forgotten.

Russo from ‘NCIS: New Orleans’

We don’t watch this show, but even though this character is gone, he will not be forgotten.

Ziva David ‘NCIS’ — Jen Lamoureux

Actor: Cote de Pablo

Reason: Ziva David hasn’t been on the show in years, but she was still very much a beloved character who was connected to Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. Ziva, the biggest badass on NCIS, was killed in a fire that was set to destroy her father’s old documents.

Impact: The death of Ziva was the turning point for Tony DiNozzo, as it was actor Michael Weatherly’s last episode and it made an emotional farewell to both characters. While Ziva died, she did leave someone behind, her daughter. The entire plot after Ziva’s death focused on DiNozzo coming to terms with having a daughter he didn’t know about and Ziva’s death. The entire team felt Ziva’s death and watched as Tony figured out what he needed to do for his daughter. Her death was the backbone of the episode and heightened the emotional departure of DiNozzo.

Trent Kort ‘NCIS’– Jen Lamoureux

Actor: David Dayan Fisher

Reason: Trent Kort has always been questionable when it comes to what side he is on, but he made the incredibly poor decision to target one too many of Gibb’s people. First he shot Fornel, but then he contracted someone to blow up Ziva David’s house, not knowing she was in it. Killing Ziva was the biggest mistake Kort ever made.

Impact: Trent Kort has been a staple on NCIS for over a decade. Kort, who was CIA, frequently pushed Gibb and his team in ways they didn’t like and his loyalty was always questionable. Kort turned up in the more serious plotlines that usually incorporated several agencies and some of the bigger villains. It was surprising that Kort was finally the villain given the numerous times he could have been and wasn’t. By turning against Gibb and the NCIS team, he basically assured his death. Killing Ziva was the ultimate betrayal, one that struck at the core of the NCIS team. Kort’s last stand was against Gibb and his team, but mostly it was against Tony, who was hurt the most by Kort’s senseless killing of Ziva. Kort’s actions were the catalyst for Tony departing NCIS, so the impact of his actions were pretty big, but the impact of his death was minimal.

Root from ‘Person of Interest’ — Brittany Lovely

Actor: Amy Acker

Reason: Harold’s devotion to The Machine and everything she is capable of achieving has been tested since he turned her on all those years ago. Root was the only person to ever trust The Machine implicitly. With the final three episodes nearing, Root’s physical removal will set the course for the final chapter of Harold’s story with his creation.

Impact: Root’s death is at the bottom of a long list of lesbian deaths this television season. While Root loved Shaw and made every effort to give the recently tortured woman a way to cope with her return to reality, Root’s love for The Machine reigned above all. Root and Shaw’s relationship never had the time to develop after Sarah Shahi left on maternity leave and was captured for most of the abbreviated final season, it’s sad to see the potential for their relationship go away so suddenly. While Root is physically dead, her spirit and presence live on, as The Machine chose to use her voice to communicate with Harold going into the final three episodes.

Fox — 4

Harper Scott from ‘Empire’ – Brandi Delhagen

Actor: Annie Ilonzeh

Reason: Harper Scott was the persistent journalist who did her job, and did her job well. Yeah, she may have tried to bed Lucious and all, and we did look down on her for bashing Cookie in the process, but the woman knew what she was doing. After getting tossed aside and not given the exclusive she was promised, she went out for revenge on Lucious. Or did she? Harper ended up giving Andre the info about his grandmother, Leah Walker, being alive, but we’re still not sure if that was about a vendetta against Lucious or if she just wanted the truth to be out there.

Impact: Empire doesn’t shy away from killing recurring characters. When D.A. Roxanne Ford was killed last season (was that last season already? Time is flying!), it didn’t seem to effect the Lyon family, namely Lucious. It did seem like Thirsty covered his tracks by making it look like Harper was possibly mugged or kidnapped. It would draw the attention away from the Lyons because that kind of publicity is something they do not need at this moment. In an episode where we couldn’t talk about anything but Jamal, Harper’s time ended without getting that exclusive she worked so hard for.

Theo Galavan from ‘Gotham’ – Sonya Field

Actor: James Frain

Reason: Galavan served as the main villain for most of the second season. However, with the entire city after him, it was only a matter of time before he died for good.

Impact: With Galavan gone, Bruce and Gordon are slightly safer than before. However, this is just one enemy down with a long list left to go. Not even one episode passed before they were both put back in grave danger. Since Galavan tried to kill his sister Tabitha, I doubt she will be seeking any revenge for those that killed him. She may, however, go after Strange, who is the one who made him think he was Azrael. Currently, Strange has taken the place as the biggest villain, but his experiments may become even more dangerous than he is.

Kate and Ruby from ‘Wayward Pines’ — Caitlin Kelly

Actor: Carla Gugino and Greta Lee

Reason: The First Generation has taken strict control of the town of Wayward Pines three years after the last rebellion. Both Ruby and Kate were members of the rebellion, led by Ethan’s son, Ben. Ruby was killed in a public reckoning for being part of the rebellion and refusing to offer any information. Kate, meanwhile, was injured and locked up in the hospital. When Ben and his fellow rebels turned themselves in, however, Kate realized her last hope for a better life was gone and cut her own throat.

Impact: Ruby’s death inspired our new protagonist, Theo, to act out against the First Generation, leading to Jason sending him outside the wall among the Abbies. Kate’s death, meanwhile, will likely have longer-lasting effects on those who were around in season 1; Kate was a key figure in the rebellion against Pilcher and his tyranny, and her death will undoubtedly have a damaging impact on any rebels left behind. If Kate, of all people, saw no signs of hope, why should any of them?

Other

MTV — 2

Kira from ‘Teen Wolf’ — Karen Rought

Actor: Arden Cho

Reason: We don’t have any sort of confirmation about why the show decided to write off Kira Yukimura, but considering Cho posted a somber farewell to her fans, it doesn’t feel like it was her choice to leave.

Impact: Though Kira was never as prominent as Lydia, Scott, or Stiles, she was Scott’s girlfriend and a major part of his pack. Her kitsune powers were a unique addition to the group, and her struggle with controlling them always provided humor and drama. Her departure will likely affect Scott most of all, but considering the couple departed on good terms as she went off to train with the Skinwalkers, the writers may decide not to address her absence too often. Fortunately, because she wasn’t killed off, there’s always a chance she can come back if something can be worked out. Still, Cho will need to be removed from the opening credits and the void her character will leave as a member of the pack will probably need to be filled, considering Scott is only as strong as his team.

Amberle Elessedil from ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ — Brook Wentz

Actor: Poppy Drayton

Reason: If you want to get technical, the reason for Amberle’s departure is little more than fate. As seen in the book Shannara Chronicles is based on, The Elfstones of Shannara explains that it is Amberle’s destiny to sacrifice herself to preserve the safety of the Four Kingdoms. Not only is it her birthright, it is also the central theme of the plot. Sacrifice and duty comes before all else.

Impact: The impact of this sacrifice is forever reaching. Amberle gives her life, soul, and future not only to protect her kingdom but to protect the whole world. It’s her body that rejuvenates the magical Ellcrys tree that protects the Four Lands from danger. With her death came the birth of countless future generations. Although we know little about what’s to come, presumably the next season will be cast in the shadow of her sacrifice. If we pick up with Wil and Eretria, it’s likely they’ll be forced to figure out how to go on without their beloved friend. Or if a page is taken from the books and we jump into a future generations story, then it will be known that Amberle is the reason for their existence. Either way, this death wasn’t a cheap or unearned one. It was a death of necessity and devotion.

AMC — 2

Deanna and Denise from ‘The Walking Dead’ —

Actor: Tovah Feldshuh (Deanna), Merritt Wever (Denise)

Reason: Besides the obvious reasons (the show has too many characters and they’re living in a dangerous, apocalyptic world), Deanna’s death by walker bite formalized Rick as the new leader of Alexandria, while Denise’s death came at the moment she finally mustered the courage to take on walkers. She completed her journey to total confidence, and died doing it.

Impact: The Walking Dead didn’t kill off someone who we’d consider a series regular in season 6 (unless you’re counting whoever Negan killed), so the impact of the two biggest deaths, Denise and Deanna, is minimal. What’s more, the show has so many characters living at Alexandria that no one death will cause major changes — unless it’s Rick.

Denise’s death left a hole in Alexandria’s healthcare system, but it will probably be filled thanks in part to the resources of the Hilltop Colony. As for Deanna, her death marked a turning point for the management of Alexandria. Although Rick had taken over the safe zone while Deanna was still alive, her death symbolized Rick’s completed ascension as leader. Without Deanna on the show, there’s no question who the top dog is at Alexandria. There’s no question who you should go to when you want to talk about the future of community. It’s Rick… or Deanna’s tombstone.

BBC — 1

Clara from ‘Doctor Who’ — Laura Byrne-Cristiano

Actor: Jenna Coleman

Reason: All things come to an end. Companions leave the Doctor because life with him is complicated and dangerous. Living on the edge with adrenaline fully pumping takes its toll. Sometimes characters leave and the Doctor manages to save them like Donna and Rose. Other times they choose their own fate, and live a life without the Doctor like Martha and Amy. Most recently, however, life with the Doctor cost Clara her life.

Impact: As the longest-serving companion in the reboot era, Clara went from being “The Impossible Girl” to a companion the Doctor depended on, who could reel him in, and get him to reconnect with humanity. Clara showed that you could be young and independent, and not fall in love with the Doctor. She also showed that maintaining a human life, first as a nanny and then as a teacher, and having a serious boyfriend was not mutually exclusive with travelling alongside the Doctor. Oh Run You Clever Boy, and Remember, Clara we won’t forget you.

HBO — 2

Roose Bolton from ‘Game of Thrones’ — Michal Schick

Actor: Michael McElhatton

Reason: Roose Bolton was ridiculously adept at sidestepping death, but with Ramsay Bolton as his son, it’s retrospectively miraculous that he survived as long as he did. The end ultimately came when Roose’s wife gave birth to a son, displacing Ramsey’s claim to Winterfell. Ramsay stabbed his father to death, and then added in the wife and son for good measure. After all, what’s a bastard son to do?

Impact: Throughout Game of Thrones Lord Bolton proved himself to be one of the subtlest and most dangerous villains in Westeros. Though crucial to Robb’s victories against the Lannisters, Bolton was also a central cog in the Red Wedding, and the collapse of the Stark cause. But Ramsay, who has his father’s sadistic cruelty and none of his intelligence, rapidly eclipsed his father’s notoriety — and now nothing stands between Ramsay and wreaking pure, evil havoc on every inch of the North he can reach.

Hodor from ‘Game of Thrones’ — Michal Schick

Actor: Kristian Nairn

Reason: Damn it, Bran! Game of Thrones’ budding mystic might have the power to see into the past, but keeping his friends alive? That’s another story. Touched by the Night’s King while flying solo in his trippy dream, Bran led the White Walkers and their undead hordes right to the the Three-Eyed Raven’s tree, necessitating a desperate escape from the creepy cocoon. Summer, Leaf, and the Raven himself all fell while Meera hauled Bran’s sleeping form to safety, but that wasn’t enough of a sacrifice for Game of Thrones. As they flew out a back door, Meera called for Hodor to “hold the door” shut against the endless crush of wights — which Hodor did, even though it was these words echoing through time that destroyed his mind, and even though he fell victim to the undead as Meera fled with Bran.

Impact: Hodor’s loss is paradoxically tremendous and almost negligible. The gentle giant played no role in the epic politics or mysticism of Game of Thrones, but his quiet, protective presence was an indelible element of the story all the same. In a dark world full of murder, betrayal, and blurred morality, Hodor was a simple avatar of goodness that has now been lost. As Bran and Meera forge ahead once again into the cold, cruel north, it’s hard to imagine how they will survive without Hodor’s strength — and his sweet, pure innocence. RIP, Willas. We’ll miss you.

Total death and departure count: 70

Who are you most sad to see go?

Have any of these deaths and departures affected whether you’ll continue watching the show? Is there anyone we’ve missed? Even minor characters deserve a shout-out! Hit the comments below to tell us.