The true essence of TV shows lies in the viewers’ indulgence. Fans’ favorite shows tend to become a part of their lives, and thus, any predicament that follows in the plot affects them in real-time. This primarily hints towards the deaths of notable characters, many times a fan-loved character. Therefore, a report created solely on fans ranking the saddest deaths in TV history revealed some jaw-dropping insights.
Out of the numerous ill-fated fictional deaths, two of them managed to catch our attention. Jensen Ackles’s character Dean Winchester’s final death in the Supernatural Season finale is only ranked 15th place whereas Glen Rhee played by Steven Yeun’s gruesome death in the Season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead topped the list.
Killing off Steven Yeun’s character broke hearts
There’s no denying that The Walking Dead fans were attached to Glen Rhee’s loyalty and resourcefulness. The post-apocalyptic horror TV series that aired 11 seasons from 2010 to 2022 starred Marvel star Steven Yeun as Glen Rhee, a survivor of the Wildfire Virus outbreak. Working as a pizza delivery boy from the first season itself, Rhee was killed with a baseball bat by the antagonist Negan in the Season 7 premiere of the show.
Rhee was loved by fans, and his unanticipated death came as a shocker to fans, so much so that his death shot up to the foremost ranking of #1 in the competitive list, per Ranker. Fans haven’t been able to recover from the fictional loss, as the show went on for another four seasons without Yeun’s character.
On the contrary, Yeun fans will see the actor in a compelling Marvel movie in 2025. The 40-year-old actor is set to star as Robert Reynolds/the Sentry in Thunderbolts in the MCU, per an interview with comic artist David Finch. Probably, Yeun will get a happier ending in this feature.
Jensen Ackles fixated on the #15th saddest TV death
Another shocker that is not the death but the rank itself, is Dean Winchester’s tragic death in Supernatural being ranked at the 15th position. According to the report, Jensen Ackles’s fictional death was remorseful, but not as much to stand among the top 10. The Winchester brothers, the leading duo of Supernatural, had constantly dodged death throughout, with Dean Winchester seeing his end more than once.
However, Jensen Ackles’ beloved character was finally killed in the Supernatural series finale. In Episode 20 titled ‘Carry On’ of Season 15, Dean Winchester was stabbed by a nail, dying in his younger brother, Sam’s presence.
Going with the gory themes of the TV series, Dean was also shredded into pieces by beasts that serve demons called hellhounds, further dragging him to Hell, in Episode 16 of Season 3. His death came as a sacrifice to protect the younger Winchester, Sam at the end of Season 2.
Therefore, it is possible that the multiple Dean deaths showcased in the series could have prepared fans to foresee his end in some way or another. Hence, the #15 rank, yet it preceded other notable deaths like Dr. Derek Sheperd’s tragic death in Grey’s Anatomy and Lyanna Mormont from Game of Thrones.
