One of the most devastating deaths in television history, Fred is consumed by the demon Illyria after inhaling the contents of an ancient sarcophagus late it season five. Audiences had already said goodbye to Cordelia just weeks before so to kill off the other leading lady was unthinkable. Furthermore, the show had just got Fred and Wesley together as a couple after two and a half years of romantic tension. Yet again, another example of why Joss Whedon destroys TV couples! But most significant was the way in which she died. Fred was the most innocent, intelligent, likeable character on the show. If killing Wash in Serenity was like killing Xander in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, then this was like killing Willow. To make it worse Fred didn't even get to go to Heaven as her very soul was burned out of existence. When she died in a distraught Wesley's arms, it was the end for her in this world and the next. But the heartbreak didn't end there. For the remainder of the final season Illyria walked around wearing Fred's body, with everyone, particularly Wesley, having to grieve while still see her every day. The plan, apparently, was to bring Fred back in a sixth season, but with the show's cancellation, Fred's death was the most tragic demise Joss Whedon ever devised. Are you dreading the inevitable or do you think Whedon might let everyone out alive this time? Which Whedon death do you think is the most tragic? Please let us know in the comments below.