The Walking Dead: 8 Characters Who Died Too Soon

8. Oscar

Not long after arriving at the prison, Rick and the gang encountered a group of inmates who'd been locked inside the cafeteria, comprised of Tomas, Andrew, Big Tiny, Axel, and Oscar. After killing Big Tiny without hesitation, Tomas did the rest of his "friends" no favors by attempting to kill Rick, only to fail.

As a result, Axel and Oscar were put on the outs with Rick and the group, who were understandably distrustful of them both. But after Andrew wreaked havoc on the prison and came to blows with Rick, Oscar stepped up, faced with a choice between shooting Rick or Andrew and choosing the latter, earning Rick's respect and a place in the group for him and Axel.

Just a few episodes later, he volunteered to help infiltrate Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie, where he was shot and killed in a blink-and-miss moment during a shootout. The Walking Dead is no stranger to sudden deaths, but this one was almost cruel for how it disposed of Oscar without a second thought, wasting a character who could've grown into a real asset to the group and retroactively making his "big moment" of proving himself to Rick hollow.