10 Heartbreaking Times Lead Characters Left TV Shows
8. Zack Addy - Bones
Zack Addy was the loveably naive, super genius assistant to Bones herself, Doctor Temperance Brennan, for the first three seasons. Unfortunately, he was also a cannibalistic serial killer.
After Season Three focussed on cannibal Gormagon, it’s revealed he has help from within the Jeffersonian. Zack’s only caught because he cannot abandon his loyalty to his friends, saving Hodgins from the impact of a bomb delivered by the killer, Gormagon.
A lot of fans weren’t happy with this reveal, nor the fact Zack wasn’t shown to have much motivation, but for some it was a shocking and heartbreaking twist. It’s later retconned that Zack himself never struck a killing blow, but that only diluted the moment for those willing to follow it and couldn’t repair the damage for those who wouldn’t.
Bones have had few departures which broke fans hearts, like the sudden deaths of both Lance Sweets and Vincent Nigel Murray, although the English squintern Vincent wasn’t really a central character.
Sweets joined the Bones cast originally as a red herring to throw us off Zack’s scent, but became a beloved part of the show across the next seven seasons. However, the betrayal at the heart of Zack’s exit just pips him.