10 TV Characters You NEVER Thought Would Return

It's rare that a cartoon character gets killed off for good. A number of Simpsons characters have departed the show for different reasons, including retiring Edna Krabappel after the death of Marcia Wallace, but generally permanent deaths don't happen too often.

That's why it was so surprising when Family Guy made the decision to kill off Brian Griffin, a main character voiced by creator Seth MacFarlane himself, in 2013. 

The show went all in on the change to the family as Brian was hit by a car. The Griffins all said a genuinely emotional farewell to their pet, they brought in a new dog in the form of Vinny Tony Sirico), and even updated the opening credits to include the newest member of the Griffin family. This was huge and appeared to be a permanent change to the show.

However, just two episodes later, and with audiences still grieving for the popular character, Stewie used a time machine to go back and stop Brian from ever getting killed. Family Guy is no stranger to controversy or making waves, but the show has arguably never pissed off its own fanbase quite like this.