12 TV Deaths You Knew Were Coming (That Still Broke You)

The television world is now more competitive than ever. Platforms such as Netflix have opened up the market in ways never thought imaginable before, meaning standing out has never been more important.

One of the best ways to stand out and get people talking is via a shocking death to a key character within the show. Obviously killing off a character for the sake of killing them off is wholly pointless and will only alienate fans, but when a shock gets an impactful death right, it can carry the legacy of a show.

However, whether it's through a public announcement that an actor is leaving a show, some deep digging through original source material, or just the overriding feeling of the walls closing in on a character within the show, there are some instances of being able to see these shocking deaths coming.

It doesn't mean the desired effect isn't still there however, and some of the most shocking deaths in television history have been ones that audiences up and down the land could, and probably should, have seen coming from a mile away. Here's our take on 12 of the world's most gut-wrenching deaths that you knew were on their way.

The son of main hero Rick, Carl Grimes was an ever-present in the Walking Dead, having appeared in the show from its debut in 2010 all the way to the midway point of the eighth season.

Having reunited with his dad, Carl grows from an innocent young boy into a callous and rebellious figure within the group. This transformation is a result of the exposure to the brutal world around him, and Carl frequently clashes with his dad over his role in the group.

However, Carl soon matures and becomes one of the biggest symbols of hope for the future in the group as the series goes on. He is frequently the important voice of empathy and compassion against Rick's lack of morality, though it is that kindness that ends up in Carl being bitten.

In a big divergence from the original comic books, it was announced in late 2017 that Chandler Riggs had been let go from the show and that his character would be leaving. He was bitten by a Walker after helping out a local man and spends a couple of episodes hiding the injury from those closest to him, whilst the audience knew that his days were truly numbered.

Despite knowing he was leaving the show, and seeing him with a bite for a good number of episodes, Carl's death was one of the saddest moments in The Walking Dead's history, which really is saying something.