15 Saddest TV Show Moments Of All Time

Like quite a few shows that make their way onto this list, Angel is no stranger to devastating its viewers. Though the deaths of Doyle, Darla, Cordelia, Wesley and Lilah were all seriously upsetting, none of them hold a candle to the sudden, torturous end of Fred Burkle.

In the world of Angel, Fred was a shining light of innocence and virtue, and one of the show's most dependable characters. After she is infected by a strange sarcophagus and begins to slowly deteriorate, the gang realise she's running out of time and they have to act. As Angel and Spike travel to England to search for answers, and Gunn finds a traitor in their midst, Wesley stays by Fred's side until she slips away.

The episode ends with Fred's body being taken over by the ancient demon Illyria, and this rebirth drives home the fact that Fred really is gone.

Since she and Wesley had just properly got together, and since the fateful episode comes far from the season's end, Fred's death is one of the most horrifying moments of the entire show.

Spending the whole episode waiting for Angel, Spike or Wesley to come up with a sudden remedy, the final moments end up hitting like a hammer, leaving you staring at the screen blankly until long after the credits have finished rolling.