8 Main Character Deaths That Killed Great TV Shows

Yes, yes, Rick Grimes doesn't actually die in The Walking Dead, but everyone thought he did, and after his presumed demise he isn't seen again (until a cameo in the show's finale, that is).

Rick's "death" in the middle of the zombie drama's ninth season threw the show and its characters into disarray, since it no longer had a true protagonist guiding the drama, nor Rick's compelling desire to protect his family at its centre.

Try as he might, Daryl couldn't fill the void his best friend left, and the show itself failed to find an emotional centre after he was gone. It became more of an ensemble, despite the fact many of the characters still standing lacked the depth of Officer Friendly.

He may be coming back for his own spin-off, but that won't change the fact that The Walking Dead's final years were lost and unfocussed without him.