8 TV Heroes You Didn't Realise Probably Died Horrible Deaths

The TV shows ended, and so did their lives.

Game Of Thrones Grey Worm Finale
HBO

Ideally, all of our TV heroes would get the happy ending they deserve. They'd save the day, have the successful romantic relationship, and get to live a life with a bit of peace.

In fiction, as in reality, it's never quite that simple. A lot of the time, being a hero means you end up sacrificing your life. It's not all bad, because this can at least result in some extremely satisfying storytelling and character work: from Ned Stark in Game of Thrones, to protagonists who were more anti-heroes in the end like Walter White, there's something painful yet brave in killing off the lead of a show.

It doesn't necessarily feel 'good', but that's all part of the TV experience and what makes the medium such a powerful tool for telling stories, because it means we've invested a lot of time in a character or plot. Sometimes, though, endings for characters aren't quite so clear. Sometimes the future for the hero - or heroes - is looking a little murkier, and what may seem like a sense of closure and even an actual happy ending is instead most likely to lead to their death, and not of the 'quietly dying of old age' variety.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.