Every Time The Simpons REALLY Killed Characters

Perhaps the most shocking and downright brutal demise in the show's history, the sudden - albeit incredibly hilarious - death of Maude Flanders came as a massive shock to viewers way back in the year 2000.

During a visit to the Springfield Speedway, Maude was struck by a barrage of cannon-fired t-shirts and sent careening over the side of the grandstand, plummeting to her death. Said t-shirts were intended for Homer, who ended up bending down at the last second to retrieve a bobby pin that he found on the floor.

Maude's death sent a ripple throughout the rest of the show, most notably in how it marked a significant change for Ned as a character. He suddenly went from the goody-two-shoes neighbor to grieving single father in an instant, even going so far as to suffer a crisis of faith as a result. From there on most Ned-centric stories focused on his pursuit of romance, but to this day he still keeps a picture of his beloved Maude at his bedside.

Maude has since made several appearances in either flashback or in various Treehouse of Horror segments, but none will ever be as impactful as her hilariously tragic demise.