When you watch television, especially modern television that thrives on shocks and surprises, you need to be prepared for the fact that just because someone’s a main character, it doesn’t mean that they will have a long and healthy life. Doesn’t matter who they are, or how big a role they have. These days, a major character can be killed off in the fifth episode of the first season with barely a second thought.
We often come into a television viewing experience with preconceived notions about what types of characters will be allowed to live and which will be killed off. Of course, showrunners wouldn’t be showrunners if they didn’t have a demonstrated ability to challenge and consistently wrong-foot viewers. But even shows that are used to keeping audiences on their toes sometimes have that moment when all of a sudden it becomes clear that there is no one they won’t kill in their bloody quest for viewership.
On that note, here are 10 shocking television deaths that showed us nobody is safe.