Being a main character in a movie or TV show guarantees that you won’t face any danger to your life that would jeopardize the plot, according to an unwritten industry rule. As a result, many viewers have a firm belief that their protagonists won’t die until the end of the show or movie.
However, this is not the case for many television programs produced today. Since major heroes can easily be killed like any supporting character in current television, there is no longer any guarantee of their safety. Ranging from shows known for their ongoing kills of main characters to those that drag their heroes through hell and back, there are several shows that decide to kill off their main character for narrative renewal or plot device.
‘Game of Thrones’
game of thrones is a fantasy drama television series adapted from George RR Martinthe fantasy novel series of, A song of ice and fire. Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the show boasts a large ensemble cast and follows numerous plot arcs throughout the program.
It’s no surprise that many main characters have died, even those considered essential, considering game of thrones is violent and has a large ensemble cast. by Ned Stark (Sean Bean) death, at the end of Season 1 was the first significant death that genuinely shocked viewers, giving the show a reputation for being erratic and intolerable. Throughout the series, countless other protagonists experience the same conclusion as Ned Stark.
“Teen Wolf”
Partially based on the 1985 film of the same name, Teen Wolf follows Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), a teenager bitten by a werewolf. Scott must then balance his chaotic existence, learn to master his newfound abilities, avoid being killed by the alpha that bit him, and defend those he loves.
One of the show’s main characters and Scott’s love interest was Allison Argent (reed crystal). However, she sadly died from a stab wound at the end of the third season. Despite Reed’s importance to the narrative, the show continued for three more seasons.
“Unsuitable”
misfits centers on a group of young delinquents assigned to a community service program who find themselves with supernatural abilities following a strange electrical storm. They soon discover that they are not the only ones given a superpower and find themselves in more danger than when they started.
Nathan (Robert Sheehanlisten)) was the first person in the group to die, but later came back to life and found he was immortal. In addition, the last founding member of the quartet, Curtis (Nathan Stewart Jarrett), commits suicide in the fourth season. So an all-new cast of young misfits with a different set of superpowers finally took the place of the originals.
“The Vampire Diary”
Based on LJ Smiththe series of books of the same name, The Vampire Diaries takes place in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, which has a long history of paranormal activity. The show follows Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenager who lost both parents in a car accident as she develops feelings for 162-year-old vampire Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) then his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder).
To save her best friend Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham), Elena is put into a coma magically induced by Kai Parker (Chris Wood) at the end of Season 6. She is removed from the story in the upcoming season, though she is still alive so the Salvatore brothers can take center stage.
‘The CO’
CO follows Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), a talented but troubled young man from a broken home who is adopted by a wealthy and charitable couple. He then meets their crafty son Seth (Adam Brody), and the two quickly become close friends. Ryan also develops feelings for Marissa (Micha Barton), the beautiful but suffering girl who lives next door.
After graduating from high school, Marissa dies in a car accident on her way to the airport with her boyfriend Ryan. Ryan, fortunately, survives the accident, which marked him and the public. Without Marissa, CO ran one more season before being cancelled.
‘Charm’
Charm follows a group of three sisters known as The Charmed Ones who are the most powerful good witches of all time and use their power to protect the helpless from evil entities like demons and wizards. Each sister has special magical abilities as they try to live a normal life in San Francisco.
When the actress Shannen Doherty decided to leave the series, her character Prue perished after being attacked by a demon who threw her through a wall in the last episode of season 3. The series continues for 5 more seasons when Rose McGowan entered the series as the sisters’ half-sister, Paige, replacing Prue in the trio.
‘Thread’
Each season of Thread, set and occurring in Baltimore, Maryland, introduces a new city institution and how it relates to law enforcement while retaining the characters and advancing the plot. The program focuses on law enforcement, politicians, illicit drug distribution, the media, and the education system.
The main character, drug dealer D’Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) is forced to pay for his misdeeds after he begins to search for a life outside the underworld. He receives a prison sentence and is murdered by strangulation in season 2 of the series.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
Based on the 1992 film of the same name by Joss Wheldon, buffy the vampire slayer follows Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the newest in a long line of maidens dubbed “Vampire Slayers” or simply “Slayers.” These people are the ones chosen by fate to fight against vampires, demons and other terrible forces.
More than anyone else, the show’s titular protagonist dies twice in the show’s seven seasons. The first is in the hands of the Master in the season 1 finale and again in the 100th episode in which she sacrifices herself to save her sister, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). Later, at the start of the following season, Buffy is resurrected from the dead.
‘Hero’
Hero tell the stories of ordinary individuals who learn they possess superhuman talents and how those skills affect their lives as they cooperate to avoid disastrous outcomes.
A handful of significant characters are “dead” in the series but not in the conventional linear timeline, thanks to fantasy storylines like alternate futures that are up for debate as to whether or not they actually die. However, notable characters who perish on Heroes are Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) with a power-absorbing ability, time traveler Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), and Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), a cheerleader with super healing powers.
“The Good Wife”
The good wife focuses on Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), the wife of the Cook County State’s Attorney, who is returning to the legal profession following her husband’s involvement in public sex scandals and political corruption.
In the early seasons of the show, Alicia has an affair with her old friend and boss, Will Gardner (Josh Charles) who also helps him land a job at his law firm and one of the series’ beloved protagonists. In Season 5, Will is fatally shot by an irate customer after a heated exchange between the ex-lovers. The unfortunate circumstances surrounding the character’s departure had repercussions that had a significant impact on the future of the series.