Every good TV series in history has someone to root for, and these heroes have often shown just how special they are by sacrificing themselves for the benefit of others. Many heroic sacrifices in TV have caused controversy among audiences, and have contributed to some of these series’ most emotional and heartfelt moments, as this pattern often involves fan-favorite characters losing their lives and being removed completely. However upsetting it might be to bid farewell to these beloved heroes, their sacrifices have created some of TV history’s most satisfying and cathartic scenes.
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Typically, it’s most satisfying to see terrifying villains, including the likes of Games of Thrones’ Joffrey Baratheon, The Walking Dead’s Shane Walsh, and Agents of SHIELD’s Grant Ward, among others, meet their demise. Many of TV’s most legendary heroes have also met this fate, however, and while these deaths have often been less well-received, it’s always a highlight to see a hero sacrifice themselves to save others. These sacrifices cement these characters as true heroes and notable additions to the medium of TV, so while it’s a shame to see them go, they won’t soon be forgotten.
12. Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Even though she was resurrected after only five months, Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5, the final season to air on The WB, ended with Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) sacrificing herself. After hell-god Glory (Clare Kramer) opened a portal to hell using Dawn’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) blood, Buffy realized the only way to close it and save her sister would be to use her own blood. Buffy lay down her life to save the world and her family, which was her most satisfying end on The WB. Buffy was resurrected on UPN, but her death is still a seminal moment.
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11. George Mason in 24
George Mason became the Director of the Counter Terrorism Unit in 24 season 2, but his time in charge was short-lived. After being exposed to a lethal dose of radiation, giving him as little as a day to live, Mason chose to sacrifice his own life to pilot a plane carrying a nuclear bomb into the Mojave Desert where it could detonate safely. Mason carried out his final act to save millions of lives, which was a hugely satisfying end, as he went from abrasive and reluctant participant in Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) mission to staunch hero.
10. Vision in WandaVision
It was curious to see Vision (Paul Bettany) return in 2021’s WandaVision despite his death in Avengers: Infinity War, but the MCU Phase 4 series soon revealed that this version of vision was a construct created by the Scarlet Witch. This meant that he was intrinsically tied to the Hex around Westview, New Jersey, so, to save everyone in Westview and stop Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) torture, Vision needed to sacrifice himself. Vision and Wanda’s goodbye sequence was incredibly emotional, contributing to one of the most poignant and heartfelt moments in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
9. Charlie Pace in Lost
Dominic Monaghan’s Charlie Pace was a core member of Lost‘s remarkable ensemble cast ever since the pilot episode, which made his death in the season 4 finale, “Through the Looking Glass,” a huge shock to fans. Charlie’s final message to Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), “Not Penny’s Boat,” warned the other survivors about the apparent rescue mission. Charlie sacrificed himself to save every other survivor of Flight 815, including romantic partner, Claire (Emilie de Ravin), and best friend, Hugo (Jorge Garcia), and his demise was a transformative moment for the legendary ABC series.
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8. Walter White in Breaking Bad
In the premiere of Breaking Bad, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) was told he had two years to live, and it was always assumed he’d lose his battle with cancer. Exactly two years later, Walter White took a bullet while saving Jesse (Aaron Paul) from Jack’s (Michael Bowen) white supremacist group. His final act is to save someone who became family to him over the course of Breaking Bad‘s five-season run, and it was perhaps the perfect ending for Walter White to have him die in a meth lab. White’s death will always be one of TV’s most satisfying sacrifices.
7. Michael Dawson in Lost
While Charlie’s sacrifice in Lost was one of the series’ most emotional sacrifices, Michael Dawson’s (Harold Perrineau) death was one of the most cathartic. Michael Dawson left the Island with his son, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), at the end of season 2 after killing Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez) and Libby (Cynthia Watros). He surprisingly returned in season 4 to infiltrate the freighter searching for the island, and he eventually sacrifices himself to delay the freighter’s bomb detonation as long as possible, allowing the Oceanic Six to get away. This sacrifice marked a satisfying redemption for Michael from his earlier mistakes.
6. Paz Vizsla in The Mandalorian
While Paz Vizsla originally clashes with Din Djarin’s Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), the pair eventually fight for the same cause, taking on a remnant of the Galactic Empire. Vizsla returned in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian season 3, and he met his demise in the latter as he sacrificed himself to allow his friends time to escape from Moff Gideon’s (Giancarlo Esposito) forces. As an act of honor, integrity, and loyalty, Vizsla’s sacrifice adhered to the Mandalorian code, laying down his life for the greatest purpose in the Star Wars franchise – to fight the Galactic Empire.
5. Agatha Harkness in Agatha All Along
After her successful debut back in 2021, it was fantastic to see Kathryn Hahn return as Agatha Harkness in 2024’s Agatha All Along, especially since the series transformed her villainous Salem witch into something of a reluctant hero. This was bookended by Agatha sacrificing herself to Death (Aubrey Plaza) to allow Billy Maximoff’s Wiccan (Joe Locke) to survive. What made this sacrifice even more satisfying was the fact that it’s not final, as Agatha returned as a ghost, setting her up for some exciting new stories in the MCU’s future.
4. Hodor in Game of Thrones
Introduced as the simpleminded servant of House Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones, season 6 explored Hodor’s (Kristian Nairn) origin simultaneously to his heroic death. In order for visionary Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Meera (Ellie Kendrick) to escape from the White Walkers at the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven, Hodor holds open the exit and is killed by the White Walkers. Stark inadvertently wargs into Hodor’s younger self, however, causing him to experience trauma over seeing his future death. This caused the mincing of the words, “hold the door,” into Hodor, and the deterioration of his mental capacity.
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3. Etta Bishop in Fringe
When cornered by the villainous Captain Windmark (Michael Kopsa) in Fringe‘s fifth and final season, Etta Bishop (Georgina Haig) allowed him to read her memories of the original invasion in 2015, teaching him about the importance of love. This doesn’t stop him shooting her in the chest, however, which would ultimately kill her. In her final act, she arms an anti-matter bomb, sacrificing herself while taking out Observers, saving her family and protect the Bullet that Saved the World. Etta Bishop’s death spurred her family to keep fighting in Fringe’s final episodes, so her legacy was just as important.
2. The 10th Doctor in Doctor Who
Practically every incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who has sacrificed themselves to protect others, namely their companions. It was David Tennant’s original Doctor who had the most emotional and perfect ending, however, as he chose to expose himself to a lethal dose of radiation to spare the life of Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins). The lead-up to the 10th Doctor’s regeneration saw him go on a farewell tour to visit his beloved companions, making this one of Doctor Who‘s most emotional, beautiful, and heartfelt sequences ever, heightened by the Doctor’s ever-present willingness to do anything to save his friends.
1. Rick Grimes In The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln was revealed to be leaving The Walking Dead before season 9 began airing, so the season’s early episodes kept us guessing continuously. In episode 5, Rick was impaled by a metal rod and cornered by a hoard of walkers, but he managed to lead the dead to the bridge they’d been building, that Grimes blew up to protect his family. This symbolic gesture was the perfect ending for Rick Grimes.
Well, at least until it wasn’t, and it was revealed he was returning to reunite with Michonne (Danai Gurira) to save the world again, and even return home, in The Ones Who Live. Impressively, the continuation of his story still allowed for his sacrifice to leave a mark.
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