Many of our favorite TV characters died in 2022, which made us grieve.
That’s an emotional storyline when a character dies, and there isn’t a dry eye while watching.
Some of these characters were beloved, while others finally had a chance to be a hero in death.
The TV Fanatic staff compiled a list of the saddest character deaths of 2022.
Check out the list below:
Clay on SEAL Team (Paramount+)
Clay’s fate was in the air ahead of Season 6 of the beloved military drama.
However, he beat the odds and survived the injury at the end of the previous season, sending his arc in a very different direction.
Unfortunately, his kind heart got him killed as he was shot by a security guard while trying to help a troubled veteran.
We should have known it was coming, especially after Max Thieriot launched Fire Country, one of the year’s most successful new shows.
Zeke on Manifest (Netflix)
After Zeke survived the Death Date at the end of the second season, fans thought that they would have him forever and that he and Michaela would live a happily married life together.
Zeke was able to help a lot more thanks to the empath abilities, but they started to do more harm than good, at least to him, in the fourth season.
Cal’s cancer started catching up to him, and realizing why he got his second chance, Zeke took his pain and put it on himself, later dying in Michaela’s arms.
It was an emotional and sudden death, and Michaela’s sobs made it even more heart-wrenching.
Agent Garrett Miller on The Cleaning Lady (FOX)
Out of the deaths predicted, no one expected Garrett to die in the Cleaning Lady’s Season 2 finale.
Seeing him get Robert and die saving Thony was heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, his death made sense because it changed the stakes, and he’s one of the players involved with everyone.
While he was annoying, he grew on us, and so did his and Thony’s complicated friendship. Now she has to fight her own battles without his assistance.
Eddie Munson on Stranger Things (Netflix)
This truly lovable outcast was a break-out character in Season 4. Still, his fate was written the minute we saw him show remorse over being unable to save Chrissy Cunningham (RPI Chrissy, honorable mention).
His arc was incredible, and the writers expressed regrets about killing off these two in one of the most tragic moments on the show.
At least Eddie went out with a bang. He got to be a hero. He didn’t run.
Principal Larissa Weems on Wednesday (Netflix)
Principal Weems was passionate about making Nevermore a place where Normies and Outcasts could live harmoniously and thrive. But in the end, that passion got her killed.
Larissa’s death was tragic for several reasons, not the least of which was the chance to see Gwendoline Christie looking gorgeous in head-to-toe designer outfits and perfect hair and makeup. Fans who remember the actress as Brienne of Tarth might not even recognize her here.
But most disappointing is that there was so much of Larissa’s story left to tell. How deep did her rivalry with Morticia go? How did she end up as the Principal of Nevermore? And how strong would her growing bond with Wednesday have grown if she’d lived?
Perhaps there will be a supernatural twist, and we’ll magically get her back. If not, the worst part of Principal’s Weems death will be that it’s left us with far more questions about this fascinating character than answers.
Jess LaCroix on FBI: Most Wanted (CBS)
We knew that Julian McMahon would be exiting the series, the most shocking departure in the series revolving door exits, but nothing could prepare us for his heartbreaking and senseless death.
Everything was set up perfectly for Jess to retire, travel to Bali with his girlfriend, Sarah, and relocate to be closer to his daughter, Talia. Instead, while working his last case, he was killed protecting a civilian from her abusive husband.
We still can’t think of anything sadder than the series leaving Talia, who had already lost so much, an orphan.
Liliana on Power Book IV: Force (STARZ)
When Liliana first showed up in the windy city, she and Tommy were at each other’s throats. But throughout the season, they became allies and partners, and Liliana proved her loyalty to Tommy time and time again.
In the Power Universe, NO ONE is safe, but it felt like Liliana had earned her place, and her death was very disheartening for the fans who’d grown fond of her.
She may go down in Power lore as one of Tommy’s greatest allies.
Elsa Dutton on 1883 (Paramount +)
Elsa Dutton was the light of the Dutton family as they made their way west. She was curious and accepting and defied family expectations every step of the way, winning the hearts of her co-travelers and viewers alike.
After losing her first love on the wagon trail, Elsa began staring death in the face, and it eventually caught up to her.
She was shot, her wound was infected, and she died before the Dutton family built Yellowstone as we know it today.
It was written so that she was vibrant and healthy and reunited with her Native American husband after her death, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Harlan Cooper on The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
It’s hard while innocents suffer, and by any measure, Harlan Cooper was an innocent, a child whose life was irrevocably changed by encountering the time-traveling, superpowered Umbrella Academy.
He became an adult but was still innocent, struggling to control the powers forced on him. Those powers inadvertently killed the mothers of the Umbrella Academy, creating the Grandfather Paradox and Kugelblitz.
What makes his death even more heartbreaking is Allison murdering him for creating the timeline that no longer had her daughter in it. While Allison can no longer be considered innocent, she nevertheless is a victim of circumstances that have turned her into a killer of innocents.
Anya on The Midnight Club (Netflix)
Whenever any character left The Midnight Club Season 1, it was a sad and touching farewell to their time on the show. However, the most emotionally devastating goodbye came from Anya’s death.
How could anyone hold back the tears?! Her character warmed up to Ilonka and grew to welcome the others in the group into her heart.
We all rooted for the chance that the ritual was true and Anya would be cured; however, that storyline only toyed with our emotions.
Anya’s exit hung a dark cloud over the group, leaving the outlook hopeless. No one was ready to say goodbye to her.
Ruth Langmore on Ozark ( Netflix)
Arguably, we understood that Ruth was always destined to meet a tragic end.
But it was still upsetting to see her overcome so much, beat the odds, and stand tall as virtually the last of her line only to die.
She set up a remarkable life for herself and came so close to getting out and genuinely thriving, only to succumb to a hit by a queen pin.
The worst part is that she gave in to the fact that she would die and faced it like the firecracker she was.
Max Parrish on In the Dark (The CW)
All In The Dark fans wanted Murphy and Max to live happy lives with kids and a lemon tree. But we can’t have nice things.
Instead, the series opted to kill Max off ahead of the series finale in a shocking moment where he tried to protect Murphy.
Instead of walking down a wedding aisle, Murphy, with Felix’s guidance, walked down a hospital hallway in a blood-soaked gown to say goodbye to Max one last time.
Jackie on Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Unfortunately, suburban teenager Jackie was far more popular among her peers than wilderness Jackie. Yes, it might have been necessary for someone like Jackie to die, and we knew about it early in the season.
But Jackie was a ray of light, and it was hard to see her go, and it was even harder to see her go with so little dignity.
Watching her peers turn on her was painful, but the tragedy of Shauna’s too-little-too-late heel realization that she should have been a better friend: That was especially biting.
Did we cover the characters you grieved saying goodbye to in 2022?
If not, hit the comments and tell us who we missed.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
