There has been no shortage of untimely or unbelievable character exits or finales on television over the years. Whether it be character departures or the end of a show entirely, there are some characters who face an on-screen injustice. This could be due to an actor needing to make a hasty departure from the show, or perhaps just writers being unsure of how to end their journey, or maybe they need a hook to shock viewers and leave the show feeling memorable.
Characters featured on this list deserved better endings than they were afforded, as their departure from the screen left fans feeling deflated, upset, or even angry in some cases. There is no surprise that many of these characters were killed off from their TV shows too.
Warning: major spoilers ahead!
10 Raj Koothrappali - The Big Bang Theory
Raj was a beloved character of the original Big Bang Theory quartet, mostly due to his inability to speak to women adding valuable comedy to the show. Showrunners made some effort over the show's twelve seasons to give him, along with his co-stars, a large character arc. However, his ending in the show's finale in 2019 proved very divisive.
His storylines throughout the show were often those of a supporting character, despite being one of the main characters, and whenever it looked as though he was progressing, his character development would come to a standstill. While the other six characters end up married and successful, Raj is the only remaining character left single with nothing really going on in his life. Despite the cast and crew defending his ending, it is safe to say that it left fans feeling deflated.
9 Jenny Schecter - The L Word
Jenny was one of the most complex, complicated, and chaotic characters as part of the original L Word show. She was the audience's way into the LA lesbian subculture, as the viewer experiences everything new alongside her. Her aspiration to be a writer made the character creative and, at times, deeply metaphorical and isolated. Across the six original seasons, she became more unlikeable and questionably mean, thus ruining the charm of her original character.
A huge cliffhanger in the final season of the original show, which left fans confused, was when her death was revealed at the start of the final season. Other characters are consistently questioned by police throughout as if the show had become a murder mystery. However, it was never properly addressed until the revival of the show, The L Word: Generation Q. So-described by show creator Ilene Chaiken as a metaphor for the show's end, she did later express regret for killing Jenny off.
8 Matthew Crawley - Downton Abbey
Fans of the English period drama were stunned after a shocking season three finale, which sees Matthew, heir to the estate, killed in an out-of-nowhere car accident immediately after the birth of his first child. With another significant character death occurring earlier in the season, it was baffling as to how a show could produce so much heartache.
Matthew was a character who came into surprise fortune and survived a brutal war. Killing him off at the peak of his happiness felt cruel to viewers who were excited to see him and his wife, Lady Mary, enter the next chapter of their lives together after so much previous heartache.
7 Tara Maclay - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Tara suddenly being killed by a stray bullet was heartbreaking, not least because it ultimately caused the later downfall of her grief-stricken girlfriend, Willow. The decision to kill her off from the show fit into the increasingly dark themes of Buffy and proved to be very controversial, upsetting many fans.
The loss of Willow and Tara's relationship was monumental, mostly in part due to its significance for the LGBTQ+ community. It felt too random and, therefore, pointless. She ultimately deserved a more fleshed-out character exit which could have included an arguably more thoughtful departure from the show.
6 Andy Bernard - The Office
Why do they turn Andy from this funny guy into a horrible person after Michael leaves? That was the question on everybody's minds at the time, as the last two seasons of The Office see the very likable Andrew Bernard become regional manager and wreak absolute havoc on his working relationships.
From starting off as obnoxious to becoming more kind-hearted, fans who were excited to see a budding romance with Erin were quick to reject the relationship when Andy's character arc suddenly took an abrupt U-turn. Whilst these unbearable changes in his character were primarily due to Ed Helms getting cast in The Hangover, it does seem a shame that his character was so defaced.
5 Haley Dunphy - Modern Family
Despite her happiness by Modern Family's end in 2020, it does feel as though Haley goes backward regarding character development. In comparison to other cast members, she is given a disappointing ending which sees her and childhood sweetheart Dylan move into Uncle Mitch and Cam's old apartment with their twins.
Although a heartwarming finale, it seems a shame to see her solely focused on parenting them and not having another ambition or event in her life. After her journey in earlier seasons, where she gets expelled from college and seeks to build a career in fashion, it would have been nice to see Haley excel in personal ventures as well as motherhood.
4 Dani - The Haunting of Bly Manor
Dani was an incredibly well-written protagonist from beginning to end, with fantastic character growth. From first arriving at Bly Manor to confronting her demons one by one until eventually confronting those that haunt the large foreboding country house, she was equally likable and powerful.
Her untimely and heart-wrenching death at the end of the miniseries devastated fans, although the ending perhaps provided some comfort that she was still watching over those that lived at Bly. Despite this being a self-contained series, it is a shame that her and Jamie's story cannot continue happily on screen.
3 Lane Kim - Gilmore Girls
Much like Haley in Modern Family, Lane is not even permitted to thrive in the hit 2000s comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls. Frustratingly for fans, whilst Lane spends the entire show itching to be free from her mother's clutches and defying stereotypes of Asian female characters, she is then forced into marriage and motherhood by the writers during the final season.
Lane's character was exciting when Gilmore Girls first aired, as she was a carefree teenager who loved playing the drums and listening to alternative music. To see her wanting to always leave Stars Hollow, to never being able to leave, feels like a slap in the face to fans. Arguably, it is as though Rory is the only female character that is permitted to succeed professionally.
2 Eddie Munson - Stranger Things
One of the most heartbreaking moments of Stranger Things Season Four sees the new and iconic character Eddie Munson killed off as he sacrifices himself. After his redemption arc across the season, fans were understandably disappointed that his character journey was not going to continue.
Eddie's on-screen chemistry with another new character Chrissy proved to be very well received by audiences, who were then upset that they were both brought in late to the show, only to be killed off so soon. If showrunners had known how popular Eddie was going to be, would they have killed him off?
1 Villanelle - Killing Eve
One of the most divisive and devastating endings to a show in recent times, the 2022 finale of Killing Eve saw one of its lead characters, Villanelle, murdered in the final thirty seconds of the show - thus concluding the show entirely with little explanation. It left viewers gasping at the screen in disbelief, with confusion over protagonist Eve's existence too.
This unexpected and traumatic ending to a show caused outrage among fans of the show, as Eve and Villanelle are permitted to be happy, only to have it cruelly ripped away. Some even stated that this character finale was poor LGBTQ+ representation and slipped into the #BuryYourGays stereotype that sees queer characters dying on screen. Villanelle and the audience ultimately deserved better.