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!!As a DeathTrope, contains many spoilers. Tread with care.

Times where AnyoneCanDie in LiveActionTV series.
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* ''Series/TwentyFour'' established its Anyone Can Die cred early in the first season by killing off Kim Bauer's innocent friend Janet York early in the first season, then in a ''big'' way by killing off Teri Bauer in the first season finale. By the end of Season 6, only Jack and Tony are still alive out of the Season 1 agents. And even then, the two of them were both technically dead at different points in the series.
** Jack's "end justifies the means" approach also ties in with this trope, as just because someone is Jack's ally, that doesn't mean Jack won't kill that person in order to complete his mission.
** Even civilians aren't safe. The only major civilian character to survive and still contribute to the storyline is Kim, on the virtue of being Jack's daughter and a major source for the writers to make [[PapaWolf him]] express angst.
* ''Series/The100'': The series has killed off several supporting/minor characters and at least one main character per season. It also isn't shy about high body counts, even for children. The end of the third episode killed of Wells, who up till that point had been framed as a main character; and in the following episode the little girl who killed him died, the youngest member of the cast, to emphasize the point that anyone could die. Even the final season -- in which you might expect all of the main characters who had lasted this long to make it to the end -- unexpectedly killed off Bellamy halfway through the season.
* ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'': The majority of the victims are criminals, {{Jerkass}}es, [[TooDumbToLive dumbasses]], sexual deviants, substance abusers, and similar kinds of losers, but some of them are good people who happened to be inattentive or just flat-out unlucky.
* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'': Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk seem to enjoy this trope almost as much as Joss Whedon.
** The ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryMurderHouse Murder House]]'' season isn't too bad, in large part because a majority of the cast was DeadAllAlong. Regardless, the season still ends up killing off all three members of the Harmon family, and many recurring characters like Hayden. It's probably not a coincidence that in total avoidance of horror movie cliches, two of the few survivors are the family dog and the black guy.
** The ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryAsylum Asylum]]'' season changes "Anyone Can Die" to "Almost Everyone Will Die". In the end, Lana and Kit are the only characters who survive, the latter of whom [[AlienAbduction got abducted by aliens]].
** And then there's the ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven Coven]]'' season, which is LighterAndSofter than ''Asylum'', but still holds a staggering body count. Only four named characters live to the end. Which is surprising, considering that the season finale alone killed off ''four main characters''. It's also worth noting that ''Coven'' is the first season in which actual resurrection from the dead is possible, and thus [[DeathIsCheap Death Is Cheaper]] than usual. Hell, the ''pilot'' kills off a main cast member, as does the third episode, but both are revived several episodes later. [[spoiler:Surprisingly, the ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryApocalypse Apocalypse]]'' season managed to bring back Madison, Myrtle, Misty Day, ''and'' Queenie (who died in ''Hotel''), largely thanks to Michael Langdon]].
** The ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryFreakShow Freak Show]]'' season, at first, didn't touch many main or recurring characters. But the further along the season progressed, the more bodies began to fall. By the finale, nearly everyone still alive is mercilessly killed by Dandy, leaving only four main characters and a few minor or recurring characters alive when the season finishes.
** The ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryHotel Hotel]]'' season also has an extensive body count. Like the ''Murder House'' season, some characters, like James Patrick March, were dead to begin with. But by the time the season ends, only three main characters are still standing, and virtually ''every'' supporting or minor character (except for Lachlan, Scarlett, and Holden) has been killed. This season also went out of its way to kill Queenie, thus dropping ''Coven'''s list of survivors to ''three'' instead of four. [[spoiler:This is later undone in ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryApocalypse Apocalypse]]'']].
** And now we have the ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryRoanoke Roanoke]]'' season. Despite the season being a ShowWithinAShow, it ''still'' managed to kill off ''everyone'' except both the reenactment/real Flora and William Van Henderson, all of whom were minor characters already.
** Unsurprisingly, the ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCult Cult]]'' season is as bad as the aforementioned six. From episode 6 onwards, at least one major character was killed per episode. When the season is over, the only characters left standing are Ally, Beverly, and Oz.
** Paying homage to various 80s slasher films, ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStory1984 1984]]'' keeps the viewers guessing if ''anyone'' will live to the end by abruptly and viciously thinning the cast from the third episode onwards. [[spoiler:Every major character ends up dead except for Brooke and Donna]].
** ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryDoubleFeature Double Feature]]'' has two entirely separate storylines and ''both of them'' have a DownerEnding where almost everyone is killed off.
*** ''Red Tide'': By the final episode, everyone is dead except for Ursula, the Chemist, Alma, Lark, and Eli. Since this storyline ends with Los Angeles being overrun with the Pale Ones, it's entirely possible that some of these characters died off-screen or perished sometime after the credits rolled.
*** ''Death Valley'': Everyone dies except Calico, Valiant Thor, and Theta. And since Theta and Thor plan on exterminating the human race, this is arguably the first time in the show's history that has a full-on EveryoneDiesEnding.
** ''[[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryNYC NYC]]'' keeps most of its main cast alive for most of the season, up until it's revealed in the last couple episodes that many of the characters are SecretlyDying from HIV/AIDS. The only characters left standing by the end are Adam, Fran, Henry, and Kathy. Even then, Fran and Henry likely died off-screen during the multiple time skips in the season finale, and Adam is very likely going to die soon given that it's confirmed he also has HIV.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': The show that killed one of the original three main characters (Doyle) in the ''ninth episode'' and then three of five main characters in the fifth season: Fred, Cordelia, and Wesley. Not to mention said last episode ended with four main characters, one of whom (Charles Gunn) was [[CruelAndUnusualDeath quickly bleeding to death]], [[BolivianArmyEnding charging into battle against a huge army of darkness]], with the very strong impression that no one would survive. And that's not even getting into ''After The Fall'' (which had almost everyone before the ResetButton). Let's just put it this way: the life expectancy of a character in any show created by Joss Whedon is rather lower than the average.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' tends to do this -- one watched each episode wondering who was going to "get it" this year, although in this case it's all part of the MythArc and less of a shock effect. Of note, some characters like Jeffrey Sinclair are unexpectedly written off (cases of RealLifeWritesThePlot) without being killed, and sometimes return.
** Lt. Keffer was created and introduced specifically for the purpose of being later killed off in order to let the main characters know about the existence of the BigBad, after being pressured into including the character by ExecutiveMeddling from Creator/WarnerBros, at least according to the DVD commentaries. The actor playing the part wasn't even told his character was dead until later.
** And the first season episode "Believers" hammered it home: an alien child will die without surgery, but according to his parents' religious beliefs, cutting his chest cavity will cause his soul to disappear and leave him a soulless abomination. Dr. Franklin goes against their wishes and performs the operation. The parents then kill the 'soulless' child.
** Not only do they kill off main characters, they do it with style. Bester, in one episode, implies not only that Talia Winters is dead, but that she was actually dissected for research, though it's just as likely he was trying to get a rise out of the others. Furthermore, Marcus Cole [[HeroicSacrifice dies to save Ivanova]] without telling how he feels about her. Then there's G'Kar and Londo killing each other in a flash-forward.
** The character of Carolyn Sykes/Catherine Sakai/Anna Sheridan survives numerous rewrites, re-assignments of role, and even posession by the Machine, to be exploded by John Sheridan. With two nuclear weapons. And Mr. Morden, a few yards further from ground zero, survives.
* ''Series/BandOfBrothers'': This is pretty much a documentary with actors instead of "plain old television," but it's a case where reality beats the holy snot out of this one. Granted, it's war, and in war anyone can (and does) die, but it's still rather jarring to spend hours getting to know characters only to have them disintegrated by a direct hit from an artillery shell, have a leg blown entirely off while trying to help a squad mate, or finally find the Luger they've spent the entire series hoping to find, only to have it go off shortly after finally getting it and having the bullet hit the femoral artery and have the man bleed to death while being held by his buddies.
* ''Series/{{Banshee}}'':
** Established in 3x03, "A Fixer of Sorts," with [[spoiler:Nola Longshadow]]. Fortunately, they go out like a badass.
** [[spoiler:Siobhan Kelly follows her only a few episodes later]].
** Arguably established before that with the death of [[spoiler:the series' main villain up till that point, Mr. Rabbitt, who up until that point looked to be in for the long haul]].
** Brutally hammered home with the death of [[spoiler:Emmett, who had just got out of Banshee with his wife and was ready to start anew, but was gunned down by neo-Nazis on his way out of town]].
** In the Season 3 finale, [[spoiler:Gordon Hopewell dies from a gunshot wound he sustained helping Hood rescue Carrie from Camp Genoa]].
** [[spoiler:Rebecca]] is murdered right before Season 4 starts.
** Even [[spoiler:Hood's ugly-ass pick-up truck]] gets blown up in the Season 3 finale.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' is notorious for this. Although some characters can come back if they are Cylons, most other characters have permanent deaths, and it happens frequently. Even a RedShirt death tends to matter, since background characters are recurring.
* ''Series/BeingHumanUK'' has a ''very'' high body count. By the end of the fourth series, all four of the original main characters have been killed off, leaving the fifth series to focus on a whole new vampire-werewolf-ghost trio.
* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'': Each series was set in a different era. The final episodes of each era were ones in which indeed, AnyoneCanDie.
* ''Series/BlakesSeven'': An early example, which killed off approximately one major character per season, including the title character (Though he later turned out to be NotQuiteDead after all). The title character ended up dying in [[BackForTheDead the same episode he returned in]], and was as a matter of fact the only confirmed fatality in what was otherwise a BolivianArmyEnding.
* ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'': At least one significant character dies in each of the final three episodes of the second season: first Angela Darmody, then The Commodore, and finally (and most shockingly) {{Deuteragonist}} Jimmy Darmody. (A somewhat less important character, Boss Neary, also dies in the season finale.) Continues into Season 3 with the deaths of Manny Horwitz, Billie Kent, Owen Slater and Gyp Rosetti and Season 4 with the deaths of [[spoiler:Eddie Kessler and Richard Harrow, arguably the show's most popular character.]] [[spoiler: Arnold Rothstein]] also dies in the seven year TimeSkip between Seasons 4 and 5.
** In Season 5: [[spoiler: Nelson Van Alden, Chalky White, Mickey Doyle, Dr. Narcisse, and Nucky himself. (Well, it was the final season.)]]
* ''Series/BreakingBad'': At first the show started out by killing only a few [[MauveShirt Mauve Shirts]] or criminals [[AssholeVictim who clearly had it coming]], but as the series progressed, more and more supporting characters (like Combo and Jane) started to die to remind the audience just how dangerous drug dealing, meth cooking, etc. really is. By Season 5, the situation has become so out of control that ''all'' of the main characters lost their PlotArmor, and a few of them wound up getting killed. [[spoiler: Including the VillainProtagonist ''and'' the HeroAntagonist, although the former's death was a ForegoneConclusion thanks to the setting of the series.]]
* ''Series/BurnNotice'': Many of Michael's potential allies are killed off [[spoiler: such as Victor, Diego, and Max]]. A lot of the bad guys related to the MythArc, whether they directly affect it or not, tend to not last long either [[spoiler: such as Gilroy and Brennan]]. Far straighter examples of this are [[spoiler: Nate Westen dying in the Season 6 summer finale]] and [[spoiler: Madeline Westen's DyingMomentOfAwesome in the series finale]].
* ''Series/{{Caprica}}'': Probably the ultimate example of this trope comes in the prequel series to ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. ''Galactica'', of course, starred Admiral Bill Adama, son of Joseph Adama, so when ''Caprica'' introduced us to Joseph Adama and his young son William, certain assumptions of ContractualImmortality were made. Then the penultimate episode killed off William. Joseph names his next son after the dead one.
* ''Series/{{Casualty}}'' and its spinoff ''Series/HolbyCity'': both shows have a significant amount of major characters bite the dust when they aren't being PutOnABus. And given their longevity, they both make ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' (see below) look tame by comparison.
* ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'': The show downplays it, since resurrection is possible and there are loopholes if a character is OnlyMostlyDead, so while the Halliwell sisters can and ''do'' die multiple times throughout the series, whether they stay dead is another matter. But Prue was shockingly KilledOffForReal at the end of Season 3, since [[ActorLeavesCharacterDies her actress wanted to leave]], and never appeared on the show again. Even outside of that, of the other series regulars in the supporting cast, three exited the show by being killed off and were not revived. Innocents and recurring characters are equally as likely to die as they are to survive.
* ''Series/ChicagoPD'': One of the main cast of detectives in the Intelligence Unit is killed off in the first episode.
* ''Series/ChoujuuSentaiLiveman'': If you're a non-human, one shot character, you WILL die, no matter how much character development you get. Then there are the villains, who the Liveman are actively trying to save. Only Goh/Dr. Obular lives. The rest all die. And a majority of them are even a case of RedemptionEqualsDeath.
* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': The third season seems to want to establish this early on: at the very beginning of the season the show breaks one of it's unwritten rules by having an enemy agent kill a recurring Buy More employee, Emmit.
** You can also add Bryce Larkin (who died at the second season's end) and possibly Stephen Bartowski (who got killed in the Season 3 finale). On the villains' side, SmugSnake CIA representative Decker bit the bullet half-way through the fifth season.
* ''Series/ControlZ'': [[spoiler:Luis]] and [[spoiler:Susana]], two of the show's main characters, were killed off in Season 1 and Season 2 respectively. Also [[spoiler:Maria]] in season three.
* ''Series/CoronationStreet'': Nobody is really safe in this long-running British soap. There have been countless deaths in the series, even from decade-spanning characters.
* ''Series/{{Cranford}}'': Truly anyone can die. Prominent characters, secondary characters, young people, old people, children, pet animals. The causes of death are varied, too: long illness, sudden stroke, infection, accident, childbirth... you name it, you got it. No one is safe on this show, ever.
* ''Series/CrossingLines'': In Pilot Part 2 [[spoiler: Sienna of of the cops is killed, just after the kidnapped Anne-Marie is saved because she disrupts the serial killer's ritual]].
* ''{{Series/Damages}}'': This is combined with [[PutOnABus Anybody Can Go To Jail]] thanks to RevolvingDoorCasting as the result of most of its supporting cast being made up of film actors. The first season alone has two SacrificialLions and by the end of the third season only two of the show's original cast members aren't dead or in prison. This is to say nothing of the high mortality rate of recurring characters. With the exception of Patty's son and ex husband it would seem that as soon as you sign a deal to guest star on the show chances are you'll be looking for work again once shooting is over.
* ''Film/TheDayAfter'': This iconic 1980s made-for-TV movie about a nuclear attack on the US spends half its running time establishing a number of major characters, many of whom are subsequently killed off midway through the movie during the attack.
* ''Series/DeadSet'': [[EverybodyDiesEnding Every single character is either dead or undead by the end of the series]].
* ''{{Series/Deadwood}}'': Kills Wild Bill Hickok early in the first season, establishing that anyone can die. Although his death is a matter of historical fact, he still fulfills the purpose of this trope.
** And they make good on this promise when Ellsworth is killed.
* ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'' is racking up a surprisingly high body count given that HighSchool in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} isn't exactly Westeros.
* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'': Played very, ''very'' cruelly in Season 4. Poor Rita and Lundy.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': It's rare to get an episode where EveryoneLives. The Doctor himself has died [[TheNthDoctor several times]].
** Main characters still appear to have PlotImmunity, as the Doctor simply regenerates when killed, and several main or popular characters have died and been resurrected, and rarely are the Doctor's companions touched at all.
*** However, this is quite different in the [[Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]], which has become notorious for killing off supporting characters. "Lucie Miller/To the Death", the GrandFinale of the New Eighth Doctor Adventures from ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', has the Doctor's former companion Tamsin, great-grandson Alex Campbell, and the Doctor's primary companion for the series, Lucie Miller, die.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E11TurnLeft "Turn Left"]] is set in a {{Crapsack|World}} alternate timeline. Over the course of the episode, ''every'' main character of the new series up to that point except for Rose and [[ResurrectiveImmortality Captain Jack]] -- including the Doctor -- ends up dying. The Doctor's death, as the result of him never meeting Donna, is actually what kicks off the events of the alternate timeline, and various other characters, including the main casts of spinoffs ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' and ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'', die stopping crises that the Doctor dealt with in the main timeline (the immortal Jack Harkness instead ends up a prisoner of the Sontarans). Even Donna has to die to restore the correct timeline.
* ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'': By the end, Boyd (who is actually the BigBad), Topher (HeroicSacrifice), Paul (shot moments before reaching safety in the finale, although his memories get uploaded to Echo), Mellies (shoots herself when programmed to kill Paul), and Bennett (shot in the head by Saunders) are dead.
* ''Series/EarthFinalConflict'': This show was infamous for taking this to ridiculous extremes. Only one character (a villain) is a regular in all five seasons and most characters die or otherwise get removed from the main cast.
** In fact, one episode was completely devoted to an episode-long demise of a minor character which only featured in ''four'' episodes. Though the character was instrumental for the plot as she was one of the three parents of a character which lasted three whole seasons.
** Given that the series by Season 5 became itself InNameOnly, this could be an example of Administrivia/TropesAreTools.
* ''Series/{{ER}}'': The very very very long running drama has featured deaths of multiple main characters. However, as the cast is forever large and rearrangable, with plots being recycled all over, this is perhaps not so difficult as for a show with a smaller established cast.
** Of the 26 characters in the main cast (defined by being credited in the opening titles), five of them were killed off. Additionally, several other secondary (but still regularly appearing and important) characters that had connections to the main characters were killed off too.
* ''Series/FallingSkies'': Downplayed. Although the main cast is (relatively) safe, an incredible amount of minor, supporting, and major cast members have bought it. The show most recently killed off Karen in an anti-climatic fashion, who had been built up across three seasons as the BigBad and was gunned down without warning by Tom and Maggie in the Season 3 finale. It will most likely not get better in Season 4.
** It hasn't. Season 4 kills off two main cast members and several recurring ones.
* ''Series/{{Fame}}'': The series version had an episode during its final season (airing in early 1987). That episode ("Go Softly Into Morning") saw [[EnsembleDarkhorse Nicole Chapman]] and Danny Amatullo miss a rehearsal; with it being revealed that the two (along with another drunk student) were involved in an accident, resulting in Nicole being killed and Danny badly injured.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' was not shy about killing off main characters, whether it was a case of DeathIsCheap or KilledOffForReal. This was especially true in Season 3, which saw [[spoiler:Zhaan]], [[spoiler:Talyn!Crichton]], [[spoiler:Crais]], and [[spoiler:Talyn]] get KilledOffForReal. ''The Peacekeeper Wars'' also saw the death of [[spoiler:Jool]] and [[spoiler:D'Argo]]. Several recurring characters also died over the course of the series, including [[spoiler:Jack the Ancient]] and [[spoiler:Durka]].
* ''Series/TheFollowing'': Being a show centered around [[SerialKiller Serial Killers]], this trope was bound to occur. By the time the series ends, almost every main character ''from all three seasons'' who isn't Ryan Hardy (or someone close to him) has been killed. Not to mention the sheer amount of recurring characters who end up biting it...
* ''Series/AFrenchVillage'': Several major characters are killed by the end of the series, along with numerous minor ones.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is rather [[FountainOfMemes infamous for this]], to the point that fans often start squeaky-bum-time-dreading certain straightforward leitmotifs (''[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Rains of Castamere]]'' = terriawesome), forget merely dark reprises of dark reprises (''Chaos is a Ladder'' and kin). Of the 44 actors given main cast billing, 30 have had their characters killed off.[[note]]29 if resurrected characters don't count.[[/note]]
** Robert Baratheon's death in the show's seventh episode starts the game of thrones.
** The series follows the books it's based on very closely, and books tend to follow this trope more often than even standardly gritty live-action series. This is shown prominently at the end of the first season, when TheHeroDies: the ''main character'', the one played by (at the time) [[Creator/SeanBean the biggest-name actor]] in the cast, the one given top billing, the one the show has ''gone out of its way'' to position as the hero... gets shorter by a head. Network Executives were apparently hesitant about killing off the main character of the series before the first season even ended... but changed their tune when they saw the ratings. (The episode in question has a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.)
** The Season 2 Trailer pretty much invokes this in-universe with Arya saying "Anyone can be killed". Creator/PeterDinklage even performed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1URvDyzh8uI a song]] on how he managed to survive five seasons while other major characters bit the dust earlier.
** Despite being set up as a major player in the game of thrones, Renly gets unceremoniously killed off by Melisandre's shadow son.
** And if you still weren't convinced, there's [[WhamEpisode "The Rains of Castamere"]], which most fans just call [[MeaningfulName "The Red Wedding"]]. [[spoiler:Catelyn Stark, Talisa Stark, Robb Stark, Grey Wind, and pretty much ''the entire Stark army'' dies at the end. In under ten minutes!]]
** There have been numerous other cases going into Season 4, including the killing off of a character who was expected to be the BigBad for the duration, and at least one character being killed in Season 3 as a complete surprise to everyone (since she wasn't featured in the books, anyway). As a result, this series has come to personify this trope perhaps more fully than any other on TV -- depending on what WordOfGod has in mind in the yet-to-be-published final books in the series, there is no guarantee that any particular character will make it to the end.
** Even characters who survive in the books are not safe -- there have been several cases of DeathByAdaptation.
** Season 1: Lady (Sansa's direwolf), Jory Cassel, Viserys Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, Ned Stark, Septa Mordane, Khal Drogo, Mirri Maz Duur.
** Season 2: Cressen, Rakharo, Yoren, Lommy, Renly Baratheon, Rodrik Cassel, Amory Lorch, Irri, Alton Lannister, the Spice King, Matthos Seaworth, Maester Luwin, Qhorin Halfhand, Pyat Pree, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, and Doreah.
** Season 3: Craster, Jeor Mormont, Kraznys mo Nakloz, Beric Dondarrion[[note]]He's resurrected moments later.[[/note]], Willem and Martyn Lannister, Rickard Karstark, Ros, Orell, Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Talisa Stark, and Grey Wind (Robb's direwolf).
** Season 4: Polliver, Joffrey Baratheon, Locke, Karl Tanner, Rast, Rorge, Biter, Lysa Arryn, Oberyn Martell, Pyp, Styr, Ygritte, Grenn, Jojen Reed, Shae, and Tywin Lannister.
** Season 5: Mance Rayder, Mossador, Janos Slynt, Ser Barristan Selmy, Maester Aemon, the Lord of Bones, Shireen Baratheon, Hizdahr zo Loraq, Ser Meryn Trant, Selyse Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, Myranda, Jon Snow[[note]]He's resurrected in the next season.[[/note]]. Even more extreme, the last ''six'' names on this list ''all'' died in the same episode (the season finale).
** Season 6: Areo Hotah, Doran Martell, Trystane Martell, Roose Bolton, Walda Bolton, Balon Greyjoy, Shaggydog (Rickon's direwolf), Olly, Alliser Thorne, Osha, Khal Moro, Summer (Bran's direwolf), the Children of the Forest, the Three-Eyed Raven, Hodor, Lady Crane, the Waif, Belicho Paenymion (the Volantene master), Razdal mo Eraz (the Yunkish Wise Master), Rickon Stark, Smalljon Umber, Wun Wun, Ramsay Bolton, Pycelle, Lancel Lannister, the High Sparrow, Margaery Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, Kevan Lannister, Tommen Baratheon, Lame Lothar Frey, Black Walder Rivers, Walder Frey.
** Season 7: Obara Sand, Nymeria Sand, Tyene Sand, Olenna Tyrell, Randyll Tarly, Dickon Tarly, Thoros of Myr, Viserion[[note]]He's raised as a wight shortly after.[[/note]], Benjen Stark, and Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish.
** Season 8: Eddison Tollett, Lyanna Mormont, Beric Dondarrion (again), Theon Greyjoy, Jorah Mormont, The Night King, Viserion (again), Melisandre, Rhaegal, Missandei, Varys, Ellaria Sand[[note]]Although unconfirmed by canon, if she was still alive during the events of Season 8, she almost certainly perished when the cellars of the Red Keep caved in[[/note]], Euron Greyjoy, Qyburn, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, Jaime Lannister, Cersei Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen.
** An official promo from the 2013 San Diego Comic Con panel parodied this trope with a humourous "In Memorium" video for all the characters killed in the first three seasons.
** The officially endorsed "Beautiful Death" fan art features artistic renderings of every named character's death and averages one release every three episodes.
* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': The show is a prequel to ''Series/GameOfThrones'', so this was to be expected.
** Season 1 sees the deaths of [[spoiler:Queen Aemma Arryn, Prince Baelon Targaryen, The Crabfeeder, Lady Rhea Royce, Joffrey Lonmouth, Laena Velaryon, Lyonel Strong, Harwin Strong, Vaemond Velaryon, King Viserys Targaryen, Lord Lyman Beesbury, Lord Allun Caswell, Arrax, and Prince Lucerys Velaryon]].
* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'': The end of the fifth season seemed to kill off George and Izzie. Izzie, in fact, survived, but left the cast the next year anyway. Season 8 killed off Lexie in a plane crash, and then shocked everyone by killing off Mark Sloan two episodes into Season 9 (averting ContractualImmunity, as it had been reported that Creator/EricDane had renewed his contract for that year). And then, two seasons later, the show has its most shocking death ever once [[spoiler:Derek Shepherd is killed in a car crash]].
* ''Series/HarpersIsland'': Kills off at least 1 character every episode, with the phrase 'One by One' as it's tagline. Out of the 25 presented characters, only 4 live through the series.
* ''Series/{{Haven}}'': In the episode "As You Were", it's not the [[RedShirt character introduced that episode who dies]], but recurring character Eleanor.
** The ultimate example is DaChief (who is also the father of one of the main characters).
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': The original concept behind the show was that, not only could anyone die, but by the end of the first season it was expected that a majority of the cast would die with the survivors PutOnABus to make way for a new Season 2 cast (the actors were told as much when they originally signed on). This changed due to the popularity of the original cast with fans, and many of the characters who appeared to die in the Season 1 finale would turn out to be NotQuiteDead. Nonetheless, they did manage to kill off two of the main characters, as well as most of the recurring supporting cast.
** The deaths of Isaac, Alejandro, Peter (temporarily) and Kaito were certainly unexpected. Not to mention Niki.
** Newer characters get killed off while the older characters get JokerImmunity. We're looking at you, Sylar.
*** Volume Four: Nathan Petrelli.
* ''Series/{{Homeland}}'' has killed off at least one main character from Season 2 onwards, along with a slew of recurring and minor characters. The series also has a habit of bringing back characters who were PutOnABus [[BackForTheDead just to kill them off almost immediately afterwards]]. Probably the most egregious example is Peter Quinn, who was supposed to die at the end of Season 5, but was brought back because the producers wanted Rupert Friend on the show for longer. ...And then he dies anyway at the end of the very next season.
* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' killed off both Crosetti and Felton [[RealitySubtext after their actors left the show.]] The FinaleMovie also killed off Giardello.
* ''Series/{{Justified}}'': While the main characters all have PlotArmor, almost everyone else can (and has) been killed off the show, no matter how important they are to each season's plot.
** Season 5 has been gleefully killing off any recurring character who hasn't already been killed off or written off the show in the previous four seasons, [[DroppedABridgeOnHim often without warning]]. The most jarring case has been Johnny Crowder, whose been with the show since the first season. By the time Season 6 rolls around, hardly any characters will be ''left'' to kill off besides the main cast, and they happily kept this ball going with the death of [[spoiler:[[MinionWithAnFInEvil Dewey]] [[ShooOutTheClowns Crowe]]]] by the end of the premiere. [[spoiler:That said, everybody in the main cast, even Boyd Crowder and Wynn Duffy, are still alive to the end, even by the DistantFinale]].
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'' enters this territory sometimes:
** ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' revolves around a DeadlyGame where ThereCanBeOnlyOne, leading to a DwindlingParty being a central part of it. The number of dead dwarfs the number of survivors. [[spoiler:in fact, every single Rider, with the possible exception of Knight, '''dies'''. The ResetButton ending restores most, though Kitoaka presumably still has his SoapOperaDisease. But to make the reset happen Yui has to die permanently, and her friends will never even know who she was, let alone that they only live because of her.]]
** ''Series/KamenRider555'': As the shiny suits can change hands in this series, ''even being one of the three main Riders'' will not protect you.
** ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'' isn't as dark as ''Ryuki'' and ''555'' but the final episodes take a turn for the brutal. Say adios to [[spoiler:''three'' Riders.]]
** ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'': Nearly every major character dies over the course of the series (though a few of those manage to get away with NotQuiteDead or AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence). The first death occurs in the ''premiere'', though we and the characters don't realize it until a couple months in -- it's revealed at the same time that the ''second'' major death takes place.
** ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'' features a DeadlyGame similar to ''Ryuki''. The good news is that infighting among Riders is discouraged this time and losing a round means only being sent home with a memory wipe -- but the monsters the players have to fight still cause regular fatalities.
* ''Series/Kingdom2019'': The resurrected dead aren't the only things killing the living left and right -- the politics of the era, particularly TheConspiracy instigated by the Haewon Cho Clan, ensure no one is safe.
* ''Series/LawAndOrder'': Det. Max Greevey in the Season 2 premiere, ADA Claire Kincaid in the Season 6 finale, and ADA Alexandra Borgia in the Season 16 finale.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'': Capt. Danny Ross is murdered in the season premiere while working undercover with the feds against an arms dealer.
* ''Series/TheLegendOfZhenHuan'': Several people die.
* ''Series/LondonsBurning'' established its AnyoneCanDie credentials with the unexpected death of Vaseline in series 2. The trope was revisted in Series 9 with the death of long-standing character John Hallam. The show then went into overkill, and four more major characters soon followed.
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': This show is notable for its death rate. Of the 14 original main characters, 9 are dead by the end of the show, leaving only 5 still living, and of the 35 characters ever given main cast billing, 21 end the show dead, leaving just 14 alive.
** Furthermore, of the 73 survivors of the plane crash, only a measly 12 are known to be alive at the end, and at least 32 of the other 61 are definitely dead. So much for "survivors".
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] / [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowed]] in an episode when Daniel Faraday says exactly "Any one of us can die." At the end of the episode, he dies.
** WordOfGod is that Jack was supposed to be killed by the Smoke Monster in the pilot episode to show that even the most important characters were not safe. ExecutiveMeddling prevented this, however, as ABC believed viewers were more likely to feel betrayed. They ended up killing the pilot of the plane in his place.
* ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle'': In a dystopian setting this dangerous, it's no wonder that death is just around the corner. By Season 3, even main characters start to bite the dust, with [[spoiler:both Joe Blake and Frank Fink]] dying for real.
* ''Series/MayansMC'': Being a sequel series to ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'', it's no surprise that none of the characters have any form of plot armor. Riz's death in Season 2 made it clear that this trope was in full effect, but then the show ''really'' kicked this into high gear by killing off Coco halfway into Season 4, followed by Gaby a mere two episodes later. By the series finale, the only main characters confirmed alive are Emily Thomas, Lincoln Potter, Angel Reyes, Marcus Alvarez, Letty, and Taza. Everyone else either died in the final season or presumably got shot to death off-screen [[BolivianArmyEnding when police raided the Mayans clubhouse]].
* ''Series/MelrosePlace'': The 2009 {{Revival}} killed off Sydney Andrews mere minutes into its pilot episode. The original series isn't much better with the deaths of Kimberly, Matt, Craig, Brooke, and Richard; Sydney also "dies" but this is proven to have been faked (at least, temporarily).
* ''Series/{{Merlin 1998}}'': The 1998 series has numerous deaths, both of heroic and villainous characters.
* ''Series/{{Merlin 2008}}'': The 2008 series had a notorious reputation for StatusQuoIsGod. Then Season 4 rolled around, and they kill Lancelot in the second episode with absolutely no warning. They avoided DroppedABridgeOnHim, but it was still shocking.. Well, at least the next episode will be a BreatherEpisode... then Uther dies?!
** Lancelot does come back later in the season. For about ten seconds after Merlin releases him from the spell that made him a SoullessShell after he CameBackWrong. WordOfGod confirms he's gone for good now.
** The fifth and final season continues this trend, with the deaths of Elyan, Mordred, Gwaine, Morgana and Arthur! Oh, and 4 of those 5 all died in the [[GrandFinale finale]].
* ''Series/{{Misfits}}'': For a show whose series 1 finale spoiler was that a main character could not, in fact, die, by series 4 finale none of the original cast is still around, most of them having died. To say nothing of the probation workers.
* ''Series/MoneyHeist'': The show features an EnsembleCast of various criminals and doesn't shy away from killing off members of the heist group to highen the stakes. So at the series' finale, nearly half of the original team members are dead.
* ''Series/MrRobot'': The show kills off plot-critical characters with abandon. Of the six original members of fsociety, only two are alive by the end of the third season; this, combined with the deaths of main characters [[spoiler:[[ILetGwenStacyDie Shayla]], [[BenevolentBoss Gideon]], [[LadyMacbeth Joanna]], [[MoleInCharge Santiago]], and [[TheDragon Grant]]]], means that over 75% of the original main cast has been killed off with one season left to go.
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Especially if you happen to be female. Title credits offer no protection.
** Creator/MichaelWeatherly joked that NCIS stood for "No Castmember Is Safe"
** [[spoiler:Kate Todd, killed at the end of Season 2, gunshot to the head.]]
** [[spoiler:Jenny Shepard, gunned down at the end of Season 5.]]
** [[spoiler:Ziva David, killed in a mortar attack at the end of Season 13 ([[NeverFoundTheBody maybe]]).]]
*** [[spoiler: Except not, as of the Season 16 finale.]]
** [[spoiler:Clayton Reeves, [[HeroicSacrifice killed while fighting to save Abby's life]] at the end of Season 15.]]
* ''Series/{{Nightflyers}}'' opens with one of its main characters, Dr. Agatha Matheson, committing suicide. It's safe to say that a lot of people end up dead over the course of the series.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': You wouldn't suspect it at first due to the six lead characters still being okay after three seasons, and some characters having Plot Armor due to them appearing after their flashback in the real world, but when you think about it, the body count for the show so far is staggering even for named characters. Deaths so far include, [[spoiler: The Huntsman, Cora, Milah, Peter, King Leopold, Queen Eva, Ruth, Stealthy, Prince Henry, Daniel, Cinderella's fairy godmother, Gus, Greg Mendell, Tamara, Felix, Anita (ruby's mom), Quinn, Peter Pan, Balefire, The Wizard of Oz (technically), Ingrid, Cruella De Vil, King Fergus, Sir Percival, and King Arthur]]. Of the series regulars, Robin Hood, Hook, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were all killed off at some point, with only Hook being outright resurrected.
* ''Series/{{Oz}}'': This show is notorious for leveraging this psychological trope and it was a big part of the premise of ''Tour of Duty''.
** The pilot episode, while introducing all the characters, centered on a particular inmate, named Dino. Dino was a lifer who was still adjusting to this fact, and was setup as if this would be a running theme with the character throughout the season. Dino dies violently at the end of the pilot episode.
** ''Oz'' is so committed to use of this trope that its official website includes an interactive '''death map''' showing all the characters, ''which ones were still alive'' at the last show, and ''where the rest of them died.''
* ''Series/ThePacific'', a successor series to ''Band of Brothers'' has a high death rate, and kills off one of the three protagonists.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': Present, but downplayed.
** The showrunners have repeatedly said that "all of our characters are gonna bite it eventually" except Bear the dog. Lampshaded in the pilot episode:
--->'''Finch:''' If you wanna leave, I'll give you enough money to get as far as you need. Disappear.\\
'''Reese:''' And if I stay?\\
'''Finch:''' Sooner or later both of us'll probably wind up dead. ''Actually'' dead this time.
** The showrunners stretched out this statement somewhat. By the series finale, a handful of major characters (and even a couple ''main'' characters) do end up dead. But the series still ends on a positive note with a good chunk of Team Machine still alive and well.
* ''Series/{{Power}}'': The series set this trope in motion early on with the death of Nomar, then kicked it into full throttle in Season 2 with the death of Shawn, who was the first main character to get killed off. Season 3 eradicated PlotArmor entirely and killed off ''four'' main characters. And then there's the large amount of [[MauveShirt Mauve Shirts]] who typically don't last more than one season...
* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': The show is sometimes turning to Anyone Will Die, as at least one major character died each series, with Nick Cutter himself dying MID-SERIES in Series 3.
** As of the end of Season 3 there are only three main characters left from S1. They must be nervously checking their contract for S4...
** Series three is especially bad. In that one series alone, Nick is shot by Helen, causing Jenny to leave (even though she somes back for an episode in series 4), Cristine Johnson is killed by a future predator, Helen falls off a cliff, and Connor, Abby and Danny all get stuck in different time periods with almost no chance of surviving or ever getting back home. Even though the last three get back, that leaves only Lester back at the ARC from the very beginning.
** In series 4 we find out that Sarah died.
* ''Series/PrisonBreak'': Beginning with its second season, the show kicked its extreme AnyoneCanDie atmosphere into overdrive, with its penchant for killing off main characters with the zeal of a slasher film. There's at least a 2:1 ratio for make up kills and [[NotQuiteDead subverted deaths]], and in one hell of an example of YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle, the series finale delivers in a big way with the most shocking death of all.
* ''Series/PsiFactor'': In the first season finale, [[spoiler:Conner Doyle]] dies trying to save the rest of the team.
* ''Series/RescueMe'': In the first five season finales someone of importance has gone to meet their Maker in the permanent way.
* ''Series/{{Revenge}}'': If you were a recurring character on this show, your safety was most certainly not guaranteed (the most evident one was certainly [[spoiler:Amanda]]). Regulars' deaths didn't happen as often, but when they did, they clearly left a big impact. The series kicked it into high gear in Season 2 with the death of [[spoiler:Declan]]. Season 3 concluded with [[spoiler:Aiden and Conrad's]] deaths. Midway through Season 4, [[spoiler:Daniel]] went out in a HeroicSacrifice and the series itself concluded with the deaths of [[spoiler:Ben, Victoria and David]].
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': At first there was only a case of a case of TonightSomeoneDies ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E4ThePlagueDogs The Plague Dogs]]") and a DeathByOriginStory ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E1Pilot Pilot]]") among the important characters who died. But as of "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E11TheStand The Stand]]", there is now a brutal case of ShootTheShaggyDog that resulted in one of the main characters getting killed. Not to mention the various [[MauveShirt Mauve Shirts]] like Ashley ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E9Kashmir Kashmir]]"), Strausser ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E10NobodysFaultButMine Nobody's Fault But Mine]]"), and Nicholas ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E13TheSongRemainsTheSame The Song Remains the Same]]")....
* ''Series/RobinHood'': The BBC's series killed off '''MAID MARIAN'''. She was followed by Allan-a-Dale, Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriffs of Nottingham (both of them) and finally Robin Hood himself.
* ''Series/ScreamTheTVSeries'': Just like the films, the TV show has no problem offing any of the characters, no matter how important they are to Emma and her group of friends. By the end of Season 2, nearly half the main characters and a large amount of the supporting cast is dead, and it's unlikely Season 3 will get any better.
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': {{Discussed}} by JD, who says so many people die that he views {{Death}} as just another co-worker (an ImagineSpot plays this out literally). One episode has him say that with a few exceptions (ER, maternity ward, etc.), a third of the patients who come to the hospital will die. JD, Turk, and Elliot each have a patient, and it's implied that one of them will die; however, all three die, with JD saying that sometimes the odds are worse than one in three.
** The only main character to die is Laverne, which is shocking because it comes out of nowhere. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Ben]] also dies.
* ''Series/TheSecretCircle'': Has this trope, as you'd expect from the team behind ''Series/TheVampireDiaries''. Significantly speaking, it starts with Nick and continues on through to Jane, much to the Circle's grief.
* ''Series/SixFeetUnder'': The father of the family was killed in the first scene of the first episode, though his "ghost" appears throughout the series conversing with the characters, manifesting their subconscious thoughts. Multiple main characters die throughout the course of the series, which itself deals constantly with death, using it as a magnifying glass for life. The most shocking example is the death of [[spoiler:Nate Fisher, ''the lead character'', a few episodes before the end of the series. He dies of a brain hemorrhage, and is given a private burial by the Fisher family. The series finale includes depictions of the deaths of every other main character.]]
* ''Series/{{Skins}}'': They kill one of the main characters every two seasons. Usually, it happens at the end of the second season of each generation, like with Chris or Freddie. Season 6 killed one of the main characters the second episode. This is not counting other characters (parents, friends, enemies, strangers) that died or might have died, for example Sid's father Mark. Kind of a high mortality rate for a series that only involves regular, healthy, teenagers, with no real violence, no super powers, no mystical creatures, etc...
* Some more than others at various times, but really all soap operas are like this, as a result of their longevity, the need to keep high stakes through murder mystery storylines and the like, and many practical considerations like actors constantly leaving the show, unpopular or played-out characters needing to be written out in a dramatic fashion, and new production/writing regimes deciding to clear the deck (for instance, long-time fans of ''[[Series/DaysofourLives Days of our Lives]]'' still remember the "Valentine's Day Massacre" when in 1980 a new head writer wrote out ''fourteen'' characters, with several receiving violent ends). Of course, most (but not all) soap operas are also notorious for "Anyone Can Not Be Dead After All."
** Also famous was what happened when the American soap opera ''Loving'' was cancelled. The writers went out with a bang, ending the show with a serial killer storyline that would bring about the deaths of seven characters. Most of the surviving cast moved to New York City for the new soap ''The City.''
* ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'': Not even being in the credits will protect you. Ask [[spoiler:Half Sack.]] Although, at least he got to the end of Season 2, which is more than [[spoiler: Piney and Opie]] got. Particularly jarring in the latter's case, since he was killed only ''three episodes'' into Season 5!
** Season 6 ''really'' upped the body count. By the season finale, two main characters who have been with the show since the ''series premiere'' and no less than seven recurring characters are dead, one of whom was portrayed by ''[[spoiler:the creator of the show!]]''
** Season 7 still managed to kill off a whopping ''five'' main characters [[spoiler:including Jax himself]] and way too main recurring and minor characters to count.
** [[spoiler:Chibs]] and [[spoiler:Tig]] deserve special recognition, as they are the only main cast members from the first ''five seasons'' who managed to survive to the end. [[spoiler:Happy]] used to be on this list, up until they brought him back in the sequel series, ''Series/MayansMC'', [[BackForTheDead and killed him off towards the end of the final season]].
* ''Series/TheSopranos'': AnyoneCanDie pretty much became the hook of the show and [[GenreTurningPoint paved the way for many other shows on this page]]. No one was safe, be it the lowest goon or Tony himself. Due to the fact that they were never informed well in advance, many of the actors explicitly expressed suspense and fear for their careers should the writers suddenly choose the sword to fall on their head. (Though in the case of Livia, it was the actress that died first.)
** Most of the most notorious deaths of major characters such as Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, Vito Spatafore, Adriana La Cerva and Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri came, predictably, as a result of mob hits. However, arguably the most shocking death occurred in Season 6 when Christopher Moltisanti is mortally wounded when the car he is riding in with Tony flips over (his death arguably hastened by Tony's mercy killing of him.)
** And then there's the series' [[NoEnding infamously inconclusive ending]], which led many viewers to assume that Tony himself may or may not have been assassinated as well.
* ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'': Offed a number of major characters over the course of the first season, which ended in an outright bloodbath.
** ''Spartacus: Vengeance'' was even worse, the finale killed off no fewer than ''six'' major characters
** Pretty much anything in this show is a ForegoneConclusion since it's based on historical events. Since the Roman Empire continued for a while, it's not hard to figure out who wins the war.
** ''War of the Damned'' keeps up the grand tradition. By the end of the finale, [[spoiler: the only major protagonists left standing are Agron and Nasir.]]
*** [[spoiler: Agron]] also has the dubious honour of being the only recurring character from the first ''two seasons'' to survive the show, and he only gets introduced half a season into the story. This means the show managed to kill off ''all'' characters that it started with and who had more than a line or two of dialogue, as well as everyone from the prequel season.
* ''Series/{{Spooks}}'': Helen (killed off after 2 episodes). Furthermore, Spooks established that if you're going to invoke this trope, it's best to do it as nastily as you can, as this death was caused [[CruelAndUnusualDeath by getting her arm dunked into a deep-fryer, and then her face being pushed in, before she got shot]], all on screen. This gave the show a lot of credibility in the trope despite, in fact, it being the only instance of it occurring for quite some time.
** While not everybody dies, characters are far from entirely safe in the show. Major characters have been killed off with no warning, including all three main characters over the course of a single series. As of the end of Season 6, only two Season 1 characters remain employed at Thames House.
** The short-lived SpinOff, ''Series/SpooksCode9'', naturally had to play with this, killing off the team leader at the end of the first episode. Of course, this being Spooks, everybody was pretty much expecting it.
** Series 7 went for the double, with Connie James being arrested for treason (which involved her killing fellow spook Ben Kaplan, no less), and then [[RedemptionEqualsDeath getting blown up while saving London from a nuclear bomb]].
** Series 7 in general is where they took this to the next level -- besides the above two, Adam (the only field agent/section chief to break the 40 episode mark) was killed off in the premiere. Series eight also killed off long runners Jo and Ros, and the last seven episodes of the show (starting at the S9 finale) saw the deaths of Lucas, Tariq and Ruth.
* ''Series/SquidGame'' focuses on a DeadlyGame so it's expected that characters drop like flies. However, it doesn't begin killing off major characters until [[WhamEpisode episode 6]], when alliances are ruined and all bets are off. [[spoiler:By the end of the series, Gi-hun is the only main cast member left standing.]]
* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'': EnforcedTrope, according to WordOfGod. Colonel Sumner is a DeadStarWalking in the first episode and they make a point of killing important recurring characters throughout the series (Grodin and Heightmeyer come to mind.) Mostly downplayed, though, since the main cast stays safe enough, with one character ending up NotQuiteDead (twice) and another being brought back as a clone.
* ''Series/StElsewhere'': Has made it clear that anyone can die. Two of the most known examples on the show are SantaClaus in a ChristmasEpisode, and Mimsie, the kitten mascot of MTM Enterprises in the end credits of the SeriesFinale.
* ''Series/TheStraits'': Downplayed. Everyone in the Montebello family survives until the ending -- even Harry, despite suffering two near-fatal injuries. However, Lola -- along with a handful of other recurring characters -- are all killed by the series finale.
* ''Series/StrikeBack'' has this in spades: ''none'' of the Series 1 cast survive, and out of the ''Project Dawn'' cast, only Stonebridge, Scott and Richmond have survived up till ''Legacy''. By the end of Legacy, only Stonebridge and Scott live, while everyone else is dead.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Victims of the week are slaughtered with reckless abandon, almost no supporting character introduced survives for even a single season, and NO ONE [[PlotArmor is immune]], though if you're important enough, you may come BackFromTheDead. You may even die and come back a lot. Unless you're female.
** Of all the characters that have appeared in the series, most have not lasted more than a season or two. Many of the more major characters come back briefly in some form or another, but aside from Sam and Dean, they all return to the land of the dead at some point. The writers also seem to not fear killing main characters for good as was shown in the episode, "Death's Door" when Bobby died.
** Following the death of [[spoiler:Meg]] in ''Goodbye Stranger'' no character who appeared in Season 1 is still alive except for Sam and Dean...and as even they [[DeathIsCheap have died repeatedly]] over the course of the series, the longest surviving characters are now the Ghostfacers.
** Chuck has also managed to survive unscathed for at least 7 seasons, although he only appeared in 3. [[spoiler: Of course, he's God, so unless the Darkness killed him off at the beginning of S11, he's still alive currently, just...not doing anything. At all. He actually survives his 'fight' with the Darkness, reconciling with her and becoming family again. Then he went back to doing literally nothing at all, until S14...when he killed the Nephilim Jack, who was Lucifer's son. It seems Chuck is being set up as the BigBad for S14, meaning he will be doing stuff...and he might in fact died for real, along with Amara, since neither can live without the other.]]
** Michael and Lucifer are also technically still alive. Just...in prison.
** Crowley, a recurring foe of the Winchesters, met his end in the Season 12 finale. And unlike Rowena and Castiel from the same episode, he wasn't brought back in Season 13.
* ''Series/{{Survivors}}'': The original 70s version burned through quite a cast-roster in just three seasons' worth of episodes.
* ''Series/SweetHome2020'': By the end of the first season, at least nine of the Green Home survivors are dead and at least a couple more are in a state of UncertainDoom.
* ''Series/{{Taken}}'': Given that the series spans 58 years, the high mortality rate among the main characters is understandable but it is especially notable considering that most of them die relatively young. [[spoiler: In "Maintenance", Sally Clarke, one of the longest lived characters, is only in her late 60s when she dies of cancer in 1980. In "Charlie and Lisa", her son Jacob dies at about 32 in 1981 and Jesse dies at 46 in 1992.]]
* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'': First off, minor characters, like Andy Goode, Charley Dixon's wife, Doctor Sherman, or Allison Young. Then, Riley is killed. Then, Jesse. Then, Charley himself. ''Then,'' ''Derek frakkin' Reese!''.
* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'': Has a DeadStarWalking in its first episode. But that's just the start. Out of the show's five main characters, ''three of them'' are dead as of the end of ''[[Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay Miracle Day]]''. That's without getting into Jack's immortality. Even by AnyoneCanDie standards, a sixty percent mortality rate among the protagonists is staggering.
** In fact, Owen dies not once, but twice. Anyone can die... even if they're already dead.
** In ''Torchwood: Miracle Day'', Esther Drummond and Oswald Danes died at the end. Dr. Juarez was incinerated just as she seemed to be becoming part of the Torchwood team.
*** And Esther is shot to force the team ''not'' to reverse the immortality granted by the Blessing. They still do it and later lament that the Blessing didn't save Esther. Then another member of the team is shot at the very end... but comes back to life and demands to know what's Jack's blood did to him.
** Gwen and the immortal Jack are the only members of the Season 1 team to be alive by the most recent season finale.
** Narrowly averted with Rhys, who the writers intended to kill off at the end of Series 1. Eventually, Russell T. Davies realized that his presence was needed to ground the show (as Rhys was a BadassNormal, in contrast to the rest of the cast's skilled, super agents) and to help evolve Gwen's character, so they rewrote the ending to let him live.
* ''Series/TourOfDuty'' did not shy away from killing off major characters, often without warning, highlighting the arbitrary and unfair nature of combat.
* ''Series/UnderTheDome'': A significant number of the initially introduced characters have already died, with three or more named characters dying off each episode, and few characters not from episode 1 have made it more than a few episodes in before being killed off.
* ''Series/TheUnit'': They had a TonightSomeoneDies episode right out of nowhere. And no cop-out either. A real main character dies. And it's not even sweeps week.
* ''Series/UltramanLeo'': While various ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' installments have had permanent deaths happen to main cast members, it was ''Leo'' the one series where the surviving main cast members could be counted on one hand. First, various MAC soldiers die to the aliens or kaiju of the week, a contrast to past series having the teams get out mostly unscathed from every attack; secondary and minor characters also drop like flies at least OncePerEpisode and things kick into overdrive once the "Black Saucer" arc begins, where MAC as a whole is destroyed by Silver Bloome (and any who weren't killed in the base's explosion are EatenAlive by the kaiju), then Gen's love interest, Momoko; his best friend, Takeshi and his daughter figure, Kaoru are all killed alongside a whole building of civilians leaving only Gen and Tohru, Kaoru's sister, alive by the finale's time, not even Gen/Leo himself was safe from dying in the penultimate episode but thankfully Ultraman King put him back together. Dan[=/=]Series/{{Ultraseven}} also appears to have died as he vanished during Silver Bloome's attack but he would turn up alive later on.
* ''Series/{{V 1983}}'': In the weekly series characters were killed without warning, especially characters from the miniseries, to the point in which no character was safe. (Of course, one actor was [[BackupTwin brought back as his own twin]]...)
* ''Series/{{V 2009}}'': Doesn't have much in the way of this, until the second season finale, wherein they ''really'' make up for lost time. Three major characters you'd expect to have immunity (they seemed integral to arcs that weren't quite over, so not expendable ''yet'' even if their character types don't always make it to the GrandFinale) die sudden and unexpected deaths. [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Then the show doesn't get renewed]], making the episode that killed half the cast and left Earth in its DarkestHour ''becomes the [[TheBadGuyWins official ending]].''
* ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' has this trope set to default, with at least one brutal death per episode. Most recurring character are eventually killed off, and the ones who survive are usually [[BackForTheDead brought back]] so they can disposed of properly. Every season kills off a regular as well (although [[DeathIsCheap death becomes increasingly cheap]] in later seasons) with the final season seeing the deaths of [[spoiler:Stefan, Tyler and Enzo, and the final scene has a flashforward that shows that eventually everyone will [[DiedHappilyEverAfter Die Happily Ever After]].]]
* In ''Series/VanHelsing2016'', Vanessa's group has a pretty high mortality rate. Not even the WhiteMaleLead is safe.
* ''Series/VeronicaMars'': Kills off Sheriff Lamb and Dean O'Dell quite unceremoniously. Meg Manning dies from an aneurysm as a result of the bus crash [[KilledOffscreen offscreen]]. Gia Goodman survives her time on the show, but is killed off in the [[Film/VeronicaMars film.]] Aaron Echolls [[spoiler: gets away with his murder of Lilly Kane, then is shot and killed on the orders of Lilly's brother Duncan]], while Cassidy Casablancas [[spoiler: is revealed to be the BigBad of Season 2 and [[DrivenToSuicide promptly commits suicide]]]] -- both of these deaths happen in the Season 2 finale.
* ''Series/{{Vikings}}'' spans over various decades and features characters who constantly define themselves on war and violence, so naturally, most of the main cast doesn't survive the series, this includes [[spoiler:even the series' original main character, Ragnar Lodbrok, who is killed off midway during season 4]]. In fact, in the show's finale episode, [[spoiler:Floki]] is the only character from season 1 who's still alive.
* ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' contains ''plenty'' of murder mysteries, so nobody should get so attached to anyone on this show that ''isn't'' one of the main characters. [[spoiler:The only exception however, is C.D. Parker, as of Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E4TheAvengingAngel The Avenging Angel]]", where he supposedly passes away of a heart attack, but in the GrandFinale, "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E23AndE24TheFinalShowDown The Final Show/Down]]", the villain of that episode claims to be responsible for the murder, prompting a second autopsy that reveals poison as the cause of death.]]
* ''Series/TheWalkingDead2010'': To give you an idea on how bad it's been, out of all the characters introduced in the first season, including minor, recurring, ''and'' main characters, the only ones still living as of the series finale are Daryl, Carol, Rick[[note]](PutOnABus)[[/note]] and Morgan.[[note]](Moved to a different series) [[/note]] Of the characters introduced in the second season, only Maggie and Michonne[[note]]She was played by a stand-in for a cameo and was not formally introduced until the third season; she is later PutOnABus in Season 10[[/note]] are still alive. The only characters still alive that were introduced before the series changed locations (in-universe) from Georgia to Virginia midway through Season 5 are Judith, Eugene, and Gabriel.
* Series/Wildflower2017: While the show kills off some minor and supporting characters like [[spoiler:Carlotta, Nimfa, Loring and Pandoy]], the final seasons prove that not even the main characters are safe as [[spoiler: Raul, Helena/Red Dragon, Arnaldo, Diego and ([[FateWorseThanDeath poss]][[ColdBloodedTorture ibly]]) Julio]] are dead by the end.
* ''Series/TheWire'': At least one major character dies in every season: Wallace in Season 1, D'Angelo Barksdale and Frank Sobotka in Season 2, Stringer Bell in Season 3, Bodie in Season 4, Proposition Joe and Omar Little in Season 5.
** The last was a particularly powerful example of the trope, as Omar was built up as a larger-than-life, unstoppable force of nature throughout the series, only to be shot in the back of the head while buying a pack of cigarettes by a nobody kid...
** Not to mention a host of secondary characters that can and will be killed off in droves.
* In ''Series/{{Witchblade}}'' being in the opening credits is no defense. By the end of the first season every major character save protagonist Sara Pezzini is dead, along with several of the {{recurrer}}s, though [[spoiler:Sara undoes this with the Witchblade in a ResetButtonEnding that turns back time]].
* ''Series/TheXFiles'': This show was notorious for killing off their beloved characters, given how important characters such as Deep Throat, Mulder's father, Scully's sister or Mr. X died, sometimes in important MythArc episodes but at times in relatively unimportant ones. According to [[WordOfGod Chris Carter]], killing off Deep Throat in the first season was meant to establish that everyone, except Mulder and Scully, is expendable. Any agent who would be friends with our Dynamic Duo was in great danger. The authors needed them to show the audience that it was Mulder and Scully against the world. To give them {{Angst}}, they would not only kill off their family members, but their friends as well. The score includes Mulder's former partner Jerry Lamana from Violent Crimes, Scully's instructor and ex-boyfriend Jack Willis, Mulder's former boss and mentor Reggie Perdue, Scully's former student Kelly Ryan (though she was a detective, not a special agent), the lovable LabRat Agent Pendrell with a serious crush on Scully or Mulder's former partner and ex-lover Diana Fowley (though this one had barely any redeemable qualities). The Lone Gunmen did not make it to the finale either. Notable exceptions were two villains: Alex Krycek and the Cigarette Smoking Man were killed frequently, but it took a long time until they were eventually killed off for good. Also Agent Mulder kept dying throughout the series [[OurHeroIsDead mostly in season finales as a cliffhanger]] but the audience soon figured out that [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt he would usually get better]].

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