8 Character Deaths That Completely Ruined Their Movie Or TV Show

When a fictional character meets an untimely demise, it can make or break the story. Some character deaths, such as Harry Potter's Albus Dumbledore or Game of Thrones ' Ned Stark, are gutwrenchingly emotional but feel necessary to further the plot.

Others are hastily thrown together due to the departure of an actor or to create a shocking plot twist. As an avid consumer of TV and movies, I got to thinking about the most disheartening fictional deaths in media. In my opinion, these eight losses changed the trajectory of their story... and not for the better!

1. Matthew Crawley's car accident in Downton Abbey

2. Dr. Derek Shepherd's untimely exit in Grey's Anatomy

3. Finn Hudson's tragic death in Glee

4. Glenn Rhee's gruesome demise in The Walking Dead

5. Daenerys Targaryen's mad queen arch at the end of Game of Thrones

6. Dewey Riley's murder in Scream 5

7. The entire ending of the movie adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist

8. Samantha's emotional death in I Am Legend

Do you agree with this list? Have more to add? Share your opinions in the comments below.