4. Beth
In season 5, Beth (Emily Kinney) spends some time held hostage at Grady Memorial Hospital. Just as the rest of the group arrive on the scene to help her escape from Dawn’s (Christine Woods) group, she’s shockingly killed.
Beth’s death took everyone by surprise. Of course, comic readers didn’t see it coming since this storyline is absent from the books. Everyone figured that Beth would escape and all would be well. Instead, as she’s leaving the hospital, Beth goes to stab Dawn, but then she’s instantly, accidentally, shot in the head.
The next time we see Beth, Daryl is carrying her corpse away. Seeing her sister Maggie break down in tears when Daryl walks out with the body is utterly heartbreaking. At this point, Maggie had already lost her father, and now her sister is gone as well.
Beth was always a beloved character. She was the picture of innocence who brought the group together, caring for everyone. She was a huge part of raising Judith. Her presence in the show has been sorely missed.
3. Henry
After seeing the Whisperers kill Jesus during their very first attack on our group, everyone knew the very real threat that their leader, Alpha, posed. But nothing could prepare fans for what happened next. Yes, I’m talking about the time when Alpha decided to create a border to separate the two groups…by killing 10 innocent people and placing their heads on pikes. Yikes!
The 10 characters were Ozzy, Alek, D.J., Frankie, Tammy Rose, Rodney, Addy, Enid, Tara and Henry. Of course, some of these characters didn’t get much screen time so it’s difficult to feel too broken up about it, but it was wrenching to see so many go out at once, including supporting players like Enid, Tara and Henry.
Henry (Matt Lintz) especially deserves to be singled out? Given that he was quickly becoming such an important character, it really felt like a sucker punch. Henry was orphaned, adopted by Carol (Melissa McBride) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton), and was finally finding a level of happiness in the world. He even had a nice relationship with Lydia…only to have it all ripped away.
Henry’s death hit Carol hard. She had lost someone she loved deeply, years after losing her own daughter Sophia. Henry’s death is another example of just how cruel and unforgiving life in the zombie apocalypse can be.