14 Female Characters Who Deserved Better Endings

14 Female Characters Who Deserved Better Endings

Television has given us some of the most unforgettable female characters in storytelling history. From fierce queens to relentless hunters, cunning strategists to vulnerable dreamers, these women captivated audiences with their strength, complexity, and heart. They challenged norms, broke boundaries, and carried narratives in ways that left lasting impressions.

Yet, despite their depth and the devotion they inspired, not all of these characters received the endings they truly deserved. Many were robbed of closure, justice, or the happiness they had fought so hard for, leaving fans heartbroken, frustrated, and endlessly debating what might have been.

1. Margaery Tyrell — Game of Thrones

Cunning and politically brilliant, Margaery Tyrell played the game better than almost anyone in Westeros.

She understood how to manipulate power structures while maintaining her charm and grace.

Her intelligence made her one of the most formidable players in King’s Landing.

Margaery’s death in the wildfire explosion felt like a waste of her potential.

Fans watched her outmaneuver Cersei repeatedly, only to die in a rushed, chaotic scene.

She deserved a chance to either escape or face her rival in a more meaningful confrontation.

Her character represented the possibility of reform and smart leadership.

Instead of letting her story reach its natural conclusion, the show eliminated her for shock value.

2. Villanelle — Killing Eve

Villanelle’s charisma and unpredictability made her an unforgettable antihero.

Her tangled bond with Eve created a thrilling dynamic, and her hidden vulnerability beneath the chaos made her impossible to ignore.

The finale’s decision to kill her moments after she found happiness felt cruel and unnecessary.

After four seasons of character development, she finally embraced genuine connection.

Then the writers snatched it away in the final minutes, leaving fans devastated.

Many believed she earned redemption through her journey of self-discovery.

Her ending seemed designed purely for tragedy rather than honoring her growth and the show’s themes.

3. Hayley Marshall — The Originals

Fierce and protective, Hayley transformed from a lone wolf into a devoted mother and powerful hybrid.

Her evolution throughout the series showcased remarkable strength and resilience.

She fought countless battles to protect her daughter Hope and the family she built.

Killing her off in season five felt like an unnecessary tragedy that served no real purpose.

Her death was meant to raise stakes, but instead it removed one of the show’s strongest characters.

Hayley deserved to see Hope grow up and continue her own journey.

Fans wanted her story to end with triumph, not sacrifice.

She’d already given up so much throughout the series that taking her life felt excessive and heartbreaking.

4. Shannon Rutherford — Lost

Shannon started as a seemingly shallow character but revealed deeper layers of trauma and vulnerability.

Her relationship with Sayid showed her capacity for genuine love and personal growth.

Viewers watched her begin to shed her defenses and connect authentically with others.

Her sudden death by accidental shooting felt abrupt and wasteful of her developing arc.

Just when she started becoming more complex and sympathetic, the show eliminated her.

The timing robbed audiences of seeing her complete transformation.

She deserved more time to explore her healing journey and relationship.

Her death served shock value rather than meaningful storytelling, leaving her potential unrealized and her growth incomplete.

5. Love Quinn — You

Love Quinn was more than just a counterpart to Joe; she was a fully realized, complex character in her own right.

Balancing darkness and desire, she embodied the struggles of motherhood, the pull of obsession, and the profound human need to connect, making her one of the most compelling figures in modern thriller storytelling.

Season three ended with Joe poisoning Love after she’d tried to protect their family.

While poetic in its darkness, her death felt like the show couldn’t handle two equally matched characters.

Love deserved either escape or a more balanced confrontation with consequences for both.

Her intelligence and resourcefulness made her Joe’s equal, yet the narrative treated her as disposable.

Fans wanted to see her break free rather than become another victim.

6. Polly Cooper — Riverdale

Caught between her own fragile innocence and the dark chaos of Riverdale, Polly was a character viewers couldn’t ignore.

Her battles with mental health and family trauma underscored the show’s twisted exploration of manipulation and generational pain, earning both sympathy and heartbreak from the audience.

Her off-screen death felt disrespectful to both the character and actress.

After seasons of suffering, she deserved either healing or an on-screen goodbye.

Instead, the show treated her as a plot device rather than a person worth proper closure.

Fans expected her story to involve recovery and reclaiming her life.

The casual nature of her demise showed how little the writers valued her journey and struggles.

7. Lagertha — Vikings

Legendary shieldmaiden Lagertha embodied strength, leadership, and survival against impossible odds.

She built herself from farmer’s wife to Earl to Queen through sheer determination.

Her battles, both physical and political, inspired viewers and defined the show’s early seasons.

Her death at the hands of a hallucinating Hvitserk felt random and unworthy of her legacy.

After surviving countless wars and betrayals, she deserved a warrior’s death in battle.

Instead, she died confused and alone, killed by someone who didn’t even recognize her.

Lagertha earned a legendary ending that matched her legendary life.

The anticlimactic nature of her death disappointed fans who’d followed her incredible journey for years.

8. Cersei Lannister — Game of Thrones

Ruthless and calculating, Cersei Lannister served as one of television’s most compelling villains.

Her motivations stemmed from a fierce desire to protect her children and maintain power in a world that limited women.

She’d committed terrible acts but remained fascinating to watch.

Her death beneath falling rubble alongside Jaime felt anticlimactic for such a powerful antagonist.

After eight seasons of scheming and surviving, she simply cried and died in a basement.

Cersei deserved a more active role in her final moments, perhaps facing her enemies directly.

Many fans wanted her to either go down fighting or face actual justice.

The passive nature of her death didn’t match the active force she’d been throughout the series.

9. Jo Harvelle — Supernatural

Jo Harvelle’s character arc reflected growth, resilience, and purpose.

Initially constrained by youth and parental concern, she matured into a competent hunter whose commitment to saving lives and honoring her father’s legacy earned her the Winchesters’ respect.

Her death in season five felt premature for a character with so much untapped potential.

She died saving Sam and Dean, which was heroic but also predictable.

Jo deserved more episodes to develop her skills and relationships beyond being a supporting character in their story.

Fans imagined her becoming a legendary hunter in her own right.

Instead, she became another tragic loss in Supernatural’s long list of sacrificed women.

10. Nairobi — Money Heist

Nairobi’s character highlighted the intersection of skill and heart.

Beyond her technical expertise as the crew’s quality control manager, she demonstrated leadership, emotional intelligence, and the ability to inspire deep loyalty, making her a cornerstone of the heist’s success.

Her execution by Gandia was brutal and heartbreaking, robbing the show of its brightest light.

While her death created dramatic tension, it felt unnecessarily cruel given what she’d already endured.

Nairobi deserved to survive and reunite with her son, the motivation behind her participation.

Her loss devastated both characters and viewers who’d grown to love her spirit.

She represented hope and family, making her death feel like the show lost its heart.

11. Debra Morgan — Dexter

Foul-mouthed and loyal, Debra Morgan served as Dexter’s moral compass despite her own flaws and mistakes.

She worked tirelessly as a detective while dealing with complicated family dynamics.

Her discovery of Dexter’s secret created the show’s most emotionally powerful conflict.

Her ending as a brain-dead patient who Dexter kills felt unnecessarily tragic and dark.

After everything she’d overcome, Deb deserved either survival or a death that meant something beyond torturing Dexter.

The randomness of her stroke felt like manufactured drama.

Fans wanted her to either arrest Dexter or find peace with his nature.

Instead, she became a plot device for his guilt rather than receiving her own meaningful conclusion.

12. Bonnie Bennett — The Vampire Diaries

Strong, magical, and endlessly loyal, Bonnie Bennett carried her friends through countless dangers—but at the cost of her own story.

Fans wished the show had given her more time in the spotlight, exploring her personal life and romance instead of always making her everyone else’s savior.

While she survived the series, her ending still felt insufficient compared to what other characters received.

Bonnie spent years putting others first and rarely got the happiness she’d earned.

Her finale should have celebrated her more prominently and given her the epic love story others enjoyed.

Fans recognized how the show undervalued her despite her being the most consistently heroic character.

She deserved better treatment throughout and especially in the conclusion.

13. Allison Argent — Teen Wolf

Allison Argent embodied the struggle between heritage and conscience.

Her journey from following her family’s rigid beliefs to defining her own moral code, paired with her skill in archery and strategy, made her not only a formidable fighter but also a compassionate and irreplaceable part of her team.

Her death saving her friends was noble but felt unnecessary given the actress’s reported willingness to return.

Allison had so much story left to tell, including her relationship with Scott and her role as a leader.

Killing her removed a central character and left a permanent hole in the show.

Many fans hoped for her resurrection or return since other characters came back.

She deserved to see her journey through rather than dying in season three.

14. Judith — Vikings

Educated and ambitious, Judith of Northumbria defied medieval expectations to pursue knowledge and power.

Her affair with Athelstan produced a son she fiercely protected despite social consequences.

She navigated court politics with intelligence, transforming from naive princess to influential queen.

Her off-screen death between seasons felt disrespectful to such a complex character.

After watching her fight for agency and survival, viewers deserved to witness her final chapter.

The show simply mentioned her passing without ceremony or proper acknowledgment of her impact.

Judith represented women’s struggle for education and autonomy in restrictive societies.

Her story deserved an on-screen conclusion that honored her courage and the barriers she broke throughout the series.