TV Romance
The 23 Most Tragic TV Couples, Ranked
Not every TV love story gets a happy ending. While we all hope our favorite pairs ride off into the sunset together, sometimes the TV universe wants us to weep.
Over the years, there have been countless devastating love stories that we’ve watched unfold across shows like Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, Lessons in Chemistry, Power, and most recently, We Were Liars. Just because two characters are soulmates doesn’t automatically guarantee their endgame status.
Given the heartbreaking fate of Cadence and Gat’s relationship on We Were Liars, Swooon decided to take a look back at other tragic TV couples. When it comes to these couples, we’re still mourning what could have been. But in the words of the great Vision: What is grief if not love persevering? So, if you’re looking for a summer binge or just need a good cry, scroll down to see our ranking of the most tragic pairs on TV.
23. Charlie & Claire, Lost
Many tragic love stories came out of the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815; however, if you ask us, Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) and Claire (Emilie de Ravin) had the most devastating end by far. When Claire gave birth on the island, Charlie stepped up to unconditionally protect both Claire and her son, Aaron, an action which gave his life meaning in a way he hadn’t previously known existed. While many argue that their relationship was a little one-sided, Charlie sacrificing himself to save Claire and the rest of the islanders still brings us to tears. Love them or not, the world hasn’t looked at peanut butter the same way since. — Rebecca Perlmutter
22. Cadence & Gat, We Were Liars
One of the most recent additions to our list is the love story between Cadence (Emily Alyn Lind) and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) in We Were Liars. Sure, young love rarely lasts, but these Liars deserved more of a shot at happily ever after than they got. During the Season 1 finale, Cadence learned that she had spent the entire summer with the ghost of Gat, who died alongside her two cousins in a fire they started the previous summer. This meant that Cadence didn’t just lose her love; she will spend the rest of her life holding herself responsible for his untimely death. — Rebecca Perlmutter
21. Kitty & Robert, Brothers & Sisters
Ugh, McKitty forever. The Season 4 car crash scene in the Brothers & Sisters finale was riveting television. One by one, you learned which members of the family were okay after a multi-car pile-up. When there was only Kitty (Calista Flockhart) and Robert (Rob Lowe) left, it spelled doom. The way Kitty clutched Justin (Dave Annable) and muttered, “I think he’s really hurt,” was downright chilling. Kitty was forced to watch the man she loved die right in front of her eyes, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do. Kitty Walker suffered so much. Robert’s death came after he survived a heart attack while their surrogate mother was giving birth. The universe didn’t want Kitty and Robert to be happy. — Avery Thompson
20. Lincoln & Octavia, The 100
I’ll probably get some grief for not including Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) on this list, but Lincoln (Ricky Whittle) and Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) had by far the more tragic love story. They were the show’s ultimate star-crossed lovers. After everything they had been through, Lincoln and Octavia deserved to be together. Just before Lincoln was executed in The 100 Season 3, he whispered, “May we meet again.” Octavia watched Lincoln die in front of her eyes, and it felt like both of them had perished. Octavia was never the same after that. — Avery Thompson
19. Ryan & Marissa, The O.C.
Ryan (Ben McKenzie) carrying Marissa (Mischa Barton) out of a burning car with Imogen Heap’s cover of “Hallelujah” playing in the background on The O.C. will truly go down in television history.
Marissa became extremely troubled during Season 3, and her behavior was only worsened by her relationship with Volchok (Cam Gigandet). Just when Ryan thought he got her away from the bad boy, tragedy struck. Volchok drove their car off the road, ultimately leading to Marissa’s dying in Ryan’s arms.
18. Regina & Robin Hood, Once Upon a Time
If Snow White’s Evil Queen and Robin Hood don’t scream tragic romance to you, surely you haven’t seen Once Upon a Time. Regina Mills (Lana Parrilla) and Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) began dating at a time when Robin believed that his wife, Marian (Christie Laing), was dead. Unfortunately for Regina, her sister Zelena (Rebecca Mader) impersonated Marian, leading Robin to leave town with the woman he believes is his wife. Even worse, Robin and Marian/Zelena quickly got pregnant. Regina and Robin briefly got back together after that heartbreaking storyline; however, Robin was killed by Hades (Greg Germann) soon after. Boy, Once Upon A Time was a wild ride. – Rebecca Perlmutter
17. Amy & Lino, From Scratch
A beautiful love story that ended in heartbreak. Amy (Zoe Saldaña) and Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea) fell in love, and they were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together. Life can be cruel sometimes. Lino died of cancer in the penultimate episode of From Scratch. Lino’s final moments with Amy were devastating and revelatory. Lino asked Amy where she thought he was going, and she was honest: “I don’t know, but I think it’s beautiful.” Even though their time in this life was cut short, Amy knew they would see each other again someday, “I look forward to our next time together,” she said. As Lino took his final breaths, Amy recalled a memory where Lino stood outside her place in the rain. He never gave up on her. “You waited for me,” Amy realized before Lino died in her arms. — Avery Thompson
16. Klaus & Dave, The Umbrella Academy
If we accidentally went back in time, got drafted in the Vietnam War, fell in love with a fellow soldier, and promptly watched him die in our arms, we’d be devastated, too. For Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan), the supernatural ability to see the dead had always been more of a curse than a blessing. Due to his struggle with addiction, Klaus was only able to conjure his lost love, Dave Katz (Cody Ray Thompson,) once, on a day that was immediately wiped from history. When it comes to which show found the most creative way to emotionally destroy their viewers, this heartbreaking The Umbrella Academy couple takes the cake. — Rebecca Perlmutter
15. Alaric & Jo, The Vampire Diaries
Yeah, The Vampire Diaries was pretty evil for this one. We were never the biggest fans of Alaric’s (Matthew Davis) character, but we still felt for him when his time with Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) was cut far too short. They fell in love quickly, but honestly, we don’t blame Alaric: Jo was a total badass. We really were rooting for the couple. But then, she was murdered by her own brother and died in Alaric’s arms at their wedding. And to make things even more tragic, she was pregnant with their twins. (They survived, as fans may recall, but still.) We’d have to be heartless if we didn’t shed a tear or two.
The franchise twisted the knife when they brought Jo back temporarily in the Legacies spinoff. Not only did Jo have an emotional reunion with Alaric – she was definitely the love of his life – but she also got to meet her twins for the first time. We can’t help but wish that Jo and Alaric got to parent their kids together. – Morgan Pryor
14. Logan & Veronica, Veronica Mars
How could you, Rob Thomas?! Logan (Jason Dohring) and Veronica (Kristen Bell) were lightning in a bottle. They weren’t supposed to fall in love. After all, Veronica was orginally with Duncan (Teddy Dunn), and Logan was with Lilly (Amanda Seyfried), Duncan’s sister and Veronica’s best friend. True love can’t be planned, though, and when these two finally acknowledged their feelings, there was no turning back. They endured a plethora of problems, but they were both healthy enough by the end of the Veronica Mars movie to finally be together. The fourth season of the show grabbed our hearts and stepped on them when Logan was killed in a car bomb just mere moments after marrying Veronica. Talk about “lives ruined, bloodshed.” (I’m still holding out hope that Logan faked his death. We never saw a body!) — Avery Thompson
13. Ted & Tracy, How I Met Your Mother
Turns out, nine seasons of seemingly endless heartbreak were worth the ride for Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor). Or, at least, it felt that way when he finally met Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti), the titular “Mother” in How I Met Your Mother. While Ted and Tracy had many years of married bliss together off-camera, the How I Met Your Mother writers’ biggest foible was giving viewers eight “wait for it” seasons before introducing Ted’s soulmate, only to reveal that she ws now dead. Even so, from her rendition of “La Vie en Rose” to her innate ability to get free pie, Tracy was Ted’s perfect match. For that reason, we bawl our eyes out at even the thought of their tragic end. – Rebecca Perlmutter
12. Bobby & Athena, 9-1-1
“If I could choose, I would stay with you always.” That was one of the most painful sentences from Bobby’s (Peter Krause) farewell to Athena (Angela Bassett) — they couldn’t even touch! — as he died when he was infected with a super-strain of CCHF (Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever). We saw every single stage of their relationship, from when they met to their first date to their engagement to the wedding. As they detailed when they almost died during their honeymoon, they were each other’s second chances, and they deserved to have a happy ending. These two fought but stayed together, solved crimes, and saved lives (including each other’s) together, and with that tragic death in Season 8, TV lost one of its most solid, passionate, and loving relationships. It’s hard to imagine how 9-1-1 recovers. — Meredith Jacobs
11. Elizabeth & Calvin, Lessons in Chemistry
In a science world filled with sexism and restrictions, Lessons in Chemistry‘s Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) found a connection with Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman), who recognized her brilliance and chose to support it rather than snuff it out. While their relationship kicked off slowly after she struggled to reveal that she’d experienced a near-rape by a former professor, Elizabeth fell easily for Calvin, who, despite his brilliance, was an outsider among his peers. Teaming up in the lab, their sweet love story was extinguished too soon after they moved in together, as Calvin got hit by a bus while walking their dog, Six-Thirty. As Elizabeth told a reporter at Calvin’s funeral, she “didn’t know him long enough,” and the tragedy of his demise was thrown into sharp contrast with her discovering she was pregnant weeks after the horrible event. – Meaghan Darwish
10. Jack & Ianto, Torchwood
Jack (John Barrowman) and Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd) never defined what they were — they started with flirting about the things they could do with a stopwatch, Jack continued to flirt with everything that moved, and whatever could have been between him and Gwen (Eve Myles) was constantly teased — but there was still plenty to love about their relationship as well as sweet moments. From Jack nervously asking Ianto out on a date after he returned from time away with the Doctor (David Tennant) to Ianto awkwardly cutting in on Jack and Gwen dancing during her wedding, there was a lot of back-and-forth on just what they meant to one another. But when Ianto died, infected by a fatal alien virus in Jack’s arms, he finally said, “I love you,” and worried about Jack forgetting him. The immortal man promised he wouldn’t before temporarily dying himself. Their romance was messy, and it was always going to end tragically, due to Jack’s immortality, but there was just something about it that made us hope for the happiness we knew there could never be for them. — Meredith Jacobs
9. Jamie & Dani, The Haunting of Bly Manor
Set in 1980s England, The Haunting of Bly Manor‘s love story between American au pair Dani (Victoria Pedretti) and the titular estate’s gardener Jamie (Amelia Eve) kicked off amid supernatural chaos as an old curse threatened the lives of those living on the property. After Dani, who had struggled after a broken engagement ended in her fiancé’s demise, finally admitted her feelings for Jamie, the hope for a normal relationship was extinguished when a bold move put Dani on a doomed path. In order to save the Wingrave children under her care, Dani sacrificed herself to the Lady in the Lake, allowing the wronged spirit to share her body, but years later, when that occupation turned dangerous for Jamie, Dani made the difficult decision to succumb to the lake, drowning in the depths. The final shot of an aged-up Jamie (played by Carla Gugino) sleeping in her hotel room for a Wingrave family wedding, featured Dani’s hand land on her shoulder, hinting that her spirit is never far. – Meaghan Darwish
8. Vision & Wanda, WandaVision
For Marvel fans, the arrival of WandaVision certainly delivered big questions, the main one being: How was Vision (Paul Bettany) alive? As Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) explained, he was born from the part of the Mind Stone that lived in her. After Vision was killed by Thanos (Josh Brolin), and his synthezoid remains were held captive by S.W.O.R.D., Wanda put a hex over Westview, a small town Vision had purchased a plot of land on for him and Wanda “to grow old in.” In her grief, Wanda created a home, a version of Vision, their children, and imposed her version of perfect familial life onto the community, which manifested in various TV sitcom filters. When Wanda had to face the reality that Vision, as she knew him, was gone and that she had to release Westview’s residents from her hex, it was a true examination of the stages of grief. – Meaghan Darwish
7. Finn & Rachel, Glee
After Cory Monteith died in 2013, we all knew this was coming on Glee, but nothing could’ve prepared viewers for just how heartbreaking it was.
Finn (Monteith) and Rachel (Lea Michele) weren’t together on the show at the time of Finn’s death, but Monteith and Michele were a couple in real-life, so every emotion she was conveying as Rachel was completely real. Creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that Finn and Rachel were supposed to be endgame, so their future being cut short by a real-life tragedy only made this more devastating. — Alyssa Norwin
6. Ghost & Angela, Power
Love them or hate them, Ghost (Omari Hardwick) and Angela’s (Lela Loren) romance was a tragedy. They first met as kids, but life pulled them in different directions until a chance encounter at Ghost’s club reunited them years later. This reunion ignited a passionate affair that neither of them could shake, despite Ghost being married with children. Just when it looked like these two were going to make it out of the chaos unscathed, Angela got a bullet to the chest out of nowhere, courtesy of Tommy (Joseph Sikora). The scream Ghost let out as he cradled Angela was just devastating. He knew his last chance at being with the woman he loved had slipped away. No matter how you feel about this couple, there’s no denying they were soulmates — hopefully they were reunited in the next life. — Avery Thompson
5. Will & Alicia, The Good Wife
This one is physically painful to think about. The world was shocked when Will Gardner (Josh Charles) was killed off in The Good Wife Season 5. No one saw it coming.
Will and Alicia (Julianna Margulies) met at Georgetown Law School, but the timing was off. Years later, Alicia joined Will’s firm as a junior associate. They had immaculate will-they-or-won’t-they-tension. Their elevator kiss in Season 2? Hottest in TV history. The love between them was abundantly clear, but there was that timing thing over and over. When Will died, Alicia was unmoored. And when she listened to Will’s last call to her, it was confirmation that their happy ending had been ripped from them forever: “I want what we had. I want to be with you and only you. Forever. Call me back, please.” Sob. — Avery Thompson
4. Glenn & Maggie, The Walking Dead
“I’ll find you.” Oh, this one hurts … again and again and again, because The Walking Dead: Dead City keeps reminding us of how Glenn (Steven Yeun) was brutally killed by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) — Will I ever be able to think of it without shuddering because of his eye?! — as his pregnant wife Maggie (Lauren Cohan) could only watch. (Is there even justice with Negan still kicking?) Their relationship started as a bright light amidst the doom and gloom of the show’s post-apocalyptic world, and we watched them refuse to give up on one another and find each other after being separated. (If only that wasn’t a finite promise.) Happy endings were few on this show, but if anyone deserved one, it was these two. Glenn never even got to meet his son! —Meredith Jacobs
3. Lexie & Mark, Grey's Anatomy
The age gap, relationship problems, other romances (including a confession of love with one of them right there), her being Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) younger sister … oh, Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Mark’s (Eric Dane) relationship had all the markings of a tragic romance before the plane crash that led to both their deaths. I’m still heartbroken by what could have been (if they had survived, it’s so easy to see how the crash could have led to them getting back together) and their goodbye (“meant to be“) as she died out there in the woods with him by her side. All the drama could have led to them being one of the show’s power couples and endgame, and instead, fans just have to live with the what ifs and their COVID beach returns. —Meredith Jacobs
2. Jack & Rebecca, This Is Us
The Pearsons of This Is Us are synonymous with family tragedy on TV, with patriarch and matriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) taking center stage. After witnessing their triplet birth experience in Season 1’s opener, we wept when they faced the reality that they’d go home without one of their kids, but were made even more emotional upon the revelation that they’d taken abandoned baby Randall in as one of their own, forming the Big 3. But the time-traversing nature of creator Dan Fogelman‘s storytelling quickly revealed that the Pearson family had lived many years without Jack, leaving his death as a hanging sword over us, Rebecca, and their kids. In the end, a fire put the patriarch in peril, filling his lungs with enough smoke to deliver a widowmaker heart attack. Rebecca’s reaction to seeing her husband’s lifeless body in the hospital is burned in our brains and still brings tears to our eyes. – Meaghan Darwish
1. Dex & Emma, One Day
The question of whether Netflix‘s adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel One Day made us cry or not can easily be answered with the stack of tear-soaked tissues that were our closest companion while tuning into Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter’s (Leo Woodall) love story, which unfolded across 14 episodes. After meeting at the end of their university experience, Emma and Dex dodged a one-night stand for a decades-long friendship filled with will-they-won’t-they vibes. When they finally gave in to their romantic feelings and considered next steps after marriage, their desire to have a baby was suddenly halted when Emma [Spoiler] was tragically killed while riding her bike. Her death left Dex in a depressive state, just like us. And while Emma’s memory lives on, the pain of her and Dex’s tragic romance endures in our hearts. – Meaghan Darwish
