The death of a villain in a TV show is usually a triumphant affair. Whether it ends a season, story arc, or simply an episode, it means the threat to the hero or heroes is no more and some measure of justice has been granted. It also often means things have been put right; however, not always.
One benefit of television as a medium is how it has more time than films to establish its villains, their backstories, and their motivations. As such, a lot of villains on the small screen are somewhat more justifiable or understandable, and their deaths are more tragic as a result. There are even some villains' deaths fans mourn almost as much as when a beloved hero dies.
7 Renly Baratheon Is One Of The More Reasonable Kings
Many of Game of Thrones' characters don't fit squarely into 'good' or 'evil,' but there's no denying Renly Baratheon is an unscrupulous and antagonistic figure. One of the claimants in the War of the Five Kings, he plunges the nation into chaos solely for the chance to obtain power, rather than any lawful claim to the throne, and he's even prepared to kill his own brother for it.
Renly isn't a good man, but he's one of the more affable and reasonable of the Five Kings. One of his last acts is to agree to an alliance with the protagonistic Stark household. Even with his less positive traits, many fans were sad to see him die in such a horrific way: being stabbed by a shadow assassin. As a result, his reign ended before it could even begin.
6 Mike Ehrmentraut Dies For No Reason
As a huge number of its storylines are about criminals fighting with one another, Breaking Bad has a great many villains. They're a diverse group, with some being more likable and honorable than others, but they're villains nonetheless. Mike Ehrmentraut is one of the most sympathetic. He's an unscrupulous mercenary who gets involved with several dangerous figures.
Despite being a killer and his involvement with drug empires, Mike earns fan sympathy for being amusing, professional, and a devoted grandfather. His death is a result of his decision to leave the criminal world for his granddaughter's sake, and he gets into an argument with Walter White. After he delivers a stinging insult, Walter murders him in a fit of rage, making Mike's death one of the most pointless and petty in the series.
5 Stringer Bell Loses His Chance To Go Straight
Although a criminal and villain, Stringer Bell is one of the most likable and charming characters in The Wire. An intelligent and ambitious criminal, he has a number of redeeming qualities as he schemes across three seasons, and is one of the best villains the main characters go up against.
There's no doubt Bell needs to be brought to justice, but throughout the show's third season, there's the tantalizing plot thread of him attempting to become a legitimate businessman and lead an honest life. This crumbles alongside his criminal enterprise, and Bell is ultimately hunted down and cornered before his former allies callously kill him.
4 Lilah Morgan Takes A Turn For The Better
Throughout the early seasons of Angel, the lawyers at Wolfram and Hart are the most regular foes of Angel Investigations, and Lilah Morgan is one of the longest-lasting. Cunning, manipulative, and fairly ruthless, Lilah is determined to get ahead and prepared to accept a high level of villainy to do so.
She shows a more sympathetic side in several episodes and begins to soften in season 4 when she develops a relationship with Wesley. However, before she can make good on her redemption, she's murdered by the Jasmine-possessed Cordelia, leaving her soul damned to Wolfram and Hart forever.
3 The Master's Loss Is Always A Blow To The Doctor
The Master is one of the most iconic antagonists of Doctor Who, and one of the characters with the best claim to being the Doctor's nemesis. They've done terrible things across various incarnations, have endless blood on their hands, and are a thorn in the Doctor's side. Despite this, their deaths often have an element of poignancy to them.
For one, they're the victim of circumstance, being driven to their worst behavior by the endless drumming put in their head by the Time Lords as a child. For another, they're one of the few links the Doctor has to home, and there's always the faintest glimmer of their rehabilitation and redemption – which is cruelly cut off every time they die.
2 Karli Morgenthau Wants To Fight For A Good Cause
Karli Morgenthau is one of the many villains in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She's a superpowered young woman who eventually becomes the leader of the Flag Smashers terrorist group. Karli's aims are sympathetic; she fundamentally wants to create a more equal world in light of the inequality caused by the Blip. However, her actions quickly mark her as villainous and ultimately shock the other Flag Smashers.
The show's finale centers on stopping Karli, but it's clear Sam Wilson doesn't want her dead. Instead, Sharon Carter shoots her several times, leaving Sam to hold her as she bleeds out. He later admits he agrees with her motivations, if not her deeds, and demands that world leaders do the right thing in line with her wishes.
1 Billy Hargove Isn't Himself For His Worst Actions
There's no denying Billy Hargrove of Stranger Things is an unpleasant person. From his very introduction, he sets about bullying his stepsister, Max, putting Steve Harrington in his place, and is even racist towards Lucas Sinclair. As unpleasant as these actions are, it's not until season 3 he commits his worst deeds.
In season 3, the Mind Flayer possesses Billy and forces him to do its bidding. As such, it's under the influence of another being that Billy commits his worst actions, such as kidnapping others so the Mind Flayer can kill them. In his last moments, Billy refuses to kill his stepsister and sacrifices his life to keep her alive. While he isn't a particularly good person, nothing he does under his own steam deserves the death he received.