Top 10 Best TV Characters Introduced and Killed Off in the Third Season of the Show

By the time a show hits the third season, there has been ample struggle and development for the characters. There were already tremendous, groundbreaking plot devices and twists in the first and second seasons before these characters got a chance to shine.

But when they did get their chance in the third seasons, they made sure to leave a lasting impact.

Third seasons can be tricky. These are some make-or-break instances for shows, and these are some that shattered and exceeded expectations.

The Top Ten

  1. Dino Zerilli (The Sopranos)

    - Jackie Aprile Jr.'s buddy who helped him with multiple gigs.

    - He planned the botched card game robbery with Jackie Jr. and Carlo Renzi, with Matush as the getaway driver, leading to a shootout that left Dino gunned down on the street by Chris and Albert.

  2. Jorge Orozco / George Washington King / "The Skinner" (Dexter)

    - Skins his victims with a machete and leaves the bodies to be found in plain sight.

    - He killed his victims while searching for Freebo, who owed him for unpaid heroin. Freebo was previously killed by Dexter, and this drew George King to slay multiple victims in retaliation using his modus operandi.

    - He managed to successfully capture Dexter and tie him down, but in a life-and-death struggle, King had his neck snapped.

  3. Rinaldo Pazzi (Hannibal)

    - Inspector Pazzi comes close to Hannibal on a personal level in an attempt to capture him for Mason Verger.

    - Once Hannibal becomes aware of his intentions, he brutally and sadistically ties him down, silences him, and proceeds to slice open his insides and disembowel him. He then ruthlessly hangs him, allowing his intestines to spill out as he dangles from the balcony. His death is a terrifying homage to the death of his ancestor Francesco de' Pazzi, who was murdered the same way 500 years prior.

  4. William Cudney (Oz)

    Executed by Yuri Kosygin on orders from Ryan O'Reily for attempting to reveal Ryan's involvement in spiking the water used by boxing opponents with chloral hydrate.

    Two stab wounds are made to his neck, possibly by Kosygin's eyeglasses, showcasing the hitman's cold yet suave demeanor and ability to use any utensil to eliminate the target.

  5. Tommy Hisk (The Shield)

    - Set up a robbery that backfired when his ex-wife and son were killed by a dealer.

    - Frustrated and losing the will to live, Hisk locked himself in his car outside the police station and shot himself as Danny Sofer attempted to stop the suicide.

  6. Hank Foxx / Henry Renard (American Horror Story: Coven)

    Witch hunter hired by Marie Laveau to infiltrate the coven.

    Also Cordelia's husband with a dark secret, he goes on a kill spree that leaves many of Marie's crew dead.

    Queenie uses injury transference to shoot herself in the mouth and transfer the injury to Hank, which halts his killing spree as he topples down and dies from the wound.

  7. Alidar Jarok (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    - An admiral, Jarok crossed sides in order to prevent a war, but was given misinformation by Romulan Command.

    - Knowing there was no way to return and feeling all his sacrifices were in vain, he committed suicide by ingesting a felodesine chip.

  8. Crassus (Xena: Warrior Princess)

    - One of the three rulers of the Roman trio, the others being Caesar and Pompey.

    - After he is captured by Xena and is to be traded for the prisoner Vercinix of Gaul, Gabrielle stages a scuffle that sends Crassus to the center of the arena instead of Vercinix. Caesar is placed in a position where he has Crassus executed by beheading in order to appease the audience.

    - The decapitation of Crassus leads to the eventual clash between Pompey and Caesar, where both meet their demise.

  9. Ming T'ien (Xena: Warrior Princess)

    - Kidnapped by Xena at a young age, and his psyche was damaged as a result of the conflict between his kingdom and the pact between Borias and Xena.

    - A Ming dictator who was responsible for his mother's execution.

    - Killed by Xena with a hair brooch.

  10. Franklin Mott (True Blood)

    Tortured and tormented Tara.

    Gunned down and exploded by Jason Stackhouse with a shotgun loaded with wooden bullets provided by the Fellowship of the Sun.

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