Fear the Walking Dead: The show's most shocking and emotional deaths

As season six starts on AMC in the UK, we look back at the show’s most dramatic, heartbreaking and emotional character exits.

By Alex Fletcher Published: 9 April 2021 - 3.47pm

Drama AMC Fear the Walking Dead

The only thing you can be sure of in Fear the Walking Dead is that nobody is ever truly safe.

The show has killed off leading characters in every season, breaking viewers' hearts and leaving our collective jaws on the floor.

Whether you’re a hero, a villain, on land or at sea, there is no safe haven in Fear the Walking Dead. Here is our list of the most shocking deaths in the series so far.

Watch Fear the Walking Dead season 6 on Mondays at 9pm on AMC - exclusive to BT.

Exclusive: Danay Garcia on Fear's 'wild and crazy' season 6

1. Artie

An early warning shot that nobody was safe on this show came when Madison’s boss, the lovable headteacher Artie, became one of the first victims of the outbreak.

In only a couple of episodes we’d warmed to the teacher, so having Madison bash him over the head with a fire extinguisher was a sign of what was to come.

2. Liza Ortiz

The first major character to exit the series was Travis’s first wife and the mother of Chris, who got bitten during the great escape to Strand’s boat in the season one finale.

She didn’t want to turn and inflict pain on Chris, so she forced Travis to pull the trigger on her. Her decision would hang over season two as her death divided Travis and Chris to the very end.

3. Chris Manawa

The sulky teen wasn’t happy before the apocalypse and things only got worse after the season one finale, when he discovered that his dad had shot his mum to stop her turning.

His fraught relationship with Travis was eventually pulled apart when Chris had his head turned by a gang of idiotic frat boys. But the lads had no true loyalty to Chris and after a car accident, they pulled the trigger on the teenager.

4. Travis Manawa

Honourable, brave and wise, Travis had been the heart and moral centre for the survivors in the first two seasons. He’d also shown that he had the strength and fighting skills to take on nearly any amount of infected.

His recklessness following the death of Chris would probably have caught up with him eventually, but in the end, he was actually the unfortunate victim of the Nation and Broke Jaw Ranch wars.

Literally caught in the crossfire between the two groups, his final act of honour was to leap from a helicopter so that he wouldn’t pose a danger to Alicia.

5. Jake Otto

Jake was far too wise, far too moral and far too reasonable to survive in Fear the Walking Dead.

His luck ran out when he finally cracked with his psychotic brother Troy. Confronting him on a clifftop, Jake came off worst after Nick stepped in to help Troy.

Jake’s final moments included being bitten, having his arm chopped off and being murdered again by his brother. Brutal.

6. Nick Clark

We're not sure we'll ever get over this one. Frank Dillane decided that he wanted to leave the show during season 3, but his exit was kept under wraps and our jaws hit the floor when he met a heartbreaking end in the episode, Good Out Here.

Nick got the revenge he wanted on Vulture Ennis with a brutal murder, but it came at the cost of his own life.

Shot by young Vulture Charlie, Nick slowly drifted from the world clutching his blue bonnets. His death left Alicia as the last remaining Clark family member on the show.

7. Madison Clark

Imagine if they'd killed off Rick Grimes halfway through season 4 of The Walking Dead. It would have been quite the twist right? That's pretty much what Fear the Walking Dead delivered to viewers as they killed off Madison Clark in gut-wrenching fashion.

It was presumed by fans that Kim Dickens was in the show for the long haul, but Madison ended up sacrificing herself to save the rest of the survivors in the season 4 mid-season finale.

Her death was off camera, so some fans retain hope that Dickens could be persuauded to return, but the further the story moves on, the more unlikely a shock comeback becomes.

8. Troy Otto

Daniel Sharman established himself as a fan favourite on the show, playing the twisted and violent Troy Otto.

A troubled young man, he established unusual bonds with Madison and Nick Clark, who appeared to recognise a softer human side hidden underneath his disturbing actions.

However, he eventually pushed Madison too far and was killed off with a hammer blow to the head in the season 3 finale.

9. Jim Brauer

Jim, played by Aaron Stanford, only appeared for a short time on the show, but made a powerful connection with characters and viewers alike.

The brewing expert wasn't the most talented at fighting walkers, but his final act showed his bravey and honour as he sacrificed himself, jumping from a rooftop, to help give the rest of the group time to escape. He also shared his top secret beer recipe, which is what we'd all want and need in the middle of an apocalypse.

10. Emile LaRoux

The bounty hunter looked like he would be a menacing new big bad for season six, but he quickly met his demise at the hands of a rejuvenated Morgan Jones (Lennie James).

He may have only lasted one episode, but with his hefty weapon and pet dog Rufus handed on to Morgan, his impact is likely to last for a long while on the show.