Character deaths on TV can have lasting impact on beloved series longevity.

Nothing pulls the rug out from a great show like killing off a fan favorite character. Done right, that kind of death can become one of a show's defining moments — a tragic but memorable twist that fans talk about for decades. But done wrong, a single bad character exit on TV can undo years of goodwill, turning previously beloved series into, "Well, it's pretty good, but..."

5 Character Deaths That Ruined Beloved TV Shows

We've all been there: seasons deep into a series that just won't take its hooks out until that one 'gotcha' moment arrives and whisks a core cast member off to the great beyond. Sometimes the problem is a writers room that can't quite fill the gap left by a fan favorite. Other times, it's the nature of the death itself — too random, out of nowhere, or cutting off a more interesting storyline that now, suddenly, will never get resolved. Even when shows manage to recover from these sorts of character deaths, they often morph into something new, losing original fans in the process.

• 1. Tara Maclay (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
• 2. Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead)
• 3. Debra Morgan (Dexter)
• 4. Anya Jenkins (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
• 5. Joyce Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)