Joyce Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
For all Buffy’s supernatural deaths, perhaps the most painful one was a result of natural causes. After her mother Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) suffered a brain aneurysm, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) came home to find her lying lifeless on the sofa. Creator Joss Whedon perfectly captured the unique agony of a child losing their tether to reality. It was one of the only times that Buffy’s superhuman powers couldn’t help her get out of a situation.
Teri Bauer from 24
Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) high-stakes job made it fairly obvious that his loved ones would be targeted for leverage. Although Teri (Leslie Hope) almost survived Day 1—nearly in better shape than her husband—CTU mole Nina kidnapped her and then unloaded a bullet in her stomach. 11:54 p.m. proved that the good guys don’t always come out on top... at least, not without some serious sacrifices.
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