Fred Burkle from Angel
Of all the characters created and destroyed by Joss Whedon, Fred's (Amy Acker) arc was particularly depressing. Fred spent years in the hell dimension enslaved by demons until she was rescued and regained her independence on Angel, the Buffy spin-off. Fred’s depressing past was only made harder to witness her plight. Illyria the demon not only killed Fred, but also possessed her body, destroying her soul—and a peaceful eternity—along with it.
Claire Kincaid from Law & Order
Law & Order so rarely offered a glimpse into the interior lives of its main characters that people learned when they needed to pay attention. When caustic detective and recovering alcoholic Lennie Briscoe (Joe Orbach) fell off the wagon and called upon beloved ADA Claire (Jill Hennessy), viewers believed he would be the one meeting his demise. However, they were shocked to instead watch Claire become the victim of a drunk driving accident while Lennie, inebriated, walked away without a scratch.
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