14 Characters Who Managed to Defy Death

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Some of your favorite shows could have turned out a lot differently.

It's more and more common to see key characters get killed off of their shows, but we have a list of characters who managed to stick around despite the initial plans.

For many of them, it was the actor's charm or the fan's reaction that convinced the writer's to change their stories.

See below for 14 characters who were originally supposed to die, and let us know which one surprises you the most!

 

1. Jack Shephard (Lost)

Believe it or not, Jack Shephard was originally supposed to die during pilot episode as a way to let the audience know that anything could happen on Lost.

2. Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

Who ever thought we'd be greatful for the writer's strike? Turns out, Jesse Pinkman was originally supposed to be killed off on Breaking Bad Season 1 Episode 9, but thanks to the strike, the first season ended after seven episodes.

3. Klaus Mikaelson (The Vampire Diaries)

Klaus Mikaelson was actually supposed to die at the end of The Vampire Diaries Season 3, but his fate changed pretty drastically. Julie Plec said in an interview that Joseph Morgan was just so good, that they couldn't be finished with him that easily. Instead, he got his own spin-off.

4. Carol (The Walking Dead)

Oh man, this would have changed things. Originally, Carol was supposed to die during The Walking Dead Season 3 after zombies attacked the prison. Now in Season 7, she's still around and more awesome than ever.

5. Boyd Crowder (Justified)

Originally, Boyd Chowder was supposed to die on Justified Season 1 Episode 1 after being shot, but test audiences liked him so much that he eventually became a series regular.

6. Jasper (The 100)

Jasper was actually supposed to die on the pilot episode of The 100 when a spear pierced him in the chest. But everyone liked him so much that the writers decided his character should live.

7. Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Can you imagine?! At first, the plan for Spike was to kill him off as early as Season 2. It's a good thing he stuck around, because the show's ending would have been very different without him!

8. Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

This one is even more of a shocker. Apparently, Angel was supposed to stay dead after Buffy killed him in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, but was instead resurrected in Season 3 thanks to a combination of a stellar performance by David Boreanaz and fans who loved him. Then he even got his own spin-off (much like another vampire on this list...)

9. Harry Crane (Mad Men)

You know those opening credits of Mad Men with the man falling out the window? Yeah, that was originally supposed to be Harry Crane. The plan was for him to committ suicide in Season 1, but that quickly changed, and he stuck around.

10. Carol Hathaway (ER)

This one really would have changed things, too. When Carol attempted suicide in the pilot episode, she was originally supposed to die. Instead, she became an important part of the iconic series.

11. Lafayette (True Blood)

In the books created by Charlaine Harris, Lafayette actually dies by the end of the first novel, Dead Until Dark. But in True Blood, he manages to have a much better fate, and lives until the end of the series.

12. Castiel (Supernatural)

Castiel was only supposed to be around for a few episodes, and was apparently supposed to be killed off halfway through Supernatural Season 4. But fans loved the character so much that he was instead promoted to series regular.

13. Mark Rollins (Orphan Black)

Orphan Black's Mark Rollins wasn't supposed to stick around long, either. In fact, when he was originally introduced, the plan was for his character to appear in only six episodes, and then to be killed off. The decision to change that plan and keep him on was a pretty big surprise.

14. Karl 'Helo' Agathon

Yet another character who was originally set to be killed in the pilot episode, Karl "Helo" Agathon from Battlestar Galactica ended up sticking around for the long haul. This was due in large part to a great performance by Tahmoh Penikett.

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