High stakes, outnumbered, outgunned, and with little chance of survival, last stands in television are captivating and show incredible displays of courage, selflessness, and, above all, defiance towards the enemy. Unfortunately, some of the best last stands are also the last time viewers see their favorite characters as they go out in a blaze of glory, trying to save the people they love. These scenes are touching and unforgettable, making them some of the best episodes in a series.
From Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) doing the most metal last stand in Stranger Things to save Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) in the Upside Down, to Walter White (Bryan Cranston) leading a one-man charge against the white supremacists to save Jesse (Aaron Paul) in Breaking Bad, some characters leave it all on the small screen in one last act of bravery. And then there are characters like Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in Game of Thrones, a soldier who knows he is outnumbered in war but would rather fight than let a tyrant rule Winterfell; it is one of those special last stands where the good guy survives. In one final effort to do the right thing, here are some of the best and most epic last stands in television.
10
Opie Winston Taking Jax’s Place
‘Sons of Anarchy’ Season 5, Episode 3
After Donna (Sprague Grayden) is murdered, Opie Winston (Ryan Hurst) is never really the same. Once out of the motorcycle club, Sons of Anarchy Redwood, he dives headfirst into life once again. Eventually, he winds up back in prison alongside Jax (Charlie Hunnam), Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), and Tig (Kim Coates), all because they got into a violent confrontation with Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau), resulting in the murder of his daughter. As revenge, Pope makes a deal with a prison guard, setting up a pen where one of the Sons will be killed. It is up to Jax to decide who.
In season five, episode three of Sons of Anarchy, “Laying Pipe,” Jax is ready to be the person to go into the pen. Opie, his best friend and the guy who has been off the rails since Donna passed, won’t let him. So, he punches a guard and gets thrown into the pen. His last words were, “I got this.” Viewers watch as Opie is given nothing more than a pipe to defend himself against four other inmates. Savagely swinging and getting a few hits in, it isn’t long before Opie is hit in the back of the head and killed. This is one of the most heartbreaking last stands on television, as Opie wanted nothing more than to save his brothers, taking an impossible choice away from Jax and sacrificing himself.
Sons of Anarchy
- Seasons
-
7
- Release Date
-
September 8, 2008
- Story By
-
Kurt Sutter
- Streaming Service(s)
-
Hulu
9
Spartacus And His Army
‘Spartacus: War of the Damned’ Season 3, Episode 10
Many of the slaves and gladiators are free when fans go into the final season of Spartacus, Spartacus: War of the Damned. Under the leadership of Spartacus (Liam McIntyre), they have survived numerous battles against the likes of Gaius Claudius Glaber (Craig Parker), the cunning of Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay), and the horrors of the arena. It was only a matter of time before the final battle would occur, leaving numerous dead and others to be enslaved once more.
For those who didn’t know the history of the Thracian warrior Spartacus, a final episode title such as “Victory” might make it seem as though the rebels would survive. Sadly, that isn’t what happens. In a last stand against the army of Marcus Licinius Crassus (Simon Merrells), Spartacus and his fellow soldiers go into one final battle. It is bloody, violent, and viewers are not sure how anyone could come out alive. Then, there is Spartacus, fighting against Crassus above the battle. It looks like he might even come out on top, but when some of Crassus’ men come into the picture, all bets are off. Spartacus dedicated the latter part of his life to freeing the slaves from the Romans, something he died pursuing. It is one of those last stands that showcases not only bravery but also selflessness, as Spartacus doesn’t care where others come from, only that they have the right to a free life.
Spartacus
- Release Date
-
January 25, 2013
- Seasons
-
4
8
Sam Becoming Lucifer’s Vessel
‘Supernatural’ Season 5, Episode 22
There is never a dull moment in Supernatural. It follows the Winchester brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), as they travel the country in their black ‘67 Chevy Impala, hunting all different types of monsters, the family business. Little did they know that their adventures and hunts would lead them to a ridiculous showdown with none other than the Devil himself, Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino), and Michael (Jake Abel). Like most things in Supernatural, a battle between the two wasn’t enough; Sam has to be the vessel for Lucifer. The only thing is that if Sam does this, he will most likely lose himself. Being a stubborn Winchester, Sam agrees, thinking he can overpower Lucifer’s control and lock him back in the cage in Hell before he starts an apocalypse on Earth via a celestial battle. He can’t.
Lucifer quickly overpowers Sam, killing Bobby (Jim Beaver) and Castiel (Misha Collins) and beating his brother to a pulp. Dean tries his hardest to get through to his brother, but it is a little army man in the ashtray of the Impala that triggers Sam’s memories, bringing him back. With Sam in control of his body, he is able to grab Michael and throw him into the cage. Unfortunately, Sam goes into the cage, too, trapped in Hell with Lucifer still in his body. Sam’s last stand in “Swan Song” is one of the best and most heartbreaking scenes in the show. It showcases Sam’s love for his brother, the bond they’ve made through the old car, and doing whatever it took to ensure he would be safe.
- Release Date
-
September 13, 2005
- Seasons
-
15
7
Tess Helping Joel And Ellie Escape
‘The Last of Us’ Season 1, Episode 2
Based on the cinematic video game of the same name, in the post-apocalyptic television show The Last of Us, viewers are introduced to Smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) and his partner Tess (Anna Torv) early on. Their job is to transport Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to the Fireflies, a group that is trying to find a cure for the zombie issue the country is facing. Being immune to the infectious bite, it is believed Ellie is the key to a vaccine. Once the group takes off on their journey across the United States, it doesn’t take long for tragedy to strike.
The trio is attacked by the zombies and fights them off, making it to the Capitol Building, where they are supposed to meet the Fireflies. Unfortunately, they are all killed and will soon turn into the walking dead. That’s when Ellie realizes Tess has actually been bitten and will soon turn as well. But Tess isn’t going to go down without a fight. She tells Joel to complete the mission and get Ellie to safety. Knocking over barrels of petrol, Tess has her last stand against the zombie Fireflies, and she whips out a lighter, blows up the building, and kills herself and the infected, giving Ellie and Joel the time they need to get out. It is a brave last stand and one of the most horrifying scenes in the series, as viewers aren’t sure if Tess is going to get the lighter to the gasoline in time or if the zombies will get to her first.
- Release Date
-
January 15, 2023
- Creator
-
Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
- Cast
-
Pedro Pascal
, Bella Ramsey
, Anna Torv
, lamar johnson
, Jeffrey Pierce
, Keivonn Woodard
, John Getz
, Olivier Ross-Parent
, Samuel Hoeksema
, Gabriel Luna
, Merle Dandridge
, Nico Parker
, Melanie Lynskey
, John Hannah
, Josh Brener
, Christopher Heyerdahl
, Brad Leland
, Marcia Bennett
, Brendan Fletcher
, Jerry Wasserman
, Wendy Gorling
, Jessica Belbin
, Haysam Kadri
, Sarah Himadeh
, Caitlin Howden
, Max Montesi
, Natasha Mumba
, Gina Louise Phillips
, Taylor St. Pierre
, Ryan D. Clarke
, Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah
, Logan Pierce - Seasons
-
2
6
Kerr Avon Being Outnumbered
‘Blake’s 7’ Season 4, Episode 13
Throughout the sci-fi series Blake’s 7, viewers watch as Blake’s (Gareth Thomas) crew, including Kerr Avon (Paul Darrow), rebels against the forces of the totalitarian Terran Federation that rules over Earth and other planets. Aboard the alien spacecraft Liberator, Blake begins a campaign to bring down the Federation and to free those under their brainwashing rule. Seven against an entire Federation is never easy, though, and the crew is chased across the galaxy by Space Commander Travis (Stephen Greif and Brian Croucher) and Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce), someone who eventually becomes the president of the Federation.
In a final showdown between the seven and the Federation in the series final “Blake,” Avon watches as his fellow crew members die around him. Standing over Blake’s body, someone he thought betrayed him and surrounded by the enemy, Avon goes out in a blaze of fire. It is an old-school last stand, with the main character having one weapon and vastly outnumbered. He knows there is no backup and this is the end, but he’s not going to go down without a fight! For viewers, the ending was shocking and yet brilliant, showing a character who would rather die fighting for what he believed in rather than surrender.
Blake’s 7
- Release Date
-
January 2, 1978
- Cast
-
Michael Keating
, Paul Darrow
, Peter Tuddenham
, Jan Chappell
, Jacqueline Pearce
, Gareth Thomas
, Sally Knyvette
, Steven Pacey
, Josette Simon
, David Jackson
, Glynis Barber
, Stuart Fell
, Brian Croucher
, James Muir - Main Genre
-
Sci-Fi
- Seasons
-
4
5
Bodie Broadus Holding His Territory
‘The Wire’ Season 4, Episode 13
Taking place in Baltimore, The Wire takes a look at the narcotics scene in the city through the eyes of not only law enforcement but also drug dealers and users. Bodie Broadus (J.D. Williams) is a low-level dealer who works under D’Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.) within Avon Barksdale’s (Wood Harris) drug empire. While he is a minor character when he’s first introduced, viewers see Bodie run his own corner and crew. Things go sideways, though, when Monk (Kwame Patterson), a lieutenant in the Stanfield organization, sees Bodie get into Detective McNulty’s (Dominic West) car. It doesn’t take long for Monk to tell his boss, Marlo (Jamie Hector), who orders Bodie’s death.
Knowing an ambush is coming, Bodie takes a last stand, deciding he isn’t going to leave his corner and is instead going to hold his ground. While he is focused on two of Marlo’s enforcers, another comes up behind Bodie and shoots him twice. Bodie goes out in a strangely heroic way, standing his ground and unwilling to bow down to another crime organization. It was a strange, warped sense of pride as Bodie really could have fled. Instead, viewers watch a fan-favorite character take on enforcers, knowing he most likely won’t make it out alive. The Wire is one of the best crime shows around, notably because of the character arcs and what they achieve throughout the series.
- Release Date
-
June 2, 2002
- Seasons
-
5
4
The Battle Of The Bastards
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 9
Game of Thrones is no stranger to battles. It is one of the main themes in the series – war. With families fighting over the Iron Throne and the fate of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros at stake, many people are vying for the crown. However, there is one battle that stands above most; one that took place in the Northern region of Westeros in Winterfell, a place that was once reigned over by the House Stark but is under siege by House Bolton, namely, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). And it is on the lands of Winterfell where Jon Snow makes his last stand against Bolton in The Battle of the Bastards.
Severely outnumbered with only the Stark army against Bolton’s legion, Snow charges and begins the battle when his younger brother, Rickon (Art Parkinson), is shot in the back by an arrow. The battle is swift, and Snow is almost trampled to death, with a wall of bodies surrounding him. It looks like all hope is lost, and Snow gets back on his feet to try and kill as many of Bolton’s men as possible. He is bloodied, bruised, and swinging his sword with everything in him. That’s when Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Littlefoot (Aidan Gillen) arrive with reinforcements, the Knights of the Vale. Against all odds, Snow is able to reclaim Winterfell for House Stark. He might not have died in the last stand, but The Battle of the Bastards could have been the last time Game of Thrones fans saw the character. He was going to win the battle or die trying.
- Release Date
-
April 17, 2011
- Cast
-
Kit Harington
, Isaac Hempstead Wright
, Iain Glen
, Peter Dinklage
, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
, Emilia Clarke
, Maisie Williams
, Sophie Turner
, John Bradley
, Lena Headey
, Liam Cunningham
, Aidan Gillen
, Alfie Allen
, Conleth Hill
, Rory McCann
, Jerome Flynn
, Jacob Anderson
, Kristofer Hivju
, Gwendoline Christie
, Nathalie Emmanuel
, Carice Van Houten
, Natalie Dormer
, Stephen Dillane
, Charles Dance
, Charlotte Hope
, Michelle Fairley
, Jack Gleeson
, Richard Madden
, Hannah Murray
, Sibel Kekilli
, Julian Glover
, Brenock O’Connor
, Rose Leslie
, Michael McElhatton - Main Genre
-
Drama
- Seasons
-
8
3
Walter White Taking On White Supremacists
‘Breaking Bad’ Season 5, Episode 16
Each season brought new threats to Walter White’s drug empire, including a white supremacist group led by Jack Welker (Michael Bowen). This is a violent and formidable group, a far cry from the likes of Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) sophistication or the unhinged “getting high on your own supply” character of Tuco (Raymond Cruz). While they start off as Walt’s adversaries, he eventually contracts them to kidnap and kill Jesse, his former partner. With a nationwide manhunt and his cancer back in full swing, Walt decides to go out swinging after he realizes Jesse is still alive.
Hading to Jack’s compound, Walt straps a machine gun into the trunk of his car, something he can shoot off remotely. Asking to see Jesse, the person he’d paid to have murdered, Walt tackles him before shooting off the gun, killing all the Neo-Nazis and saving Jesse. Since he used his body as a human shield, Walt is wounded and winds up dying. It’s a full-circle moment for viewers, as Walt was destined to die early on with his cancer, only to watch him build a drug empire that is just as likely to kill him as any fatal disease. It is also an incredible last stand because, while he and Jesse have had their fair share of ups and downs, he still risks it all to ensure the younger man, one of the most tragic characters on television, comes out alive.
- Release Date
-
January 20, 2008
- Cast
-
Bryan Cranston
, Aaron Paul
, Dean Norris
, Betsy Brandt
, Anna Gunn
, RJ Mitte
, Bob Odenkirk
, Jonathan Banks
, Giancarlo Esposito
, Steven Michael Quezada
, Charles Baker
, Christopher Cousins
, Matt Jones
, Michael Shamus Wiles
, Lavell Crawford
, Jesse Plemons
, Ray Campbell
, Tina Parker
, Carmen Serano
, Emily Rios
, Krysten Ritter
, Laura Fraser
, Jeremiah Bitsui
, Mark Margolis
, Ian Posada
, David House
, David Costabile
, michael bowen
, Kevin Rankin
, Aaron Hill
, Harry Groener
, Patrick Sane
, Daniel Moncada
, Luis Moncada
, Marius Stan
, Bill Burr
, Todd Terry
, Jessica Hecht
, Tait Fletcher
, Rodney Rush
, Kaija Roze Bales
, Matt Metzler
, John de Lancie
, Tom Kiesche
, Jere Burns
, Maurice Compte
, Morse Bicknell
, Nigel Gibbs
, Tess Harper
, Raymond Cruz
, Max Arciniega
, Cesar Garcia
, Jesus Jr.
, Michael Bofshever
, Julie Dretzin
, Mike Seal
, Christopher Dempsey
, Javier Grajeda
, Mike Batayeh
, Chris Freihofer
, Louis Ferreira
, Gonzalo Menendez
, Jason Douglas
, Adam Godley - Seasons
-
5
2
Hodor Holding White Walkers Back
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 5
Beyond the wall in Game of Thrones, Meera (Ellie Kendrick), Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), and Hodor (Kristian Nairn) are on a quest to find the Three-Eyed Raven. They eventually find the raven in a cave, and Bran dives into visions of the past where he sees a young Hodor (Sam Coleman), someone named Wyllis, with full speech and communication. As it goes beyond the wall, the cave is eventually overrun with White Walkers and wights, and it looks like it is the end for the trio. Somehow, they make it to a passageway with a door, and this is where Hodor makes what is arguably the saddest last stand on television.
Meera shouts at Hodor to “hold the door,” keeping the wights at bay while, in the past, Wyllis collapses and slurs “hold the door” into “Hodor.” The wights eventually tear through the door, killing Hodor while Bran and Meera escape. A friendly giant, Hodor didn’t even pause when Meera asked him to hold the door, only wanting to do what he could in order to save his friends. It was a selfless act and a TV death that made many viewers cry, especially when the backstory of his speech was explained.
1
Eddie Munson Sacrificing Himself
‘Stranger Things’ Season 4, Episode 9
Eddie is introduced to Stranger Things fans in the fourth season of the series. He is a member of the Hellfire Club, an avid D&D player, Metallica lover, and accused of murder (which he didn’t commit). He soon finds himself in league with the rest of the crew that knows about the Upside Down, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), and all of the horrors that come with that knowledge. He also has a soft spot for Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), a freshman in high school and one of the kids who have known about the Upside Down ever since Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) came into their lives.
A guy who is considered an outsider and a coward, hiding when things get messy, Eddie winds up in one of the most epic last stands ever. After the group figures out, music is one of the ways to distract Vecna’s monsters, and Vecan himself, Eddie, and Dustin put on one of the raddest shows in the Upside Down, playing electric guitars and using the power of heavy metal; Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” to distracts demobats while the others go after Vecna. It works until it doesn’t. In order to save Dustin and his friends from the demobats, Eddie sacrifices himself, luring them away from the gate opening to the real world. He is eventually swarmed and killed. It is a sad moment and one that fans were not ready for. After all of his trials and tribulations in life, being thought of as a weirdo, outsider, and cult leader, Eddie does one last act of bravery, saving everyone he cares about.
Stranger Things
- Release Date
-
July 15, 2016
- Finale Year
-
November 30, 2024
- Cast
-
Finn Wolfhard
, Joe Keery
, Jamie Campbell Bower
, Brett Gelman
, Caleb McLaughlin
, Maya Hawke
, David Harbour
, Matthew Modine
, Priah Ferguson
, Gaten Matarazzo
, Winona Ryder
, Charlie Heaton
, Sadie Sink
, Millie Bobby Brown
, Joseph Quinn
, Dacre Montgomery
, Natalia Dyer
, Noah Schnapp - Seasons
-
4
