From Benji to Officer Cody: Every single major death in YOU, ranked by sheer brutality

People watch Netflix’s YOU for a number of reasons: A thirst for Penn Badgley left over from his Gossip Girl era, a general love of books and literature, Love Quinn, and, of course, the graphically depicted deaths.

Throughout YOU’s five seasons, there were a grand total of 32 deaths at the hands of Joe Goldberg, Love Quinn, and a few other people who had some murders hiding in the closet. For reference, Joe killed 22 people, and Love killed five, and here they are in all their unhinged glory, ranked.

22. Love Quinn – poisoned with wolfsbane

Was Love Quinn’s demise utterly brutal and poetic at the same time? For sure. Is putting her last on this list a desperate act of rebellion? Undoubtedly. Enough said, moving on.

21. Peach – shot by Joe Goldberg

We all knew Peach was going to meet her demise when she clocked Joe’s scheming and stalking, but the eventual payoff was a huge anticlimax. Just as Peach is going to get the killing blow, the camera moves away as the sound of a gunshot explodes and confirms her death. We didn’t get to see it, hence why it’s low down on this list.

Still iconic, though.

20. The Eat the Rich killings

Throughout much of season four, Joe is attempting to get to the bottom of the eat the rich killings, with him believing the culprit is politician Rhys Monstrose. Shocker, it was actually him the whole time, so we didn’t get to see the murders of Malcolm Harding, Simon Soo, and Gemma Graham-Greene.

19. Forty got shot in the back

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They should have had Love killing her brother in defence of Joe, because Forty being shot in the back was a pitiful end to a pretty standout character. It wasn’t brutal, just sad.

18. Henderson’s death was a huge letdown

If there was one YOU character who deserved a graphically brutal death, it was Hollywood sleazeball Henderson. He bled out after being thrown down the stairs by Joe – boring!

17. Beck – strangled by Joe off-screen

Season one of YOU was the show at its best, and while the final confrontation between Joe and Beck was everything we could have hoped for, the actual deed happened off camera following an intense chase scene through Mooney’s basement.

16. Natalie was also killed off-screen

In season three, Love Quinn kills Natalie out of jealousy in a brutal axe murder we didn’t actually get to see. I get it, though, I too would be that possessive over Penn Badgley.

15. Elijah got pushed off a ledge in a flashback

Though the sound of him hitting the concrete haunted my dreams for days, Elijah’s killing was the most mundane of murder techniques: Gravity.

14. Reagan was poisoned by her sister

Though we don’t get to see the satisfying moment Reagan meets her end at the hands of her twin, the fact that it was her sister means it deserves a higher placement on this list. Maddie stroking Reagan’s hair afterwards was the cherry on top.

13. Benji died from anaphylaxis

Though not particularly graphic, being killed by the one thing you’ve spent your life avoiding is low-key quite brutal.

12. Dane was stabbed on the street

Poor misogynist Dane thought he had avoided the guillotine after Bronte released him, but soon enough, Joe was tracking him down to finish off the job. He got stabbed in the stomach, with Joe pushing the knife deeper and deeper as he held him upright.

11. Jasper was also stabbed, a favourite of Joe’s

Joe Goldberg loves a good knife as much as the next serial killer, and Jasper’s death in season two was nothing short of intense. Joe maintained eye contact the entire time before letting him thud to the floor.

10. Uncle Bob was a cowboy to the end

Strangling someone is one thing, but using your entire body weight to choke a guy with his own lasso is another thing entirely. I genuinely thought Bob’s head was about to pop off.

9. Officer Cody was the final death in YOU

Poor Officer Cody was just trying to do his job when a shirtless Joe Goldberg stabbed him in the neck with Bronte’s pink knuckle dusters. The hand over the mouth to stop him screaming was particularly chilling.

8. Say bye-bye to abuser Ron

Another satisfying end to an abuser, Ron’s death was particularly savage because it was done in full view of his step-son, Paco. Joe drove the knife upwards into Ron’s chin, an angle you don’t see every day so points for originality.

7. Sofia was killed assassin’s style

In a flashback featuring a young Forty being sexually abused by his babysitter, a teenage Love pulled Sofia’s head back to expose her neck. She then slashed across the babysitter’s throat with remarkable precision. This was technically Love’s first murder, but she pulled it off like a pro so Joe could take some notes.

6. Another throat-slashing courtesy of Love Quinn

Love’s favourite method of murder is undoubtedly a sharp object to the neck, and by Deliah’s murder in season two, she was an expert. It was quick, precise, and the cold expression on her face cemented Love as a fan favourite character.

5. Joe’s first girlfriend was killed by his wife

There’s something about a broken bottle in the neck that just sends chills down your spine. Sorry Candace, Love’s got you good.

4. Clayton’s murder was intense

When Bronte and her crew try to capture Joe in the heat of murder, he loses all composure and chokes Clayton out before giving his head one final crack on the fireplace for good measure. The look in his eyes was pure deranged madman and Joe at his best, sorry, worst.

3. Tom Lockwood got up close and personal with a plastic bag

Another satisfying death, Tom Lockwood was bound and, unfortunately, not gagged by Joe in season four. To kill off his wife’s father, Joe wrapped a plastic bag around his head, duct taped it, and then proceeded to watch him gasp for air until his body went limp.

2. Ryan literally had no chance

Ryan was not a majorly important character in YOU season three, and yet, his murder was one of the most brutal. After being pushed off a parking garage and somehow still drawing breath, Joe finished him off by stabbing him manically in the chest over and over.

1. Rhys’ death was quintessential Joe

If Love’s best friend were slashing a person’s throat, then Joe’s was undoubtedly strangulation. He did it almost too many times to count – but I did, and it’s seven – and Rhys Montrose’s death in season four was by far the best. The scene cut between his bulging eyes and struggling hands, and Joe maintained eye contact the entire time.

Personally, I would have loved Joe Goldberg’s death at number one, but unfortunately, he is still alive and kicking – for now.

Season five of YOU is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Featured image credit: Netflix