10 Saddest Character Deaths On ER, Ranked

People die in hospitals all the time. The beloved medical drama "ER" never lets us forget this fact, depicting death on screen in a multitude of ways, from slow and peaceful to shocking and violent. Thousands of patients come through the hallowed halls of County General over the 15 seasons of "ER," many of whom are saved by the hardworking doctors and nurses. Others are not so lucky.

Of course, the County General staff members aren't immune to the ravages of illness and violence either. We learn this early on; in the pilot episode, nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) nearly overdoses on pills and becomes a patient herself. Carol's near-death experience (which was initially meant to be an actual death) precedes the passing of many other sad souls. We've said goodbye to main characters, their loved ones, and patients whose deaths are hard to shake.

If you're in the mood to take a morbid trip down memory lane, you're in the right place. Today, we're looking at the saddest deaths in "ER" history, many of which shocked us to the core. In a show filled with tear-jerking moments and plenty of tragedy, these are the losses that hurt the most.

Raul Melendez (Carlos Gómez) only appears in six episodes of "ER," but his death hits County General hard. Raul is a paramedic and the partner of Shep (Ron Eldard), Carol's boyfriend. In the Season 2 episode "The Healers," Raul and Shep are called to the scene of a fire and arrive before the firefighters. With children trapped in the burning building, Shep runs inside without any protective gear, and Raul follows. While Shep makes it out mostly unscathed, Raul arrives at the ER with burns covering most of his body.

Despite the many horrors they've seen in their jobs, everyone at the hospital is deeply affected by the fire and Raul's condition, in part because he's essentially their colleague. Carter (Emmy winner Noah Wyle) can't bear to look at Raul or cut into his charred skin. Raul knows his prognosis is bad, and he's scared to die. Carol tries to comfort him, but Shep is too afraid to go see his partner because he blames himself. Shep eventually visits Raul and cries by his side in a heartbreaking scene.

It's a really moving episode, and Raul's death is treated with great reverence. His passing affects Shep most of all, and it begins a downward spiral that leads to his breakup with Carol. Though we didn't know Raul that well, the heroism that led to his death and the horrifying nature of his burns create an emotional wallop.

Though not the saddest death in "ER" history, the demise of Dennis Gant (Omar Epps) is one of the most shocking. He's the first doctor to die on the show, hinting to viewers that no one is safe. Gant is a surgical intern working under Benton (Eriq La Salle), one of County General's toughest bosses. Benton is harder on Gant than anyone else, and Gant starts to crack under the pressure. Though he and Carter are initially friendly, Carter isn't able to support Gant in his time of need.

Gant's death occurs in the Season 3 episode "Night Shift" and its aptly named follow-up "Post Mortem." Benton and Carter work on a patient who was crushed by the L Train. Benton asks a nurse to page Gant, and the patient's pager goes off. In a shocking reveal, everyone in the room realizes that Gant is the patient — it's his pager that's beeping.

Gant's death is a huge blow to the hospital and a major surprise for viewers. Though he only seems shaken for a moment, it's clear Benton is taken aback. Carter, who tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve, feels guilty for Gant's death and regrets not being there for his friend. Though we don't know for sure, it's heavily implied that Gant died by suicide, and the pain and loneliness he must have felt is hard to swallow.

Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) is one of the most dynamic, capable characters on "ER," and it's hard to watch her struggle. After ending her relationship with Kim (Elizabeth Mitchell) and publicly coming out as a lesbian, Kerry finally gets a chance at happiness with her partner Sandy Lopez (Lisa Vidal), and together, they have a son named Henry. Unfortunately, Kerry's happiness doesn't last long. In Season 10, Sandy gets injured on a call, and her condition is critical. Kerry takes charge of her care, even though she probably shouldn't be involved, but Sandy dies from her injuries.

Kerry's reaction to Sandy's death is devastating. We rarely see Kerry waver, so watching her break down in front of Abby (Maura Tierney) pulls at our heartstrings. Sandy's death is made all the more painful for Kerry when you consider how isolated she is from her colleagues. Neither Elizabeth (Alex Kingston) nor Luka (Goran Višnjić) realize who Sandy is at first, and it's hard to imagine Kerry going through this alone.

Even worse, following Sandy's death, Kerry gets into a custody battle with Sandy's parents, who want Henry to live with them. After losing her partner, Kerry is forced into another hardship, fighting for ownership of her child. The only positive thing to come out of all this trauma is that it provides an amazing showcase for Laura Innes, who delivers a showstopping performance as a woman filled with grief, rage, and love.

The writing on "ER" is consistently great in every aspect, and that includes the show's depiction of children. The kid characters on "ER" have personality, agency, and a point of view that gets taken seriously. Case in point: Scotty Anspaugh (Trevor Morgan). Scotty is the son of Dr. Anspaugh (John Aylward), and we meet him when his cancer returns. He's not portrayed as an inspirational, wise-beyond-his-years child, but rather a normal kid who loves listening to Green Day and is angry and scared about dying. This makes his death in Season 4 all the more sad when it arrives.

In his final days, Scotty's closest relationship is with Jeanie (Gloria Reuben), whom Dr. Anspaugh asked to be Scotty's part-time caregiver. She and Scotty have a very sweet relationship, and as Doug (George Clooney) suggests, he seems to have a crush on her. One of the hardest scenes to watch is when Scotty finally admits he doesn't want further treatment, preferring death to any more unnecessary pain.

At Scotty's funeral, Jeanie honors him by singing "Good Riddance" by Green Day, rather than the hymn she had prepared, in a moving tribute to the young man. Scotty's storyline is a poignant demonstration of the underrated Gloria Reuben's talent, and Jeanie's respect and love for Scotty make his death hit even harder.

"Love's Labor Lost" is widely considered the greatest "ER" episode of all time, and the patient at its center is unforgettable. What begins as a normal day at County General, with doctors and nurses managing multiple cases, quickly turns into disaster as the episode zooms in on one. A pregnant woman named Jodi O'Brien (Colleen Flynn) comes to the ER, and Mark (Anthony Edwards) initially diagnoses her with a UTI. When she returns to the hospital suffering from seizures, Mark realizes it's actually eclampsia.

Feeling guilty about misdiagnosing Jodi and unable to reach obstetrics, Mark decides to deliver her baby himself, with disastrous results. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and Mark spends all his available energy trying to fix his mistakes, only to dig himself deeper into a hole. It's a heartbreaking episode, and watching the emotions play out on Mark's face as he tries to save Jodi is devastating.

After Mark delivers the baby via an emergency C-section, Jodie dies from complications. Mark then has the terrible job of telling Jodi's husband Sean (Bradley Whitford) that his child survived but his wife is dead. Sean's agony is total. Mimi Leder, who directed the episode, keeps the camera in the room with Mark and the team the entire time, forcing us to bear witness to this tragedy without looking away. It's a masterclass in emotional, visceral storytelling, and Mark was never the same afterwards.

Season 12's penultimate episode, "The Gallant Hero and the Tragic Victor," opens with the death of Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins). After marrying Neela (Parminder Nagra) and planning to settle down, Gallant decides to volunteer for a second tour of duty and returns to Iraq as an Army medic. At the beginning of the episode, Gallant is about to tell his comrades about his wife when the truck he's driving in blows up.

Back at County General, Neela is thrilled to be offered a surgical residency, only to have her world come crashing down when she sees two men from the Army waiting for her. She knows why they're there, as do all of her colleagues. After receiving the bad news, Neela refuses to deal with it, continuing to work. When she finally goes home, she watches a video Gallant sent her in case of his death. He tells her he will always love her, and that she should find someone else to marry when he's gone.

Though Gallant's death isn't exactly unexpected, considering his enlistment, that doesn't make it any easier to watch. Neela and Pratt's (Mekhi Phifer) reaction to Gallant's death is the most heartbreaking aspect of his passing. Many fans found Gallant's departure from the show to be quite abrupt, which is sad in its own way. Gallant was a really stand-up guy, played wonderfully by Atkins, and his violent, sudden death was a shock to viewers.

Though the death of Lucy Knight doesn't top this list, we would argue that it's the most harrowing on "ER." In fact, it's so disturbing that Lucy actress Kellie Martin wouldn't let her mom watch the episode. Lucy is a medical student who works under Carter, though their relationship is often contentious. While naive, it's clear Lucy has potential to be a great doctor.

In the Season 6 episode "Be Still My Heart," directed by "ER" cast member Laura Innes, Lucy and Carter are stabbed by a schizophrenic patient (played by David Krumholtz). Carter survives his injuries, but Lucy isn't so lucky. In the next episode, the doctors frantically try to save her life. The fear and horror on their faces is gripping, but nothing is as upsetting as watching Lucy die.

In their efforts to save her, the doctors give Lucy a tracheotomy, which means she can no longer speak. As Elizabeth takes care of Lucy and explains her medical condition, the fear in Lucy's eyes is gutting. Everyone is shattered by the attack, including the usually resolute Kerry, who throws up in a trash can. As a medical student, Lucy is aware of the severity of her condition and knows she may not make it. Watching those thoughts silently flash across her face is excruciating. The entire cast is in top form during these two episodes, and none more so than Martin, who delivers an extraordinary performance.

When we first meet Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), we can tell he's smart and talented, but he's also arrogant and tends to believe he knows best. Over the course of his time at County General, he grows as a person. Becoming more respectful and measured, Pratt turns into a competent leader and reliable partner. By Season 15, he's about to be offered the position of ER chief before tragedy strikes.

In the Season 15 premiere, Pratt is rushed to the hospital after the ambulance he was in explodes. At first, Pratt seems okay and is even bossing the residents around. Suddenly, his condition worsens, and the doctors discover a mass in his neck. As the team works on him, Pratt cries and looks terrified at the prospect of death. His colleagues are unable to save him, and as his younger brother Chaz (Sam Jones III) helps wheel him up to surgery to have his organs harvested, the hospital staff sadly look on.

Apart from Carter, the longest-running character on "ER," Pratt has arguably the best arc of the series, going from a pompous playboy to a doctor worth looking up to. That's part of why his death is so tragic. He finally had his life figured out and had grown into a good man. Against all odds, the audience had grown to love Pratt, and his death packs a major punch.

Though we never meet Joshua Carter, his death is one of the saddest moments in "ER" history. Joshua was the unborn child of Carter and Kem (Thandiwe Newton), conceived during their whirlwind romance in the Congo. The pair move back to Chicago to raise the child together, ready to settle into a nice domestic life. When they go the hospital after Carter notices the baby is no longer kicking, they receive some devastating news. The OB can't find a heartbeat, which means their baby will be born stillborn. Kem delivers Joshua, but he never has the chance to take his first breath.

This episode gives Noah Wyle the chance to deliver some of his finest acting in the whole series, and his anguish over losing Joshua reverberates off the screen. Kem is initially despondent after Joshua is born, refusing to look at him. Carter eventually convinces her to say goodbye, and the two parents-to-be sob over their child.

It's a heart-wrenching episode, and the "ER" writers never minimize the effect it has on Carter and Kem. Joshua's death greatly influences the trajectory of Carter's life in the final season of "ER." He leaves Chicago once again to go work in Africa, founding the Joshua Carter Center, an HIV/AIDS clinic for the underprivileged. Carter's sadness about Joshua's death lasts far beyond the episode in which it occurs, as any loss like this would.

There is no doubt in our minds that Mark Greene's death is the saddest on "ER." He was a central character on the series for eight seasons, and the show was never the same after his devastating loss. In Season 7, Mark discovers he has a seemingly incurable form of brain cancer. However, he goes to see a surgeon in New York City, who operates on the tumor. Though the surgery appears successful, a year later, he finds that the cancer has returned. After continuing to operate as if everything is normal, Mark eventually accepts that he is going to die.

Hoping to repair his relationship with his teenage daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh), Mark takes her, his wife Elizabeth, and their infant daughter Ella to Hawaii, where he spent some of his childhood. "On the Beach" is a beautifully mellow episode, taking Mark's death seriously without manufacturing unnecessary drama or forcing sentimentality down our throats. The episode allows longtime viewers to really sit with Mark's final days, pondering what it means to die and leave your loved ones behind. We're left with Mark's funeral, a reminder of how many people loved him.

To this day, we still get teary-eyed about Mark's death. He is a very flawed character, but despite his many mistakes, we can't help but care about someone who's so utterly human and tries so passionately to help people. "ER" made us love Mark, and then they took him away, breaking our hearts into pieces.