Summary

• Peaky Blinders excels at crafting complex characters and their deaths are some of the most emotional moments in the show.
• The deaths of Grace Shelby, John Shelby, and Polly Gray are particularly heartbreaking due to their likability and the impact on other characters.
• The show is willing to kill off anyone, no matter how young or innocent, as seen with the deaths of Ruby Shelby and Digbeth Kid.

Peaky Blinders excels at crafting complex characters that build a strong relationship with viewers, which makes the show's deaths all the more heartbreaking. Peaky Blinders follows a razor gang in early 20th-century Birmingham, England, headed by the notorious Shelby family. The show follows the Shelbys' journey from small-time bookmakers to one of the most powerful gangs in England, inevitably involving intense drama and regular deaths of important characters.

Their journey from fixing horse races to becoming an economic and political force to be reckoned with is not a peaceful one, and Peaky Blinders is as much a portrait of the many sacrifices made to fulfill Tommy's ambition as it is his success. The Shelbys quickly get themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game that leads to the tragic end of countless friends and family , and some left immeasurable wounds. Before the Peaky Blinders movie promises more, here are the most heartbreaking deaths so far from Tommy Shelby's world.

10 Grace Shelby (Annabelle Wallis)

Killed by a Changretta assassin - Season 3, episode 2

Grace Shelby (Annabelle Wallis) dies a horribly tragic death in one of Peaky Blinders' best seasons. While dancing at a party hosted by the Shelbys, Grace is shot dead by an Italian assassin attempting to kill Tommy. The assassin was sent by Vicente Changretta (Kenneth Colley) as revenge for the savage beating of his son, Angel. The bad blood between the Shelbys and the Changretta family unwittingly led to the death of Tommy's first love.

Why Grace Shelby's Death Is So Sad

Adding to the tragedy of it all is the fact that Grace, unlike many of the deplorable characters in the Peaky Blinders cast, is never anything but kind and caring. What's more, her death is so abrupt that it comes as a terrible shock, making the moment even harder to bear. In narrative , creator Steven Knight revealed that Grace death had to die simply because Tommy wasn't supposed to be happy (via Reddit). She was the cost of his criminal life, and arguably the start of his curse.

9 John Shelby (Joe Cole)

Killed by the Changretta family - Season 4 Episode 1, “The Noose”

John Shelby dies in Peaky Blinders season 4, and it's easily one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the show. Of all the Shelby brothers, John (Joe Cole) had the biggest family and took the best care of them. He may have been as volatile and prone to violence as his brothers - and perhaps more impulsive than either of them - but there was an innocence to him that his brothers didn't boast. John is shockingly killed off on Christmas Day when the bad blood with the Changretta family sends assassins to his door.

Why John Shelby's Death Is So Sad

John's death is felt keenly by Arthur (Paul Anderson) and Tommy, and their grief in the following episodes only makes things worse. John was not always a good person, but he had a better heart than Tommy or Arthur, and he had a family that loved him. Like Grace's death, John's murder is designed to send a message - that the Shelbys don't get happy endings.

8 Polly Gray (Helen McCrory)

Assassinated by the IRA between Season 5 & 6

Aunt Poll, the matriarch of the Shelby Family, is killed off-screen after the end of season 5. She is assassinated with the IRA later claiming responsibility. Her death leads to irreparable damage to the relationship between former Shelby loyalist Michael Shelby (Finn Cole) and major instability within the traditionally tight family unit. That it comes so closely after the death of her lover, Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen) adds another melancholy note.

Why Aunt Poll's Death Is So Sad

Polly Gray's death is one of the saddest in the show, not only because she is one of the best-developed characters, but because it was necessitated by the tragic death of the 52-year-old actress who plays her, Helen McCrory. McCrory ed away in 2021 while season 6 was in production, forcing the show to change course and kill off her character. Peaky Blinders season 6 pays an emotional tribute to Polly and McCrory that perfectly honors both the actress and the character.

7 Ruby Shelby (Heaven-Leigh Clee)

Died from consumption - Season 6, episode 3, "Gold"

Ruby Shelby (Orla McDonagh) dies in Peaky Blinders season 6 at the tender age of seven after a bout of consumption. Any time a child character dies it's inevitably sad, and the way Peaky Blinders draws it out to make the outcome of her illness uncertain just makes it more heartbreaking when she dies. Her close relationship with her father makes her tragic death all the more heartbreaking as it sends Tommy dangerously close to spiralling out of control.

Why Ruby Shelby's Death Is So Sad

Ruby never had a chance to do anything wrong in her life, and watching her grow ill and die over several episodes demonstrates Peaky Blinders' willingness to kill off anyone, no matter how young or how innocent they may be. There is a pained inevitability about Ruby's death, as Tommy wrestles with the knowledge that Ruby had visions of a gray man with green eyes: an apparent portent of the Devil. Ruby's death is another of the prices Tommy is forced to pay for his dark ambition earlier in his life.

6 Freddie Thorne (Iddo Goldberg)

Infected by Flu Season 2, episode 1

Freddie Thorne (Iddo Goldberg) dies of Spanish Influenza off-screen in Peaky Blinders, and though his death isn't shown, the aftermath is a heavy blow. Freddie was an uneasy ally of the Shelbys and another veteran soldier who served alongside Tommy Shelby. Their ideological dispute serves as a great background to his emerging relationship with Tommy's sister Ada (Sophie Rundle).

Why Freddie Thorne's Death Is So Sad

After his death, Tommy speaks over Freddie's grave, fulfilling the promise he made Freddie when they were fighting in World War I, and his speech is a real gut-wrencher. On top of that, Ada is forced to raise her and Freddie's child alone after his death, which also contributes to the heartbreak of his premature ing.

5 Digbeth Kid (James Eeles)

Murdered in prison by the Sabini Gang - Season 2, episode 3

Digbeth Kid (James Eeles), whose real name is Harold Hancox, is an innocent young man who ends up being killed in jail after the Shelbys promise to pay him for getting locked up for a night. The plan is for Harold to be released after a day, but he ends up being murdered by enemies of the Shelby family that same night. He is killed in prison when a member of Darby Sabini's gang slits his throat, in revenge for Tommy Shelby fixing horse races.

Why Digbeth Kid's Death Is So Sad

Harold's youth and innocence are emphasized by his desire to be called Digbeth Kid, after the infamous outlaw, Billy the Kid, despite being a harmless young man with a spotless record. What happens to Harold is one of the saddest deaths in Peaky Blinders and the first real time the show explored the grim reality and collateral damage of the Shelbys rising in the underworld of 1920s Birmingham.

4 Bonnie Gold (Jack Rowan)

Killed by Glaswegian gang the Billy Boys - Season 5, episode 2, "Black Cats"

Bonnie Gold (Jack Rowan) is the son of Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen), and he is tragically murdered by the Scottish gang, the Billy Boys. The fascist gang murder Bonnie to send a message to Tommy Shelby, after ambushing him and his father Aberama. Bonnie's death is particularly haunting because he's tortured and hung on a cross in front of his desperate father before the Billy Boys leader Jimmy McCavern shoots him.

Why Bonnie Gold's Death Is So Sad

Bonnie's death is deeply felt in the series because he's so young, and in the world of Peaky Blinders, he is a relatively innocent character. Bonnie is a talented boxer, and his father's pride in him is touching to watch, and makes him witnessing the death of both his son and his dreams all the more poignant.

3 Ben Younger (Kingsley Ben-Adir)

Killed by a car bomb - Season 5, episode 5, "The Shock"

Colonel Ben Younger (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is killed by a car bomb planted by unseen UVF man Paddy Rose in Peaky Blinders season 5 after Tommy tries to give him information that implicates Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin) in a number of criminal dealings. Mosley is one of Peaky Blinders' most devious villains, and it's obvious that he ordered Ben's murder.

Why Ben Younger's Death Is So Sad

Ben Younger is a good man - a rarity in Peaky Blinders - and he develops a relationship with Ada before his demise, which makes his death a tough pill to swallow. Ada seems to lose every man she loves in Peaky Blinders, making the tragedy even deeper. And for Tommy, Ben represented an opportunity to take down his most malignant adversary in Mosley at the height of his influence. To watch that chance - and Tommy's chance to escape his criminal life - go up in literal smoke is difficult to take.

2 Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen)

Stabbed by the IRA - Season 5, episode 6, "Mr Jones"

Aberama Gold is a complex and not always likable character, but by the time of his death, he's become a highly sympathetic figure. Aidan Gillen's performance makes the gypsy hired killer perversely likable, and his relationship with Polly is one thing that makes him likable, as is his love for his son. He's killed in the shocking Peaky Blinders season 5 finale, as Tommy plots the murder of Oswald Mosley and is thwarted by the IRA. As Aberama is about to kill Jimmy McCavern in revenge for his son's death, he's stabbed by an IRA assassin.

Why Aberama Gold's Death Is So Sad

After he and Polly both lose loved ones, it's hard not to cheer for them to find some happiness together. Sadly, Aberama becomes intent on killing the man who murdered his son, and his emotion leads to him being killed. It's the impact on Polly and the removal of her potential happy ending that really sells the heartbreak, though.

1 Danny Whizz-Bang (Samuel Edward-Cook)

Sacrifice himself to save Tommy Shelby - Season 1, episode 6

Danny Whizz-Bang's (Samuel Edward-Cook) death at the end of Peaky Blinders season 1 is heartbreaking, but he goes out a hero by jumping in front of a series of bullets meant for Tommy. Loyal Shelby family follower Danny was mock-executed earlier in the season to ease tension with the Changretta mafia family, but returns as a Shelby spy later in the season. He's then killed in a street battle with Bily Kimber's men, when the bookie takes aim at Tommy Shelby, but Danny dives in front of the bullets.

Why Danny Whizz-Bang's Death Is So Sad

Danny's miraculous return to life after his fake execution lifts the audience's spirits just long enough to dash them again with his real death at the end of the season. There is a heroic element of course, but it's hard not to think that Danny was an innocent manipulated by the Shelby family who met his end too early.