Warning: contains discussion of major spoilers!

Continuing in the vein of the saddest deaths on television, compounding the unforgettable nature, emotional heft, and lasting impact of these moving dramatic sequences.

Whether the character in question stays behind to hold off a horde of enraged pursuers, forfeits their life to save others in a courageous act of sacrifice, or simply goes down swinging enthusiastically in one epic final gesture of rebellion, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to a perfect last stand. Scattered throughout many of the best television shows of all time, these immortal sequences come in all shapes and sizes but never fail to produce memorable results when executed correctly.

10 Kerr Avon

Blake’s 7

An acclaimed low-budget sci-fi television show from the BBC, Blake's 7 ran for four seasons before concluding with a last stand for the ages. The show is renowned for a final season that kills off the main characters, with the majority of these deaths taking place during Kerr Avon's blockbuster blaze of glory in the Series 4 finale.

Paul Darrow's charge concludes Blake's 7 in unforgettably shocking style with a last stand for the ages, voluntarily choosing to be gunned down by his foes rather than surrender.

In an explosive finale that saw the show's eponymous character killed in a case of mistaken identity, the Scorpio crew are betrayed to the Federation by sleeper agent, Arlen. After most of the crew are shot in the ensuing struggle, Avon finds himself outnumbered and surrounded at gunpoint with no way out. Paul Darrow's charge concludes Blake's 7 in unforgettably shocking style with a last stand for the ages, voluntarily choosing to be gunned down by his foes rather than surrender.

9 Bodie Broadus

The Wire

One of the acclaimed crime drama best characters, Preston "Bodie" Broadus, became a fan favorite across the course of four seasons. Unfortunately for J.D. Williams' charge, he was ultimately killed after he was caught chatting with Dominic West's Jimmy McNulty, effectively g his death warrant and causing him to bow out in tragic fashion during the show's fourth installment.

Marked for death by Jamie Hector's Marlo Stanfield, Bodie goes out in a memorable last stand that simultaneously highlights his courage while poignantly exemplifying the futility of a life of crime. Refusing to abandon his street corner through some warped sense of pride even as his would-be killers close in, Broadus stands his ground fearlessly, firing into the night at his tormentors until he is shot through the head from behind by Darrell Britt-Gibson's O-Dog.

8 Tess

The Last Of Us

HBO's live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's wildly successful video game series of the same name, The Last of Us has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Praise has been directed towards the manner in which the show deftly walks the line between being faithful to its source material and adding inspired new touches to elevate the story for a live-action rendition, with the death of Joel's partner Tess in an epic last stand serving as a superb example.

While Tess has a courageous last stand in the video games after being infected off-screen, she is unceremoniously gunned down by FEDRA soldiers. HBO's heart-pounding take sees Anna Torv's charge manage to take a few of her tormentors with her this time as she heroically covers Joel and Ellie's escape, with the added twist that the show's antagonists take the form of the infected, rather than soldiers. Having covered the room with gasoline, Tess' valiant final act is to blow herself and the horde of infected humans sky-high.

7 Rhaenys Targaryen

House Of The Dragon

While House of the Dragon's second season concluded in decidedly underwhelming style, the show's sophomore outing featured an unforgettable last stand for the ages to console fans. This took the form of the second season's most spectacular blockbuster sequence during the Battle for Rook's Rest; the jaw-dropping aerial showdown between Rhaenys Targaryen and her nephews, Aemond and Aegon, that saw the warring factions of the Targaryen families bring the full might of their dragons to bear.

Meleys is the second dragon to die during the Dance of the Dragons following the death of Lucerys Velaryon's mount, Arrax.

Rhaenys and her dragon, Meleys, valiantly fly the Black banner high, staying behind to attack the Greens' troops and tangling with the colossal Vhagar despite being afforded the opportunity to flee on multiple occasions. Finally leaving the battlefield under the impression that the enemy has been defeated, the bravery of the Queen Who Never Was and Meleys is made all the more heartbreaking when Vhagar and Aemond emerge from stage left to dispatch the duo and end this last stand in tragic fashion.

6 Spartacus And His Army

Spartacus: War Of The Damned

Loosely based on the exploits of a historical figure who led a failed slave uprising, it stands to reason that Starz's swords-and-sandals drama Spartacus would end with a last stand befitting of a subtitle like War of the Damned. True to form, the titular character and the vast majority of his lovable band of rebels perish in a final act of defiance, fighting Marcus Licinius Crassus' forces in the doomed Battle of the Siler River.

It's a last stand of titanic proportions, one that sees main characters in the vein of Naevia and Gannicus finally defeated in stunning fashion before the eponymous character himself bites the dust. Filled with the usual stunning visuals and spectacularly graphic violence that Spartacus fans knew and loved, the former gladiator and his army's final stand constituted an epic conclusion to a fan-favorite show and a worthy demise for one of popular culture's most iconic rebels.

5 Lee Scoresby And Hester

His Dark Materials

A tear-jerking sequence drawn straight from Phillip Pullman's iconic novel series, Texan aëronaut Lee Scoresby and his daemon Hester meet their end in a stirring last stand during the second season finale of HBO's His Dark Materials. Laying down his life in the hopes of aiding Dafne Keen's Lyra as he and Andrew Scott's John Parry are pursued by Magesterium soldiers, Lin Manuel Miranda's charge valiantly elects to remain behind and hold off their attackers to allow his companion's escape.

One of His Dark Material's most heartrending moments, Scoresby's evocative personal Alamo does the show's iconic source material justice and then some.

The vastly outnumbered Scoresby fights to the bitter end in a rousing swansong, using the cover of a gorge to take down as many Magesterium soldiers as he can. Despite successfully holding off their tormentors against all odds, Scoresby is fatally injured in the battle, leading to a gutting final conversation with his beloved daemon before the pair succumb to their wounds. One of His Dark Material's most heartrending moments, Scoresby's evocative personal Alamo does the show's iconic source material justice and then some.

4 Barristan Selmy

Game Of Thrones

A front-runner for Game of Thrones' best swordfighter, Ian McElhinney's Barristan Selmy bowed out in a manner befitting of a warrior of his legendary status. The newest member of Daenaerys' Queensguard died in heroic fashion despite being completely outnumbered, chopping down numerous Sons of the Harpy in defense of Grey Worm in a last stand for the ages, before finally succumbing to his wounds.

Barristan Selmy's death is a creative choice adopted by the show; the legendary swordsman is still alive in George R.R. Martin's novel series.

It's an epic last dance for McElhinney's charge, with Selmy demonstrating his jaw-dropping sword-fighting abilities against the backdrop of a triumphant score. The only area this memorable last stand loses marks in is the wider significance of the flashpoint in the show's canon. While Barristan goes out a hero, there's an argument to be made that dying in a Mereeneese alley at the hands of common cutthroats may have come across as a slightly ignominious end for a character and warrior of his standing.

3 Eddie Munson

Stranger Things

Contentiously television's most heavy metal last stand, Eddie Munson covers himself in glory throughout the climactic act of Stranger Things' fourth season before the bell tolls for Joseph Quinn's charge. The enigmatic leader of the Hellfire Club goes out in stirring fashion, attempting to distract the Demobats away from his friends and the gate to the Upside Down in one of the show's most moving instances of self-sacrifice.

Surrounded by a horde of Demobats, Munson goes down swinging. Taking as many of his winged antagonists with him before being mortally wounded, Quinn's charge has time for a devastating goodbye with Dustin before croaking in one of Stranger Things' saddest moments. Tragically, the heartbreaking nature of Eddie's sacrifice is compounded in the aftermath of the fourth season's final showdown, with Munson posthumously regarded as a depraved Satanist by most of Hawkins as opposed to a hero who laid down his life for the town.

2 Bjorn Ironside

Vikings

Unsurprisingly for a character possessing a moniker like "Ironside," Vikings' mainstay Bjorn does not go meekly into the night after being mortally wounded by Alex Høgh Andersen's Ivar the Boneless. Alexander Ludwig's charge capped off his five-season run on the acclaimed historical drama with an unforgettable last stand that justified his epithet, facing down a entire Russian army despite barely being able to draw breath.

Propped on his white horse like the embodiment of Death itself, the dying Bjorn manages to raise his sword despite being shot with several arrows, mentally breaking the enemy forces and rallying the Viking forces to defeat their invaders. Going out in endlessly stirring fashion with his final living act, Bjorn's epic demise is one of the high points in the final season and justifies what many argued was a frustrating cliffhanger for the show posed by his purported death in the previous episode.

1 Opie Winston

Sons Of Anarchy

One of the most beloved characters on Kurt Sutter's motorcyle epic Sons of Anarchy, the death of Opie Winston was one of those polarizing moments that make viewers quit shows, such was the controversial and shocking nature of the cast mainstay's demise. Jax's best friend bit the dust in horrifyingly heroic fashion, sacrificing his own life to save Jax, Chibs, and Tig after Damon Pope forces the SAMCRO leader to choose one of the quartet to die.

To compound the unforgettably harrowing nature of his death, Opie goes out in brutal fashion. Ryan Hurst's hulking biker is thrust into a fight to the death against three formidable jail inmates, locked in a room with only a metal pipe to defend himself. Despite a valiant effort, Opie is overpowered and killed in an abjectly desolating fashion. Deftly balancing fearless heroism with heartbreaking tragedy, the biker's courageous demise protecting his beloved brothers represents television's best last stand scene.