How many people has Joe Goldberg killed in You? Victims in every season, explored

On the surface, Joe Goldberg in You appears to be merely another lovesick dude with too many emotions and a questionable taste in sweaters. But hang in there for a few episodes, and you find that his concept of "true love" typically entails stalking, manipulation, and, you know... murder. What begins as a charming infatuation rapidly devolves into a bloodbath, and somehow, Joe always manages to rationalize it. Because if you murder out of love, it doesn't quite tally, uh-huh? (Wrong, Joe. Very much so.)

Joe's kill count in You blows way beyond most fanboys' expectations throughout the five seasons. Some of them are gruesome and unexpected, others barely register in a whiff of flashbacks and "self-defense" justifications. By the time the series ended, the gentle New York bookstore manager had become one of television's most subtly frightening serial killers.

So, how many victims did Joe Goldberg really have? Let's go through it, season by season, and count up every victim who didn't make it through Joe's definition of love.

Season 1 of You: Joe's bloody beginning in New York

In Season 1, Joe’s descent into darkness began in New York, and it didn’t take long for bodies to start piling up. By the end of the season, Joe had killed five people: Benji Ashby (the obnoxious ex), Peach Salinger (the suspicious best friend), Elijah Thornton (Candace’s ex, shown in a flashback), Ron (Paco’s abusive stepdad), and finally, Guinevere Beck (Joe’s great love turned tragic prisoner).

Elijah's death, which most people remember only to forget, is revealed in a flashback and serves as an important reminder that Joe's violent tendencies did not just suddenly materialize — they had profound origins.

Season 2 of You: New identity, same deadly patterns

Season 2 provided Joe with a new identity ("Will Bettelheim") and a new city (Los Angeles), but unfortunately for all those around him, the murders persisted. This time, Joe killed three directly: Jasper (the criminal in search of cash, stabbed with shattered glass), Henderson (the slimy comedian, murdered during a blackmailing attempt), and his mother's abusive boyfriend (seen in a childhood flashback).

Even as he attempted to reinvent himself, Joe couldn't shake who he really was — a man whose love always had a kill count.

Season 3 of You: Suburban dreams turn into nightmares

Suburban living in Season 3 was meant to be Joe's redemption story, but spoiler alert: it wasn't. Between marital stress, messy affairs, and a jaw-dropping twist ending, Joe was left with two more fatalities on his conscience: Ryan Goodwin (Marienne's abusive ex, thrown off a parking garage) and Love Quinn (Joe's equally lethal wife, poisoned in their kitchen).

And yet, despite all of this, Joe was still convinced he was somehow better, even while standing over yet another corpse.

Season 4 of You: Murder and Mayhem in London

A move to London in Season 4 might have given Joe a posh accent and a fancy job title, but it didn’t erase his murderous tendencies. This time, four murders were his to count: Malcolm Harding (a drunken fling discarded after a bout of amnesia), Simon Soo (a bribery-tainted artist stabbed to death), Gemma Graham-Greene (an aristocrat muzzled to keep quiet about secrets), and actual Rhys Montrose (murdered to break free from his violent doppelganger).

Europe didn't fix Joe — it simply provided him with a fresh setting for havoc.

Season 5 of You: Joe's most ruthless killing spree

During the fifth and last season, Joe's fall accelerated. No longer indulging in pretending to be someone else, Joe killed around eight more individuals, including Tom Lockwood (Kate's influential father), two of Lockwood's guards, Detective Niccolò, and some other people who got between him and his ambition. Some were depicted openly; others were hinted at.

Either way, Joe's last season was his most bloody one yet, solidifying his reputation as a full-fledged serial killer with a total of 22 confirmed direct kills by the end of the series.

Joe Goldberg, a mere boy with a bookstore and a broken heart, but by the fifth season, he was something much, much more ominous. His final kill—22 is a harsh reminder that beneath Joe's charming grins and lovestruck monologues was always a monster waiting to be unleashed.

And if You taught us anything, it's that sometimes the most frightening monsters are the ones who actually believe they're heroes.