This isn’t over: 7 Times a TV Show character was brought back from death for vindictive pursuits

Death is typically the final stop for everyone—except for those on the Television, where it merely marks the beginning of a more sinister, vengeful chapter. Characters who return from the dead are not written as those with average, inspirational comebacks, designed to bring people together or spark redemption. These are resurrections of characters who, instead of seeking closure, are driven by anger, a sense of unfinished business, and a need for retribution. Often rooted in fantasy or science fiction, these returns leave audiences shaken and exhilarated.

What sets these resurrections apart is their impact. Just when the viewers seem to finally accept the death of a character, they flip the script on traditional character arcs and plotlines with their return. Revenge becomes their guiding principle, and mercy is never a part of their strategy. From game-changing dramas to supernatural thrillers, Television has provided us with some iconic post-death revenge stories across genres that make us wonder if anyone's truly dead for good.

Here are 7 unforgettable moments a TV character came back from the dead, not to mend past wounds but to rip them open.

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1. Jon Snow – Game of Thrones

Jon Snow's resurrection in Season 6 hadn't been solely for prophetic reasons; it was a cold change of heart. Resurrected by Melisandre's Red God, Jon came back tougher, colder, and more unfazed. His killing of Alliser Thorne and Night's Watch mutineers wasn't justice served right—it was vengeance. Kit Harington even confirmed that Jon sacrificed part of his soul, implying that death had altered him permanently. Although he never became a villain, Jon's post-resurrection character arc echoed the violence of those he previously battled. Thus, despite being resurrected to preserve the living, he never forgave the individuals who murdered him.

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2. Katherine Pierce – The Vampire Diaries

Katherine Pierce was the queen of revenge, and death didn't make her any less harmless. Having died at the end of Season 5, she didn't quietly disappear to the great beyond; instead, she hijacked Elena's body. This possession subplot turned the series into a psychological thriller, with Katherine bullying her adversaries while pretending to be her greatest enemy. Even when her soul was pulled down to hell, she clawed back in the finale, bringing actual hellfire to the Mystic Falls. Nina Dobrev's comeback as Katherine made visceral the portrayal of a woman who outlived death not for forgiveness but to watch everything burn.

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3. Jeremy Gilbert – The Vampire Diaries

Jeremy Gilbert died more than once, but his return in Season 4 in 2013 became all about revenge. Bonnie had resurrected him with dark expression magic, but as a vampire hunter, he had been tormented by recurring visions and the need to kill. Gone was the young boy as Jeremy confronted Silas, one of the Original vampires, and even turned on Elena briefly. His post-resurrection journey was not just about survival, it was about making others pay. Jeremy's darkness was later explained by actor Steven R. McQueen to be based on unresolved grief and anger. His missions weren't about saving the world, they were about hurting the things that hurt him.

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4. Sara Lance – Arrow

Sara Lance's return through the Lazarus Pit in Season 4 of Arrow brought back a rather changed Canary—feral and vengeful. Initially driven by anger, her soul was lost, prompting Constantine's intervention—a rare DC crossover that was met with delight by fans. After being resurrected, Sara's efficiency as an assassin came to be honed with time. Her pursuit of justice tended to toe the line of vengeance, particularly against Damien Darhk, who had murdered her sister. On Legends of Tomorrow, she owned her darkness unapologetically, usually serving as the team's moral compass due to what she'd gone through. Death didn't break Sara, it just made her more focused and determined.

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5. Michael Langdon – American Horror Story: Apocalypse

Michael Langdon's return wasn't of the usual sort; he is often supernaturally conceived and trained by warlocks after killing his adoptive family. His revenge cut across timelines and dimensions, directed against the Coven witches who stood in his way. After eliminating almost everyone who crossed his path, Michael's sadism grew more vicious with each death spell he encountered. His control over death magic left him invincible. In a shocking twist, his ruin resulted from time travel, not ethics. His trajectory turned into a cautionary story regarding unchecked revenge and authority. Even after his ultimate downfall, viewers argued whether evil such as his could ever be put out forever.

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6. Dean Winchester – Supernatural

Dean has died more times than most television characters, but his demon rebirth in Season 9 led to a complete personality transformation. Fueled by the Mark of Cain, Dean was reborn as a vengeful hunter with no moral compass. He didn't just kill monsters, he enjoyed it. His personal vendetta against Metatron and Crowley took over, and his relationship with Sam broke under the strain of his anger. Jensen Ackles welcomed this darker Dean, even reportedly saying he had more fun playing "Deanmon" than plain old Dean. Though he was eventually cured, the scars stayed. This resurrection wasn't merely a plot device; it was a warning.

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7. Lex Luthor – Smallville

Lex Luthor's "resurrection" in Smallville was as warped as the man himself. Having been assumed dead in Season 8, his cloned body was eventually shown in the series finale as intact and even more sinister. With selective memory regained by Tess Mercer (seconds before she died), Lex returned with only his desire for domination remaining. His return wasn't to rebuild, but to reset and destroy. Michael Rosenbaum, long applauded for humanizing Lex, recast him as a ghost who plotted with a calculation and utilized death as a smoke screen. He wasn't reborn regretting he was reborn seeking revenge against Superman and humanity as a whole.