The body count in today's television is escalating when central characters on popular TV series dropped dead ending the season's finale with tears and anticipation for the next season. In today's golden age of television, not even a famous actor is safe from TV deaths.

Here's a rundown of how these central characters died and effects of their absence. The following are television's well-loved characters, gone but definitely not forgotten:

Walter White ('Breaking Bad' - AMC)

Played by Bryan Cranston, Walter White is an ordinary chemistry teacher turned into meth-cooking drug kingpin who died in a place where he can truly say he is the king, in a meth lab. He died after he was strafed by his own gun-toting car after saving Jesse Pinkman, Aaron Paul's character.

Other characters that died on "Breaking Bad's" last season includes Hank Schrader, played by Dead Norris, White's brother in-law and DEA agent who was hunting him. He was killed by the gang who was also working with White, even after he pleaded for Schrader's life.

Nicholas Brody ('Homeland' - Showtime)

Played by Damian Lewis, Nicholas Brody is "Homeland's" central character, a marine-turned-terrorist who redeemed himself by killing an Iranian terrorist. But after his heroic deed, he was sentenced to a public hanging on the season 3 finale.

Brody's role in "Homeland" was reduced in season 3 since he is a fugitive on the run from a terrorist bombing that he didn't commit. His reduced appearance on the show is the network's way of testing if the show can stand without Brody and ended it with a bang by hanging him.

Robb Stark ('Game of Thrones' - HBO)

Played by Richard Madden, Robb Stark is one of the many well-loved characters of HBO's "Game of Thrones" who died in the Red Wedding, including his pregnant wife, Talisa, and his mother, Catelyn Stark. The bloody wedding was in Walder Frey's castle where the two Starks were massacred, including Robbs' unborn child.

Since the series is based on George R.R. Martin's book series, the Red Wedding massacre was pre-ordained but most of the fans were shocked at how brutal the killing was. It only proves that the Stark's prominence can't save them, just like what happened in season 1 when Ned Stark was killed in front of his daughters.

Matthew Crawley ('Downtown Abbey' - PBS)

Played by Dan Stevens, Matthew Crawley is the heir to Downtown Abbey who died in a car crash right after his wife, Lady Mary, played by Michele Dockery, gave birth to his son, George.

Due to the ending of his contract, Stevens have to leave PBS and the series, and the show's creator Julian Fellowes had to think of something to resolve the issue. Fellowes ended Crawley's fate by killing him in the season 3 finale.

Here's the list of TV's character that died this year:

J.R Ewing ("Dallas" - TNT) - Played by Larry Hagman
Brian the Dog ("Family Guy" - Fox) - Played by Seth MacFarlane
Finn Hudson ("Glee" - Fox) - Played by Cory Monteith
Debra Morgan ("Dexter" - Showtime) - Played by Jennifer Carpenter
Richard Harrow ("Boardwalk Empire" - HBO) - Played by Jack Huston
Detective Joss Carter ("Person of Interest" - CBS) - Played by Taraji P. Henson
Hershel ("The Walking Dead" - AMC) - Played by Scott Wilson
The Governor ("The Walking Dead" - AMC) - Played David Morrissey
Clay Morrow ("Sons of Anarchy" - FX) - Played by Ron Perlman