Five characters have died in total throughout 13 Reasons Why, and here's every one of them. The series is known for its controversial contents and shocking depictions of triggering themes. When 13 Reasons Why season 1 premiered, it focused on the suicide of Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) and the cassette tapes she left behind to distribute among the individuals who impacted her decision to take her own life. 13 Reasons Why officially came to a close with season 4 and introduced its fifth and final death, which came as a shock to viewers.

As Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) struggles to cope with the loss of Hannah Baker, he uncovers the secrets that his classmates are keeping. 13 Reasons Why depicted a plethora of jarring scenes in its four-season run, so much so that viewers may have forgotten all five deaths as well as how and why they happened. Starting with Hannah Baker, Jeff Atkins (Brandon Larracuente), Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice), Monty de la Cruz (Timothy Granaderos), and ending with Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn), here are all five characters who died and how it happened.

Hannah Baker

Hannah's Suicide Was The Catalyst For 13 Reasons Why

Hannah Baker’s suicide set the series in motion; without her tapes, 13 Reasons Why could not exist. Her death is the result of bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault, isolation, leaked photos, and stalking. If there was something that could negatively impact a person, Hannah definitely went through it. Her distress was first introduced when a picture Justin Foley took on their date was distributed around the school, which prompted the spread of harsh rumors. Next was a list made by Alex that stated Hannah had the “best ass” in the class, which resulted in a slew of sexual harassment from classmates.

As the tapes continue, Hannah is faced with Tyler Down (Devin Druid) stalking her, Courtney Crimson spreading rumors about her, witnessing the rape of Jessica by Bryce Walker, the death of Jeff Atkins, and ultimately her own rape. Hannah’s will to live slowly diminishes the more she experiences traumatic events and the less people express empathy towards her circumstances. In the end, Hannah takes her own life due to the immense amount of trauma she experiences. Furthermore, she did not believe to have the resources or she desperately needed to continue living.

Jeff Atkins

Jeff Died In A Car Crash

On Sheri Holland’s tape, Hannah reveals the true nature behind Jeff Atkins' untimely death. It was already known that he died prior to the appearance of the tapes, but the events leading up to it were questionable. After a night of drinking, Sheri offers Hannah a ride home, but she is so intoxicated that she crashes into a stop sign. Sheri doesn’t report it and, therefore, the sign remains missing. When Jeff was driven home and approached the same intersection, the stop sign was nowhere to be seen. He was involved in a vehicular collision that resulted in his immediate death.

After hearing about what truly happened to Jeff, Clay visits the Atkins household to tell his parents that he was the first on the scene and assures them he did not die alone.

His death especially impacted Clay. After hearing about what truly happened to Jeff, Clay visits the Atkins household to tell his parents that he was the first on the scene and assures them he did not die alone. Jeff meant a great deal to a lot of the characters in 13 Reasons Why, and his death was unexpected and painful for many.

Bryce Walker

Bryce Is Drowned By Alex

In 13 Reasons Why season 3, Bryce Walker mysteriously died at the hands of an unknown assailant. He was one of the most hated individuals at Liberty High School and was known for sexually assaulting women. Despite season 3’s attempts at giving Bryce a redemption story arc, he continued to be one of the most despicable people to appear in the series. As tensions between him and Zach Dempsey rise due to his impact on Zach's future in sports, he is beaten up by Zach and is left fairly immobile.

When Alex sees him on the pier, he pushes Bryce into the water and he drowns. Due to the trauma he inflicted on the lives of Alex and his friends, he was fueled by so much hatred for Bryce that he committed murder. The group decided to frame Monty de la Cruz for the crime, as he was already surviving jail time for assaulting Tyler. Regardless, Alex killed Bryce on that pier.

Monty de la Cruz

Monty Was Murdered In Prison

Monty de la Cruz died at the end of 13 Reasons Why season 3. While serving jail time for assaulting Tyler, he was labeled as a “child rapist” for the brutal attack on his classmate. Once word spread around the jail that Monty may be a child rapist, he became a target and was murdered by fellow inmates.

It was an untimely and tragic death in the series that came as a shock to viewers everywhere. His name continues to get dragged through the mud even at the end of 13 Reasons Why season 4. He hasn't been given justice and people still believe, by and large, that he killed Bryce Walker.

Justin Foley

Justin Succumbed To HIV

In season 4, episode 10, “Graduation,” 13 Reasons Why concluded the series and the life of the beloved character Justin Foley. After battling with drug addiction and doing work as a sex worker, Justin contracted HIV that swiftly progressed to AIDs. As the disease began to wreak havoc on his body, he developed terminal pneumonia and meningitis. This was the most shocking death throughout the entire series, as Justin had just started to get his life in order. He was accepted into college, he got sober, and became much more responsible.

13 Reasons Why started with the first traumatic event that happened to Hannah at Justin's hands, and it ended with his tragic death in an attempt to come full circle. Nothing could have prepared fans for Justin’s death and the reality that his closest friends had to confront about HIV and AIDs. Ultimately, Justin died due to the swift spread of the virus and not getting tested for it prior. Had he been tested, his life could have been prolonged in some way. Despite this fact, 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 10 marks the beginning of the rest of his peers’ lives and the end for Justin.

Which 13 Reasons Why Deaths Hit Fans The Hardest?

There are many tragic deaths in 13 Reasons Why, and none of the five characters who don't make it to the finale in an unemotional way. Pinpointing exactly which hit the hardest is difficult, since each was impactful in its own way. For example, Hannah Baker's death was an emotional gut-punch for many viewers, especially those who've experienced similar trauma. It was also the death that defined the series, so was focused on much more than others (and had many more layers to it, each of which added to just how tragic it actually was).

There was a bitter sense of injustice to this moment in 13 Reasons Why, and this made the moment Monty was killed incredibly difficult to watch.

Monty's death was hard-hitting and difficult to swallow because viewers know that the reason he was murdered wasn't true. There was a bitter sense of injustice to this moment in 13 Reasons Why, and this made the moment Monty was killed incredibly difficult to watch. The same can be said in many ways for when Jeff died. It was a difficult death because it was completely avoidable, and so made for intensely emotional viewing due to how unfair it seemed.

All in all, the only death that really didn't feel that undeserved in 13 Reasons Why was Bryce. Even with his poorly-handled redemption arc, Bryce was a character many 13 Reasons Why fans were glad to see gone, and there was a definite sense of justice when Alex pushed him off the pier. In of the most tragic 13 Reasons Why death, however, many fans cite the death of Justin as the most hard-hitting.

While Justin was partly responsible for Hannah's suicide, he wasn't directly to blame. It's also worth noting that while Justin was far from innocent, none of the characters in 13 Reasons Why were (which is partly why the series became so controversial). However, by the time season 4 arrived, viewers had come to see Justin as one of the show's protagonists. This made it especially difficult when the moment came in 13 Reasons Why that he finally lost his battle with the HIV virus.

Of all the characters in the show, it was Justin who was the most self-aware and put the most work into correcting his behavior and turning his life around. This, for many viewers, is why his death was the most tragic in 13 Reasons Why. Justin was a rare example of a character who understood his flaws and sins, and was actively working to rectify them. For him to die in such a heartbreaking way was beyond difficult to watch.

As Clay made his remarks in 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 10, “Graduation,” he recognized the five people missing: Hannah Baker, Jeff Atkins, Bryce Walker, Monty de la Cruz, and Justin Foley. 13 Reasons Why leaves audiences and fans on a somber note that is also full of hope for the future and closure for its characters, despite the tragic events that transpire in the beginning.