Summary

• The following list contains characters from the TV series Dexter who experienced tragic deaths throughout the show:
• James Doakes - Played by Erik King. A detective who suspected Dexter's dark secret, leading to his capture and death.
• Rita Morgan - Played by Julie Benz. A sweet and likable character, Rita's death was shocking and tragic due to her past abusive relationship and her connection to Dexter.

Despite the titular character making a habit of killing only the most heinous criminals, there are a number of Dexter deaths that are actually tragic. Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) amassed a massive body count over the course of the series, targeting other serial killers. However, the dangerous and deadly world in which the story takes place also means that there were a lot of innocent people who fell victim to some bad people or even became unintended victims of Dexter's criminal activities.

In some of the cases, these characters were introduced to the show as tragic figures who seemed unable to escape the gruesome end that awaited them. In other cases, these were established characters in the series that the viewers had come to know and care about only for them to be wiped out in shocking fashion. While Dexter ended in 2013, these are the deaths that have stood out among all the bloody chaos of the show and stayed with fans as being truly heartbreaking.

10 Maria LaGuerta

Played By Lauren Velez

Despite being on the show from the beginning, Maria LaGuerta was never quite a fan-favorite. That mostly came from the fact that she was in a power position that meant some of the most likable characters like Angel and Debra had to answer to her.

Following in the footsteps of the late James Doakes, LaGuerta investigates the Bay Harbor Buter crimes and comes to discover the identity of the killer is Dexter.

She was not always kind to them and there were moments when she put her own needs ahead of others, but it was hard to deny that she was a dedicated cop who wanted to see justice done. Following in the footsteps of the late James Doakes, LaGuerta investigates the Bay Harbor Buter crimes and comes to discover the identity of the killer is Dexter.

She actually gets closer than many in finally bringing him down, but she unfortunately comes between Dexter and Debra. In a heartbreaking moment, Debra decides to kill LaGuerta to protect Dexter. It is not only tragic because LaGuerta was just doing her job, but also because of how the decision destroyed Debra.

9 Rebecca Mitchell

Played By Vanessa Marano

Arthur Mitchell aka the Trinity Killer was the best villain in Dexter which is backed up by how much influence the character has after he is gone. One of the most disturbing aspects of the character comes when the show gives a glimpse of his home life which includes his controlling treatment of his daughter, Rebecca, who he keeps locked in her room.

When Dexter kills Arthur it feels like Rebecca finally has a shot at happiness. Unfortunately, it becomes clear that the damage done by her abusive father will not easily be undone. In season 6 of the series, it is revealed that Rebecca died in a similar way as the Trinity Killer's victims.

This causes Dexter to think Arthur's son Jonah has continued his work. However, he then discovered that, after Rebecca's mother continuously blamed her children for their father's crimes, Rebecca took her own life. Despite being a relatively small character, the tragedy of her life was impactful on Dexter and the audience.

8 Isaak Sirko

Played By Ray Stevenson

Isaak Sirko is a Ukrainian mobster in the Koshka Brotherhood who is introduced as a villain in season 7 of Dexter. He comes to America to find out who murdered one of his associates who also happened to be Isaak's lover. He is extremely efficient in finding out it was Dexter and locating him.

However, Isaak proves himself to be a more thoughtful man than first assumed, showing an understanding of Dexter's actions even if it cost him someone he loved. Isaak goes so far as to turn on his own people in order to help protect Dexter but is mortally wounded in the process.

In his dying moments, Isaak continues to prove himself to be a considerate and surprisingly caring person as he encourages Dexter to find love in his own life and be happy. Adding to the bittersweet end for Isaak, Dexter questions if the love he felt was worth it as it ultimately led to his own death and Isaak suggests it was without hesitation.

7 Evelyn Vogel

Played By Charlotte Rampling

Evelyn Vogel was an interesting character to introduce late in the series as it is revealed that she was the psychologist who helped form Harry's code that Dexter followed throughout his career as a serial killer.

As much as that reveal might feel a little forced, Evelyn's role in the show turns into a fascinating and heartbreaking mirrored relationship the one between Dexter and his adoptive father. It is revealed that Evelyn has her own son who also has these dark tendencies.

Unlike Dexter, Saxon does not save his bloodlust for those who are killers but rather targets innocent people without remorse. Despite this, Evelyn loves her son even though she knows she must stop him. Seeing what Harry was able to do for Dexter, she seems to hold onto hope that she can do the same for Saxon. This makes it even more brutal when Saxon slits his mother's throat, betraying the love she had always had for him.

6 Zach Hamilton

Played By Sam Underwood

There are a few times in the series in which Dexter attempts to take on a partner in his murders. In the case of Zach Hamilton, it is more about Dexter stepping into a mentor relationship for the troubled young man.

Though he initially plans on killing Zach due to the murders he committed, Dexter sees similarities to himself at that age and decides that he can save him by teaching him Harry's code. The relationship between these two seems to be helping Zach and leading him down a better path. However, Zach soon falls into the clutches of Saxon and suffers a brutal death.

It is certainly the method by which Zach is killed that gives this death a lot of its impact with him being decapitated by Saxon. However, it is also the fact that he is a young man who simply found himself in a world of monsters that are much more brutal than him that is sad.

5 Brian Moser

Played By Christian Camargo

Even as one of the most sadistic killers in the series, Brian Mosher's death was still tragic because of what he meant to Dexter. Brian was revealed to be the Ice Truck Killer who Dexter had been hunting for the entirety of the first season.

However, the truth behind Brian's obsession with Dexter becomes clear when it is revealed that he is the long-lost brother of Dexter who was there with him when their mother was brutally killed. Brian seeks out Dexter and learns that they both have the killer instinct.

He and Dexter went through the same thing, but whereas Dexter was given from Harry, Brian was forced to make it on his own.

He wants to finally reunite with his brother, but he unfortunately wants to do so by having him and Dexter both kill Debra together. Reluctantly, Dexter kills his newfound sibling in order to save Debra with Brian's final look showing the sadness of betrayal. As sadistic as he was, Brian was also a tragic figure. He and Dexter went through the same thing, but whereas Dexter was given from Harry, Brian was forced to make it on his own.

4 James Doakes

Played By Erik King

Despite the fact that he was a character who hated Dexter from the beginning, it was hard not to like James Doakes and his search for justice. His presentation as a constant thorn in Dexter’s side didn’t mask the fact that Doakes was one of the smartest characters on the show.

As much as he had a hard time proving it, the fact that he always suspected that there was something off about Dexter shows what a good cop he was. Sadly, it was his skills as a detective that ultimately led to his death. Doakes finally catches Dexter in the act only to be captured by Dexter and detained so that he cannot reveal his secret.

While Dexter is unwilling to kill Doakes because he is an innocent man, Dexter's deranged lover, Lila, blows Doakes up to protect Dexter. Like LaGuerta, it is unfair that Doakes died simply for doing the right thing. It is even more tragic that, in the aftermath of his death, Doakes is framed as the Bay Harbor Butcher.

3 Rita Morgan

Played By Julie Benz

Rita's brutal death in Dexter season 4 was the most shocking moment of the series and changed the show forever. From the beginning of Dexter, Rita was one of the sweetest and most likable characters yet also one of the saddest.

She had her own difficulties in life, including her past abusive relationship which is why she seems so content to have a normal life with Dexter. However, it always felt as if she genuinely loved Dexter and he was just using her to cover his own dark secret.

The fact that she was an unwitting pawn in his career as a serial killer is made even grimmer by the fact that it leads to her death. After killing the Trinity Killer, Dexter returns home to find that Arthur had already claimed Rita as his last victim. On top of that, her infant son was left sitting in her blood for hours. The thought of Rita meeting such a terrible fate because of Dexter's actions and never knowing why is a brutal end to such a kind person.

2 Debra Morgan

Played By Jennifer Carpenter

Apart from Dexter, Debra is the other key character in the show and represents the most important relationship in his life. Given the destructive nature Dexter continues to be to people around him, it is not surprising that his dark secret ultimately leads to her tragic end as well.

The beginning of the end for Debra comes in season 5 of the show when, during the finale, she sees Dexter kill a man. From that point on, Debra is torn between her duty as a police officer and her love for her brother. It is heartbreaking to see Debra choose Dexter and gradually be destroyed by that choice.

After battling these demons in the later seasons, Debra is finally able to pull herself together and begin to heal. Unfortunately, she is made to be another victim of the serial killer Saxon and is shot trying to save the day. After falling into a coma, Dexter decides to kill her to end her suffering. While the series finale was controversial, Dexter being the one to actually kill Debra is fitting given how he destroyed her life.

1 Dexter Morgan

Played By Michael C. Hall

Following the much-derided ending of Dexter, the series decided to deliver fans a more conclusive and meaningful ending with the one-season sequel series Dexter: New Blood. The show follows Dexter living under a new identity and a new life years after his supposed death.

While the sequel series begins to explore the idea of Dexter teaching Harrison his deadly secret, it becomes clear that Harrison is not the same twisted man that his father is.

However, this new existence is shattered by the reignition of his Dark enger as well as the unexpected arrival of his son Harrison, who has tracked him down. While the sequel series begins to explore the idea of Dexter teaching Harrison his deadly secret, it becomes clear that Harrison is not the same twisted man that his father is. It also seems as though Dexter is a changed man, killing an innocent victim to save himself from arrest.

In the end, Harrison shoots and kills his father at Dexter's own insistence. Despite it being Dexter's death scene, it is made tragic simply because it is Dexter ruining the life of another loved one. Harrison was a good kid but Dexter pushed him down the same murderous path.