The plot ending is what makes or breaks a story. It ties everything together, and if done right, it can elevate the entire story to new heights. A truly great ending can leave you feeling cathartic, inspired, and maybe even wanting to rewatch the whole thing all over again. But if it’s done poorly, a painful ending can take a perfectly good story and send it crashing down, leaving viewers confused, frustrated, and craving for what could have been.
Here are 6 painful endings that haunted viewers long after they were done watching. Some were brilliant, and others, well… let’s just say they left us wanting to throw our remotes. Which one bothered you the most?
1. The Infinity Saga
The end of The Infinity Saga was undoubtedly one of the biggest cultural events of the 21st century. Over 11 years of storytelling and 20+ movies culminated in one of the greatest stories ever told on the big screen. Infinity War gave us our first real look at Thanos (Josh Brolin), a villain unlike any we’d seen before. He was flawed, but his motivations were noble. We saw the Avengers divided, fighting on Titan, in Wakanda, in a desperate attempt to keep the Infinity Stones away from Thanos. And then came the heartbreak — for the very first time, our heroes lost.
Just a year later, we got Endgame — a heartfelt love letter to every Marvel fan. We got to revisit all our favorite moments from the MCU. We got to see Cap (Chris Evans) wield the Mjolnir and prove that not everything special about him came out of a bottle. We got to see Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) and Peter (Tom Holland) finally share an actual hug. We got to see Iron Man make the sacrifice play. We got to see Cap get his final dance.
The payoff for years of investment was absolutely worth it. The intricate storytelling, the character growth, the sheer scale of the narrative — it was a cinematic achievement that may never be replicated. So, it’s no surprise The Infinity Saga tops our list of endings that lingered long after the credits rolled.
Watch The Infinity Saga on Disney+
2. How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother spent years building up to the reveal of Ted’s (Josh Radnor) wife, the “Mother.” However, the ending threw a curveball: Tracy (Cristin Milioti), the Mother, had actually passed away. The worst part wasn’t just her death, but the timing. Just when we thought we were getting a happy ending, literally seconds later, the show kills Tracy off. We don’t see any of her and Ted’s life after she falls ill. We don’t get to see Ted’s grief, her decline, how the kids react, or the gang’s reaction.
To make things worse, Ted ends up with Robin (Cobie Smulders)! After nine seasons spent exploring why Ted and Robin weren’t meant to be, the show ended with him seemingly ready to pursue her again. This felt like a betrayal and contradicted the whole point of the show, which is why fans hated it so much and still can’t get over the finale.
Watch How I Met Your Mother on Hulu
3. Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is universally considered one of the worst endings to one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Many of the cast members themselves have admitted how disappointing the finale was. And fans have been petitioning for an entire remake of the final season ever since the show ended.
The biggest problem with the ending was the pacing. The story was rushed to the point where every action felt forced and out of character. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) was the Prince that was promised. The entire story was built upon his secret lineage. He’d always been the one to warn the realm against the White Walkers. So, who do the showrunners choose to land the killing blow to the Night King? Arya Stark (Maisie Willaims)! And to top it off, Jon returns to the Wall like the nobody bastard he started out as. Eight seasons of everything about his arc amounted to absolutely nothing.
And then there was the Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) of it all. Game of Thrones had built her up as the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, the Breaker of Chains, and Freer of Slaves. Her abrupt shift from being a kind and just queen to a ruthless tyrant felt like a betrayal. Bran’s (Isaac Wright) abrupt shift from “I can never be lord of anything” to “Why do you think I’m here?” was infuriating. The Lannisters’ deaths were unsatisfying. Jon, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) used to be some of the smartest characters in the show, but in the end, they’d become pushovers, making the dumbest choices possible.
4. House of Cards
House of Cards struggled in its final season after the exit of its lead actor, Kevin Spacey, due to allegations of sexual misconduct. His character was killed off, and without Spacey the show felt empty. Robin Wright, although a great co-star, simply did not have the chops or the screen presence to lead. Her character was never meant to be the star, which is why the show ended on a sour note, leaving long-time fans of the series frustrated and disappointed. The show basically ended one season prior to its actual end.
Watch House of Cards on Netflix
5. Attack on Titan
The final season of Attack on Titan flipped the entire show on its head by making Eren the villain. Fans were kept in the dark about Eren’s real motivations until the very end. And it turned out that he had been in control all along, planning everything we saw in the last four seasons to happen just as it did. The Rumbling, a broken Levi raining hell on the Titans, Mikasa killing Eren, and the bird wrapping the scarf around her — it all came together beautifully to create a perfect, heart-wrenching ending to a phenomenal show.
And then, the credits and post-credits scenes really hammer the point of the show home. They show how dangerous the world can be. Even without the Titans, humanity still falls into evil, war, and hate, just like Eren predicted. The cycle continues to repeat itself, and nothing can actually change that. It’s a bleak outlook and stays with you long after you’re done watching.
Watch Attack on Titan on Crunchyroll
6. This Is Us
This Is Us ended in the warmest, most heartfelt way possible. Every character got their perfect ending. The finale proved why Rebecca (Mandy Moore) was destined to be with Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), and their love story felt complete. We saw the Pearson siblings, Kate (Chrissy Metz), Kevin (Justin Hartley), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown), blossoming into the people their parents raised them to be, living the lives they were meant to live.
But undoubtedly, the reason the episode has stuck with fans is the final shot, which shows Jack and a young Randall together, as Randall watches his father looking at Rebecca (Mandy Moore), Kevin, and Kate. In this one brief moment, Jack sits with his son, content to be at home with the people he loves the most. It reminds us that even though our loved ones may be gone, the memories we share with them and the love they leave behind, stay with us forever. Also check out this guide detailing what’s next for This is Us‘s cast.
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