R.I.P.: Top TV Character Deaths of 2014

SPOILER ALERT: This should go without saying -- consider the title of this list, for crying out loud! -- but if you're behind on a few of your favorite TV series, stop reading now.

On some series, death is a regular visitor. On others, it arrives so infrequently that the death of even a minor character comes as a shock. In any case, TV viewers know by now that the Grim Reaper can swing by to trim the cast of any series at any time, often without warning. At the time of this writing, at least 40 characters that we know of have journeyed into the mysterious beyond -- far too many to effectively discuss in a Year End list. Instead, here are the 10 most significant character deaths of the 2014, as well as a few runners-up for good measure. (If you'd like to peruse a more comprehensive list of character deaths, check out this one created by IMDb user dogdawgdogdawgdog.)

• IMDb's TV Editor Melanie McFarland

As always, we invite you to weigh in with your comments below. Which TV character's death impacted you the most?