Prison Breakgave some fan-favorite characters a different fate than the one they deserved. While occasionally heartbreaking for viewers, this made the show better, as part ofwhat madePrison Breakcompelling was its unpredictability, with few characters being confirmed safe. At the heart of the show, Michael and Lincoln appeared to be untouchable. However, other members ofPrison Break’s Fox River Eightwere not so lucky.Prison Break’s four seasons, movie, and reboot allhave a high death toll, and many of the show’s most shocking moments involve the deaths of characters previously considered safe.
Prison Break’s main plot concerns Michael’s attempt to break his brother, Lincoln, out of death row. Over time, the escape plan grew more risky, with Michael seemingly in over his head as more people joined his team. Though some ofPrison Break’s characters, like T-Bag, are dangerous, having committed some disturbing crimes, others, like Tweener, were in the wrong place at the wrong time.Prison Breakproduced some fantastic acting performances and character development, with several villains switching sides. That said,there were both protagonists and antagonists who deserved betterthan their fates in the show.
10Veronica Donovan
Prison Break’s female characters were flawed, but Veronica had the potential to be one of the most formidable in the show. As a lawyer, she knew how to work with the system, but it was her curiosity and a silly mistake that led to her early death. While investigating the government conspiracy that saw Lincoln Burrows falsely accused of murder,Veronica entered a strange, isolated house, and allowed the door to shut behind her, trapping her inside.
For a character so intelligent, with the connections and problem-solving skills to be an asset to Lincoln after his escape, this was a disappointing and anticlimactic ending for her.
Though it seemed that Veronica was going to talk her way out of danger or persuade Steadman to help her, she was shot dead in the first episode of season 2. Veronica is then barely mentioned, despite being one of the first characters to fight to clear Lincoln’s name. For a character so intelligent, with the connections and problem-solving skills to be an asset to Lincoln after his escape, this was a disappointing and anticlimactic ending for her.
9John Abruzzi
Abruzzi’s Death Was Iconic But Came Too Soon
John Abruzzi was one of the most interesting and essential members of Michael’s escape team. As a high-ranking mafia member, Abruzzi’s plane could have been the perfect getaway vehicle, but Michael did not take the shifting mafia politics into account, with Abruzzi fighting to keep his status throughout the show. Though it had seemed certain that Abruzzi would thrive while on the run, his death came too early andendedPrison Break’s best chance at a spin-off.
Wow, Prison Break Was Really A Totally Different Show After Season 1
Prison Break was a remarkable show with a clever and engaging premise and compelling lead characters, however, as the show went on, it lost its way.
Abruzzi’s death scene is one of the most iconic inPrison Break, with law enforcement shooting him down after he refuses to kneel for them. That said, his death should have come much later, with viewers getting to see him begin his planned escape to Italy with his family. With the current popularity of mafia and true-crime shows, an Abruzzi spin-off would likely have been well-received, and his death was a fitting but premature ending for the character.
8Gretchen Morgan
The Show’s Unbreakable Antagonist Deserved An Explosive Ending
Most of the first season ofPrison Breakcast the sadistic and opportunistic guards as the main antagonists. However, by season 3, the guards looked relatively harmless compared to the new villains.Prison Break’s overarching villain was The Company, and as a former member,Gretchen was well-connected, extremely intelligent, and had a disturbing ability to withstand torture. While Gretchen faded into the background by the end of season 4, she returned inThe Final Break, but was robbed of a fitting ending once more.
The Final Breaksees Sara being sent to prison, where Gretchen is also being held. Though the two women have a bitter history, with Gretchen torturing Sara in the past, they team up to escape. When Gretchen is caught and fails to escape alongside Sara, this could have been the opportunity for an explosive ending. As Gretchen made an impression on virtually every otherPrison Breakcharacter,her ending should have been as memorable as she was, yet she was presumably locked in her cell once more.
7Roland Glenn
The Character Never Reached His Potential
Prison Breakbecame a completely different show by season 4, which had much more of a science-fiction feel than the first three seasons. As the team tried to track downthe mysterious Scylla, Roland joined the team as a hacker. Introducing him in the first place might have been a bad decision, as most of the other characters were already known, with established dynamics. Roland could have found a place in the group, buthe was written as abrasive and unlikable, which seemed an odd creative choice.
Roland had the potential to be a core member of Michael’s group. However, he did not get on with them, constantly shifting between trying to be included and being openly dismissive of the other characters. When he eventually apologized after getting shot while betraying Michael, it did not have the emotional impact that a character’s death should have had.Roland deserved to be given a chancebut needed to be written as a likable character for this to happen.
6Sara Tancredi
Sara Spent Season 5 Being Manipulated Again
While Sara and Michael fell in love duringPrison Break’s season 1, she still spent the majority of the season being deceived by him. Two ofPrison Break’s three endingsgive their relationship a bittersweet ending by killing Michael. Despite this sad twist to their story, the two find happiness together first, which eclipses the original way they met. By retconning the first two endings,Prison Breakundid this, with Sara being tricked by another man.
9.5
9.3
Riots, Drills and the Devil: Part 1
9.2
InPrison Break’s rebooted season 5, with Michael believed to be dead,Sara has remarried, but her husband is not what he seems. As Michael and Sara’s relationship is central to every season ofPrison Break, seeing her with another love interest was jarring. That said,she deserved to find happinessand needed a better storyline than being deceived by a different partner. It is possible that the season was written to give Sara and Michael a happy ending, but the Jacob storyline did not do her justice.
5Alex Mahone
The Fan Favorite Character Did Not Deserve To Lose His Son
FBI Agent Alex Mahone first appeared inPrison Breakasthe show’s most formidable antagonist, with intelligence and problem-solving skills that matched Michael Scofield’s. He was one of the most interesting and complex ofPrison Break’s characters, and yetMahone was not inPrison Breakseason 5. The show’s creator, Paul Scheuring, didn’t know what to do with the character, and some viewers may think that there had already been enough done to Mahone.
16 Years Later, I’m Still Mad About What Prison Break Did To Mahone
The worst season of Prison Break risked ruining one of the show’s best character arcs with a cruel storyline that did not really lead anywhere.
Though Mahone was great at his job and a very strong ally to any team he was on,his greatest ambition was to leave his work behindand pursue a normal life with his family. This possibility is taken away from him in season 4 when his young son is murdered.Prison Breakoften killed off characters, but killing Mahone’s son felt gratuitous and while it led to an excellent revenge scene, Mahone deserved a break from his many struggles.
4David “Tweener” Apolskis
Tweener’s Punishment Did Not Fit His Crime
Tweener often got overlooked in favor of more charismatic characters like T-Bag and Abruzzi, buthis backstory was one of the most tragicinPrison Break. Tweener was a small-time pickpocket and thief, but stealing a collectors' baseball card led to him being charged with grand larceny. From the moment he entered Fox River Penitentiary. Tweener was out of his depth, which led to him making unwise decisions out of fear.
That said, while Tweener was far from being the smartest character inPrison Break, it was clear that he deserved a better fate than the one he got. If he had not betrayed Michael and his team, Tweener could have become smarter and braver through spending time with the rest of the group, with the potential to be more like Sucre. However,Tweener was killed by Mahoneafter leading the FBI away from Michael, with his death being one ofthe most tragic moments inPrison Break.
3Charles Westmoreland
Prison Break’s Most Tragic Character Died Within Reach Of Freedom
Westmoreland is the onlyPrison Breakcharacter who isbased on a real person, and it was tragic enough to see the character stuck in prison after the daring heist that he pulled off decades ago. That said, his incarceration was only the beginning, as Westmoreland was wronged repeatedly throughout season 1 ofPrison Break, leading to the saddest death in the show. Westmoreland had adapted to prison life, but his daughter’s illness was the catalyst for a fate that he did not deserve.
As he had been one of the kindest characters in the show, this fate was one of the most painful and undeserved inPrison Break.
Though he originally wanted no part in the escape, Westmoreland joined Michael’s group when he learned that he would not be allowed to leave prison to visit his dying daughter. Whena piece of glass injured him during a fight with Bellick,his slow death left viewers hoping for a miracle, but Westmoreland died within reach of escape. As he had been one of the kindest characters in the show, this fate was one of the most painful and undeserved inPrison Break.
2Charles “Haywire” Patoshik
Haywire Was Manipulated By Mahone
Haywire is one of the more unusual and complex characters inPrison Break. Season 2 showed that he is capable of extreme violence, but that his anger appears only to be directed at abusers. Haywire’s morality code, childlike wonder, and simple ambition to go to Holland made him a fan favorite. If he had been inPrison Breakfor longer, a Haywire spin-off could have gone in any direction, with the character having adventures while on the run.
Prison Break’s season 2 brought out the best in Haywire and the worst in Alex Mahone, asMahone manipulated Haywire into jumping to his death. This scene was not only one ofPrison Break’s most shocking moments, but it felt deeply unfair to a character who was so compelling and fun to watch. Haywire gavePrison Breaksome of its funniest scenes, which were often needed to break up the tension in season 2.
1Michael Scofield
Michael Went Out On His Own Terms (& The Reboot Should Not Have Retconned This)
Despite having Lincoln’s support and Veronica fighting for him,Michael often seemed to be one of the loneliest charactersinPrison Break. This was later explained through his low latent inhibition, which made him think differently from everyone else. The responsibility of the escape and then of keeping Lincoln and Sara safe often weighed on Michael, and whilePrison Break’s season 5 gave Michael and Sara a happy ending, this may not have been the best choice.
Prison Breakhas two endings in which Michael dies, with season 4 implying that his brain tumor killed him andThe Final Breakshowing Michael sacrificing himself for Sara. However,Prison Breakseason 5 undoes boththese endings, with Michael faking his death and ending up in another prison. Though he gets a happy ending, this plot was unnecessary, andit would have been better if Michael had died on his own termswithout the out-of-character decisions inPrison Breakseason 5.
Prison Break
Cast
Prison Break tells the story of two brothers who must unravel a political conspiracy while escaping from one of the most secure places on Earth. When petty criminal Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is falsely convicted of murdering the Vice President’s brother, his own brother, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), has himself incarcerated in order to stage a daring prison break using the blueprints of the facility he has tattooed on his body.
