The Sopranos: Every Major Death, Ranked (2024)

Warning!!! The following article contains spoilers for Sopranos.

As expected with a series that dealt with the mob, there were many notable The Sopranos deaths that saw the main characters of the series taken out. The Sopranos was the show that turned HBO into must-watch TV, while also showing that there could be shows featuring complex, flawed and even evil characters as the protagonists. Indeed, Tony Soprano was someone who was not afraid to order the deaths of many people and kill with his own bare hands when pushed, so it's no surprise that he was also surrounded by violence with many associates and enemies dying in The Sopranos.

While there are many clues that Tony died in The Sopranos' finale, it remains officially unconfirmed. However, there were plenty of other characters who audiences got to know over the course of the seven seasons that did certainly die. Some of these were characters who fans loved and met heartbreaking ends. Some of them were characters fans loved to hate who received their comeuppance in satisfying ways. These deaths of The Sopranos main characters account for some of the show's most iconic moments and cemented its legacy on television.

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Honorable Mention: Pie-O-My

Pie-O-My was a pretty unique death in the series as it was the death of an animal. Though certainly not a main character in the show, the importance of Pie-O-My's time on the show should not be overlooked. This beloved horse to whom Tony grew so attached ended up having a huge impact on him. While the horse ends up being a big winner in terms of racing, Tony cherishes the animal far more than its financial successes.

Sadly, the innocent animal was one of the unfortunate victims to get wrapped up in the mob world. Despite Pie-O-My earning a lot of money for Ralphie, he ends up burning down the stable and the horse has to be killed due to its extensive injuries. Pie-O-My's death ends up being very significant as it ultimately causes Tony to kill Ralphie in anger.

14 Billy Leotardo - The Test Dream (S5, Ep11)

Played By Chris Caldovino

Billy Leotardo was a soldier working for his brother Phil, an influential boss in the crime family. Though he did not have a huge role in the series, he was a prime example of how one act can spiral into a violent series of repercussions in this world. Billy was by his father's side in the power struggle in which he murdered Angelo Garepe. While it was not seen as a big issue as Billy was well-connected, Billy learns the hard way that there are consequences for his actions.

In response to the murder, Angelo's friend, Tony Blundetto, kills Billy as he leaves a restaurant with his father. Not only did Billy's death ultimately lead to Blundetto's death, but it intensified the feud between Phil and Tony. Tony was put in a difficult position which gave Phil leverage over him for the first time and began to make him a real threat.

13 Jackie Aprile Jr. - Army Of One (S3, Ep13)

Played By Jason Cerbone

The Aprile family caused a lot of problems in the series. However, Tony Soprano was shown to have a fondness for Jackie Jr. Tony took the young man under his wing and tried to steer him away from a life of crime. He was even okay with the idea of Jackie Jr. dating his daughter Meadow. However, in the end, Jackie Jr. got himself caught up in the lifestyle of the mob world without being able to understand the dangers.

Jackie attempted to make something of himself by robbing a mob card game, but that plan backfired terribly making for one of the worst decisions of The Sopranos. Despite Tony's previous affection for Jackie, as well as the connection his daughter had to the young man, he has Vito hunt him down in hiding and execute him.

12 Johnny Sack - Stage Five (S6, Ep14)

Played By Vincent Curatola

In a world filled with so much violence, Johnny Sack left the show in a very unexpected way. As a well-respected member of the Lupertazzi crime family, Johnny was a cherished ally of Tony for much of the series. They certainly had their differences and could be combative at times, but there was always respect there. However, he ended up being taken down by illness rather than bullets.

Johnny was diagnosed with cancer and was shown to get more and more ill as time went on. It was interesting to see a character pass away so gradually on the show rather than in the typical shocking manner. By the time he had died, he was not a popular member in many of the crime families. However, upon news of his death, Tony is visibly upset and leads his crew in giving a toast to his late friend.

11 Livia Soprano - Proshai, Livushka (S3, Ep2)

Played By Nancy Marchand

Tony's relationship with his mother Livia is one of the most interesting aspects of the show and was likely meant to be a big part of the show for a long time. While Tony stands up against just about any enemy he comes across, he is constantly frustrated by his uncaring and hurtful mother. She grew more petty towards him as time went on and even began actively plotting his downfall.

It was likely their relationship was meant to be a huge part of the show for a long time to come, but actor Nancy Marchand sadly passed away before the show's third season. The Sopranos used a CGI Livia to give one final scene with Tony. It was then explained that Livia passed away in her sleep and, as a testament to the importance of her character, she continued to have a huge influence on Tony even in death.

10 Phil Leotardo - Made In America (S6, Ep 21)

Played Frank Vincent

Phil Leotardo did not show up until season 5, played by big-screen mobster legend Frank Vincent. However, he quickly made a big impression and set himself up as one of the biggest threats in the series. Leotardo was a high-ranking member of the Lupertazzi Crime Family, which were Tony's main enemies in the last two seasons of the show. Leotardo gets out of prison and then becomes the boss of the family.

As the war between Tony and Phil grew deadlier, it seemed as though Phil might ultimately kill Tony in the end. However, Phil meets his end when he is shot while pumping gas. To make it an even more memorable death for the character who was responsible for a fair amount of the killing on the show, his car begins rolling as he lies dead on the ground, and slowly rolls over his head.

9 Bobby Baccalieri - The Blue Comet (S6, Ep 20)

Played By Steve R. Schirripa

Bobby Baccalieri rose through the ranks of the family, starting as a soldier before becoming a top aide to Junior and then finally becoming a capo. Out of the many people in Tony's crew, Bobby was a good person and a loyal family man. He was not given a lot of respect by some of the others, including Tony. He also seemed to lack the killer instinct and ruthlessness that a lot of the others in this world possessed.

Bobby's gentle nature made his death all the more tragic when Phil Leotardo sent assassins after all of Tony's men. Bobby was gunned down in a toy store while buying a model train which seemed to cement his more innocent nature. His death raised the stakes for the final episodes, proving that no one was safe.

8 Vito Spatafore - Cold Stones (S6, Ep11)

Played By Joseph R. Gannascoli

Vito Spatafore was a loyal member of Tony's crew who rose quickly through the ranks. He never had as big of a role as some of the other soldiers, but was often around all the action and was the one to kill Jackie Aprile Jr. However, season 5 saw him come more into the spotlight with the major revelation that changed his life when it turned out that Vito was a closeted gay man.

Due to the rampant hom*ophobia within the mob, Vito's future was put at risk. Though he tried to convince Tony he wasn't really gay and hoped to buy himself back into the business, Tony knew he would never be accepted in this world and that Vito was essentially marked for death on The Sopranos. After going into hiding, Vito is found by Phil Leotardo who has Vito viciously beaten to death. His murder stands out as one of the most unnecessary Sopranos deaths.

7 Tony Blundetto - All Due Respect (S5, Ep13)

Played By Steve Buscemi

Though he was the director behind the acclaimed "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos, Steve Buscemi entered the series in season 5 as an actor when his character, Tony Blundetto, was released from prison. Blundetto was Tony Soprano's cousin and decided he wanted to lead a straight and crime-free life now that he was out of prison and a free man again. Sadly, Tony's plans for a crime-free life didn't go as planned and he was soon sucked back into the mob world.

When his friend was killed by Billy Leotardo, Tony B kills him in revenge, setting off a war. Despite the problems that it causes for Tony, he initially stands by his cousin and even tells off Johnny Sakcs when he is ordered to give up Tony Blundetto's location, but he eventually cannot withstand the pressure. He tells Phil where Tony can be found, but before they star to him, Tony Soprano kills his cousin to save him from the brutal plans Phil had for him.

6 Mikey Palmice - I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano (S1, Ep13)

Played By Al Sapienza

If there was one major character death on The Sopranos that made a lot of people happy, it was the death of Mikey Palmice, the right-hand man to Junior Soprano. He was very loyal to Junior during the early feuds between him and his nephew Tony. Mikey especially enjoyed doing Junior's dirty work and killing people. It quickly made him a character that many fans wanted to see meet a brutal end once the war between Junior and Tony really ignited.

When Mikey went jogging and found himself face-to-face with Paulie and Christopher, it provided a huge fan favorite moment when the two gunned him down mercilessly. Seeing the smug and cruel Mikey try to talk his way out of being killed and lie about his involvement reduced him to a cowardly villain before his death.

5 Ralph Cifaretto - Whoever Did This (S4, Ep 9)

Played By Joe Pantoliano

Another character who was easy to hate was Ralph Cifaretto, someone who grew up with Tony and was sent to Florida to watch after the family's interests there. This is where he picked up an addiction to cocaine and developed a harsh and violent temper. When he returned to New Jersey, it was that temper that quickly put him at odds with Tony and others

Ralph beat a girl to death outside The Bada Bing and he and Tony ended up fighting themselves. While that was smoothed over in time, when Ralph admitted to killing Tony's racehorse, it was the last straw for their relationship and resulted in a brutal and vicious fight in which it was clear one of them would not survive. Ralphie ended up beaten to death on the floor of his kitchen and disposed of by Tony and Christopher.

4 Richie Aprile - The Knight in White Satin Armor (S2, Ep12)

Played By David Proval

Some of the most entertaining characters in the show are the ones who suddenly come into the picture and immediately cause trouble. Richie Aprile showed up on The Sopranos after getting out of jail, the brother of former family boss Jackie Aprile Sr. The problem is that he was cruel and violent, his smile a facade for someone who threw his weight around -- even to the point of hurting the family.

The fact that Tony worked under him until Richie went to jail meant that there was immediate tension between the two. When Richie decided he was going to have Tony murdered, that immediately put a bullseye on him. However, in another example of the show subverting audience expectations, Jackie ended up killed when he hit Janice Soprano who responded by shooting him in the chest.

3 Adriana La Cerva - Long Term Parking (S5, Ep12)

Played By Drea de Matteo

The most horrific death on The Sopranos was that of Adriana La Cerva because, at the end of the day, she was one of the best people on the show. Her death proved that Tony, Christopher, and their entire family were evil and deserved no redemption. Just because she loved Christopher, she was bullied into the role of an informant for the FBI.

When she tried to find a way out, she failed and ended up in even more trouble with the FBI. She tried to convince Christopher to run away with her but he almost killed her when he found out the FBI was trying to turn her against the family. Finally, Christopher told Tony and he had Sil drive her into the woods and shoot her in the back as she tried to escape.

2 Sal Bonpensiero - Funhouse (S2, Ep13)

Played By Vincent Pastore

Through the first season, there were plenty of reasons to know that Tony Soprano was a bad guy, but he was still someone that viewers were able to get behind. He did bad things but the people he hurt were people who were also bad people and Tony seemed to be the lesser of two evils.

However, another character that fans had started to like was Sal "Big puss*" Bonpensiero. He was a long-time friend of Tony's and a loyal soldier for the Soprano crew. He was even someone who voted to put Tony in power. However, when the FBI busted him dealing heroin, he was forced to become another of The Sopranos' FBI informants in order to stay out of prison. Tony ordered Sal's death, which he pulled off with Silvio and Paulie, and the sight of them killing their close friend showed no one was safe.

1 Christopher Moltisanti - Kennedy and Heidi (S6, Ep18)

Played By Michael Imperioli

The most shocking death on The Sopranos came when Tony Soprano killed his own nephew Christopher Moltisanti. For years, Christopher was supposed to be the man who one day replaced Tony as the head of the family and he was with his uncle every step of the way, both as a hired gun and a trusted associate.

However, Christopher was getting sloppy and much of it was due to a heroin addiction that started to cause him to make mistakes. The end for Christopher came when he was involved in a car accident and was in his car, possibly dying. That is when Tony suffocated his nephew when he realized that Christopher's daughter would be dead if she was in the car with him. He seemed relieved that he finally removed his nephew from his family tree.

The Sopranos

Considered to be a quintessential drama series to watch, The Sopranos is a crime-drama series that follows Tony Soprano, who tries to manage the expectations of an Italian-American patriarch while acting as the head of a prolific New Jersey crime family. Burdened by the stress of the expectations thrust upon him, Tony regularly visits a therapist throughout the series run. This helps give context to Tony's actions as a ruthless boss with violent tendencies.

Cast

James Gandolfini , Lorraine Bracco , Edie Falco , Michael Imperioli , Dominic Chianese , Steven Van Zandt , Tony Sirico , Robert Iler , Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Release Date

January 10, 1999

Seasons

6

Showrunner

David Chase