Daredevil is in a pretty unique spot given that he has two different shows with the same continuation — one made by Netflix and the other produced by Disney. However, they have a common denominator in that they are absolutely dark and grim. Throughout the entire history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we've rarely seen a story so violent as that of the Daredevil series. Unfortunately, that means the two have paved their way forward with some big character deaths along the way.
There exists no concept such as "being safe" in a Daredevil project, and sometimes, that applies to protagonist characters as well. To prove it, we've gathered a list of every time a major character bit the dust either throughout the events of Netflix's Daredevil or Born Again. So get ready because this trip down memory lane isn't for the faint of heart.
Jonathan Murdock
Everyone knows that — for a superhero to be successful — they must suffer the loss of someone really close to them. Peter Parker lost Uncle Ben, Batman watched both of his parents get murdered, and Matt Murdock, unfortunately, heard as they shot his father in an alleyway.
Battlin' Jack was a renowned boxer for all the wrong reasons. He lost more than he won (with a 24 - 31 record), and his signature move was letting his opponent hit him until they broke their hands. But during one of his matches, it appeared as if fate finally smiled upon him as he crossed paths with a nun named Maggie Grace, and the two eventually had a kid together. Unfortunately, it all proved to be just one of destiny's cruel jokes as Maggie decided to leave him as a lone father afterward.
To keep his family afloat, Jonathan started participating in fixed fights to earn money in return. However, one day, he got tired of his son hearing him lose, and he decided to win a fight even when he wasn't supposed to. Unfortunately, breaking the rules earned him a quick death in the form of a bullet by his contractors. But before passing away, he bet all his earnings on himself for his final fight and left that money behind for his son — an event which allowed Matt to go to law school and make history along the way. Furthermore, the Man Without Fear eventually reunited with his mother, so not everything was bad.
James Wesley
During the first episodes of the Daredevil Netflix series, Matt didn't even know who he was going up against. Instead, he was simply fighting a ghost — a man with no public appearances who pulled the strings from the shadows. The Kingpin thrived in anonymity, but whenever he wanted to make his presence felt, he sent his right-hand man to do his bidding. That's James Wesley for you.
James was a ruthless follower of Wilson Fisk, ready to follow his every order no matter the cost. However, his eagerness to make his boss's life easier was his ultimate downfall. When Vanessa was poisoned during an event, Fisk dedicated his whole attention to watching after her in the hospital. As a result, Wesley decided to deal with any problems threatening the Kinpin's empire. And wouldn't you know it, but a major inconvenience was Karen Page.
Both Karen and Ben Urich paid Wilson's mom a visit in an attempt to figure out if there was any information they could use against him. When Wesley found out about this, he kidnapped Karen and took her to an empty warehouse to seemingly end her life. However, the keen reporter quickly grabbed a gun that Wesley put on the middle of a table and used it to shoot him seven times. While Wilson Fisk has since hired other assistants, no one was as fearless, dedicated, and intimidating as Wesley, and we (weirdly) miss him to this very date.
Ben Urich
Money can buy a lot of things, but not the integrity of New York Bulletin's renowned journalist, Ben Urich.
Ben dedicated his life to uncovering the dark truths of New York City and bringing them to light. Unfortunately, that meant he eventually crossed paths with The Kingpin of crime — a new, big player who was looking to reshape town by doing shady business and killing everyone who dared cross his path. One day, both Ben Urich and Karen Page paid a visit to Wilson Fisk's mother in a desperate attempt to find any bit of information that could be used against him. Unfortunately, this move would be Ben's undoing.
When the truth about Ben's actions was finally unveiled, Wilson decided to repay the favor and visit him as well. As you'd imagine, a New York Bulletin journalist didn't stand a chance against one of Marvel's most debious and relentless villains ever created. Unfortunately, Ben's life came to an end, but his stories against corruption will forever live on.
Elektra Natchios
This is a pretty unique case because, unlike every other character on this list, we don't actually know what Elektra's fate is. The thing is, she was stabbed and assassinated by a member of The Hand during the second season of Netflix's Daredevil (which is why she makes her way on the list). However, she was later resurrected during The Defenders mini-series, only to become the Hand's Black Sky — a terrifying entity that was prophesied to lead the organization and its followers. Unable to remember her past, Elektra accepted her new destiny and fought against his former ally, Matt Murdock.
Fortunately, the skilled heroine eventually regained her senses and helped battle The Hand yet again. This epic tale of good vs bad culminated in her and Matt being buried under the debris of a building, and we haven't heard from the former ever since. While the Man Without Fear was able to make it out alive of such a dire situation, we don't know what happened to Elektra. With a little bit of luck, Daredevil: Born Again will give us a conclusive answer during the events of Season 2, which is already being filmed.
Kevin Page
Karen wasn't always the woman she is today. She was a bit more reckless in her youth and didn't have any solid plans for her future. However, that all changed the day her brother died in a tragic car accident. It was her canon event, if you will.
Kevin Page worked at the family restaurant along with her sister. However, he noticed she started arriving late to her shifts and believed her life was spiraling away as she didn't want to go to college either. Kevin quickly arrived at the conclusion that most of her sister's behaviour was due to the bad influence of her boyfriend, Todd, who was known for being a drug dealer. Kevin then would go on to burn Todd's trailer — a decision that cost him a pretty serious beating. Fortunately, Karven defended his little brother from Todd, and the two managed to escape from the scene.
As they were going home, Karen and Kevin had a heated discussion, and the former took her eyes from the road just a little while which was more than enough to cause a big accident. Kevin, unfortunately, died on the spot, and his sister's life has never been the same since.
Ray Nadeem
Ray Nadeem is perhaps the most tragic character ever created in a Marvel show.
From the beginning of Netflix's Daredevil Season 3, Ray Nadeem was in a pretty rough spot. When his brother's wife, Saanvi, was diagnosed with cancer, he spent a lot of money on her medical treatment. Curiously enough, Saavani was denied health coverage, which was the main reason why Ray had to pay from his pocket. Desperate to keep his family afloat after the bills came in, Ray pushed for a promotion on his work at the F.B.I. And while his prayers were heard, they often say you should be careful about what you wish for.
Ray Nadeem became the main point of contact with Wilson Fisk — a convict who was feeding the government information about dangerous players in New York City. But in his desperation, Ray began to grant the Kingpin's every wish in exchange for new leads. That eventually led to the supervillain manipulating the whole F.B.I agency, escaping from house arrest, and even putting Ray in his pocket. It was later revealed that Fisk planned everything from the get-go, as he was the one who ensured Saavani's health coverage was rejected so that Ray would be in a tough position. As you'd imagine, everything snowballed from there.
Fortunately, Nadeem redeemed himself in his final moments by going against the Kingpin's orders and recording a video where he revealed the truth behind the whole situation. The only downside? Bullseye hunted him down and shot him right in between the eyes. It was one of the show's most tragic deaths, but it allowed for the Kingpin's eventual arrest (until all of that was undone without an explanation when Daredevil: Born Again premiered).
Foggy Nelson
Out of every death in the list, this is the one that hurts the most.
Foggy Nelson has been an unbreakable moral compass who has pointed Matt Murdock in the right path more times than we could count. Furthermore, he has always done everything in his power to help those without a voice and fight the corrupt agents who aim to harm the city. These amazing qualities made it all the more heartbreaking when Bullseye shot him in the chest during the opening moments of the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
Charlie Cox has mentioned that while he wasn't sure about such a drastic creative decision, they needed a "bold reason" to come back after almost seven years of being off-air. Unfortunately, Foggy had to pay that price, and now fans can only reminisce about the time when he and Matt did everything in their power to aid the city both on and off the court. Fortunately, not everything is bad as a hidden easter egg might suggest that our favorite "avocado" is still alive, and he's just been put in the FBI witness protection program. Hopefully, we'll get some much-needed answers about Foggy's fate sooner rather than later (since he is a character who is confirmed to return for the second season of Daredevil: Born Again).
Hector Ayala / White Tiger
White Tiger might've only appeared during two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, but it was more than enough time to earn fans' hearts. That's why it was all the more heartbreaking when a Punisher impersonator shot him dead in the head just when he could've had his happy ending.
Hector Ayala was your everyday citizen who went to work, had a family, and used a mystic amulet to fight crime during the night. Unfortunately, one day, he unknowingly got into a fight with two undercover cops who were beating a man. During the confrontation, one of the cops got run over by a train, and Hector was framed for murder. Not everything was bad, however, as he had the best lawyer that money could buy (even though he got it for free). With Matt Murdock right by his side, he was able to prove his innocence and earn his victory. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of revealing his secret identity to the world.
While Matt suggested Hector should give up on the White Tiger mantle, that advice was unfortunately ignored. Eventually, Hector suited up once again and walked straight into his own demise when attempting to defend the city. At that moment, Matt discovers that not even court victories are enough to keep New York citizens safe, and that prompts him to become Daredevil once again.