Television deaths have been shocking audiences since the beginning, and 2013 was a big year for main characters being killed off of their shows.

SPOILERS for American Horror Story: Coven, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Family Guy, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Person of Interest and Sons of Anarchy below:

The "Red Wedding" episode of Game of Thrones was one of the most buzzed-about TV episodes of the year, after killing two of its main characters, Robb (Richard Madden) and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley). Breaking Bad killed Hank (Dean Norris) near the end of the final season of the AMC series, upsetting fans of the character.

Recently, there has been a slew of shocking deaths for main characters. Family Guy killed off its dog Brian Griffin by having him be hit by a car. On Person of Interest, Detective Carter (Taraji P. Henson) was shot and killed while trying to protect Reese (Jim Caviezel). 

Clay (Ron Perlman), one of the big leads on Sons of Anarchy, was shot and killed by his own stepson in a recent episode. Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) was accidentally killed on the season 4 finale of Boardwalk Empire. On American Horror Story: Coven, Fiona (Jessica Lange) killed young witch Madison (Emma Roberts) out of fear that she was taking her place.

The new Netflix original series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black featured shocking episodes in which big characters died. In House of Cards, troubled senator Peter Russo (Corey Stoll) was left to die in a car. In a later episode of Orange is the New Black, Tricia Miller (Madeline Brewer) overdoses on drugs and dies, making the show much darker.

Here's a gallery of the most shocking TV deaths of 2013: