How Many People Did Dexter Kill? (&10 Most Important Ones)
The original Dexter series ran for eight seasons, and we have a new series called New Blood, which continues and closes the curtain on the series. But how many people have Dexter killed throughout the entire series?
There is no concrete number regarding how many people Dexter has killed. But, based on the blood slides he keeps and on the number of people he killed without taking a blood sample, the estimated number of people he has killed is around 135 in the original series and five in New Blood.
As you can see, Dexter has killed around 140 people. The fact that Dexter has killed more than a hundred people speaks volumes to how much of a psychopath this character is, as we hardly see serial killers killing more than 50 in real life. That said, we are here to look at how he got to that number and his most important kills throughout the entire series.
How Many People Did Dexter Kill?
The original Dexter series ran for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013. There is also a mini-series called Dexter: New Blood, which premiered in 2021 and ended in January 2022. That means that the entire Dexter story ran for nine seasons, and that’s a lot of time for a serial killer to kill more people. So, how many people did Dexter kill?
In the original Dexter series, Dexter was known to collect blood samples from his victims and keeps them in a box full of blood slides. The total count of his first blood slide was 45. But after his first box was found by the FBI, he started a new box, which included 43 people. So, the total number of people he killed in those two boxes is 88.
However, we also know for a fact that Dexter also killed seven people before he started keeping their blood samples. As such, the total number goes up to 95.
Then again, we also know that Dexter wasn’t able to collect blood samples from all of his victims because there were instances he lost victims’ slides or just wasn’t able to collect samples from them due to certain circumstances.
It is estimated that he has killed around 50 people without having been able to keep their blood samples. As such, the total kill count on Dexter’s tally goes to 135. But we also know that he killed at least five people in New Blood after ten years of not killing anyone. That means that he has killed approximately 140 people.
10 Most Important Characters Dexter Killed
At this point, you already know that Dexter has killed a lot of people. Saying that he has killed a lot is actually an understatement to the number of people he has killed throughout his entire lifetime. However, even though he might have killed plenty of people in his life, there are still some kills that stand out because of how important they are to Dexter’s life and the entire narrative.
10. Matt Caldwell
Matt Caldwell isn’t the worst killer on this list because the number of people he killed pales in comparison to the other killers in the entire Dexter series. But then again, he was a true jerk in every sense of the word because he made his kills look like accidents. So, in a way, he still deserved to die.
The reason why Matt Caldwell is on this list is that he was the one who broke Dexter’s ten-year drought of no killings. From the end of season 8 to the beginning of New Blood, Dexter didn’t kill anyone. But when he realized that he needed to kill Matt, he did so, albeit in a sloppy way, which proved that he was rusty due to his ten-year drought.
9. Viktor Baskov
Viktor Baskov was one of the most admirable kills on Dexter’s list because he stopped begging the serial killer to spare his life. It was as if he had accepted his fate after realizing that it was no use talking his way out of his death. Of course, it was also satisfying to see Dexter bashing Viktor’s head with a fire extinguisher.
So, the reason why Viktor Baskov’s death is important is that he was responsible for killing Dexter’s friend, Detective Mike Anderson. This kill shows that Dexter had a personal touch on the way he chose his victims, as he was out for revenge with this kill.
8. Lila West
Lila West was one of the weirdest characters on the show because she killed children to prove that she loved Dexter, with who she had a relationship. But Dexter knew that she had to be put down because of the fact that she was killing children.
However, this kill showed that Dexter still had a soft side because he killed her painlessly. He injected her with a spinal epidural that was meant to make her feel numb so that she wouldn’t feel the knife that Dexter used to kill her.
7. Arthur Mitchell
Arthur Mitchell was kind of the main antagonist of season 4, as everyone in the world waited for the old man’s death. And, in a way, his death was satisfying because it showcased how Dexter was able to outwit him.
The reason why this death is important is that it showcased Dexter’s resolve when it comes to killing an absolute monster. Arthur Mitchell had killed a lot of people for decades, but the police were never able to catch him. This led to him being called a “myth” until Dexter put an end to the legend of the Trinity Killer.
6. Brian Moser
Brian Moser’s death is one of the most important and emotional deaths in the entire series. The reason why this is so important is that Dexter had to kill his own brother Brian, who is also called the Ice Truck Killer.
However, Dexter didn’t kill his brother for being a killer. Instead, he had to kill him because Brian intended for Dexter to kill his adoptive sister Debra. Dexter chose to protect his own sister by killing his brother.
5. Ken Olson
Dexter killing Ken Olson was also an important point in the series because this was Dexter showing the man the difference between him and a regular serial killer. Olson thought he could be like Dexter by doing vigilante killings as well. However, Ken was different because he also killed for personal reasons.
As Dexter needed to show Ken Olson that he was an entirely different person, he had to put his copycat down to rid the world of a potential serial killer.
4. Kurt Caldwell
Kurt Caldwell was basically Dexter’s rival in New Blood, as he was known for killing innocent women in the town of Iron Lake. And when Dexter found out about the man responsible for killing women for 25 years, he had to put Kurt down.
So, the reason why this was such an important kill is that Dexter actually involved his son Harrison in this kill. Harrison could barely stomach the fact that they needed to kill Kurt, but he still aided his father in putting together the perfect kill room in what is the most satisfying death in New Blood.
3. Jasper Hodge
While Jasper Hodge wasn’t a very important character in New Blood, his death was a way of telling us that Dexter was ready to go to any lengths to keep his son safe. And we liked how Dexter had to improvise in this kill due to time constraints.
So, the reason why Dexter killed Jasper is the fact that this man nearly killed Harrison just to complete a ritual kill. That said, Dexter, wanting to keep his son safe, got his revenge by killing Jasper Hodge in New Blood.
2. Oliver Saxon
Oliver Saxon, who is also known as the Brain Surgeon, was a satisfying kill not only for the viewers but for Dexter as well. The reason is that it was Saxon who was responsible for putting Debra in a vegetative state. Of course, we all know that Debra ended up dying at the end of the entire series.
In a way, this was a good kill because Dexter, despite his emotional state, was still quite intelligent in the way he approached Saxon’s death. He made it look like he was acting in self-defense in this kill because there were cameras behind them. With this kill, Dexter was able to avenge his sister’s death while also keeping his hands clean of any crime.
1. Logan
We only knew Logan for ten episodes, but he is a real stand-up guy that cared for Dexter and Harrison. He worked as a police sergeant in Iron Lake while also working as Harrison’s wrestling coach. Logan is also the one guy who was truly innocent among all of Dexter’s kills.
The reason why Logan’s death is so important is that it shows Dexter’s impulsive side. He was in a holding cell before the kill, as he knew that he was backed into a corner he had no escape from. The only way for him to get out of the mess was to kill Logan, his friend, and meet up with Harrison. But Logan’s death was the ultimate nail on Dexter’s coffin, as Harrison had to put his father down after learning that he was the one responsible for killing his mentor.