‘The Chi’ Deaths Ranked by Impact and How Lena Waithe Used Loss to Define the South Side

Few dramas on American television have built their entire emotional architecture around death the way ‘The Chi’ has. Created by Lena Waithe and premiering on Showtime in January 2018, the series follows life in a South Side Chicago neighborhood, connecting the lives of characters whose fates ripple through the community in unexpected ways. Over eight seasons, that community has been shaped as much by who it has lost as by who has survived.

What makes ‘The Chi’ distinct is not simply the frequency of its character deaths but the weight each one carries. Since its premiere, Waithe’s love letter to the South Side has never shied away from the brutal reality that life on those streets can be cut short in an instant. Every major departure in the series has functioned as a turning point, reorienting storylines and forcing surviving characters into new emotional territory.

The Deaths That Started It All: Coogie and Jason

Charles “Coogie” Johnson is introduced in the very first episode of ‘The Chi’, where he is arrested as a suspect in Jason Roxboro’s murder after being seen leaving the scene, even though he had only stolen Jason’s shoes and chain. It is a minor impulsive act that sets off consequences far beyond anything Coogie could have anticipated.

Ronnie Davis, a man close to Jason, spots Coogie wearing Jason’s chain and pulls a gun, shooting Coogie dead without hesitation, driven by grief and rage. That single act of misguided vengeance set off a chain reaction that would define ‘The Chi’ for years, making Coogie’s death arguably the most consequential in the entire series.

Jason Roxboro himself, though never seen alive in the present, is a central character introduced through his death in the pilot episode. He was a star student-athlete, well-known and respected in his Chicago community, and his murder deeply impacted those around him, especially his mother, Tracy, who was left devastated as Jason was her only child.

For Brandon, losing Coogie wasn’t just heartbreaking. Coogie was his heart, his kid, his responsibility. Watching him fall into grief and try to find meaning through cooking, ambition, and quiet revenge made the loss even more devastating for fans. His death also exposed a deeper issue: how easy it is to get caught in the crossfire of someone else’s pain.

Ronnie Davis and the Cycle of Violence

Ronnie’s relationship with Tracy Roxboro was one of the most significant connections in his life. Tracy’s son, Jason, was like a son to Ronnie, and his tragic death sent Ronnie spiraling. His murder of Coogie haunted him, pushing him deeper into alcoholism as he tried to cope with his guilt.

Ronnie’s final chapter came in season three when he was tragically shot and killed by Bakari, as retaliation for Ronnie killing his best friend, Coogie. The cycle of violence had finally come full circle, and the show made sure viewers felt every inch of that irony. Ronnie is shot just as he was on the verge of leaving town and starting over, moments after the community had briefly celebrated him for rescuing Kiesha Williams.

‘The Chi’ showrunner Justin Hillian told TV Guide that the writers wanted to honor the idea of karma. “We looked at it kind of like this moment when he’s walking with Tracy, the woman that he did all of this for. He shot Coogie because he was trying to avenge Jason’s death for Tracy,” Hillian explained, calling the sequence of events “really poetic.”

Actor Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, who played Ronnie, was philosophical about his character’s fate. “Since the first episode of The Chi, when Ronnie shot Coogie, I was expecting him to go,” he said. “The writers really brought it full circle.”

Brandon Johnson’s Off-Screen Departure and Douda’s Long-Awaited End

Brandon Johnson, portrayed by Jason Mitchell, was a central figure whose storyline was integral to the show’s early success. His off-screen departure was officially revealed in the season three premiere through a eulogy delivered by his mother, adding a layer of intrigue and unanswered questions about his death. The ambiguity of how he died left fans frustrated and unsatisfied.

Jason Mitchell was fired from the show in May after sexual harassment allegations went public, with reports indicating that the harassment against his co-star Tiffany Boone had become so severe that her fiancé had to come on set when she filmed scenes with Mitchell. The real-world circumstances made Brandon’s death feel less like a story choice and more like a wound the series never fully healed from.

For five seasons on the Paramount+ with Showtime series, Douda served as the ultimate suave gangster terror, while also having a period where he was admired as a top businessman in the city’s Southside, and even served a short stint as Chicago’s mayor. By the time the season six finale credits rolled, Douda, played by Curtiss Cook, and Rob, played by Iman Shumpert, were both dead. The on-screen murders were related: after a season-long battle for power between Douda and Alicia, the former mayor was taken out by Nuck, his former henchman.

Co-showrunner Justin Hillian explained the reasoning in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: “No matter how powerful somebody is, if you make too many enemies, one of them is going to be the wrong enemy.”

Jada and Alicia: Season Seven Delivers Its Heaviest Losses

One of season seven’s most significant developments arrived as early as episode seven, when Jada, played by Yolonda Ross, a fan favorite since the very first episode aired in January 2018, found out that her victory over cancer in season four was not going to repeat itself in season seven. Chemotherapy would not work this time, and Jada decided not to pursue treatment for this more aggressive form of the disease, making her prognosis terminal.

The season seven finale culminated with the emotional death of Jada Washington after succumbing to her terminal cancer. Before her death, Jada was able to see Emmett and Kiesha’s newborn and learn that they had named the baby after her grandmother. Jada was at peace with her fate, knowing that her legacy would continue with Emmett, Kiesha, and her new grandchild.

Yolonda Ross told TVLine that on set she tried to stay focused rather than let the personal emotions overwhelm the work. “I feel like I was nostalgic when I was alone. When I was at work, I felt like, ‘Yeah, let’s just get through this, ’cause I don’t want to wallow in it.'” Ross found out about her character’s fate shortly before filming, and when asked how she felt upon receiving the news, she said, “It sucked. I mean, it was weird. It’s kind of a mixed bag of things.”

Jada’s death was made even more emotional by the resurrection of Reg, Jake and Victor’s criminal-minded brother who had been presumed dead after season two, whose return further destabilized the characters around her. Alicia Daniels Lafayette’s murder at the hands of Roselyn, Douda’s wife who returned seeking vengeance for Douda’s death, came as a genuine shock to most viewers, even though Jada’s death had been telegraphed for several episodes.

Creator Lena Waithe noted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that what makes Alicia’s death particularly potent is that Shaad and Victor had nothing to do with it, yet were surrounded by police in the finale’s final shot. “What I love is that our audience, our Chi family, knows what’s up. They know they didn’t do this. What I think is fun is that our audience is kind of frustrated,” Waithe said.

The deaths in ‘The Chi’ have never existed for shock value alone. Each one recalibrates the emotional gravity of the series, deepening the stakes for the characters who remain. Which death from the South Side hit you hardest, and do you think the show has succeeded in honoring the weight of those losses across eight seasons?