The Saddest Character Deaths In Days Of Our Lives History

Although many characters have come back from the dead on "Days of Our Lives," the soap isn't shy about killing off some of the most beloved Salem citizens. Over the years, fans have seen characters such as Roman Brady, Jack Deveraux, EJ DiMera, Will Horton, Tony DiMera, Doug Williams, and more come back from beyond the grave (via Nine). Of course, Salem's most notorious villain, Stefano DiMera, has also risen from the ashes too many times to count over the years.

However, some "Days of Our Lives" deaths were just too sad to get over. Sometimes, the characters stay dead and while there is always a slight chance that they could return, fans tend to get very emotional when they watch tragic and heartbreaking character deaths play out on the small screen.

"DOOL" is known for making shocking and surprising moves with their storylines, but some of these deaths were almost too much to handle.

"Days of Our Lives" viewers may think that Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) is the only great love that John Black (Drake Hogestyn) ever had. However, that's not correct. Although Marlena is the love of John's life, he was previously head over heels for Victor Kiriakis' daughter, Isabella Toscano (via Soap Opera News). John and Isabella met and fell in love and things appeared to be looking up for the happy couple. They eventually got married and on that very same day, Isabella went into labor and welcomed the couple's son, Brady Black.

Shortly after Isabella's joy of becoming a mother and a wife was realized, she began to get symptoms including back pain that made her seek medical attention. She was then diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and her life quickly began to slip away. John then fulfilled Isabella's last wish of wanting to die in her own home and took his wife to Venice, where she eventually passed away in John's arms, leaving behind her son, Brady.

Years after Isabella's death, John and Marlena welcomed a daughter together, whom they named Belle after John's late wife.

Lexie Carver was one of "Days of Our Lives" fans' favorite characters for years. Lexie was a doctor at University Hospital and the daughter of Salem villain Stefano DiMera. However, she also had an epic love story with her husband, Abe Carver. The pair were beloved by fans through their ups and downs, and even shared a son named Theo together. So, fans were stunned when the character was killed off of the soap opera in 2012, per TV Overmind.

Lexie appeared to be in great health until she was diagnosed with some rare brain tumor that endangered her life. The character was given only weeks to live and she spent that time with her family and friends. Lexie died, leaving behind Abe to raise Theo on his own, and fans reeled from the surprising and shocking loss of the character. Since that time, Abe has never really moved on from Lexie, although he's tried.

"Days of Our Lives" fans held out hope that actor Peter Reckell would eventually return to the soap after years away from the show. When he did finally agree to reprise his role as Bo Brady, fans were left in tears. Bo and Hope's marriage had fallen apart, as Hope believed that Bo had left her and simply didn't care anymore. However, in reality, Bo had been trapped and held captive for a very long time. He eventually escaped and returned home to Salem only to find out that he was sick, per TV Overmind.

Bo was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and his body simply couldn't handle treatment. So, he and the love of his life, Hope, spent his last remaining days together walking down memory lane and professing their love for one another (via Soap Opera News). The saddest moment came when Bo collapsed and died in Hope's arms just as snow started falling on the ground.

Unfortunately, one of the saddest "Days of Our Lives" deaths of all time involved a child. After a stunning baby switch, Bo and Hope brought home a son they named J.T., and Lexie and Abe took home their son and named him Isaac (via Soaps.com). The truth about the boys' parentage was finally revealed two years later. There were plenty of heartbreaking moments as Bo and Hope were forced to give up J.T. and Lexie and Abe had to say goodbye to Isaac, whom the Brady's later dubbed Zack.

After missing out on the first two years of Zack's life, Bo and Hope were hit hard when their son's life was tragically cut short just a few years later. On New Year's Eve, Zack had wandered outside and was struck by a car driven by his half-sister, Chelsea Brady. Zack's liver was donated to save the life of Bo and Hope's granddaughter, Claire. The scenes were raw and emotional and fans were saddened by the young character's death (via Soap Opera News).

"DOOL" fans have been through the emotional rollercoaster of watching their favorite characters die over the years. However, some deaths were simply harder to process than others.