Summary

• Major character deaths drive the narrative development in Slow Horses, showcasing the show's action-oriented and unpredictable nature.
• Peripheral characters also meet gruesome fates in the series, highlighting the ruthless efficiency and moral ambiguity of the spy world.
• Betrayals, double agents, and underworld conflicts lead to a series of shocking deaths, setting the stage for intense drama in Slow Horses season 4.

Apple TV+'s spy thriller Slow Horses has killed off several of its most prominent characters over three seasons, making it understandably difficult to track who has died and how they met their end. Although the central Slough House team has remained largely consistent, every season introduces significant new players, only for many of them to meet an unfortunate end by the story's conclusion. As a result, following the major character deaths is an easy way to understand how the show's wider narrative has developed ahead of Slow Horses season 4.

Because Slow Horses is an action-oriented show, there are a number of more peripheral characters who also die as part of the story. Characters like Nevsky and his henchmen in season 2, who may not have been given extensive character development, nonetheless play a decisive role in the story. However, while collateral and off-screen deaths are key features in Slow Horses, the show is also not afraid to kill off its more significant characters – starting from the outset in season 1.

1 Jed Moody

Killed by Min Harper and Louisa Guy

In many ways, Jed Moody's death establishes Slow Horses' irreverent tone from the off. Having betrayed Lamb to work with Diana Taverner, Jed Moody is killed accidentally by Slough House agents Min and Louisa, who sneak back into the office after a night in the pub. To make the situation even more macabrely ludicrous, Moody is killed accidentally after breaking his neck falling down the stairs. However, while his death is darkly comic, it also alerts Slough House that something untoward is going on, setting up the drama to come.

2 Alan Black

Killed by Curly

Perhaps the most shocking death in Slow Horses season 1, Alan Black's murder happens off-screen. Sent by Taverner to infiltrate the Sons of Albion and instigate the kidnapping of a British Asian student, Alan Black is secretly an MI5 mole. However, his identity is unearthed by Sons of Albion member, Curly, who displays fanatical loyalty to the cause and dramatically decapitates Black, plunging Taverner's plans into chaos.

All three seasons of Slow Horses are available on Apple TV+

3 The Sons of Albion

Killed by Curly/MI5

After Black's death, the remaining Sons of Albion are killed in a series of dramatic circumstances. First, Zeppo is shot and killed by Curly after expressing a wish to abandon the plan to execute Hassan Ahmed. Next, Larry is murdered by the Dogs after trying to board a boat to the European mainland – with Duffy planting a gun on his body in order to justify the killing. Ironically, Curly himself survives, after the Slough House team shields him from a helicopter sent by Taverner to cover her tracks.

4 Paul Hobden

Killed by Duffy

Another dramatic and shocking death in Slow Horses season, Paul Hobden's death highlights the ruthless efficiency of MI5's Dogs. Walking along a busy London street, Hobden is shown in urgent conversation about the information he has regarding the Ahmed abduction. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Duffy appears to literally throw him under a bus. The moment highlights the moral ambiguity at the heart of the service, with Hobden's nefarious character juxtaposed against his alarming extra-judicial murder.

5 Charles Partner

Killed by Jackson Lamb

Shown in flashback, Charles Partner's murder is one of the most narratively significant moments in the whole of Slow Horses. Initially suggested to by suicide, it becomes clear in the Slow Horses season 1 ending that Partner was actually murdered by Jackson Lamb himself, on the orders of River's grandfather, David. As is explained in greater detail in Slow Horses season 2, Partner was secretly a double agent working for Moscow, with his death both an act of revenge and a means for MI5 to tie up a dangerous loose end.

6 Dickie Bow

Killed by Chernitsky

The catalyst for the dramatic events throughout Slow Horses season 2, Dickie Bow is killed by the dangerous assassin Chernitsky after he attempts to follow him from central London. Initially, the cause of Bow's death is quite mysterious, until it becomes clear that Chernitsky himself has killed him with an injection of poison. Lamb's investigation of Bow's murder alerts him to the reactivation of the "Cicada" agents, and eventually to the true identity of his nemesis Alexander Popov.

7 Min Harper

Killed by Chernitsky

One of the most upsetting deaths in Slow Horses, Min Harper is murdered after following Pashkin's men to a seemingly innocent warehouse. After being apprehended on his bike, he is taken back to the men's flat, where he engages in an evening of drinking with Piotr and Kyril. However, after leaving the apartment, his body is found on the road after becoming the apparent victim of a car accident. It is later confirmed by the car's driver that she saw Chernitsky kill Min, before his body was moved to the car crash location.

8 Pashkin

Killed by Marcus Longridge

The relationships between the various Russian operators at play is one of the most confusing aspects of Slow Horses season 2. However, the final episodes make clear that Pashkin – previously believed to be working for Nevsky – is likely an FSB agent who has killed Nevsky, accessed the funds in his account, and stolen a supply of diamonds. Before he can make his escape, however, he is apprehended by Louisa Guy on a helipad, before being shot in the Marcus Longridge as he was himself about to kill Louisa. This moment is not only dramatic, but also allows Louisa to steal one of the diamonds Pashkin was carrying.

9 Chernitsky

Killed by David Cartwright

The cat-and-mouse game at the end of Slow Horses season 2 is one of the show's most dramatic moments, with multiple key characters in jeopardy. One of the most nail-biting aspects is Chernitsky's pursuit of David Cartwright after Katinsky sets the hitman on his trail for his part in Charles Partner's murder. River desperately tries to reach his grandfather's house to thwart Chernitsky, even commandeering a plane. However, when he arrives, he finds that it is his grandfather who has killed Chernitsky, shooting him with a shotgun, rather than the other way around.

10 Katinsky/Alexander Popov

Killed by himself

Considering some of the explosive action at the end of Slow Horses season 2, Katinsky's death is relatively understated. After a tense exchange with Jackson Lamb, where the pair confirm Katinsky's status as Alexander Popov and the mastermind behind the major events of the season, Katinsky realizes he has been outplayed. Though Lamb refuses to kill him, he leaves Katinsky with a revolver and a single bullet, which he chooses to use on himself.

11 Alison Dunn

Killed by unknown/Ingrid Tearney

Much as Dickie Bow's death sets season 2 in motion, Alison Dunn's brief appearance is enough for her to be considered one of the most important factors in Slow Horses season 3's story. Following an altercation with Donovan over whether she has betrayed the service, Dunn soon reveals her plans to leak the mysterious "Footprint" dossier. However, after meeting up with her contact following a chase through Istanbul, Dunn is murdered because she knows too much. Although the identity of her killer is unknown, it becomes clear that it was carried out on Tearney's orders to protect her own reputation.

Alison Dunn is played by Katherine Waterston in a high-profile cameo

12 James "Spider" Webb

Killed by Donovan

After surviving being dramatically shot in Slow Horses season 2, James Webb has a complex role in Slow Horses season 3. He initially seems to be a victim, telling River that Standish's mysterious kidnappers have his sister, before revealing himself to be the ringleader behind the Tiger Team operation. However, things spiral out of control when the team goes rogue, leading Webb to confront Donovan. After an altercation, Donovan accidentally shoots Webb, killing a character who had been a minor antagonist throughout the preceding seasons.

13 Douglas

Killed by Duffy

Perhaps the most heartbreaking death in Slow Horses, Douglas' murder is notable for its brutality. An archivist at the facility where Footprint is being stored, Douglas is an awkward but innocent side character. When Duffy and the Chieftain mercenaries arrive with orders to kill everyone, he nearly escapes due to his bumbling nature and complete lack of complicity with River, Louisa, Ben, and Donovan. However, after letting slip that he knows the document would be bad for Tearner, Duffy shoots him in the face – highlighting the stakes involved for the main protagonists.

14 Ben Dunn

Killed by Chieftain Mercenaries

As Alison's brother, Ben has a personal interest in honoring his sister's memory by finally leaking Footprint. While the document is successfully released to the public by the episode's end, Ben doesn't live to see the mission completed. When the Chieftain team breaks into the archive, Ben is shot moments after discovering the Footprint file. While his sacrifice is not in vain, it does highlight how much danger Louisa Guy and River Cartwright are in.

15 Hobbs

Killed by Jackson Lamb

As the majority of the Slow Horses are battling for their lives in the archive, Lamb, Standish, and Roddy are facing an equally perilous fight against Chieftain member Sturges and MI5 operative Hobbs. While Sarah dramatically strangles Sturges, Lamb successfully kills Hobbs, who had become notable for his ongoing feud with River. Despite being less physically capable, Lamb gets the upper hand through a series of cleverly designed booby traps, weakening his opponent before finishing him off.

16 Donovan

Killed by Chieftain Mercenaries