Every Major Death in ‘The Chi’ That Changed the South Side Forever

Few shows on television have weaponized grief quite like ‘The Chi‘. Since its premiere on Showtime in 2018, Lena Waithe’s love letter to the South Side of Chicago has never shied away from the brutal reality that life on those streets can be cut short in an instant, and sometimes for reasons as random and cruel as a stolen chain.

What makes the deaths in ‘The Chi’ sting so deeply is the show’s insistence on building full, breathing human beings before taking them away. From misguided vigilantes to street kings to beloved mothers, each loss reshapes the South Side’s landscape in ways the remaining characters carry for seasons afterward. Here is every major death the show has delivered, and why each one still hurts.

Coogie Johnson

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. His crime was impulsive and minor, but its consequences were anything but.

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.

Brandon Johnson

Brandon Johnson, portrayed by Jason Mitchell, was a central figure whose storyline was integral to the show’s early success, and his off-screen departure was officially revealed in the season 3 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.

Ronnie Davis

Ronnie’s final chapter came in season 3 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 killed outside of Emmett and Dom’s new restaurant just as he was about to leave town and start a new life, shot twice by the same man who had denounced him in church, once in the shoulder and once in the head, with the shooter declaring it was for Coogie before walking away. After seasons of attempting to earn redemption, Ronnie’s death remains one of the most brutal gut-punches ‘The Chi’ has ever delivered.

Otis “Douda” Perry

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. Few television villains walked that line between menace and magnetism so effectively.

By the time the credits rolled on the season 6 finale, Curtiss Cook’s Otis “Douda” Perry was dead, shot by Nuck, his former henchman, after a season-long battle for power. Co-showrunner Justin Hillian told The Hollywood Reporter that the moment had come because no matter how powerful somebody is, if you make too many enemies, one of them is going to be the wrong enemy.

Rob

Rob’s storyline blossomed in ‘The Chi’s’ sixth season, as viewers were introduced to his mother, Alicia, portrayed by Lynn Whitfield, and his estranged father, with insight into his background revealing that Rob was not fearful of taking responsibility, a trait that ultimately costs him in the end. His arc felt like it was building toward something much larger before it was violently cut short.

Rob, played by Iman Shumpert, was killed in the season 6 finale, with his death and Douda’s murder connected by the same power struggle that had been simmering throughout the season. His death landed harder than expected because the show had spent considerable time making viewers root for his growth, only to snatch that future away in the finale’s final moments.

Jada Washington

Yolonda Ross’ character Jada had been an anchor for the show since its premiere, making her death in the season 7 finale even more emotional. For seven seasons, she represented the quiet, enduring strength of the South Side’s working families, the kind of woman who holds everything together while rarely being celebrated for it.

In the season 7 finale of ‘The Chi’, Jada passes away after the birth of her granddaughter, who is named Jada in her honor. Creator Lena Waithe explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the decision was deliberate and purposeful, and the grief that radiated from Emmett’s storyline in the aftermath cemented Jada’s death as the most emotionally devastating loss the show has produced.

Alicia

Alicia’s death came at the hands of Roselyn, Douda’s wife, with showrunner Lena Waithe explaining the choice by noting that Shaad and Victor had no connection to Alicia’s death, but in the final shot of the finale they are surrounded by police with their hands up. It was a choice designed to ignite immediate outrage, and it worked.

Waithe noted that what is fun about the aftermath is that the audience, the Chi family, knows what’s up, creating a situation where viewers are frustrated because they know the truth while the characters on screen do not. Lynn Whitfield’s portrayal brought a regal authority to the role, and losing Alicia just as her storyline felt like it was reaching its peak made her exit one of the most infuriating and discussion-worthy departures in the show’s run.

Which of these deaths hit you the hardest, and do you think ‘The Chi’ has ever fully recovered from losing Coogie and Ronnie in those early seasons?