10 Most Heartbreaking NCIS Character Deaths

While there are many ways to write certain characters off the show when the actors are done playing them, there is always the most shocking and heartbreaking option of killing them off. Throughout its two-decade run, NCIS has seen many beloved characters go, as well as some deaths.

Here are 10 of the character deaths that hit viewers the hardest, no matter how big or small their role was within the show.

Ned Dorneget (Matt Jones)

There's nothing more devastating than a mother having to bury her own child, but even more terrifying is a mother having to take the investigation of her son's death into her own hands. Murdered in an explosion in Cairo after saving dozens of people, Ned was avenged by the team and his mother, CIA officer Joanna Teague.

Michelle Lee (Liza Lapira)

This character was one of the most controversial, not fitting into either the "villain" or "hero" category. She stole secrets from the unit and gave them to the real villain, but the only reason she did so was to protect her kidnapped sister. In the end, Michelle has given her consent to be shot by Gibbs to get to the real culprit.

Eli David (Michael Nouri)

Mossad director and Ziva's father, Eli David, was the victim of a drive-by shooting by anti-peace Mossad operatives. His mind may have been in the right place, but his stubborn ways ended up driving his son to radicalization, and his daughter suffers from the constant threats to her life. His character was a gray one, but his death has definitely affected Ziva.

Adam Eshel (Damon Dayoub)

Adam was Ziva's childhood friend and another person she had to lose to her dangerous job. Eshel was captured and tortured by Sahar's men in an attempt to get Ziva's location, but never said a word. Unfortunately, by the time Ziva and Gibbs arrived and tried to help Adam, it was too late to even try.

Diane Sterling (Melinda McGraw)

Gibbs may have had some disagreements with his former wife, but never in his life would he want to see her killed. From the day she reappeared in his life as an IRS criminal investigator in Season 9, he knew something bad was going to happen, and it did. Diane was murdered in a terrorist's attempt to avenge his half-brother Ari Haswari.

Mike Franks (Muse Watson)

This death was especially hard on Gibbs because Mike Franks was a former director who mentored him and taught him everything Gibbs knew. He had several near-death experiences over the course of several seasons of the show, but was unable to prevail in the final dramatic epic battle in the rain. His memory will live forever in the hearts of the viewers.

Jackson Gibbs (Ralph Waite)

Another Gibbs' father figure whose relationship with him was far from perfect is Jackson Gibbs. Viewers first met him in season 6, when Leroy was completely estranged from him, but their relationship slowly changed for the better. Unfortunately, the death of Jackson Gibbs in the universe was written in after Ralph Waite died at the age of 85.

Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly)

The first female director had a lot going on in her life. From a steamy European romance with Gibbs to the assassination of arms dealer La Grenouille, she was not an easy person to crack. Knowing there was something off about her, Gibbs began his own investigation, but Shepard was shot before he could confront her.

Emily Fornell (Payton Spencer, Juliette Angelo)

There is nothing worse than the death of a child who has to suffer too many terrible things and turn to drugs to seek some answers. Emily was always strong and tried her best to get clean, forget the past, and move on with her life, but it haunted her to the point of another relapse and subsequent opiate overdose.

Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander)

No one expected the show to kill off one of its most beloved characters the way it did in the Season 2 finale. It was too early for a character to leave naturally, but it seemed that NCIS had to accommodate Alexander's own decision to leave the show due to a heavy workload. To this day, Caitlin Todd is much loved and forever missed on our screens.