Characters who have died

Death according to The Sesame Street Dictionary

"He died? And this is supposed to be a kids' movie!"

-- Rizzo the Rat, Muppet Treasure Island

A list of characters who have passed away. Due to the cartoon-like nature of the Muppets, this list does not include characters subjected to seemingly fatal accidents (such as explosions or being eaten) without other evidence of the character's actual death. This list does not include death of performers or retirement/absence of a character without any on-screen evidence or confirmation that the character actually died.

The Muppets

• Anthony - Squashed by Seymour in episode 202 of Muppets Tonight
• Ant - Got stepped on in episode 212 of The Muppet Show.
• Beaker - Becomes a ghost after crossing over to the other side in 2009's "Ghost Hunt" web video
• Billy Bones - Dies of a heart attack in Muppet Treasure Island after receiving the Black Spot.
• Mr. Bitterman - Dies just prior to It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie; his heir Rachel Bitterman is put in charge of Bitterman Banking.
• Captain Flint - Specified as having "up and died" before he could go back for his treasure in Muppet Treasure Island.
• Chester Pugh - The late Chester Pugh turns up at a seance in Episode 312: James Coco.
• Dead Tom - Dead Tom has always been dead; that's why he's called Dead Tom.
• A Frog in Kermit's Swamp Years - in a flashback, a young Dr. Hugo Krassman is about to dissect a frog before it tells him to "Stop!" Though not shown or directly stated, it's implied that Dr. Krassman did kill the frog in order to prove that he wasn't a "froggy pants."
• The Gambler - Died while singing The Gambler in episode 410 of The Muppet Show.
• Ghosts
• Gonzo - Claims that he died the last time he attempted his underwater heart transplant operation act in episode 511 of The Muppet Show.
• J. P. Grosse - In a deleted scene from It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Kermit claims to have inherited the theater from J. P. Grosse after his death. Though at one point, Scooter, trying to get with two girls, states his uncle used to own the theater.
• Jacob and Robert Marley - "The Marleys were dead to begin with... as dead as a doornail."
• John Stone - Builder of the Muppet Theater (according to The Phantom of the Muppet Theater). His ghost returns in the book, coming to the aid of The Muppet Show cast.
• The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - After consuming a fly, spider, cat, dog, goat, and horse in episode 205 of The Muppet Show, she died of course.
• Pa Otter - Died prior to the events of Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas. Had he lived, Pa would have hocked that tool chest and put a hole in the washtub.
• Uncle Deadly - Explains to Kermit that he was killed by the critics in episode 121 of The Muppet Show.
• Village Spiders - Crushed by a falling light fixture in episode 212 of Muppets Tonight
• The Wicked Witch of the East - A double-wide trailer falls on her.
• The Wicked Witch of the West - She melts as a result of a bath prepared with non-bottled water.
• Four frogs exploded in The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets Issue #1: Kermit's Story by Roger Langridge, and are shown in heaven afterwards.

Near Death Experiences

• Ebenezer Scrooge - In a look at Christmas yet to come, Scrooge sees a world where he has died and no one cares.
• Sam Arrow - presumed dead after disappearing in a lifeboat in Muppet Treasure Island.
• Tiny Tim Cratchit - In a look at Christmas yet to come, Scrooge learns that Tiny Tim has passed away. However, after Scrooge changes his ways, Charles Dickens reveals that Tiny Tim does not die.
• Fritz, Scooter, Baskerville, Muppy, Lyle the Dog, Wolfhound, Lew Zealand, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Penguins, Chickens, Swedish Chef, Liza O'Shaugnessy - Killed in the murder mystery play put on in episode 414 of The Muppet Show.

Sesame Street

• Mr. Hooper - Died as a result of the passing of actor Will Lee; explained to Big Bird in Sesame Street Episode 1839.
• Elmo's Uncle Jack: explained in the special When Families Grieve.

• Kami's Mother - Died of AIDS prior to the start of Takalani Sesame; the matter-of-fact treatment of her death reflects the differences between life in South Africa and the United States of America.
• Lal Mia - Struck and killed by a truck, while riding his bicycle, on India's Sisimpur.

Fraggle Rock

• Mudwell the Mudbunny - Dies in the Fraggle Rock episode "Gone, But Not Forgotten," but was reborn as a Lizard.
• Sir Blunderbrain - Disappears forever in the Terrible Tunnel (Episode 108)

Dinosaurs

• Chief Elder - Dies of a heart attack in the Dinosaurs episode "And the Winner Is..." after christening Baby Sinclair "Augh Augh I'm Dying You Idiot."
• Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche - Died prior to the Dinosaurs episode "Driving Miss Ethyl."
• Grandpa Louie - Died prior to the start of Dinosaurs; visited by Ethyl Phillips in the afterlife.
• The Rosenfelds - Died prior to Dinosaurs episode "Hurling Day."
• Mother Wilkerson - Hurled over a cliff.
• The entire cast of Dinosaurs - In the final episode, Changing Nature, Earl causes the extinction of the entire dinosaur species.

Near Death Experiences

• Ethyl Phillips - Dies in the Dinosaurs episode "The Last Temptation of Ethyl" and travels to the afterlife, only to learn it is not her time.

The Dark Crystal

• SkekSo - Dies of old age at the beginning of The Dark Crystal.
• UrSu - Dies at the same time as skekSo.
• SkekTek - Falls into the Crystal shaft.
• urTih - Vanishes at the same time as SkekTek.
• Kira's mother - Taken, along with many other Gelflings, by the Garthim and killed at the hands of the Skeksis.

Near Death Experiences

• Kira - Stabbed by a Skeskis, but revived by the UrSkek in the arms of Jen.

Other

• Thunderdell - Killed by Jack the Giant Killer (Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story).