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![Split Image Of Actors From 'The Chi'](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.vibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Chi.png?w=910&h=511&crop=1)
Since the premiere of its debut season in 2018, The Chi has been hailed as a riveting original series that portrays what it’s like to live in one of the country’s most vast metropolises.
Set on the South Side of Chicago, The Chi doesn’t only harken on the crime and violence that’s plagued the city and dominated national headlines for decades, but the love and care its residents have for another.
Created by Primetime Emmy Award winner and Tony Awards nominee Lena Waithe, the series does a great job at examining the hardships that come with life on the Southside, or many predominantly Black locales, for that matter, while balancing those moments with nods to the strength found in family and community.
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However, The Chi doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities that can occur when nefarious forces such as anger and greed come into play, which has resulted in a number of characters in the series reaching their demise, in tragic fashion.
While it can be argued whether some of these deaths were deserving or premature, what cannot be overstated is the impact these characters had on viewers and that their departures marked some of the most pivotal moments in the entirety of the series.
With the show’s epic sixth season having recently ended, VIBE looks back at deaths on The Chi that viewers still haven’t gotten over.
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Ethel Davis
Image Credit: Matt Dinerstein/SHOWTIME Becoming one of the more beloved characters in The Chi early on, Ethel Davis’ motherly, yet no-nonsense touch brought a heart-warming aspect to the first few seasons of the series. From showing maternal support to her grandson, Ronnie Davis, to warding off cops with shotguns, Ethel’s moments on The Chi were as, if not more, anticipated than many of the central characters on the show. Unfortunately, her death in the third season of The Chi was a deafening blow to Ronnie’s mental and emotional state moving forward.
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Ronnie Davis
Image Credit: Matt Dinerstein/SHOWTIME Ronnie Davis’ story is a winding one, but largely bound in grief, making him one of the more layered characters on The Chi. Introduced during The Chi‘s very first episode, Ronnie discovers his stepson, Jason Roxboro, has been murdered in cold blood, leading him to seek revenge at the urge of his ex-girlfriend and Jason’s mother, Tracy Roxboro.
That quest for veangence goes awrey, setting off a chain of events that changed numerous lives and continues to have ripple effects. Seeking redemption and saving one of his city’s own from danger’s clutch, Ronnie appears to be on the winning side of his battle with his demons. Yet, his past proves to be a black cloud he can’t unrun, resulting in an ending which some saw fit, while others felt wasn’t deserving, given Davis’ attempts to right his wrongs.
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Rob
Image Credit: Elizabeth Sisson/SHOWTIME. Rob’s emergence as a character of note didn’t occur until the latter half of the series, but became one we grew to love. His unassuming wit and underlying grit made him a welcome addition to the show’s recurring characters, but by the fifth season Rob’s role became more central to the plotline, as he and Tiffany became a couple and housemates.
Portrayed by Iman Shumpert, Rob’s storyline blossoms in The Chi‘s sixth season, as we’re introduced to his mother, Alicia (portrayed by Lynn Whitfield), and estranged father, Alonzo (Leon Robinson). Gaining insight into his background and principals, we learn Rob is not fearful of taking responsibility, a trait that ultimately costs him at the end.
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Brandon Johnson
Image Credit: Parrish Lewis/SHOWTIME The main protagonist in the first two seasons of The Chi, Brandon Johnson (portrayed by Jason Mitchell) is the elder brother of Coogie Johnson and an aspiring chef and restauranteur looking to take the next step in his career. However, when tragedy hits close to home, Brandon finds himself in a whirlwhind of murder, criminal investigations, drugs, harsh reckonings, and personal turmoil.
What once appeared to be a lifeline turns out to be the rope that hangs his dreams in the balance, resulting in a departure that was unforeseen due to mitigating circumstances surrounding Mitchell, but remains memorable nonetheless.
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Coogie Johnson
His time with viewers may have been limited, but the impact of Coogie Johnson’s charisma and mischievous innocence struck a chord that few other characters were able to. Portrayed by Jahking Guillory, Coogie happenstances across what he believes to be a come-up, but instead puts him on the radar of law enforcement and in the path of a man with a vendetta. The younger brother of Brandon Johnson, Coogie gives Brandon and his mother, Laverne Johnson, added purpose as they attempt to reconstruct their deteriorating relationship.
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Jason Roxboro
Image Credit: Matt Dinerstein/SHOWTIME Jason Roxboro is an overarching figure in The Chi‘s first season, despite viewers never seeing his face until the last episode. Nonetheless, the teenaged Roxboro (portrayed by Lucien Cambric as a teenager) would have his story told through others, such as his mother, Tracy Roxboro, stepfather, Ronnie Davis, and the men responsible for his dreams deferred.