In a Shocking Twist, Young & Restless Kills off Yet *Another* Character

The Young & Restless has been on a bit of a bender lately when it comes to killing off characters, but nothing — absolutely nothing — could have prepared viewers for this latest shocker, which seemed to come right out of nowhere.

First came Damian Kane’s heartbreaking farewell. After being given just enough time to reconcile with his dying mother and spark a tender romance, his story took a brutal turn. In a moment that blindsided fans, Damian found himself on the wrong end of a deranged day player’s dagger. The scene was as quick as it was devastating, leaving viewers in stunned silence.

Next up, tragedy struck again when Chance Chancellor — long beloved for his quiet heroism — met his end while trying to contain the chaos caused by Damian’s killer. As Chance attempted to manage the murderer’s escape, fate took a cruel turn. Another shot rang out, and in a shocking twist, it wasn’t another victim falling but the killer himself: the enigmatic Killer Carter, who took his own life rather than face justice. Three lives lost in rapid succession — each moment more gut-wrenching than the last — created a wave of grief that rippled through Genoa City.

And yet, the heartbreak didn’t stop there. Back in town, we saw Cole’s final chapter unfold, one marked by a quiet dignity as he succumbed to Legionnaire’s disease. His passing was a softer, more somber moment, but no less tragic for those who loved him. This gentle goodbye contrasted sharply with the violent ends of Damian and Chance, yet it deepened the sense of loss hanging over the canvas.

Layered on top of all this fresh sorrow was the recent demise of the deliciously deranged Aunt Jordan — a villainess whose madness brought both horror and guilty delight to fans. And lest we forget, there’s Ian Ward, presumed dead but, as die-hard viewers know, still very much alive and likely plotting his revenge in the shadows. In total, that’s five deaths — or near-deaths — in as many months, a staggering toll that’s left audiences reeling.

Still, nothing could have prepared fans for the next jaw-dropper, which came not from a grisly murder or tragic illness, but from a single, seemingly throwaway line of dialogue. In a phone call between Billy and his mother Jill, the matriarch chastised him for not mentioning Chance’s death — referring to Chance pointedly as Nina’s “only son.”

Wait… what?! For longtime viewers, this was a gut punch of an entirely different kind. The implication was clear: in the current Young & Restless universe, Nina’s firstborn, Ronan Malloy, no longer exists. The unspoken question was deafening: had the writers just “killed off” Ronan without so much as a scene, a mention, or even a passing tribute?

For many fans, this wasn’t just an oversight — it was an egregious erasure of a character who had once burned brightly in Genoa City. Ronan, with his brooding intensity and complicated past, was a fan-favorite, particularly for the sparks he shared with Phyllis. Their romance, though brief, was searing, the kind of pairing that left viewers clamoring for more. Over the years, whispers of his return have floated through the fanbase, with each new twist bringing fresh hope.

To have him seemingly erased in such a casual, almost offhand fashion felt like a betrayal — not only to the character, but to the audience’s memory of his impact. Many believe this was less a calculated narrative decision and more an unintentional slip by the writers, a casualty of the fast-paced, often chaotic world of soap opera storytelling. But for devoted followers, intent doesn’t necessarily soften the blow.

The Young & Restless has always walked a tightrope between drama and devastation, weaving stories that can break hearts and heal them in equal measure. In recent months, however, the scales seem to have tipped heavily toward loss, with one character after another meeting their end. Whether this signals a darker, more dangerous chapter for Genoa City, or simply a temporary spike in dramatic tension, remains to be seen.

For now, fans are left grappling not only with the grief of losing Damian, Chance, Cole, Aunt Jordan, and possibly Ronan, but also with the unsettling realization that no one — not even a character presumed safe by off-screen status — is truly untouchable. If history has taught us anything, it’s that in The Young & Restless, death is rarely the end of the story… and sometimes, not even the end of the character.

The Young & Restless has been on a bit of a bender lately when it comes to killing off characters, but nothing — absolutely nothing — could have prepared viewers for this latest shocker, which seemed to come right out of nowhere. First came Damian Kane’s heartbreaking farewell. After being given just enough time to…