General Hospital Characters Who Should’ve Never Been Axed

Many incredible General Hospital (GH) characters have graced the little town of Port Charles over the years, only to have their lives end in tragedy. While some have ‘come back’ (i.e. Jason and Jake Morgan, the evil Cesar Faison and of course, A.J. Quartermaine), many have met their doom with no window of opportunity to return. Below is a list of the GH characters who should’ve never been axed.

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5. A.J. Quartermaine

As the most prominent family in Port Charles, the Quartermaines are known for in-family feuding (especially when it comes to their corporate empire, ELQ), affairs, and tons of outrage. Alan Quartermaine Junior, often referred to simply as A.J. was no exception this. The handsome and charming ladies’ man struggled with illegal activity, paternity tests, and of course, alcoholism over the years. The weird thing about A.J. passing in 2014 was the fact that he had literally ‘risen from the afterlife’ a mere two years earlier, when fans thought that Dr. Asher Thomas had smothered him in 2005. A.J. was a complex character who often crossed the lines of ‘good and evil’ many times during his stint on GH. And while he did do some horrible things over the years, he genuinely did seem like he was on the road to redemption before Sonny Corinthos shot him in 2012.

4. Courtney Matthews

It’s always nice when a soap opera introduces siblings for main characters, and such was the case in 2001, when GH fans were introduced to Sonny’s sweet sister Courtney. High-profile relationships with some of the most handsome men in Port Charles followed, including Sonny’s BFF Jason Morgan, Jax Jasper, and Nikolas Cassadine. Courtney cemented roots in GH and seemed to be a fixture in storylines. Unfortunately, a virus ended Courtney’s life in 2006, shortly after she gave birth to her son, Spencer Cassadine. This was a very sad moment in time that left many GH fans puzzled as to why such an important character would be axed off with no window of opportunity to return.

3. Alan Quartermaine

GH fans everywhere were stunned in February of 2007, when Jerry Jax took over the Metro Court and held a number of people hostage. Sadly, Alan turned out to be a fatality in the entire ordeal, suffering a heart attack and not receiving prompt medical attention. Alan had been on GH for approximately 30 years, and the show truly did not feel the same after his passing. Thankfully, writers brought the character back as a ghost, humorously haunting his sister Tracy at times, and visiting to comfort his wife, Monica.

2. Emily Quartermaine

The Quartermaines are certainly dominating this list! As the adopted daughter of Monica and Alan, Emily had built a solid foundation in Port Charles, and was probably one of the most-loved Quartermaines in the show’s history (with the exception of Grandma Lila, of course). Her love story with Nikolas was beautiful, which made her passing in late 2007 so stunning, when she was strangled at the Black & White Ball (hosted by Nikolas) by the Text Message Killer. The puzzling part about Emily’s demise was that she was so young, and it was so final. The fact that GH writers felt the need to bring her back, so much, over the years: as ghost, a hallucination, and (the actress was brought back) as an evil twin sister. Perhaps they regretted the choice to axe Emily, just as much as the GH fans did?

1. Helena Cassadine

Evil villainess and probably the worst mom on any soap opera ever, Helena tops this list for many reasons. Sure, she has wreaked havoc on the Spencers, (and her own family) for many, many years now, but she has been quite entertaining in doing so. Helena’s passing in late 2015 marked the end of an era, and with her husband gone, his brother, her son, and daughter; for a while, it seemed like nobody would follow the Cassadine family tradition of destroying lives in Port Charles!