This article, “who died in The Empress season 1,” contains spoilers regarding the Netflix series.
One would think that a series about the Habsburg empire would be a blood bath, especially with wars going on between France and Russia. Oh, and did we mention the wounded Ottoman Empire? And the uprising of the Austrian Revolution? The body count may be endless in the Netflix series The Empress. But that is what great storytelling can do. When the writing is so good, there is no need for salacious and gratuitous violence to cover up narrative holes. Well-timed character deaths only add to the power of the series’ storytelling choices.
Please take a moment to read my list of character deaths in The Empress.
Who died in The Empress season 1?
The Five Conspirators
At the beginning of the series, we see Franz (played by Philip Froissant) reluctantly give the order to hang five conspirators. Why? They are part of the revolution, but later in Episode 4, it is revealed they were part of the failed assassination attempt on his life. Of course, this will not be the last.
Leontine of Apafi and her driver
Want to know how Ava became Leontine of Apafi? We see a flashback where they intercepted a coach carrying a future lady-in-waiting (or perhaps this is the 19th-century way of stealing someone’s identity) and took her name to get the job assisting the empress in her everyday affairs.
Hedi’s Brother
After being gifted The Empress’s most beautiful pair of shoes, poor Hedi soon finds out the royal guard murdered her brother. Why was he killed? When the police attacked or voiced their displeasure with the empress being carried to her carriage, he was in the crowd.
Egon
Ava’s handler appears to be the head of the “for the people” movement that attempted to murder Franz. The plan was to have Ava infiltrate the palace and feed information to him so they could best decide when to strike. Ava failed to mention the hunt, which would have been a prime location for an ambush, so he naturally wonders where her allegiance lay.
Ava reassures him she is still for the people, but that does not last long. Egon is about to sneak into the palace through a backway with a knife when the royal guard shows up, armed with rifles. They order him to drop the knife, but he yells for the people as they shoot him off-screen. It is inferred, by Elsa, that Ava gave him up, and she all but confirms it.
Amalia
Amalia investigates her lady-in-waiting and finds that Ava was, in fact, a chambermaid of Leontine of Apafi. Ava catches up with her as she runs to grand duchess Sophia, with evidence that she may have killed the countess with a dress with dried blood on it. As Amalia will not show Ava mercy, stating that she has the reputation of the calling and tells Ava she is scum. Big mistake because Ava then pushes her over the rails, and she falls at least three stories to her death.
And that’s who died in The Empress season 1.
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Additional reading for The Empress (2022) season 1
Ending Explained for The Empress season 1
Full story recap for The Empress season 1
