The hidden ghosts lurking in the halls of one English estate were not the only ones to meet an untimely end in Netflix‘s Haunting of Bly Manner. Just like its predecessor, Hill House, the latest installment of the horror anthology series racked up an impressive, and sad death toll as the streaming giant took its turn at Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw. Warning: This story contains major spoilers for Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor.
Prior to the series’ long-awaited premiere, creator Mike Flanagan had teased that Bly Manor would be less about the family trauma evident in Season 1 and more about broken hearts and tragic love. Taking inspiration from James’ novella, as well as several other of his titles, Bly Manor follows Dani Clayton, a young woman, who, in the 1980s, takes up the job of governess for the orphaned Wingrave children. Her move to the remote Bly Manor, however, brings with it a grim history and a tragic series of events that undoubtedly left viewers haunted even after the end credits rolled.
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Throughout Bly Manor‘s nine episodes, fans not only came to love but also mourn, a number of characters as they became the victims of the Lady of the Lake and Bly Manor’s mysterious and haunting past. Keep scrolling to see every victim that Bly Manor claimed in season one of the Netflix series.
Charlotte and Dominic Wingrave
Although their deaths took place off-screen well before the start of the story, it was the deaths of Charlotte and Dominic Wingrave that ultimately set in motion the series of events that brought Dani to Bly Manor. The Wingraves died in an unspecified accident after traveling to India to relive their honeymoon after Dominic discovers that Charlotte and his brother Henry are having an affair. The parents of Miles and Flora, their deaths led to the Bly Manor needing an au pair, which was initially filled by Rebecca and then later Dani.
Edmund O’Mara
Edmund O’Mara is one of only two dead characters who ultimately didn’t fall victim to Bly Manor, though given the tragic story of his death, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Edmund was Dani’s childhood friend-turned-lover-turned fiancé, though just as they were planning their wedding, Dani called things off. Just literal seconds later, Edmund was struck by a truck as he rushed to leave the car, killing him.
His death ultimately prompted Dani to flee the life she had known and America, taking her to London, where she saw the job posting for an au pair at Bly Manor. Throughout much of the series, he appears as a dark figure with glowing glasses, which fans later learn is symbolic of the reflection of headlights in his glasses.
Peter Quint
While Peter Quint is not Bly Manor’s first victim, he is the first ghost character, aside from Edmund, that viewers meet — and the first that Dani sees. Henry Wingrave’s former valet, Peter swindles him out of thousands of pounds, hoping to start a new life in America with Rebecca Jessel. Those dreams never come to fruition, though, because on the very night he starts to plan their escape, he has an unfortunate encounter with the Lady of the Lake that leaves him a permanent resident of Bly Manor. Fans soon learn that Peter wasn’t willing to accept this fate and devised yet another plan in an effort to save both himself and Rebecca from becoming like the other faceless ghosts that haunt the estate.
Rebecca Jessel
Rebecca Jessel is the original au pair hired by Henry to take care of Miles and Flora, though she met a tragic end on the ground of Bly Manor not long after Peter. Although many believe that Rebecca died by suicide by drowning following what they see as Peter’s betrayal, fans come to learn that Rebecca dies after allowing Peter to keep her tucked away in a memory. Hoping to be together, she allows Peter to take control of her body, having full trust in him, and like Rebecca, Peter drowns her in the lake on the property so that their ghosts can be together forever.
Hannah Grose
One of the biggest shocks to occur this season was the revelation that Hannah Grose, Bly Manor’s housekeeper, has been dead since the moment fans first met her. Just before Dani’s arrival to Bly Manor, Peter, when in control of Miles’ body, pushes Hannah down a well after feeling threatened by her. Hannah, however, is reluctant to accept her death, which leads those working on Bly as well as fans to believe that she is alive when she is really dead. Hannah eventually finds peace.
The Willoughby Sisters
Viola Lloyd
The original lady of Bly Manor, Viola, lived in Bly Manor during the 17th century. Wishing to keep her family’s control of the estate following father’s death, Viola married a man named Arthur Lloyd, with whom she later welcomed a daughter with. Not long after giving birth, though, Viola fell ill with what a plague doctor said was “the lung,” which was likely tuberculosis. Although she managed to outlive the doctor’s estimates, she spent her remaining days growing sicker and sicker, unable to care for her daughter. Eventually, after years of illness, Viola’s sister, Perdita smothers her to death.
Following her death, Viola’s husband keeps his promise and locks away all of her finest clothing and jewelry in a chest for their daughter to one day open, inadvertently locking Viola away in it, though he later comes to view the chest as “cursed” and tosses it into the lake, transforming Viola’s spirit into the Lady of the Lake. In the centuries that followed, Viola traveled from the lake to the home each night in search of her daughter, a little bit of herself fading with each passing day until she became the faceless ghost that claimed many lives.
Perdita Willoughby
Year’s after her sister’s death, Perdita meets a similar fate. As Bly Manor falls into ruin and money runs dry, Perdita, who has since married Arthur, opens Viola’s dress trunk against her sister’s will for it to remain closed. As he turns the keys and opens the lid, Viola, who has been waiting for her daughter to open it, strangles her to death. Perdita lives on in the home as the faceless ghost Flora is seen shushing while playing in the attic.
Dani Clayton
The final victim of Bly Manor, Dani sacrifices herself to save Flora. After almost becoming victim to Peter’s dubious plans to host himself and Rebecca in the bodies of the two Wingrave children, as Dani attempts to make an escape with Flora, the Lady of the Lake mistakes Flora for her daughter. As the Lady of the Lake carries Flora back to the water and what would surely be death, Dani says the phrase “It’s you. It’s me. It’s us,” allowing Viola permission to enter her body.
Although Dani went on to leave Bly Manor, along with the other characters, and live many happy years with Jamie, she cannot escape the Lady, who slowly begins to take over. Fearing that she may harm Jamie, Dani returns to Bly Manor, where she becomes the new Lady of the Lake, though unlike Viola, she doesn’t claim any victims.
Other Characters Who Die
Margaret Sharma
The other character not to die as a result of Bly Manor is Margaret Sharma, Owen’s mother, who dies following a battle with dementia. Owen, earlier in the season, had explained that he took a job as a chef at Bly Manor to remain close to home to care for his mother.
Pidge
Father Stack’s pet pigeon, aptly named Pidge, doesn’t make it long in the Bly Manor universe. The class pet, Pidge is discovered by Father Stack dead on the altar after Miles killed it in his efforts to return home to his sister at Bly Manor.
Lord Henry Wingrave (kind of)
The uncle of Dani and Flora, Henry Wingrave dies after an encounter with the Lady of the Lake on the night Dani sacrifices herself. Although he briefly became a ghost, who is given a message by Hannah, Owen manages to resuscitate him, and he goes on to be the primary caretaker for Miles and Flora.
