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The Sopranos’ Deadliest Killers Ranked: Who Pulled the Trigger the Most?

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The TV series “The Sopranos” on HBO is renowned for revolutionizing television. This captivating crime drama kept viewers hooked with its intriguing characters embroiled in the power struggles among various mafia families. The show, brimming with tension, frequently featured violence, murders, and criminal activities typical of the mafia. Remarkably, over the course of its six seasons, “The Sopranos” witnessed a total of 62 on-screen deaths.

In the iconic series “The Sopranos,” each principal character found themselves involved in unsavory deeds, offering viewers a glimpse into the dark world of organized crime. Some killings were instructions from their superiors to be carried out, while others highlighted a character’s cold-blooded nature. Among the numerous deaths portrayed in “The Sopranos,” certain characters distinguished themselves by having more on-screen kill counts compared to others.

Revised as of May 18, 2025 by Arthur Goyaz: The Sopranos depicts a total of 62 deaths, with many instances of these killings being orchestrated by the principal characters. Figures like Junior Soprano and Johnny Sack have caused numerous fatalities, yet they seldom pull the trigger themselves. The most lethal characters on The Sopranos are those who show no hesitation in getting their hands dirty. This updated list now includes additional ruthless killers from the series.

Janice Soprano

In the TV series “The Sopranos,” the Soprano family is deeply entangled in violence due to Tony Soprano, a crime boss. Janice Soprano, a member of this family, often gets into heated arguments, and an instance at her daughter’s soccer game escalated into a physical altercation with another parent. However, it isn’t until later that viewers witness the extent of Janice’s violent capabilities.

During an intense conversation about Richie Aprile’s son’s sexuality, Richie himself assaults Janice, hitting her in the face. In response, with no other thought, Janice retrieves a gun and fires it at Richie, striking him twice in the chest as he lay dying on the ground. This violent act by Janice against Richie Aprile serves as a stark warning that one should not provoke or abuse Janice Soprano.

Ralph Cifaretto

In Season 3 of “The Sopranos,” Ralph Cifaretto unexpectedly appears and swiftly becomes one of the series’ most malevolent characters. An innately sociopathic individual, Ralph manages to escape consequences for his abrasive remarks and violent outbursts because of his high-ranking position in the DiMeo crime family as their top earner. Although indirectly implicated in the murder of Jackie Aprile Jr., with whom he cohabited, Ralph only has one on-screen killing to his name. In a particularly harrowing episode, “University” (Season 3, Episode 6), Ralph brutally kills Tracee, a stripper and his lover, due to her perceived offense. The tragic detail that she was pregnant amplifies the distress of this scene.

Bobby Baccalieri

Up until Season 6, Bobby Baccalieri successfully avoided any direct involvement in criminal activities. However, this all changed when a disagreement between Tony and him escalated, threatening Tony’s pride. As a result, the mob boss orchestrated Bobby’s first cold-blooded assassination. Initially resistant, Bobby carried out the deed like a seasoned mob member. The unfortunate victim in this case was Rene LeCours, a former business associate of the DiMeo crime family. Despite his less than saintly profession, Bobby is one of the more compassionate mobsters depicted in The Sopranos. His preference for sticking to business rather than giving in to violent urges shows his kindness towards others, most of the time.

Phil Leotardo

Similar to how Tony Soprano’s body count exceeds his personal kills, Phil Leotardo orchestrates the deaths of significant characters in “The Sopranos,” such as Tony Blundetto and Vito Spatafore. However, unlike them, Phil only has one on-screen killing in “The Sopranos”: Angelo Garepe, a longtime advisor to Carmine Lupertazzi. After serving time in prison, Phil gets embroiled in the feud between Johnny Sack and Little Carmine. In an effort to show his allegiance to Johnny, Phil personally handles Angelo’s death. Once he minimizes his own risk, he delegates dangerous tasks to hired guns instead.

Killcount: 2

In “The Sopranos,” Benny Fazio initially appeared as an associate within the DiMeo crime family, eventually climbing up the ranks to become a soldier. Following Christopher Moltisanti’s promotion to made man, Benny joined his crew. Their relationship quickly grew into a strong bond of trust, making it easy for Benny to follow orders without hesitation. However, Benny demonstrated his ruthless personality during his small-scale conflict with Artie Bucco, the proprietor of Nuovo Vesuvio, by pushing Artie’s hand into a hot pot of sauce.

In the world of “The Sopranos”, it was Benny who took the lives of two drug dealers at Tony Soprano’s command, despite an intended assassination being called off. The men initially targeted for the hit were still eliminated, thus maintaining the secrecy surrounding the hiring. Although only two on-screen deaths are attributed to Benny, his ruthless nature should not be underestimated.

Killcount: 2

In the TV series “The Sopranos,” Vito Spatafore climbed the ranks from an associate to a captain within the DiMeo crime family, largely due to his substantial financial contributions. A tragic moment in the show comes when Vito, without any apparent regret, carries out the assassination of the previous boss’ son. For several subsequent seasons, Vito’s life unravels as his deception is exposed, ultimately leading him to flee to New Hampshire.

In an attempt to escape and hide after mafia associates learn about his sexual orientation, Vito makes a fresh start in New Hampshire. However, the thrill of his former life as a mafia captain soon becomes too much for him to resist. His second on-screen murder occurs when Vito, returning to New Jersey, accidentally collides with another driver’s car and, fearing police intervention due to the accident, decides to take drastic measures. Reminiscent of his killing of Jackie Aprile, Jr., Vito takes out his gun and shoots the stranger from behind.

Killcount: 2

Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero was deeply connected to Tony Soprano and the DiMeo crime family. Unfortunately, a heroin-related arrest led authorities to enlist him as an informant against Tony. This new alliance with the police caused significant tension in his relationship with Tony, as Big Pussy gradually distanced himself from Tony over time.

In the show “From Where to Eternity,” Big Pussy executed Matthew Bevilaqua as a means to regain Tony’s favor and lessen the suspicion cast upon himself, after previously killing an Elvis impersonator named Jimmy Bones, whom he suspected would betray him, in full view of his FBI handler.

Killcount: 3

In the TV series “The Sopranos“, Tony Blundetto was Tony Soprano’s cousin who got imprisoned for a job they were both intended to carry out. This weighed heavily on Tony Soprano, and he repeatedly sought ways to compensate for Blundetto’s predicament. However, Blundetto wasn’t keen on returning to the mafia, so Tony assisted him in his endeavor to establish a massage business instead. Despite financial hardships, Blundetto eventually took up some assignments as a hitman.

In a series of heated moments, Tony Blundetto takes the life of a man under orders from the Lupertazzi family, accompanied by Joey Peeps, who also meets his end along with a sex worker in their vehicle. Following Phil Leotardo’s murder of Angelo Garepe, a cherished friend of Blundetto’s while they were incarcerated, Blundetto responds angrily by killing Leotardo’s sibling. These spontaneous acts trigger a prolonged conflict between the DiMeo and Lupertazzi crime families, a feud that extends into the final season of The Sopranos.

Killcount: 3

After Jackie Aprile, Sr.’s death, Mikey Palmice became an advisor to Junior Soprano, having served as a soldier previously. When there was talk of Junior wanting to eliminate Tony Soprano for his disrespectful behavior, Mikey seemed to support the idea even more. However, it was a jest about Tony’s mother from Donnie Paduana, a friend of Mikey’s, that provoked Junior Soprano’s anger, leading him to order Mikey to take Donnie’s life.

Mikey carried out two more violent acts as instructed by Uncle Junior in “The Sopranos”. The first was the murder of Brendan Filone, a friend of Christopher’s, following Filone’s truck hijacking under Junior’s protection. Lastly, he threw a drug dealer off the pedestrian bridge in Paterson Falls for selling drugs to an underage teenager. Mikey had a tendency towards violence and these acts were all part of his duties as instructed by Uncle Junior.

Killcount: 5

In The Sopranos, it appeared that Silvio Dante primarily devoted his attention to administrative matters. However, when it came to any informant who threatened the DiMeo crime family, he was merciless and willing to take action. To put it plainly, when Big Pussy, an informant against the DiMeo family, was exposed, Silvio stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Paulie and Tony in carrying out his execution. Similarly, Silvio didn’t hesitate to eliminate Jimmy Altieri, a suspected FBI informant.

Silvio wasn’t just responsible for Jimmy Altieri’s death; he also took the lives of Adriana La Cerva, Christopher Moltisanti’s first fiancée, who was exposed as a snitch, and Burt Gervasi, Carlo Gervasi’s cousin, who switched crime families during the New York-New Jersey mob conflict. Silvio’s unwavering loyalty to Tony Soprano ultimately led to his downfall, resulting in him being left in a coma after an attack by the Lupertazzi family during their war against the DiMeo family.

Killcount: 8

Despite the fact that it often led him to rage and drug use, Christopher Moltisanti never seemed satisfied with his life in the mob or in general. Regardless of his deep contemplations about life and his existential struggles, Christopher was undeniably one of the most brutal killers featured on The Sopranos. In fact, he shares an equal number of on-screen kills with Tony Soprano.

In the first episode of “The Sopranos,” Christopher makes his initial lethal move, demonstrating his ruthlessness straight away. He accumulates more deaths, including those of Jackie Aprile Jr’s associates for stealing from a poker game and several poker players. Tony Soprano offers Christopher the opportunity to avenge his father’s death by killing the suspected perpetrator, which Christopher carries out without hesitation. One of Christopher’s final acts was the murder of J.T. Dolan, a screenwriter who met his end due to Christopher being intoxicated.

Killcount: 8

Tony Soprano often anticipated future actions in any given scenario. He was equally devoted to his criminal family as well as his actual one, but he frequently had to make difficult choices for both groups to assert his authority as their leader. Eventually, Tony ended up eliminating his cousins, Tony Blundetto and Christopher Moltisanti, because they turned out to be persistent liabilities for the DiMeo crime clan.

In the “College” episode of The Sopranos, Tony, a character known for his violent tendencies, ends the life of a known informant in a public area during daylight hours. This brutal act was prompted by Tony’s growing frustration with Ralph’s increasingly erratic behavior as a captain within their criminal organization. Tony’s intolerance for disrespect resulted in numerous deaths throughout the series.

Killcount: 9

Paulie Gualtieri, a character from “The Sopranos,” stands out as both hilarious and disturbing. He didn’t hesitate when it came to taking lives. His temper is unparalleled among the series’ characters. Although Tony often relies on him for hits, Paulie has also killed others in fits of rage.

In a different scenario: During an altercation, Paulie ends up killing one of his mother’s former acquaintances after being found guilty of theft at her house. Later on, Paulie pursues Mikey Palmice, fatally shooting him in retaliation for murdering Christopher’s associate and attempting to assassinate Tony Soprano. In the episode titled “From Where to Eternity,” a past event is depicted where Paulie’s first kill gives rise to his newfound confidence, which he refers to as the source of his empowerment. Towards the end of the series, Paulie takes the lives of two Colombian drug traffickers and acquires a substantial sum of $1,000,000 from them.

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2025-05-19 03:43

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