Peaky Blinders: 10 Tommy Shelby moments that shattered us

Tommy Shelby is one of the most celebrated yet emotionally fractured characters to ever feature in crime dramas of contemporary times. The show hit everyone like a train with its compelling storytelling and deep and complex character arcs. He is the pioneering force in his family and the central figure of the show with sword-sharp intelligence, chilling calmness, and an undefeated aura.

Peaky Blinders is set in a post-World War I Birmingham and is a refreshing yet honest attempt at making a stylish gangster series. The show gives you political ups and downs, complex dynamics of personal ambition, and family drama—all in one. Naturally, without characteristic complexity and depth, the show would not have left as prominent a mark as it did.

The show also offers a commentary on the war-torn society and how the trauma of war affects humans irrespective of age or gender. The Shelby family rises from being small-time racketeers to nationally influential players of their time. Tommy Shelby, the towering character of the series, navigates everything from IRA politics to fascism. He is also the character who goes through it all. From heartbreaks to watching close ones die, Shelby is a war hero turned crime lord, and his story moves Peaky Blinder fans across the globe.

Peaky Blinders: 10 Tommy Shelby moments that shattered us

1. Grace's death

From the very beginning, Tommy Shelby appears as a character who has to take on the responsibilities of protecting his family and building the Shelby empire. In all of this, Grace Burgess acts as Tommy's only source of peace. Their love, built on treachery and tentative forgiveness, builds over time. In his married life with Grace, Tommy remains in peace and happiness. But the fortune soon runs out. Tragically, during a charity gala, Grace is shot by an assassin aiming to kill Tommy.

The tragedy erupts in not just her death but the complete turning of Tommy's fate—Grace's death also meant the destruction of Tommy’s last chance at a normal life. The image of him holding a bloodstained Grace, too shocked to cry, is a painful, haunting memory for the fans.

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2. The battlefield never ends

Tommy appears as if he is in control with his carefully worded comebacks, but he somehow seems to be surrounded by war and chaos all the time. Due to this, he suffers from flashbacks and hallucinations, especially in Season 1 and Season 5. This subtly shows us the effect of war on Tommy—even though he left the trench mud, the trench mud never left him.

The sadness seeping out of these scenes is slow and full of silent agony. Tommy is in pursuit of power, but these PTSD symptoms keep coming back to him, destabilizing his calm.

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3. The betrayal by Michael

Tommy Shelby is the protector of his family, even if he doesn’t always show it. If we know one thing about Peaky Blinders, it is that this show upholds politics, starting from the family's internal schemes to the power dynamics at play outside.

Michael Gray calculatively attempts to take ownership of the Shelby Company Limited, and this move at a crucial time in the story feels more like a knife in the back than a business strategy. Michael has little care for Tommy but coldly takes the move.

The betrayal is portrayed precisely and surgically. And that’s what hurts.

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4. The monologue in front of his own coffin

One of the toughest moments in the show comes when Tommy is (almost) diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor. Believing he’s going to die soon, Tommy meticulously takes care of his funeral affairs, planning every goodbye, even a secluded location where the final bell will ring.

In one of the scenes, he stares into the very coffin meant to contain his body.

Right at this moment comes the chilling monologue— just a pure outpouring of unadulterated thoughts, no facade to pull, nobody to impress. Just a monologue in its rawest form.

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5. The final breakdown in the field

Tommy Shelby worked hard to gain power and control. But one of his plans goes for a toss when his attempt to kill Sir Oswald Mosley falls apart—unable to determine who broke his trust, he becomes lost. Alone in a foggy field, he lets a gut-wrenching scream out, pinning his gun to his head.

This is not just a day gone wrong at work. Tommy gets devastated by the weight of his failures. The scene is visceral and sad— one that stays with you.

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6. Polly dies off-screen

One of the real-life tragedies for the show was the passing of respected actress Helen McCrory. This unfortunate incident was handled with tragic elegance. Tommy did not cope well with this death. Polly's dead body arrives in a casket, with a chilling reminder from her killers: “This is the consequence.”

Tommy Shelby looks visibly shattered and absolutely shaken.

Polly was his anchor, the person who gave a soothing direction to him. But in her death, Tommy's life had an everlasting, gaping hole.

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7. Ruby’s tragic illness and death

Tommy loved Ruby with all his heart. But even she succumbs to an ill fate in the form of tuberculosis, and this devastates Tommy. Tommy spirals, invoking Romani superstitions, hiring specialists, and even turning to the supernatural in hopes of her recovery. Despite all his money and power, he can’t save her.

This agony builds slowly, finally bringing him to the breaking point when Ruby leaves him forever.

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8. Arthur's slow downfall

Arthur Shelby works as a supporter of brute force for Tommy Shelby. He is Tommy's elder brother. But as fate would have it, his mental health declines—giving way to addiction, PTSD, and guilt. Tommy watches it all, and he feels utterly helpless as Arthur fades away. Any attempt to bring him back seems to fail, and this saddens Tommy.

Slowly, the tale of Tommy Shelby focuses on how he wanted to take control of things so that his kin would remain safe and happy. But fate had it planned differently.

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9. Tommy Shelby breaking down in tears in front of Charlie

Tommy Shelby is a man who cares and provides for his family (and his empire), but right after Ruby’s funeral, Tommy's mental composure seems to be hanging by a thread. It is precisely at this moment that his grief overwhelms him—not in rage, but in vulnerability. When Charlie, his son, innocently asks him about the reason why Ruby is dead, Tommy breaks down.

These moments are absolutely heartbreaking, reminding us of the father's grief at losing his daughter.

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10. The last diagnosis

As season 6 comes towards the end, Tommy Shelby diagnoses himself with a deadly brain tumor, and he firmly believes that his life is going to end very soon. He prepares himself for the final moments by burning his belongings. But just when he was about to set off to the sun, he learns that the diagnosis was false and was planted planfully by his enemies. Even though this was a moment of relief for fans, if we look deeply, we see that even in the second chance at life, Tommy appears empty within.

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Overall, Tommy Shelby is not just a typical anti-hero. He’s a tragic figure—a man whose intelligence, brilliance, and brutality culminate from a traumatic life and fractured mental health.

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