Money Heist: The 10 most painful sacrifices, ranked by emotional damage

Let’s be honest — Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) isn’t just a show; it’s an experience. From the adrenaline-pumping action to the genius-level heists and deeply flawed yet lovable characters, it’s the kind of ride that leaves your pulse racing and your heart in shambles. And while the show’s thrills come from tactical brilliance and impossible standoffs, its soul lies in the sacrifices — the gut-wrenching, scream-into-a-pillow, “WHY, NETFLIX, WHY” kind of sacrifices.

Because under the red jumpsuits and Salvador Dalí masks are people who’ve lost family, friends, love, and themselves — all in pursuit of something greater than gold. And we, as viewers, didn’t just watch them fall. We felt it. We yelled at our screens, we paused to sob, and we binge-watched through blurry, tear-stained vision.

So grab some tissues and maybe hum a little “Bella Ciao” as we rank the 10 most painful sacrifices in Money Heist, based on the emotional trauma they caused us. Spoilers ahead, obviously — so if you haven’t finished the series, this is your polite yet dramatic exit cue.

The 10 most painful sacrifices in Money Heist, ranked

10) Nairobi's Custody Dreams - Shot Down (Season 3)

Before we get to deaths and betrayals, let’s talk about emotional torture. Nairobi, our queen of quality control, spends most of the series dreaming of reuniting with her son. The Professor’s promise of a better future gave her hope… until Alicia Sierra lures her into the open by using her son’s voice. And BAM — she’s shot by a sniper.

She survives… for now — but watching her get played like that? Not cool, writers. Not cool!

9) Moscow Digs His Grave (Season 2)

Moscow was the classic “dad figure” of the gang — warm, goofy, and trying to keep his son Denver on the right track. He had dreams of redemption, of going straight after the heist. But alas, redemption arcs don’t come easy in Money Heist. While trying to dig a tunnel to help the gang escape, Moscow gets shot.

What makes this one sting? Denver’s tearful breakdown. A grown man sobbing over his dying dad is a universal pain that hits right in the feels.

8) Berlin’s Last Stand - Redemption or Suicide? (Season 2)

Okay, hear us out. Berlin was problematic. He was also charismatic, weirdly romantic, and, eventually, self-aware. When the gang is about to flee with the gold and the cops are closing in, Berlin stays behind to cover their escape. He lights up a cigarette like a villain-turned-hero, and boom — gets riddled with bullets while smiling like he just won the lottery.

It was the show’s first true “wait, did I just cry for him?” moment. The slow-mo, the music, the irony. It was cinematic heartbreak.

7) Professor Losing Lisbon (Or So He Thinks) - The Spiral (Season 4)

When the Professor hears what sounds like Lisbon being executed, he breaks. Like full villain-origin-story-level broken. He throws away logic, ditches plans, and becomes a rogue genius with nothing to lose. And we feel it. The man who once thought 20 steps ahead can now barely think straight.

Even though she wasn’t actually dead, for those moments when he believes it? Our hearts broke with his.

6) Tokyo Letting Go of Her Life (Season 5)

Let’s pause and take a deep breath. Tokyo — love her or hate her — was the show. Her chaotic energy, her reckless decisions, her constant narration — she was the firecracker at the heart of the heist. So when she decides to stay back, blowing herself up to save the others, it was like losing the voice of the show. Literally.

The way she talks to Rio one last time, her smile, the hand grenade? Brutal!

5) Nairobi’s Death - Unfair Doesn’t Even Cover It (Season 4)

If there’s one death that united fans in mutual trauma, it’s this one. After surviving the sniper shot and just starting to recover, Nairobi is taken hostage by Gandía. And then… executed. Just like that. No warning. No heroic ending. Just a brutal, senseless, cold-blooded murder!

Nairobi was hope — she was laughter, she was a mother — and she didn’t deserve to go out like that.

4) Helsinki Losing Oslo - Brothers in Arms (Season 2)

They weren’t just cousins; they were soul brothers. Oslo was quiet, strong, and loyal. When he’s fatally injured, Helsinki has to make the hardest call: end his cousin’s suffering. Watching him weep while doing it? Pure devastation.

This sacrifice was quieter than the others, but sometimes silence screams louder than gunfire.

3) Professor Abandoning His Principles (Season 5)

This one’s not about blood — it’s about integrity. The Professor started with a no-kill policy and a vision of a peaceful revolution. By the end, he’s knee-deep in manipulation, violence, and compromise. He even stages a fake death using gold-plated brass — the ultimate con.

Watching a man lose pieces of himself to save his crew was haunting. He didn’t die, but a part of him did.

2) Alicia Sierra’s Fall from Grace (Season 5)

She started as the ruthless inspector who outplayed the Professor. But in an ironic twist of fate, she’s forced to go rogue, give birth in hiding, and eventually help the people she hunted. Watching her go from feared investigator to fugitive single mother was a slow-burning emotional spiral.

It’s the slow transformation — from cold to human, from powerful to powerless — that hits you hardest.

1) The Cost of Rebellion - Everyone's Innocence (All Seasons)

The most painful sacrifice? Innocence. From Tokyo to Rio, from Denver to Lisbon, everyone starts with ideals. Love, money, freedom. But over time, they all lose something deeper — their ability to live normal lives, to love without fear, to breathe without looking over their shoulders.

Every heist etched trauma into their souls. Every bullet fired, every plan made, every person lost — it took a chunk out of who they used to be.

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Money Heist wasn’t just about stealing gold — it was about what that gold cost. And while the world remembers the adrenaline, we remember the pain. The moments that made us cry, gasp, and reconsider ever trusting a show with our emotions again.

So here’s to the sacrifices that broke us… and kept us coming back for more. Bella ciao, innocence. Bella ciao.