Spoilers for all of Animal Kingdom Season 6 and the series finale.
Three named characters die in the present-day storyline of Animal Kingdom Season 6: Craig Cody, Penny Dean, and Andrew “Pope” Cody. The finale, episode 13, “Fubar,” contains all three deaths and leaves Joshua “J” Cody and Deran Cody alive.
Short answer: Craig Cody, Penny Dean, and Pope Cody are the three named characters who die during Season 6’s present-day storyline.
Where to watch or own Season 6
If you want to revisit the final chapter after reading the spoilers, the Animal Kingdom Season 6 DVD is the physical-media option identified for the season. Availability and pricing can change, so check the current retailer listing before purchasing. Season 6 has also been listed as a separate digital purchase; that option is not the same as the DVD.
Craig Cody
Craig dies in episode 13, “Fubar,” after being shot during a convenience-store robbery.
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After J sabotages the Cody family’s escape plan and alerts the police to their location, Craig and Deran flee together. They stop at a convenience store to get money and first-aid supplies. During the robbery, the young son of the store owner shoots Craig.
Deran initially tries to convince Craig—and perhaps himself—that the injury is survivable. Craig eventually dies from the wound while Deran holds him. His final request gives Deran responsibility for the people Craig is leaving behind: Craig’s partner, Renn Randall, and his son, Nick.
Craig’s death is shown directly and is not left ambiguous. It marks the end of the brothers’ criminal partnership and makes Deran’s escape more personal: he is no longer simply trying to survive the Cody family’s collapse, but also trying to protect Craig’s family.
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Penny Dean
Penny dies in “Fubar” after J deliberately poisons her drink.
J uses Penny as an alibi while the police investigate the escape-plan sabotage. During their conversation, Penny realizes that J has manipulated her and that she could become implicated in his crimes. When she refuses to continue fleeing with him, J decides that she is a liability and fatally doses her drink.
The poisoning is intentional and lethal. J remains visibly affected afterward, but his remorse does not change what happened: he has chosen to kill Penny to protect his revenge plan and his access to the Cody family’s money.
The death is especially significant because J’s relationship with Penny was not purely strategic. The showrunner explained that J initially pursued her partly because her work at a law firm gave him access to useful legal and financial information, but he also developed genuine feelings for her. That conflict gives the scene its emotional weight without making Penny’s death accidental.
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Pope dies in “Fubar” after being mortally wounded during the attempt to break him out of a prison transport.
During the escape, Pope is shot. He survives the initial exchange and kills the pursuing officers, but his injuries are fatal. He manages to return to the Cody property, where he confronts J about the betrayal.
Pope nearly drowns J, but ultimately lets him escape. He then sets the Cody house on fire, lies down beside the pool, and dies from his wounds.
Pope’s death is the finale’s clearest expression of the guilt that has followed him throughout the series. The episode connects his final moments with his memories of Julia and with the damage caused by Smurf’s family system. His guilt involves Julia’s abandonment, Catherine Belen’s murder, and his failure to protect the people trapped inside the Cody family. The burning house functions as both a literal destruction of the family home and a symbolic end to the world Smurf created.
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Does Julia Cody die in Season 6?
Strictly speaking, no: Julia Cody is not a Season 6 death.
Julia is central to Season 6 because the flashbacks explain her relationship with Smurf, Pope, and Baz, as well as her addiction, estrangement, pregnancy, and eventual abandonment. However, the series established in the Season 1 pilot that Julia died from a heroin overdose before J moved in with Smurf and the Codys.
Season 6’s 1992 and 1999 flashbacks take place before Julia’s death. They provide the history behind it, but they do not depict her death as an event occurring in the season’s present-day timeline.
The most accurate way to describe Julia’s role is: Season 6 does not add Julia to the death toll, but its flashbacks explain how the family’s treatment of her helped set the finale in motion. Julia’s death is the foundation of J’s revenge, not a new Season 6 death.
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Who survives the Season 6 finale?
Joshua “J” Cody
J survives. After betraying the other Codys, he escapes with the family’s money and is shown alone in a luxury setting at the end of the finale. His survival completes the revenge plan he began because of Julia’s death, although it leaves him isolated rather than reunited with a family.
Deran Cody
Deran also survives. He escapes after Craig dies and intends to reunite with Renn and Nick. Among the Cody brothers, he is the only one besides J shown getting out of the finale alive.
Renn Randall and Nick
Renn and Nick survive and remain outside the finale’s fatal confrontation. Craig’s last request is for Deran to look after them.
Smurf Cody
Smurf does not die in Season 6. Her death occurs earlier, in Season 4. Season 6’s flashbacks show earlier periods in her life and her relationships with Julia, Pope, and Baz.
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The finale also includes unnamed casualties. Pope kills unnamed police officers during the prison-transport shootout, and an unnamed child shoots Craig at the convenience store. These people should not be added to the list of named recurring-character deaths.
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Therefore, the cleanest count is:
- Three named present-day deaths: Craig Cody, Penny Dean, and Pope Cody.
- Additional unnamed casualties: police officers killed during Pope’s escape and the unnamed child involved in Craig’s shooting.
- One important earlier death discussed through flashbacks: Julia Cody, whose heroin-overdose death predates Season 6.
Season 6 death list at a glance
| Character | Episode | Cause of death | Named Season 6 death? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Cody | 13, “Fubar” | Shot during a convenience-store robbery; later dies in Deran’s arms | Yes |
| Penny Dean | 13, “Fubar” | Deliberately poisoned by J | Yes |
| Andrew “Pope” Cody | 13, “Fubar” | Mortally wounded during the prison-transport escape; later dies at the Cody house | Yes |
| Julia Cody | Death predates Season 6 | Heroin overdose | No—earlier death shown through backstory |
Season 6 premiered on June 19, 2022, and concluded on August 28, 2022, with “Fubar.” As the show’s 13-episode final season, it brings the Cody family’s past and present together—but its named present-day death toll remains three.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many named characters die in Animal Kingdom Season 6?
Three named characters die in the present-day storyline: Craig Cody, Penny Dean, and Andrew “Pope” Cody.
Does J die in the Animal Kingdom finale?
No. J survives the finale, escapes with the Cody family’s money, and is shown alone in a luxury setting.
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No. Deran survives, escapes after Craig’s death, and plans to reunite with Renn and Nick.
Is Julia Cody counted as a Season 6 death?
No. Julia’s heroin-overdose death happened before the Season 6 timeline. The season’s flashbacks explain the events leading to her death but do not present it as a new death in Season 6.
The Bottom Line
The three named characters who die in the present-day storyline of Animal Kingdom Season 6 are Craig Cody, Penny Dean, and Andrew “Pope” Cody. Julia Cody is already dead before the season begins, while J, Deran, Renn, and Nick survive the finale.
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