Euphoria Fans React to Shocking Character Death: Was Nate's Demise a 'Cool Way to Go' or Lazy Writing?

The penultimate episode of Euphoria season three has arrived, and fans are taking to social media to dissect a major character's shocking death.

Sam Levinson's teen drama, after a four-year hiatus, returned with its new season on HBO Max on April 12. The latest episode, aired on May 24, marked one of the final installments of the season.

Speculation had been rampant, with rumors swirling about a major character death. Some fans predicted Sydney Sweeney's Cassie would face amputation, while others feared for Alexa Demie's Maddy. However, it was Jacob Elordi's Nate Jacobs who met a gruesome fate, buried alive in a coffin by a gangster to whom he owed a million dollars.

Though he could breathe through a pipe to the surface, as Cassie frantically tried to gather the money, a rattlesnake slithered down the pipe and fatally bit him.
Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria

Elordi described his character's demise as a “cool way to go” but admitted it was “bittersweet” to leave the series. In an HBO behind-the-scenes video, he portrayed Nate as someone “who’s made so many mistakes and so many dark choices, [so] it’s cool to see it all come to what it’s come to.”

However, fan reactions have been mixed. Some felt “none of his punishments felt satisfying,” while others criticized the “Looney Tunes” level violence, arguing it overshadowed meaningful character development.

<blockquote data-dnt="true" data-width="550">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For many weeks I&rsquo;ve been talking about how much Rue has been suffering in Euphoria, but honestly I&rsquo;d say Nate suffered even worse physically this season.


First he gets his pinky toe cut, then it literally gets ripped off, and in that same hour they&rsquo;re cutting his finger too.&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/ri3E2qaWV1">https://t.co/ri3E2qaWV1</a>


&mdash; Queen &#10032; (@QUEENP0P) <a href="https://twitter.com/QUEENP0P/status/2058740946528076035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">fr it was such a cop out ending and the easiest way out for him, none of his punishments felt satisfying


&mdash; sam &#10038; (@cinephailure) <a href="https://twitter.com/cinephailure/status/2058740769297735793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="pt">Pensando que o Nate poderia estar vivo se tivesse assistido Kill Bill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Euphoria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Euphoria</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xja1HBHgVm">pic.twitter.com/Xja1HBHgVm</a>


&mdash; Babi (@babi) <a href="https://twitter.com/babi/status/2058782904365285549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&ldquo;omg he was tortured all season what more do you want&rdquo; him having looney tunes violence happening to him for a total of 20 minutes all season with no mention of his previous behavior or scenes with anyone else is not the same you guys do anything to excuse lazy writing


&mdash; erinspresso (@riverindaIe) <a href="https://twitter.com/riverindaIe/status/2058754355243708572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">spoilers // if they were going to kill nate off it should have been in a way that felt earned after all the torture he caused to these girls in the first two seasons. him being bitten by a rattlesnake after having ten minutes of screentime was so lame <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/euphoria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#euphoria</a>


&mdash; erinspresso (@riverindaIe) <a href="https://twitter.com/riverindaIe/status/2058733069113188582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I really wasn't expecting that ending for Nate, I'm in shock&#128578; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/euphoria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#euphoria</a><a href="https://t.co/Sb5uhaYIly">pic.twitter.com/Sb5uhaYIly</a>


&mdash; &#120294;&#128140; (@raggedwingss) <a href="https://twitter.com/raggedwingss/status/2058779818439971145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="pt">Me julguem, mas acho que o Nate Jacobs n&atilde;o merecia esse final! A realidade &eacute; que ele buscou reden&ccedil;&atilde;o e ser algu&eacute;m melhor, mas o desenvolvimento disso n&atilde;o foi bem trabalhado e executado. Mas enfim, ele precisa receber um karma, n&eacute;?! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Euphoria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#euphoria</a> <a href="https://t.co/O4aUlfkYhS">pic.twitter.com/O4aUlfkYhS</a>


&mdash; RAFA (@rafaelxzjj) <a href="https://twitter.com/rafaelxzjj/status/2058745831319126425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jacob Elordi clearly had very limited availability, that really limited what they could do with the character this season. He hasn't even been able to be in the same scene as Sweeney since their wedding.


&mdash; Tony (@RidleyAM1) <a href="https://twitter.com/RidleyAM1/status/2058746162996560161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="pt">E pensar que o maior carma do Nate foi por denunciar o pai dele pra poder herdar a sua construtora s&oacute; pra ele. 


A ganancia levou ele para a cidade dos anjos, para ser morto pela serpente&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Euphoria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#euphoria</a> <a href="https://t.co/y18XWuUvha">pic.twitter.com/y18XWuUvha</a>


&mdash; Nerd em Cartaz (@nerdemcartaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/nerdemcartaz/status/2058803018825375763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">i&rsquo;m like irritated ngl lmfao just threw out his potential as a character. i wanted evil ass nate to create other issues as some sort of antagonist, but all they had jacob do was scream and cry and groan and die like&mdash;&#128128;


&mdash; lexi &#9880; (@tbhsani) <a href="https://twitter.com/tbhsani/status/2058795357274775810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Guy did yall a favor by coming back this season and you guys make him get beat up and shove him in a box with a snake. Great writing&hellip;


&mdash; UNA_Alum (@Dingle1799925) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dingle1799925/status/2058827090892312640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Finally offed the walking red flag. Took you long enough, show still mid tho


&mdash; Pushpender Shekhawat (@PushpenderSays) <a href="https://twitter.com/PushpenderSays/status/2058784345482236377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2026</a>
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The show, known for launching its lead actors into stardom, saw the return of Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, and Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard, alongside Sweeney, Demie, and Elordi.

The new episodes have proven successful for HBO Max. Variety reported the premiere episode garnered 8.5 million viewers, a 44% increase from the season two premiere in 2022.

Some fans believe the actors' heightened profiles have impacted the season. One X user noted, "Jacob Elordi clearly had very limited availability, that really limited what they could do with the character this season. He hasn’t even been able to be in the same scene as Sweeney since their wedding."

Speculation is rife that the actors’ success outside the franchise may hinder their return for a fourth season. In April, Zendaya hinted on The Drew Barrymore Show that the upcoming season might be the show's last, stating, “I think so, yeah,” and adding, “that closure is coming.”

Neither Levinson nor HBO has officially confirmed the show’s future. However, Levinson told Variety earlier this year that he approaches “every season like it’s the last season” and that there are “no plans” for its return.

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