Kevin’s Death in ‘Daredevil’ Explained (Because People Are Confused)

There seems to be some confusion among fans of the hit series Daredevil surrounding Kevin’s death and his sister Karen’s involvement in it. While the episode depicting Kevin’s death came in Season 3, Episode 10, which aired in 2018, the incident has gained renewed interest since Disney released the new Daredevil series, Daredevil: Born Again.

It seems many people are under the impression that Karen intentionally killed her brother, but the events depicted just before his death seem to tell a different story. Here’s how it actually happened, in case you can’t remember the episode (or don’t care to go back and rewatch).

Karen didn’t kill her brother on purpose; he died in a car accident she caused while she was driving under the influence of cocaine. Perhaps you might recall the scene from Season 3, Episode 10, which aired in October 2018, when Karen and her father, Paxton Page, got into an argument and Karen called upon her boyfriend at the time, Todd Neiman, to come and remove her from the situation.

Todd was also a drug dealer, so essentially a “no bueno” person for Karen to be involved with.

Kevin was aware of his sister’s antics and her relationship with Todd (and what Kevin himself was doing on the side), so it wasn’t surprising when he and Todd got into an argument that later led Kevin to light Todd’s trailer on fire, which happened to be where Todd made his cocaine. It didn’t take long for Kevin to face the repercussions of his actions, as Todd came after him and beat him with a tire iron, nearly to death, before Karen intervened.

To save her brother, Karen took Todd’s gun from his truck and shot him in the arm, though he didn’t die. The two then fled together, with Karen driving. But mid-conversation, and after what had already been an intense moment, Karen gets distracted, and the car begins to drift across the road, into a guardrail, and flips.

When medical responders arrived, Kevin was pronounced dead at the scene.

Aside from being distracted, Karen was also under the influence at the time, so while it was her recklessness that ultimately led to her brother’s death, she didn’t intentionally kill him.

Fortunately for Karen, the officer writing the report did her a solid and noted that Kevin was the only occupant in the vehicle, which saved her from facing serious criminal charges and likely jail time.

But Kevin’s death is something she has to live with, and her father made sure to remind her it was her fault, even pushing her to go away for college, which she ultimately did. Not only that, but she continues to carry the guilt from her actions, which essentially shapes who her character becomes throughout the series.

Karen’s actions did lead to her brother’s death, yes, but some viewers feel that doesn’t necessarily categorize her as bad. “It is her fault, but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad person,” one person wrote on Reddit.

Because, let’s be real, she never wanted her brother to die — she had just saved him from Todd. But if she had been more careful and responsible (like not driving under the influence, for starters), then maybe her brother would still be here.