The Real Reason Grace Had to Die in Peaky Blinders—Steve Knight Finally Explains

The world of Peaky Blinders is a brutal one, and for the Shelby family, there’s no room for true happiness. From the moment Grace Burgess (played by Annabelle Wallis) entered The Garrison Pub, it was clear that her love story with Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) was doomed from the start. Their ill-fated romance set the stage for one of the most heartbreaking and pivotal moments in the show’s history—the death of Grace Shelby. This tragic event, which occurred during a hit on Tommy at a party, wasn’t just a turning point for Tommy; it was necessary for the story’s progression, according to show creator Steve Knight.

In an intimate Reddit AMA, Knight revealed why Grace had to die: “If she had lived, Tommy would have been happy,” he explained. “He wasn’t meant to be happy.” The loss of Grace, in a way, became the catalyst for Tommy’s unrelenting journey into darkness, as he was forced to push forward into the treacherous world of crime and betrayal. Knight’s decision to kill off Grace wasn’t just for shock value—it was essential to keep the story true to Tommy’s character arc.

The death of Grace altered Tommy in ways that would haunt him throughout the series. Her absence created a gap in Tommy’s heart that could never be filled, even as he moved forward in the violent, often soul-crushing world of the Peaky Blinders. As Knight put it, if Tommy had found happiness with Grace, the entire dynamic of the Shelby family and their criminal empire would have been disrupted. “The Peaky Blinders organization would’ve been out of whack,” Knight said. And that, of course, was something he simply could not allow.

This tragic loss is one of the key emotional beats that fueled Tommy’s ongoing internal struggle. In the seasons that followed, Grace continued to haunt him—her presence felt in his visions, particularly during a chilling sequence of fireside dreams. It’s clear that her death wasn’t just a plot device; it was a psychological blow that reshaped Tommy’s entire worldview.

However, there is hope for Tommy’s future. While Peaky Blinders has always been about the consequences of a man who can never escape his past, Knight teased a possible redemption arc for Tommy. When asked about whether Tommy deserves a happy ending, Knight responded cryptically, suggesting that the intention is to give Tommy redemption. “That will be a happy ending,” Knight said. What that redemption will look like and when it will arrive remains a mystery, though Knight hinted that it might not come until the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man.

In season 6, Tommy was rocked with the shocking revelation that his time was running out, thanks to a falsified medical report. The revelation that Tommy might die soon didn’t send him into despair; instead, it transformed him into a man with nothing left to lose. As Tommy became more unhinged and determined to confront his own mortality, his character grew more complicated—and more fascinating.

Whether or not Tommy survives to see a truly redemptive end is still up in the air, but Knight’s vision for the film suggests that Tommy’s journey is far from over. He describes The Immortal Man as “a fitting end to the first chapter,” implying that Tommy’s path to redemption may be longer than many fans expect.

For now, fans will continue to watch Tommy Shelby navigate a treacherous world of crime, violence, and self-doubt. But if The Immortal Man truly marks the end of his journey, one thing is clear—Tommy has come too far for redemption to be anything less than hard-earned. How many more chapters remain in his tumultuous story? Only time will tell, but if anyone can survive this wicked world, it’s Tommy Shelby.