Top 5 ‘Dead’ General Hospital Characters We Need Back NOW

Our back-from-the-dead wheels are turning on General Hospital after finding out that Zander Smith (Chad Brannon) might be returning to Port Charles soon (or will the returning actor play a new character?). Yes, we know he was shot and killed, but that’s never stopped GH writers from finding new and explicitly wild ways to bring back our favorite characters.

General Hospital Resurrections

Keeping in mind their possible major impacts on current storylines, here are the top-five characters we’d love to see miraculously return.

Nelle Benson

Love or hate her and dead or alive, Nelle (Chloe Lanier) continues to be at the center of one of GH’s most drawn-out mysteries – the true identity of Nina’s daughter. Now that Nina (Cynthia Watros) knows the whole truth, including that Nelle fell to her death from Carly’s own hand, that mystery is finally solved.

But the revenge reaction storyline is what excites us more. Not only can Nelle’s return mess up Carly (Laura Wright), Michael (Chad Duell), and Willow’s (Katelyn MacMullen) lives, we’re especially excited about an even more fulfilling showdown – a mother/daughter twosome against Carly.

Along with hurting Carly legally by not reporting the true circumstances of her death, her newfound mama can hurt their shared nemesis even more in her heart. Nina has the closest path of discovery to finding out that Sonny (Maurice Bernard) is really alive through Phyllis (Joyce Guy) and of course, hearing his voice on the phone. Although we’re sure that Nina can enact a meaty revenge plan all on her own, no one knows how to hurt people where they’ll feel it the most more than Nelle. Imagine how much they could torture Carly as a duo?

Nelle’s return could also greatly affect Michael and Willow’s plan to move on from each other and back to their exes. With Nina’s support, both financially and emotionally, things could get ugly again in custody-land over Wiley.

Drew Cain

Drew, (Billy Miller) earns the second spot on our list, but it’s honestly an equal tie to Nelle. We hated when his plane went down courtesy of the evil Peter (Wes Ramsey). Drew was presumed dead, but his body was never found. In the land of the soaps, that means he’s likely out there alive somewhere, just waiting to come out of death’s shadows. And who better to shock the most than the man who almost put him in his supposed grave?

An ideal time to make his Port Charles comeback would be soon, giving that Peter’s reign of lies and manipulations appears to be coming to the surface. Then there’s Franco’s (Roger Howarth) brain tumor storyline and his still carrying part of Drew’s memories, not to mention the bromance between them, which was based on their childhood bond.

We’d love to see more of that friendship, along with his relationship with his brother, Jason (Steve Burton). And lastly, although the list of reasons we’d like to see Drew come back goes much longer, Sam (Kelly Monaco) is single now. Breaking up with Jason is one thing, but moving on or rather back to his brother, could really stir the romance pot.

Nathan West

Speaking of making a timely entrance, who would be better to stand up at Peter and Maxie’s wedding when the reverend asks, “If anyone objects to the marriage, they should speak now or forever hold their peace” than Nathan (Ryan Paevey)?

He’s been brought up a lot lately with several characters making emotional confessions at his grave. Could this be a tease that he’s making a triumphant return, and perhaps his untimely death was part of Peter’s grand revenge plans as the son who nobody wanted?

Of all the graveyard confessions to Nathan, Peter’s was the most chilling when he outright told him that he was James’s father now and that his former life with Maxie (Kirsten Storms) would soon be all but forgotten, as they build their new family. Since Peter already hid away Jason when everyone thought he was dead too, we think this could be a real possibility that Nathan is alive somewhere being held captive.

A.J. Quartermaine

Even though he’s been “dead” for years, A.J.’s (Sean Kanan) departure is one that still makes us sad today. He was one of the most multi-faceted characters in PC, and don’t we all need some old fashioned Quartermaine-brand of humorous drama in our lives again? Considering both Michael and Sonny’s current storylines, we could see him playing a pivotal role, not only as a father and now grandfather, but ELQ also needs someone a lot more manipulative to tangle with Valentin as the company head.

We last left A.J. drinking again, which actually helped clear him of the murder of Connie Falconeri. He realized that the initials “A” and “J” that Connie had scrawled in her own blood pointed to Ava. A.J. confronted her – and during their argument, Sonny joined in and ended up shooting A.J.

He came out of his coma to tell Michael he was innocent. Then he woke up again to tell Carly that Sonny was the one who shot him, before passing away. His return would add yet even more enticing revenge towards Sonny and Carly.

Kiki Jerome

Another death that haunts us for many disturbing reasons was the passing of Kiki at the hands of Ryan (impersonating his brother, Kevin), who sleeping with Ava (Maura West) at the time. That made her death even more shocking and disturbing, as well as the timing of her departure.

Kiki (Hayley Erin) had just won her sexual harassment suit against Dr. Bensch (James DePavia), but her affair with Griffin (Matt Cohen) was exposed in court, and Ava cut her daughter out of her life. As Kiki started a relationship with Griffin, Ava vowed revenge on the pair.

And after Ava confided her desire for revenge to Ryan (Jon Lindstrom), the serial killer decided to get rid of her for his lover. That left Ava even more emotionally fragile and both Griffin and Kiki’s close friend and once-believed-father, Franco, broken-hearted.

Both Ava and Franco would greatly heal from her return, as they fight their past demons. But like Nelle, A.J., and Nathan, there was a confirmed dead body. But wait, that’s no problem in magical Port Charles! General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.