Peaky Blinders Season 6: Here's How Tommy Shelby Could Die

Tommy Shelby's fate may not be revealed until the premiere of Peaky Blinders Season 6, but Season 5 may have previously hinted at how he will die.
Fans of the BBC and Netflix original show Peaky Blinders have long speculated about how the series will conclude, with many predicting that protagonist Tommy Shelby will die in Season 6. While that is certainly possible, many people believe Tommy will die in the way that Peaky Blinders Season 5 hinted to.

Death by Murder

The Shelby family has never shied away from making enemies in order to pursue a deal that benefits them, so it's not out of the realm of possibilities that Tommy will be murdered by one of their enemies.

Peaky Blinders never shied away from killing major characters, as John Shelby's death in Season 4 showed, but it also frequently finished seasons with some form of silver lining for Tommy and his family. Peaky Blinders Season 5 broke from previous seasons by ending with Tommy betrayed and having no idea who the traitor was, his goal ruined.

Death by Suicide

Tommy's PTSD was already a part of him after World War I, and it was something he had to deal with in Season 1 of Peaky Blinders. Season 5 even stated that Tommy's thoughts on suicide, which he had at least twice in the previous season, "ran in the family," as Charlie revealed to Tommy in Peaky Blinders Season 5 Episode 6 that both his mother and grandpa had committed suicide. Tommy may succumb to the demons that stalk his head, still haunted by the death of Grace and now possibly the late Helen McCrory's Aunt Polly.

As a result, many people predict Tommy will kill himself in the final episode of Peaky Blinders Season 6.

Death by Lung Disease

Tommy developed a new and persistent cough in Peaky Blinders Season 5. Tommy never stopped smoking in previous seasons, and he continues to do so in Season 5, although the quietly persistent cough may be a foreshadowing of Tommy's death from a lung-related illness.

Tuberculosis was still a major problem in 1920s Britain, and with Tommy's heavy smoking, opium use, and fast lifestyle, it's a disease that might readily infiltrate his already ravaged lungs.

While it's not guaranteed that Tommy's death will coincide with the finale, Tommy's cough is clearly there for a reason and will be given more attention in Peaky Blinders Season 6. Whether or not Tommy dies at the season finale, his trajectory makes it seem all but impossible for his story to end pleasantly.