11 Of The Most Heartbreaking Survival Show Eliminations

Survival shows can be incredibly brutal, stressful, and heartbreaking not only for the contestants themselves but for the fans that root for them at home. Over the years there have been many K-Pop survival shows and although fans are incredibly supportive of the final lineups, sometimes they can’t help wondering about the what-ifs of the shows.

1.  When Gunhee left No.Mercy

Anybody who has watched No.Mercy knows that the show was about as tough as they come. The show started with 13 trainees who were pitted against each other. While each and every person that left broke fans’ hearts, one of the biggest shocks came in the final episode when #Gun was sent home. Being someone who got along well with all of the other contestants, who also had an undeniable skill, it was nothing short of shock when this fan favorite didn’t make it into the final lineup for MONSTA X.

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Luckily, fans got to see #Gun again in Show Me The Money 5 and got to listen to even more music from him when he dropped his first solo single “Beep” in 2016 and a second solo single “Sunflower Dance” in 2017.

2. When Natty dropped week after week on Idol School

No one is sure what really happened with Natty on Idol School. Week after week, Natty was acknowledged for her skills and yet her rank in the show continued to drop. It’s a mystery that fans have seriously wondered about for a long time.

3. Hwang Heo’s elimination from YG Treasure Box

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking eliminations of all, Hwang Heo‘s elimination from YG Treasure Box caused a lot of heartbreak at the time. During the very first episode and before the competition had even begun, Hwang Heo was called out of practice and eliminated.

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The moment was incredibly heartwrenching for everyone involved and many netizens also expressed their heartbreak and outrage over the situation.

4. When HOTSHOT’s Timoteo didn’t make the final group on The Unit

Timoteo was consistently ranked at the top throughout The Unit. There was no doubt he had major talent as he always performed well and he was a fan favorite. Which is why it was so surprising to everyone when Timoteo didn’t make the final group.

5. When Momo was sent home on Sixteen

Although we ultimately know how it turned out, seeing Momo go home after always putting her heart and soul into the performances was an absolute heartbreaker for fans. Thankfully, Park Jin Young brought her back for the final lineup of TWICE because we just can’t imagine the girl group without her!

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6. When Miru didn’t make the final 12 in Produce 48

Produce 48 was a bit of a mixed bag when it came to the final lineup, as many international fans felt some of the contestants didn’t get the same chances as others. But one of the most surprising eliminations for fans came in the form of Miru. With her great performances, fans were very shocked that she didn’t make the final 12. Some fans are convinced that it all came down to Miru being lined up as the next leader of NMB 48.

7. When Team B was eliminated during WIN: Who is Next

Let’s be honest, WIN: Who Is Next was a serious rollercoaster ride for our emotions. With Team A and Team B both leaving everyone breathless, it was an incredibly hard decision on who should win and everyone seriously wanted both teams to debut. Even BIGBANG’s Seungri got on his hands and knees to beg YG to debut both groups!

Ultimately, Team A won and got to debut as WINNER that year while Team B went on to participate in another survival show Mix & Match before finally debut in 2015 as iKON.

8. When neither the girls or boys from MixNine debuted

Suffering the same fate as Team A and Team B from WIN: Who Is Next, fans saw both the girls and boys from MixNine consistently kill it each and every week. Fans were rooting for both teams and wanted them both to debut.

In the final, the boys’ team ended up winning which meant the girls weren’t going to debut. And due to some problems, the boys’ group didn’t get to debut either.

9. When JR went home during Produce 101

One of the most shocking eliminations of Produce 101 came when NU’EST‘s JR didn’t make the final cut. JR was consistently ranked at the top of the charts and never wavered from his place. He had the full support of NU’EST fans and had gained a ton of fans outside the fandom too! Which is why it was so surprising when he didn’t make the final lineup.

But on the bright side, we got all those amazing performances with him from NU’EST W and we all can’t wait to see what else NU’EST brings in the future!

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10. When Samuel didn’t make the final cut in Produce 101

Like JR, fans were incredibly heartbroken when Samuel didn’t make the final group. Having seen him grow up on Seventeen TV and then go even further in 1PUNCH, fans were incredibly disappointed to see him not go through.

samuel is so smol it breaks my heart to see his pictures of today he deserves better since 1punch tbh pic.twitter.com/0bvLZJoQ9w

— bia on hiatus | #happybeardaykai 💛 (@jonginied) June 16, 2017

But luckily fans didn’t have to wait long to see him performing again because he released his first mini-album soon after and has continued dropping bops since!

11. When Lee Know and Felix were sent home on Stray Kids

For those that watched Stray Kids, you’ll know how powerful the first eliminations of the show were. First, there was Lee Know who broke fans hearts because they had already fallen in love with him. Only the most stonehearted wouldn’t have teared up seeing everyone’s reactions.

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Much like Lee Know, fans were shocked to see Felix go home the next episode especially after their stunning performance of “Hellevator”. The moment was incredibly heartwrenching.

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But thankfully, both of them were brought back and made their debut with Stray Kids!

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