NOTE: As we started in 2019, Themed Death Pool Lists will be posted and tracked in a separate thread. If you are looking for the 2025 Celebrity Death Pool thread, click here
phungi (aka: the Death Shroom) checking in as your 2026 Death Pool chaperone.
In case anyone is new to this game, the rules are outlined below. There are a few new rules so read carefully.
The Rules:
You pick 13 celebrities (plus 3 alternates) that you predict will die in the year 2026. If any of your celebrities dies, you score 100 points minus their age at death. Whoever has the most points at the end of the year…wins. It’s rather simple.
Please check the spelling if your celebrity’s names, as editing takes hours. Also, please do not put spaces or periods between abbreviated letters.
For example: “George HW Bush” instead of George H. W. Bush"
Players may submit lists to both the “regular” and “themed” pools. However, those posting a Themed list should explain the theme.
All picks must be made by December 31st, 2025, at 11:59PM, CENTRAL TIME. Late entries (i.e., ANY time after midnight of Jan 1st) will be turned away.
Valid picks CANNOT be:
a. already dead
b. fictional
c. under age 18
d. a registered member of the SDMB
e. hostages held by terrorist organizations
f. famous solely as a result of their illness or the events surrounding their death (see #15 below)
If you have any questions about who is or is not a celebrity, feel free to post to the thread or PM me. This is why we include 3 alternates, so if a pick is designated to be invalid, your first alternate will be elevated to your list.
If we are uncertain about the celebrity’s age at death, we will go by the higher age (lower score).
Prisoners held on death row count only if they die by means other than official execution.
If you kill anyone on your list to try to get ahead or cheat, then you’re automatically disqualified.
Editing your choices: You can change the people on your list as many times as you wish before the deadline above, just make sure that your FINAL list is known, otherwise I’m going to take the first 13 of yours I see listed.
Alternates are important, in the case of a pick being invalid, or a pick dying prior to January 1st.
If a player changes their username at some point, post this news on the thread, or PM me, so I know who you are.
Tracking celebrity deaths is the job of each individual player. Wiki maintains a page of deaths each month, and is an excellent reference .
I create and share a Scorekeeper in the form of an Excel Spreadsheet. I am happy to share this with any and all participants. I generally post to Google Sheet, and update it after every death.
Determination of who is a celebrity will remain a subjective matter, but generally defined as “the person has some known presence in the form of a Wikipedia Page and/or notoriety in the news or such” and their fame or celebrity cannot be based solely on their having a terminal illness". Sole possession of a Wikipedia page will not constitute “celebrity”. If questioned, the person who posted that individual may be required provide such evidence.
Questions may be raised about the appropriateness of a pick at any point after a list is posted, even after 1/1/26 Alternates picks play an important role, as “questionable” picks may be disqualified post-posting.
There is no exchange of money, that would be in poor taste. Rather, each year, we share the following awards
The “Opening Kickoff” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the first listed celebrity to die in 2026.
The “Quantity Not Quality” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the greatest number of celebrities who died, regardless of their actual point value.
The “Grim Reaper” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who had the most unique picks that died.
The “Robbing the Cradle” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the youngest celebrity to die in 2026, but see rule 3d.
The “Final Hours” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the last listed celebrity to die in 2026.
You need to submit a clean list, with no explanations, dates of birth, titles, etc. If you want to add commentary, include this below your clean list.
For example:
Theme: Brady Bunch
Clean list:
Robert Reed
Florence Henderson
Ann B. Davis
Barry Williams
Maureen McCormick
Christopher Knight
Eve Plumb
Mike Lookinland
Susan Olsen
Allan Melvin
Jack Collins
Robbie Rist
Desi Arnaz Jr
Annotated list:
Robert Reed as Mike Brady
Florence Henderson as Carol Brady
Ann B. Davis as Alice Nelson
Barry Williams as Greg Brady
Maureen McCormick as Marcia Brady
Christopher Knight as Peter Brady
Eve Plumb as Jan Brady
Mike Lookinland as Bobby Brady
Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady
Allan Melvin as Sam Franklin
Jack Collins as Mr. Phillips
Robbie Rist as Cousin Oliver
Desi Arnaz, Jr. as himself
Scoring: When a celebrity dies, you get their age at death subtracted from 100. All celebrities who are 100 or over count, but you get “0” Points for their death, contributing to the “Quantity not Quality” award
If anyone has any questions, post to the thread, or PM me.
Mike Dikta
Michael Schumacher
Dick Vitale
Mario Andretti
Lee Corso
Gene Keady
Randy Moss
Bernie Kosar
William “Refrigerator” Perry
Roger Staubach
Sandy Koufax
Willie O’Ree
Steve Gleason
I got a winner last year, so I have shuffled one up the list, but otherwise it is 93% identical.
British Sitcom Stars
Michael Crawford
Elizabeth Estensen
David Jason
Penelope Keith
Felicity Kendal
Maureen Lipman
Ian McNeice
Tony Robinson
Christopher Ryan
Guy Siner
Paula Wilcox
Richard Wilson
Tessa Wyatt
BACKUPS
Graeme Garden
Karl Howman
Françoise Pascal
Annotated List:
Michael Crawford - Some Mothers Do Ave Em
Elizabeth Estensen - The Liver Birds
David Jason - Open All Hours
Penelope Keith - To The Manor Born
Felicity Kendal - The Good Life
Maureen Lipman - Agony
Ian McNeice - Doc Martin
Tony Robinson - Blackadder
Christopher Ryan - The Young Ones
Guy Siner - Allo Allo
Paula Wilcox - Man About The House
Richard Wilson - One Foot In The Grave
Tessa Wyatt - Robin’s Nest
Graeme Garden - The Goodies
Karl Howman - Brush Strokes
Françoise Pascal - Mind Your Language
Donald Trump
Kim Jong-Un
Vladimir Putin
Newt Gengrich
Mitch McConnell
Rupert Murdoch
Rudi Giuliani
Chuck Grassley
Charles Koch
Harlan Crow
Clarence Thomas
Donald Trump, Jr.
Xi Jinping
Alternates:
Miguel Díaz-Canel
Stephan Miller
Bill Cosby
I’m going to submit my 2025 list intact, save for George Wendt and Carl Dean (Mr. Dolly Parton.) I can’t get rid of the double spacing, sorry. I call this list “Close but still no cigar.” (Read their first names to get the theme)
I will once again submit my list of former NFL head coaches. Evidently these guys are near-immortal. I think I’ve had one death since I started this theme.
Theme: Former NFL Head Coaches
Marv Levy
Sam Rutigliano
Raymond Berry
Dick Vermeil
Bobby Ross
Tom Flores
Barry Switzer
Leeman Bennett
Mike Ditka
George Seifert
Wayne Fontes
Joe Gibbs
Bill Parcells
Alternates:
Jerry Glanville
Mike Holmgren
Tony Dungy
It seems I am making German players in the 1966, 1970 and 1974 FIFA World Cups almost immortal. Only had to substitute one every year the last three years, and one again so far this year, plus one alternate. Let’s give them one last victory lap: Sigfried Held born 7. August 1942 Rainer Bonhof born 29. März 1952 Wolfgang Overath born 29. September 1943 Willi Schulz born 4. Oktober 1938 Josef Dieter „Sepp“ Maier born 28. Februar 1944 Wolfgang Paul born 25. Januar 1940 Paul Breitner born 5. September 1951 Hans-Georg „Katsche“ Schwarzenbeck born 3. April 1948 Hans-Hubert „Berti“ Vogts born 30. Dezember 1946 Ulrich „Uli“ Hoeneß born 5. Januar 1952 Günter Theodor Netzer born 14. September 1944 Josef „Jupp“ Heynckes born 9. Mai 1945 Bernhard „Bernd“ Cullmann born 1. November 1949
Alternate:
Herbert „Hacki“ Wimmer born 9. November 1944
Sigfried Held
Rainer Bonhof
Wolfgang Overath
Willi Schulz
Sepp Maier
Wolfgang Paul
Paul Breitner
Katsche Schwarzenbeck
Berti Vogts
Uli Hoeneß
Günter Netzer
Jupp Heynckes
Bernhard Cullmann
I’m going to re-submit my 2025 list intact, save for George Wendt and Carl Dean (Mr. Dolly Parton.) I fixed the space formatting. I call this list “Close but still no cigar.”
John Goodman
Paul Stookey
George Takei
Richie Blackmore
Mick Fleetwood
Keith Carradine
Charlie Sheen
Ronnie Milsap
Bill Cosby
Bryan Adams
Mike Tomlin
Dennis Rodman
Carl Palmer
Crooners:
Paul Anka
Pat Boone
Phil Collins
Neil Diamond
Bob Dylan
Barry Manilow
Joni Mitchell
Willie Nelson
Wayne Newton
Michelle Phillips
Linda Ronstadt
Grace Slick
Dean Torrence
Star Trek VIII (Eighth Year of Star Trek Alumni, usually and hopefully pointless, recycled without changes from last year).
Name
Known For
D.o.B.
William Shatner
Capt. Kirk - TOS
1931-03-22
Walter Koenig
Ens. Chekov - TOS
1936-09-14
George Takei
Lt. Sulu - TOS
1937-04-20
Diana Muldaur
Dr. Pulaski - TNG, Guest Star - TOS
1938-08-19
Christopher Lloyd
Kruge - ST:III
1938-11-22
Patrick Stewart
Capt. Picard - TNG
1940-07-13
Malcolm McDowell
Dr. Soran -ST:VII
1943-06-13
John Larroquette
Maltz - ST:III
1947-11-25
Avery Brooks
Capt. Sisko - DS9
1948-10-02
Brent Spiner
Lt. Cdr. Data - TNG
1949-02-02
Scott Bakula
Capt. Archer - Ent.
1954-10-09
Kate Mulgrew
Capt. Janeway - Voy.
1955-04-29
Nana Visitor
Maj. Kira Neirys - DS9
1957-07-26
Alternates:
Michael Dorn
Lt. Worf - TNG
1952-12-09
Colm Meaney
Chief O’Brien - TNG
1953-05-30
Wil Wheaton
Ens. Crusher - TNG
1972-07-29
Clean List:
William Shatner
Walter Koenig
George Takei
Diana Muldaur
Christopher Lloyd
Patrick Stewart
Malcolm McDowell
John Larroquette
Avery Brooks
Brent Spiner
Scott Bakula
Kate Mulgrew
Nana Visitor
A quiet year??? in the middle east in 2025.
A rerun with a couple of substitutions. 2026 themed deathpool
Theme: Middle East Troublemakers
Bashar al-Assad
Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei
Naim Qassem
Ibrahim Amin Al-Sayyed
Ahmed al-Sharaa
Muhammad Ismail Darwish
Khaled Mashal
Husam Badran
Zaher Jabarin
Mahmoud Abbas
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Michel Naim Aoun
Mahmud Ahmadinejad
alts
Donald Trump
Benjamin Netanyahu
I’ve branched out with Syrian, Lebanese, Israeli, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi, and Iranian contributors to peace and tranquility in the region.
Who they are!
Bashar al-Assad ex-President of Syria
Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei Supreme leader Iran
Naim Qassem fourth secretary-general of Hezbollah
Ibrahim Amin Al-Sayyed Head of the Political Council of Hezbollah
Ahmed al-Sharaa or his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - new Syrian Leader of rebelion
Muhammad Ismail Darwish (aka Abu Omar Hassan) of Hamas’s Shura Council
Khaled Mashal past Hamas leader now a billionaire in Qatar?
Husam Badran serves as the international spokesperson for Hamas
Zaher Jabarin head of Hamas’s military wing in Judea and Samaria
Mahmoud Abbas president of the State of Palestine
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi (aka Abu Jibril) the leader of the Houthi movement Izz al-Din al-Haddad: Currently oversees Hamas’s military wing (al-Qassam Brigades) inside Gaza
Michel Naim Aoun sorta kinda presidentish of Lebanon
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad President Iran
Alts
Donald Trump -Meddler and noted US felon
Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister of Israel
Same list as last year, but replaced Loretta Swit due to her passing (for 13 points.) I also replaced one of my alternates.
Still Living Match Game Celebrities
Adrienne Barbeau
Brenda Vaccaro
Fannie Flagg
Jo Ann Pflug
Joyce Bulifant
Vicki Lawrence
Lynda Day George
Jo Ann Worley
Gary Burghoff
Lee Meriweather
Sarah Kennedy
Elaine Joyce
Clifton Davis
Goose-egged it this year with my “80s TV stars” theme, so I’m going to lean into old-age and terminal disease for 2026.
My theme: Older People with ALS (OPALS)
Marcia Ball
David Bradley (Native American artist)
Martín Caparrós
Neale Daniher
Daniel Doctoroff
Yasuhiko Funago
Frank Hansen
Kyōsei Tsukui
Witold Waszczykowski
Ronald Joseph (retired Olympic figure skater)
Tim Green (retired American football player)
Premana Premadi
Ed Martin (retired American football player)
Clean list:
Marcia Ball
David Bradley (Native American artist)
Martín Caparrós
Neale Daniher
Daniel Doctoroff
Yasuhiko Funago
Frank Hansen
Kyōsei Tsukui
Witold Waszczykowski
Ronald Joseph
Tim Green
Premana Premadi
Ed Martin
Alternates:
Juan Carlos Unzué
Kerry Goode
O. J. Brigance
My ninth try with this list. In 2018, no one died. I scored my first points (in this thread) in 2019 with David Koch’s welcome death, but struck out again in 2020. In 2021 I scored big points (30!) with Limbaugh. Nothing again in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, dammit. Why are these horrible people so healthy and lucky?
Donald Trump
Elon Musk
Stephen Miller
Russell Vought
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Clarence Thomas
John Roberts
Brett Kavanaugh
Samuel Alito
Mike Johnson
Rupert Murdoch
Pam Bondi
Kristi Noem
Alternates:
JD Vance
Kash Patel
Pete Hegseth
ETA: I decided to move a few of the younger people to the alternates list, since their channces of dying are lower. Nevertheless, I’ve left Miller and Vought, both in their 40s, on the main list, since they are so horrible.
I just noticed the clean list I posted wasn’t as clean as I thought. Reposted for cleanliness:
Marcia Ball
David Bradley
Martín Caparrós
Neale Daniher
Daniel Doctoroff
Yasuhiko Funago
Frank Hansen
Kyōsei Tsukui
Witold Waszczykowski
Ronald Joseph
Tim Green
Premana Premadi
Ed Martin
Alternates:
Juan Carlos Unzué
Kerry Goode
O. J. Brigance
Michael J. Fox
Christopher Lloyd
Lea Thompson
Thomas F. Wilson
Crispin Glover
Claudia Wells
Elisabeth Shue
Marc McClure
James Tolkan
Charles Fleischer
Mary Steenburgen
Robert Zemeckis
Bob Gale
My theme is celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Network Stars I, which was broadcast on ABC on November 13, 1976.
Battle of the Network Stars:
Gabe Kaplan
Lynda Carter
Hal Linden
John Schuck
Adrienne Barbeau
Gary Burghoff
Lee Meriwether
Jimmie Walker
Karen Grassle
Ben Murphy
Barbara Parkins
Kevin Tighe
Demond Wilson
alternates:
Tim Matheson
Mackenzie Phillips
Joanna Pettet