Soap Opera Characters Who Will Come Back To Life In 2023

©Aaron Montgomery/JPI

No one ever really passes away in the land of soaps, even if a funeral is held and a body is reviewed. One of the coolest things in daytime drama is the unexpected resurrections of characters who were thought to be long gone. As 2022 winds to a close, Fame10 speculates on soap opera characters who may come back to life in 2023.

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12. Rey Rosales — Y&R

Sharon has long grieved the passing of her incredible husband, Rey. As she begins to pick up the pieces of her life, will she be ready to tackle love once again in 2023? Whether she dives into a relationship with someone like Chance or reunites with a Newman brother, wouldn’t it be interesting if Rey returned to put a damper on her newly revived love life? Would he possibly turn to Chelsea for comfort?
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

11. Jake DiMera — DOOL

With Dr. Rolf in the picture and his never-ending commitment to the DiMera family, there’s no question that Jake DiMera will come back to life at some point. Gabi and Stefan are destined for a romantic reunion in 2023, so Jake’s return would be a timely one. While Ms. Hernandez has claimed multiple times that she and Jake never had what she and Stefan did, a love triangle placing her between the twin brothers would be an interesting one.
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

10. Luke Spencer — GH

Actor Anthony Geary seems quite content in retirement, but that doesn’t mean Luke couldn’t return to Port Chuckles for a quick run. It would be fitting for Spencer to prove to the world that he is, in fact, alive — especially if his comeback coincides with the downfall of Victor Cassadine. How neat would it be if Luke helped his friends get Victor locked away for good?
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

9. Phoebe Forrester — B&B

Sure, Phoebe’s passing was quite final. She took her last breath in her dad’s arms after a massive car accident. With that said, since Brooke and Ridge are down and out right now, Thomas’ betrayal is bound to surface soon. Will Ridge want to stay with Taylor when he finds out the truth? Could their long-lost daughter returning home be the glue that holds their marriage together, after all?
©Sean Smith/jpistudios.com

8. Ashland Locke — Y&R

Ashland Locke is a sneaky and scheming man, so the idea of him returning to the land of the living isn’t that far-fetched. Perhaps he’s been lying low all this time for a grand entrance, and to bring the Newmans down for good. Maybe he’s working with Tucker McCall to get back at the Abbotts. Either way, fans don’t need to be fortune tellers to know that there’s always a possibility that Locke could return alive and well.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

7. Abigail Deveraux — DOOL

Abigail’s ghost not only visited Jennifer this past summer but Chad, too. Still, this is Salem, where anyone can return to life at a moment’s notice. The whole “ghost” thing can be fluffed off as overzealous emotions, right? Abby’s come back before, when everyone thought she had passed, so she can do it again — especially if her hubby decides to jump into a romance with her cousin. #ItsAllAboutTiming
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

6. Leopold Taub — GH

With the arrival of Cody Bell and Peter’s necklace, Leopold Taub’s name has been thrown around GH a lot lately. He could easily return for a plot twist within this storyline. While most fans would love to see Dominique re-appear, Taub will probably come back to become Port Charles’ public enemy number one. #MoveOverVictorCassadine
© ChrisD/jpistudios.com

5. Austin Travers — Y&R

Things could get massively sticky if Austin Travers returned to town. He would rehash a rivalry between Abby and Summer (since Abby sure has a thing for men who are taken). He would even place a kink in Summer’s marriage to Kyle, since they would no longer technically be married if Austin rolled back into town.
© sean smith/jpistudios.com

4. Dr. Daniel Jonas — DOOL

Although Eric and Nicole have an incredible love story, many fans would agree that Daniel Jonas was the love of Ms. Walker’s life. (Clearly the two have chemistry, since they’re together in real life!) He truly helped her transform from the town “bad girl” into the (sort of) heroine she is today. It would be hard for DOOL writers to bring Dr. Jonas back into storylines, but many viewers would welcome him with open arms, even if his resurrection doesn’t exactly make sense.
© Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com

3. Macy Sharpe — B&B

B&B fans never saw Macy pass away. While her passing was assumed because of her coma and her mom’s choice to take her off life support, it would be fairly easy to bring Macy back to storylines. Maybe she could head to Genoa City and surprise her cousin, Sally Spectra? How much trouble could these two get into?
©Aaron Montgomery/JPI

2. Stefan Cassadine — GH

All the Cassadines have nine lives, so a Stefan Cassadine return is a no-brainer. Besides, the family is running out of evil characters! While he walked a fine line between good and bad (just like Nikolas), he could come back bitter and ready to exact revenge on everyone who’s done him wrong in the past. Laura, as well as Valentin, would be main targets.
©Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com

1. Deimos Kiriakis — DOOL

The Kiriakis mansion will be far quieter without its patriarch. While Victor had his moments of being power-hungry, diabolical, and scheming, fans got to see a softer side of Kiriakis after he shacked up with Maggie. There’s no doubt that both the character and the actor, John Aniston, will be greatly missed by DOOL fans. While no one could ever replace the legendary Victor Kiriakis, could Deimos come back to the land of the living and take everything his brother worked so hard for?
© XJjohnson/jpistudios.com

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass is an avid fan of daytime drama and has been watching Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless for over two decades now. As a full-time freelance writer, she gets to combine her love of soap operas and writing through her Fame 10 articles. Also a mother of two busy girls and a mommy blogger, she's been published multiple times over in Huffington Post Parents and Scary Mommy.

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