The Simpsons fans mourn the death of popular character after 35 years on the show

Fans have been mourning the death of a long beloved character on the series after its most recent episode.

The Simpsons has been on our screens for as long as we can remember, with its first episode coming out in December 1989 on American broadcaster Fox.

But after 35 years, the show has killed off a beloved character in its most recent episode.

Arguably the most iconic animated series ever made, the fandom around it goes far and beyond the show getting a few predictions about the future right.

The show is so popular in fact, that it is in the middle of its 35th season, with fans still eager to see what Homer, Marge, Lisa and Bart Simpson get up to with their pals in Springfield.

But for a series to run for that length of time, sometimes you have to throw some spanners in the works to keep things a bit fresh, whether it be introducing new characters, or sometimes, killing off existing ones.

So in this, episode 765, the show runners have made the bold decision to pull the trigger on a character that was popular among the show's fanbase.

Larry the barfly was a beloved character on the show. (Disney)

The victim was none other than Larry the Barfly, aka Larry Dalrymple, a regular at Moe's Tavern and one of Homer's best friends.

During the episode 'Cremains the Day', the famous barfly, who is often seen in the background at Homer's favourite drinking spot, drops dead at the bar.

Following the sad event, bartender Moe, Homer and his pals Lenny and Carl turn up to his funeral, but they realise that they know almost nothing about their 'friend' even though they spent so much time together.

Homer asked if they were 'terrible people' for putting themselves in this position.

Larry's mother, Iris, paid an emotional tribute to her late son at the funeral, but said: "My Lawrence always talked about his best friends, the fellows at Moe’s Tavern.

"It would warm my heart if they came up and shared fond memories of my son."

Reluctantly, the group make up a vague fishing story to unconvincingly tell at the funeral, thought it was enough for his mother to give them a picture of Larry, which revealed that his last name was 'Dalrymple' for the first time.

The four then go to sprinkle his ashes to his 'special place', Serenity Falls.

Larry was a staple in Homer's friendship group. (Disney)

Long-running Simpsons writer Matt Selman credited the team behind the emotional episode after it aired, on X, formerly Twitter: "'Cremains of the Day' — @TheSimpsons episode 765, brilliantly written by John Frink, stunningly co-run by @mrtimlong & daringly directed by Gabriel DeFrancesco."

Fans were caught off guard completely about the death, sharing their thoughts on the social media site.

One user posted a day prior: "Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute."

Another pointed out: "Really enjoyed last night's Simpsons episode. But I couldn't stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry's best friend, Sam."

A third said: "Holy s**t larry from the simpsons died rest in peace my drunken king".