Recent high-profile deaths are shaping search volume for the top 5 most searched passings on Google in the US for 2026. RJ Mitte’s death on October 12 has triggered over 200,000 searches in the past 48 hours, making “rj mitte” the top US trending query and likely locking in strong year-end placement due to his Breaking Bad fame and disability advocacy. Dolly Parton’s August passing from cancer continues to generate sustained interest as a major cultural figure. Other 2026 deaths, including Eva Marie Saint and Eric Dane, add to the field, but trader focus centers on media amplification, unexpected circumstances, and remaining months that could introduce new spikes from additional notable figures. Google’s annual trends report will aggregate these into final rankings by early 2027.