If there is one thing Game of Thrones is known for, it’s killing off beloved characters. More than dragons, direwolves, or Jon Snow’s brooding stares, Game of Thrones delights in playing with the audience’s emotions. So, with Season 8 coming soon, we look back on the 25 most beloved characters that died and who might join them in April. 

25) Viserys

Viserys is one of the vilest characters in Throne’s history. He thought the throne was his by right and was willing to sell off his sister to do it. That smug smile of his is infuriating and I, for one, was happy to see him get his golden crown.

24) Lysa Arryn

Lysa, while truly one of the grossest characters on GOT, was extremely important to the plot. She was the one who poisoned Jon Arryn, which set off the events of the show. She also tried to have Tyrion killed, which led to Jamie attacking Ned, which led to the War of the Five Kings. Later, she attempted to kill Sansa. So yes, she’s pretty bad, but we wouldn’t have a show without her. 

23) Talisa 

Another casualty of the Red Wedding, Talisa was Robb’s love and the reason he broke his vow to marry Walder Frey’s daughter. You can’t blame Robb though because Talisa was as kind as she was beautiful. She provided Robb with strong counsel and was a true ride-or-die. 

22) Lord Commander Mormont 

Jorah’s father and the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch when Jon Snow joined the brothers. Mormont was an honorable man who took Jon Snow under his wing. He was killed by the turncloak Night’s Watch brothers at Craster's Keep, but his influence and determination to do the right thing lives on in Jon. 

21) Lady Crane

The actress Arya was meant to kill but decided not to. Lady Crane was only on the show for a short time but she made a major impact. She was fun, charming, and a great actress, but most importantly she saved Arya’s life. Without her, Arya might still be cleaning bodies for the Faceless men instead of serving up some Frey pie. 

20) Olly

Olly is without a doubt one of the most polarizing characters in the show’s history. He starts off as a sympathetic figure whose parents were killed by Wildings. Then, he kills Ygritte. How was he to know Jon loved her, you ask? Fair, but then he joined the mutineers and drove the final knife into Jon Snow’s stomach. Still, Olly was just a boy and his hanging remains one of the show’s most haunting deaths.

19) Robert Baratheon

Tommen’s “father”, Robert was a very flawed man. However, he was Ned Stark’s best friend and the only ruler so far that has actually been able to unite the seven kingdoms. He was a drunk jerk a lot of the time, and that’s what led to his death by boar, but you can’t help but think if he could have stayed alive, things would have been a lot better. 

18) Renly Baratheon 

Oh Renly, what could have been. Renly was the one character in the war of the five kings who had a claim to the throne, the smarts to rule, and the kindness not to become a tyrant. He seemed to be in the driver’s seat after his alliance with the Starks, but Stannis’s smoke baby ended Renly’s reign before it could begin. 

17) Shireen Baratheon 

Still one of the most heartbreaking deaths on the entire show. Shireen was Stannis’s daughter and Davos’s reading tutor. She was sweet, funny, and survived Greyscale. On another show, Shireen would have gone on to become a great Queen. On Game of Thrones, her mother and father burned her alive to melt some snow. Tough break for Shireen. 

16) Jojen Reed

With all the characters that have died, it’s easy to forget Jojen but based on his accomplishments he deserves to be this high. He was the one who helped Bran reach the Three-Eyed Raven, and he went on the journey knowing he would die. He gave up his life so Bran could reach his destiny and that might just be the difference between stopping the White Walkers and the total destruction of Westeros. 

15) The Three Eyed-Raven 

A.k.a. the old guy with roots. The Three-Eyed Raven was a mysterious character, but an extremely powerful one. He seemed to be all knowing and his training helped Bran harness his powers. His death at the hands of the White Walkers was brutal, but he was able to pass along his powers to Bran. How Bran uses them is one of the show’s key questions going into the final season. 

14) Ser Barristan Selmy 

Barristan the Bold was one of the most feared swordsmen in all of Westeros. Originally part of the King’s Guard, he was fired by Joffrey for being too old. Instead of giving up, Barristan traveled across the world and save Dany’s life before becoming one of her most trusted advisors. He died fighting a mob of Sons of the Harpy fighters, but not before making his mark on Dany and our hearts. 

13) Littlefinger

The master of chaos and lies, Littlefinger manages to use his wit and cunning to gain power that he had no business having. He plays both sides so well that it’s almost impossible to figure out where his true loyalties lie. He betrays anyone he can if it means gaining power and despite his professed love for Sansa, he is happy to stab any Stark in the back. By the time the remaining Stark children finally trap him, the audience is cheering as Arya scratches another name off her list. 

12) Walder Frey

Another Arya victim. This power-hungry old man was the host for one of the most shocking moments in TV history, the Red Wedding. His awful betrayal changed the course of Westerosi history and not for the better. Walder gets his moment of power but it proves to be short-lived. Arya’s return and subsequent baking lesson ensured that no more Freys will rule the Riverlands.

11) Cat Stark 

Poor Cat, she lost everything... and then had her throat slit. That’s a tough way to go. In life, she was a tough, smart, and loving mother. She had her flaws, her treatment of Jon being chief among them, but you can’t deny she was a badass Matriarch. Putting her life on the line to save Bran proved that. We can only hope her remaining children are in for a better fate than she was. 

10) Margaery Tyrell

Of all the members of the younger generation, Margaery was most adept at playing the Game of Thrones. She was quick to change her allegiance and parlayed her family’s wealth into position as Queen. After Joffrey's death, she moved quickly to win Tommen over to her cause and unleashed some legendary burns on Cersei. Yet, it was Cersei who would win in the end after a legendary burn of her own. 

9) Syrio Forel 

“What do we say to death?” is one of the most iconic lines ever spoken on Game of Thrones, and Syrio is the icon who spoke it. The former First Sword of Bravos was one of the best swordsmen in the world and Arya’s first teacher. His lessons were vital to Arya’s future survival and he gave his life protecting her from the King’s Guard after Ned was captured. The King’s Guard was lucky Syrio only had a wooden sword otherwise they might have been the ones on this list.

8) Tywin Lannister

I can’t lie, I miss Tywin. Yes, he was an evil guy, and yes, he did terrible things, but man could he plot. He planned the Red Wedding, which put an end to the war and consolidated power for House Lannister. He did everything he could to preserve his family’s legacy, except actually love and care for his family members. It’s fitting then, that the man who finally brings him down is the son he so often neglected. 

7) Olenna Tyrell

The Queen of Thornes, what a legend. She was always ready with the wit and her roasts of everyone from Joffrey to Littlefinger were the highlight of many an episode. In the end, she lost, but she came closer than most to winning the Game of Thrones. She did manage to get one last dagger in as she used her dying words to make sure Jamie and Cersei knew it was her who poisoned Joffrey.

6) Khal Drogo 

At least we’ll always have the golden crown he gave Viserys. Khal Drogo was Dany’s first husband, and while things started off terribly, they managed to grow a bond of real love. He was killed after an infected wound festered and Dany turned to a gypsy to heal him. Instead, the Gypsy made things worse and basically turned Drogo into a zombie. One good thing did come from his death though, Dany burned the Gypsy for her betrayal and that was the blood sacrifice needed to hatch the dragons. 

5) Robb Stark

On any other show, Robb is the knight in shining armor who saves the day in the end. But not this show. The Red Wedding was one of the most shocking moments in TV history and the episode that vaulted Game of Thrones into the cultural mainstream. In 2018, Game of Thrones is one of the biggest shows ever and we have Robb’s death to thank for it. 

4) Hodor 

HOLD THE DOOR! Ughh, this still hurts my heart. The Hold the Door reveal was one of the most genuinely surprising twists in the history of the show, precisely because it seemed so unimportant. Hodor started as a lovable giant with not many brains but ended as one of the show’s most tragic characters. Hodor was once a regular kid before a time-traveling Bran ruined his brain forever. Hodor always knew how he was going to die, and yet he was always there for Bran anyway. That’s loyalty, that’s bravery, that’s Hodor. 

3) Ygritte

Damn you, Olly! Ygritte was Jon Snow’s first love and a wilding terror to boot. The two met while Jon was undercover but they formed a real connection despite that. We all hoped they would run off together, but Olly’s arrow put an end to that. The one bright side is that this love affair lives on in real life.

2) Ned Stark

It’s not an exaggeration to say Ned Stark’s death in season one changed TV forever. No longer were the main characters safe, and since then many shows have tried to copy this to mixed results. Joffrey ordering that beheading was the first jaw-dropping moment and set the tone for the rest of the seasons to come. Don’t get too attached, if Ned Stark can die, no one is safe. 

1) Oberyn Martell 

And yet, even after Ned and the Red Wedding, we still got attached! How could you not? Oberyn came in hot and really didn’t let up. He was only on the show for one season but he was one of the most memorable characters. He swaggered, he loved freely and seemed to be one of the few genuinely good guys on the show. His love with his paramour was beautiful and all he wanted was to avenge the rape and murder of his sister. Unfortunately, Oberyn wanted that a little too much. The Red Viper’s desire to have the Mountain admit his crimes before death led to overconfidence, which led his head being crushed like a peanut. 

Season 8 Death Predictions 

With the upcoming season being the last, everyone is fair game. With that in mind, here are a few death predictions for the upcoming season.

1) The Lannister Siblings

Yes, all of them. Jamie, Tyrion, and Cersei are three of the most important characters on the show but in some ways, it is a surprise they have made it this long. With Jamie going to fight in the north, and Cersei aligning herself against Dany and her dragons, both seem to be in serious danger. Plus, Tyrion is smart, but he’s also noble. Seeing him sacrifice himself to save Dany or Jon would be a fitting end for him.

2) Varys

AKA the spider, the master of whispers, or everyone’s favorite eunuch. This smooth spymaster has managed to stay alive and keep his influence through cunning and a vast network of spies. He’s a fan favorite, but you can never be sure of his true intentions. Besides, I didn’t like the way Melisandre was looking at him in season 7, and her enemies have a way of ending up dead. 

3) Everyone

Can we really put it past George R.R. Martin to just say screw it and kill everyone? At times, Game of Thrones can be a depressing slog, and while I sincerely hope this doesn’t happen, it would be a wild final twist to just let the White Walkers roll over everything. Will they? Or will Jon and Dany stop them? April can’t come soon enough!

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