Highlights
- Eddard Stark’s death set the tone for Game of Thrones’ brutal world, resulting from the Lannister-Stark-Baratheon feud.
- Ygritte’s death was a heartbreaking moment for Jon Snow, torn apart by the arms of death amidst the war between the Night’s Watch and the Free Folk.
- Daenerys Targaryen’s tragic end came as a devastating betrayal by Jon Snow’s hand.
One of the facets of fiction that the Game of Thrones franchise has been both lauded and criticized for was its willingness to kill off characters in shocking ways. In Westeros and the accompanying lands of A Song of Ice and Fire, no one is ever truly safe.
A common spoiler anyone familiar with Game of Thrones will happily tell newcomers about is how one of the show’s most important main characters was killed before the first season even ended. In the dark fantasy universe of Game of Thrones, everyone is on the chopping block, no matter how beloved they are by fans, but certain character deaths have been much sadder than others.
5 Lord Eddard Stark
A Devastating Blow To The Stark Family
- Episode of Death: “Baelor” (Season 1, Episode 9)
- Episode Release Date: June 12th, 2011
Eddard Stark’s death was the one that started it all, the first time a Game of Thrones main character saw their story abruptly end, and the death that set in stone the nature of Game of Thrones. It let audiences know it was a cruel fantasy world, where the main protagonist’s plot armor could be discarded whenever the story called for it.
Ned’s death was the culmination of all the events of the Lannister-Stark-Baratheon feud that started the War of the Five Kings. The highlights of his feud were when Ned revealed he knew Cersei Lannister’s children were bastards and his battle against the amazing kingslaying swordsman Jaime Lannister. Near the end of the season, Ned is imprisoned, branded as a traitor, and looks likely to lose his head. Whilst imprisoned, he was assured by others that, if he said he was a traitor, the Lannister-Baratheons would spare him.
But the sadistic King Joffrey had other plans. The king wanted Ned to be made an example of, ordering his men to put an end to him in front of a vast Kings Landing crowd. The faces of Sansa and Arya, Ned’s two daughters, being forced to watch their father as he was beheaded is enough to sadden any heart.
4 Ygritte Of The Free Folk
A Heartbreaking Moment For Jon Snow
- Episode of Death: “Watchers on the Wall” (Season 4, Episode 9)
- Episode Release Date: June 8th, 2014
Jon Snow and Ygritte have often been noted as one of the best enemies to lovers relationship arcs put to television. With Jon Snow being a member of the Night’s Watch and Ygritte being a member of the Free Folk/wildlings (a barbarian tribe that threatened to breach the wall the Night’s Watch guarded), their love was hampered by the turmoil of war. This was why it was sad when their relationship was torn apart by the arms of death.
For a brief arc in the show, Jon Snow found himself a member of the wildings; a dire situation saw him forced to defect to save his life. But when the time came, he would return to the Night’s Watch, despite the fact that, during his time with the wildings, he fell in love. As Season 4 came to a close, a full-scale war between both factions commenced, with the Free Folk attacking the wall with all their might. Before this battle took place, Ygritte felt betrayed by Jon Snow’s abandoning of the Wildings to return to the Night’s Watch and had sworn to kill him should they come face-to-face in battle.
But when the time came, she could not go through with it, and as she hesitated to kill Jon, someone took the opportunity to kill her instead. Olly, a vengeful member of the Night’s Watch, shot an arrow through her, leaving her to die in Jon’s arms.
3 Wylis (AKA Hodor)
A Tragic End For A Character Who Deserved Better
- Episode of Death: “The Door” (Season 6, Episode 5)
- Episode Release Date: May 22nd, 2016
During his lifetime, Hodor was a loyal servant to House Stark. The simple-minded yet physically imposing man was often seen carrying Bran Stark after the young boy could no longer walk for himself. Some would say Hodor was the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the Bran team, helping to transport him on various travels as he went on a spiritual journey towards becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. The death of such a sweet and devoted character was bound to upset many fans.
Beyond the wall, Bran, Meera, and Hodor find themselves in trouble and soon to be attacked by wights. Bran is incapacitated due to experiencing an intense vision where he learns many secrets from the past. Meera repeatedly tells Hodor to “hold the door” closed as an escape attempt is made, which leads to Hodor being ripped apart by the wights. Bran, still within an incapacitated vision, accidentally breaches the mind of Hodor in a past vision, entering his consciousness at a time when he was known as Wylis.
As a result, the young Wylis suffers a seizure whilst repeating the words “Hold the door,” identifying this moment as the one that caused his simple-mindedness in the present. The events responsible for his death were also the events that explained the name he went by in the present and the only word he was capable of uttering: Hodor.
2 Queen Daenerys Targaryen
A Devastating Betrayal From A Supposed Supporter
- Episode of Death: “The Iron Throne” (Season 8, Episode 6)
- Episode Release Date: May 19th, 2019
When Game of Thrones started, Daenerys Targaryen was nothing more than a former royal turned peasant with so little agency over her life that her brother could sell her off to another man. As the series progressed, she developed into a benevolent conqueror.
But tragedy awaited her at the end of the series, with Daenerys ending Game of Thrones as a vanquished villain. By the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones, Daenerys had made the proper descent into villainy when she chose to burn the people of King’s Landing, innocent or otherwise, despite having already won the battle and forced the Lannister army to surrender. It was at this point that many other characters, including the likes of Tyrion Lannister, had abandoned all faith in her being the rightful ruler of Westeros and sought to end her reign. It was Jon Snow who did the deed, ending Daenerys’ life before she could even take a seat on the Iron Throne.
Jon carried out the killing in the most heart-wrenching way possible. What Daenerys thought was to be a loving kiss from her greatest supporter ended up being a disguise that allowed Jon to slip a knife into her heart.
1 Robb Stark, The King In The North
A Harrowing Bloodbath That Shook The North
- Episode of Death: “The Rains of Castamere” (Season 3, Episode 9)
- Episode Release Date: June 2nd, 2013
Whilst his father’s death was the first shocking death to take place in the Game of Thrones series, Robb Stark’s death was the most shocking overall. During the early stages of The War of Five Kings, Robb Stark became known as the King in the North. Men of the north were ready to rally behind his cause as he sought justice for the unrighteous killing of his father Eddard Stark by the Lannister-Baratheons and cruel King Joffrey. As Season 3 came to a close, Robb had been through many highs and lows during the war, though the lows were starting to pile up.
He was placed in a position where he had to secure passage from Walder Frey, a Lord who he had spurned by refusing to marry his daughter despite having promised to. He and his family, which included his love Talisa and mother Catelyn, agreed to marry his uncle Edmure Tully to Walder’s daughter Roslin. This was the greatest mistake Robb would ever make.
In reality, the wedding was an assassination plot orchestrated by the Lannisters in conjunction with the Freys and a little help from Roose Bolton and his men. Audiences watched with sorrow as Robb, his mother, the love of his life, and the child she was pregnant with were all cut, stabbed, and left to bleed out. Sadly, the young wolf would remain young forever.
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