All men must die . . . but spare these five
Some beloved characters could be on the chopping block as Season 7 approaches
As Game of Thrones fans are well aware, the hand of death can swoop down and scoop up a character in an eye’s blink.
And with only two seasons left — the seventh begins Sunday — and the violence likely to hit a bloody high, it’s more probable than ever beloved characters will meet their maker.
That got us wondering: Which GoT deaths in theory — put down that angry letter-writing tool — would cause us the most anguish? Here’s our best estimation (in reverse order, with lots of spoilers):
5. Sandor “The Hound” Clegane It isn’t only the Hound’s dry wit and fearsome brutality that’s endeared him to us. It’s the soft spot he’s shown for both Sansa and Arya Stark, as well as the back story behind the gruesome burn injuries to his face (which came at the hands of his psychotic older brother, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane) and his subsequent fear of fire. Now that he’s back — and, in all probability, destined for a final showdown against the zombie-fied Mountain — the last thing we want for Sandor is an unhappy, dead ending.
4. Jon Snow Like the Hound, Snow was believed deceased at one point. But thanks to “Red Woman” Melisandre’s successful rookie attempt at voodoo ritual resuscitation, Snow ended the brutal reign of Ramsay Bolton to become King in the North. We also learned in the Season 6 finale that Snow’s lineage isn’t as straightforward as we were led to believe: he isn’t the bastard child of the late Ned Stark but rather the son of Ned’s ill-fated sister Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon’s road ahead is fraught with danger, with the Great War against the White Walkers and their army of undead in the offing. If Snow dies before the show concludes, we’ll be more astonished than when Ned was beheaded at the end of Season 1.
3. Daenerys Targaryen Whereas Jon Snow overcame death multiple times in icy hellscapes, Daenerys — who, it now seems clear, is Jon’s aunt — has stayed alive despite walking through fire and her dangerous trio of killer dragon babies. As the last Targaryen, she’s also been a constant target for assassination since the day she was born, but her stubborn determination to effect deep and permanent change has stirred tens of thousands of repressed and downtrodden people to fight in her name. As Season 6 concluded, Daenerys had amassed a fleet of ships, disparate armies and a collection of rival families to square off against Queen Cersei Lannister. With her dragons grown to adults, she’s virtually unstoppable, but remember: a bigger war is coming against the White Walkers. Should Dany die in one of the 13 remaining episodes, it would be arguably the most shocking death on the series.
2. Arya Stark Ned’s youngest tomboy daughter has become a ninja-like killer by the end of Season 6, whittling down the names on her lengthy revenge list by employing the skills she learned from the Hound and the Faceless Men. She hasn’t seen any of her family members since Season 1, though it seems almost a lock that a reunion with her sister Sansa, her brother Bran or Jon Snow is in the cards in Season 7. If audiences don’t get to see Arya enjoy at least a few moments of true happiness before she joins her mother and father in the afterlife, they’re bound to put Weiss and Benioff on a vengeance list of their own.
1. Tyrion Lannister The wry, canny, lustful, boozy dwarf brother of Cersei and Jaime has kindness, honour and political savvy that set him apart from everyone else. The dread that washed over GoT fans when he came close to being executed was a clear indication of how much we love him. He’s never been given a fair shake in life — his own father and sister detested him from birth and actively schemed to send him to an early grave — yet he finds reasons to keep striving for a better life for himself and those close to him. He’s small of stature, but no character’s shadow looms larger over this cultural phenomenon. Honourable mentions: Samwell Tarly, Bran Stark, Brienne of Tarth, Davos Seaworth, Jorah Mormont, Bronn