The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some ‘Thrones’ deaths are tragic. Others, not so much
All men must die on “Game of Thrones” — and women and children as well. Sometimes beloved characters depart much too soon, and sometimes villains get their just deserts. Here, we look back at notable deaths of “Thrones” characters — ranked from devastating to delicious.
Ned Stark (Sean Bean), Season 1
Ned Stark seemed to be the main protagonist of “Game of Thrones,” a noble hero, a righteous man amid all the evil, and characters like that are not supposed to die in stories like this, right? But there was the boy king Joffrey, calling for his head, and then Ned on his knees, a sword unsheathed and ready to strike. Ned Stark’s sudden beheading not only started the War of the Five Kings, but it also signaled a key fact of life in the brutish Westeros — anyone can die, at any time.
Hodor (Kristian Nairn), Season 6
Hodor, he of the large frame and small vocabulary, was a figure of fun, not much more than Bran Stark’s source of travel plus comic relief. That was until his death “holding the door” revealed what he had lost long ago, via a time loop that made his service to Bran seem even more tragic.
Shireen Baratheon (Kerry Ingram), Season 5
Melisandre, the red priestess advising Stannis Baratheon, had burned plenty of people at the stake before Shireen, Stannis’ daughter, but none were as moving as the sweet little greyscale girl. She had been denied a loving relationship with her mother, Selyse, but screamed for her nonetheless, her cries moving even the coldhearted parent who had given birth to her (and who would later take her own life).
Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley), Season 3
The Red Wedding — a betrayal where you would least expect one — was painful to watch. The celebration was actually a trap meant to lure the Starks and their bannermen into an enclosed space without their weapons, where they would be caught off guard. One by one, the Starks fell — a pregnant Talisa was stabbed in the belly; a stunned Robb shot by crossbows, then stabbed in the heart; and an anguished Catelyn robbed of her eldest son. By the time her throat was slit, she had given up — not knowing, as we did, that her other children were still alive.
Ygritte (Rose Leslie), Season 4
The Wildling warrior Ygritte saw Jon Snow, her former lover, across a crowded battlefield and paused, unable to shoot her arrow at him. He smiled. And then the young fighter Olly ruined the moment by shooting Ygritte instead. She died in Jon Snow’s arms as the battle raged on around them, a poignant moment that seemed to stop time.
Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), Season 4
The Red Viper, the avenging prince from Dorne, seemed as if he were going to win the trial by combat, as the Mountain, the sadistic strongman loyal to the Lannister clan, was down for the count. But in Westeros, whenever we get overconfident, our legs can be swept out from underneath us, leaving us in the hands of a villain who can squash us like a bug. Or a watermelon, in Oberyn’s case.
Joffrey Baratheon ( Jack Gleeson), Season 4
Let’s face it — if Littlefinger and Olenna Tyrell, the status-seeking self-made man and the matriarch of one of the richest noble families, hadn’t conspired to poison Joffrey at his own wedding, he would be tormenting everyone in sight. It was a public service. But choking in the arms of his mother turned the little monster back into a little boy, and his suffering was needlessly prolonged.
Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), Season 6
The most terrible person appropriately had arguably the most terrible death. Ramsay — who castrated one poor captive for kicks, who hunted and raped women for sport, who gave his dogs a taste for human flesh — provided one last meal for his beloved pets, served up by Sansa, his abused wife. No wonder she smiled.