A MATTER OF WHO DIES NEXT
Game of Thrones unpredictable when it comes to killing off its top characters
The moment Ned Stark was publicly executed during Season 1 of Game of Thrones, the HBO show became an anomaly.
Wait, viewers thought, wasn’t he the main character? Despite the sprawling ensemble cast, it definitely seemed that way. He was certainly the most noble. Then, just like that, he was gone. The seasons since haven’t been much kinder. Every time a likable character emerges, viewers start biting their nails. It’s only a matter of time before a lethal shadow baby comes along or a crew of supposed allies starts pulling out knives.
Of course, it’s not just the good guys dying. There was Joffrey’s purple-faced poisoning and Myranda’s spill off a Winterfell rampart. Game of Thrones doesn’t discriminate when it comes to death.
So who’s going to get it in Season 6, which starts Sunday? We have some ideas, in order of most likely to least.
Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen)
The clock is ticking for lovelorn Jorah. After all, he was infected with grey-scale last season when he and Tyrion came under a zombielike attack while sailing past Old Valyria. For now, he’s keeping his condition under wraps, so hopefully he’ll be able to save Daenerys from the Dothraki before he becomes a full-blown stone man.
Ramsay Bolton. Probably Roose, too (Michael McElhatton and Iwan Rheon)
The good news is the show’s most sadistic characters don’t last too long.
The aforementioned Joffrey and Myranda, plus the incestuous rapist Craster, Janos Slynt, Meryn Trant and all kinds of other beasts have met a timely end. In other words, it’s high time for someone to take out the Boltons.
The bad news is that new, awful characters always sprout up in their place.
Whatever — it will still be fulfilling to see this father-son duo kick the bucket, especially Ramsay, whose favourite pastimes include rape, torture and flaying people alive.
Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham)
Every season, Game of Thrones breaks hearts by killing off a lovable and upstanding character. Arya’s sword-fighting instructor, Syrio, had the honour in Season 1 and last year, Barristan Selmy had to go.
This year, we’re betting on Davos. There are other possibilities — Brienne of Tarth or Samwell Tarly — but Davos has reached a level of charming that’s always a death sentence on the show. Plus, you can see from the Season 6 trailer he’s put himself in a precarious position, taking on a bunch of Night’s Watch men at Castle Black. We can only hope he kills Alliser Thorne before taking his last breath.
Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale)
See above.
Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon)
This is another potential death hinted at in the Season 6 trailer. The tattooed Faith Militant loon appears to be readying himself to take on the undead version of Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane. Oberyn Martell proved that no one should do battle with the Mountain when he was alive and Grand Maester Pycelle’s restoration probably hasn’t made the monster any less dangerous.