In a show like this, where some characters dying off is probably more satisfying than it should be, the final season has been somewhat of a mixed bag. Scroll through to get a look at the most upsetting or downright unjustified deaths - from "Wow, he totally deserved that!" to "Eeek, why on earth did they do that?!" - to see if you agree. Who the hell knows how many more people we'll have to add to this list after the finale, right?
Ser Jorah Mormont
Whether you're Team Daenarys or Team Kill the Mad Queen, it was hard for us not to turn on the waterworks when Ser Jorah Mormont gives his life to protect the Mother of Dragons during the Battle of Winterfell. We've been well aware she is the love of his life since early on in the series, so when he does everything in his power to protect her from a throng of wights, the emotions certainly started flowing.
We knew from the second we saw him interact with Daenarys that he was going to die some way or another saving her hide. It was inevitable. While we wish we could've seen him go out during a stronger episode (or at least one that was bright enough for us to see what was happening), in the end, Jorah's death is a fair send-off for the longtime character.
Edd Tollett
As hard as it is not to absolutely adore Samwell Tarly, he's the sole reason Edd Tollett meets his untimely demise during the Battle of Winterfell. As a fellow member of the Night's Watch, he initially questions Samwell's presence on the battlefield, and for good reason. After saving Sam from a wight and encouraging him to get up and fight, Edd is stabbed in the back by another member of the undead army right before Sam's eyes. If not for Samwell, Edd would probably still be alive. As an experienced fighter, there's no way he would go down that easily in any other circumstance, which is why his exit left us with a bad taste in our mouths.
Euron Greyjoy
We've never been big fans of Euron Greyjoy. He could pass as a poorly dressed member of an early '00s boy band or an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean, and even the actor who plays him thinks he is "a f*cking idiot." So, do we really need to see him duel with Jaime while Dany's army is absolutely destroying King's Landing? Hell no. They really should've just killed him off while he was on one of the Iron Fleet's ships earlier in the episode and been done with it. The bottom line? Euron is impossible to like and doesn't add much to the story other than being a sleazy perv, so I'm not sure his death deserves that much screen time.
Melisandre
Say what you want about the Red Woman, but she has a destiny at the Battle of Winterfell, and she sure as hell fulfills it. After all, she's the one who inspires Arya to kill the Night King (hell yeah!) and uses her powers to spark a firewall that temporarily keeps the undead at bay. She definitely pulls her weight, despite her sketchy past! But when her destiny is seemingly fulfilled, she walks off into the early morning light, shedding her cloak and her magic necklace - thereby shedding her youth - then she collapses and dies in front of Davos.
As a witch who has been alive for, um, ever and who also has been responsible for some seriously brutal moments throughout the series (RIP Shireen), this is a pretty sudden and anticlimactic way for her to go. Also, remember her whole obsession with Jon being the reincarnation of Azor Ahai? Did the writers just forget about that whole storyline before killing her off, or . . . ?
Related: Game of Thrones: What to Remember About Davos and Melisandre's Tragic History
Varys
In the end, all of the Spider's whispers finally catch up with him. Although it's clear that Varys is 100 percent correct in saying Jon Snow should probably take a stab at ruling the seven kingdoms over Dany (see the most recent episode for proof), he does commit treason against a short-tempered woman with a dragon. That being said, why would a character as smart as Varys ever do such a thing? Like Tyrion, he's always been an integral part of maintaining the balance of power in Westeros, so we find it incredibly hard to believe that he decides to just strut up to Jon and make his intentions clear (risking being executed for treason in the process, which he had to have known was a consequence).
For a character who's stirred up so much sh*t over the years, we don't buy it. He would've used his words to work behind the scenes like he always has, influencing others to do the dirty work for him. It's a shame that a complex and interesting character like Varys seems to lose all sense, gets ratted out by Tyrion, and is promptly killed by Dany's dragon all within the first 15 minutes of the penultimate episode. What a waste.
Rhaegal
Oh, where to begin with the death of Rhaegal? As hard as Euron and the Lannister army are working to perfect those terrifying Scorpion weapons, Rhaegal is simply done dirty, especially when you factor in the unbelievable fiery hellscape Drogon turns King's Landing into during "The Bells." Seriously, Rhaegal survives being mounted and stabbed by dozens of wights during the Battle of Winterfell, and this is how he goes down? While there's no doubt Rhaegal is flying after being critically injured from the battle - just look at the holes in his wings! - his death is a little too convenient for our liking and doesn't do him justice. RIP.
Missandei
After she is captured by Cersei's army in "The Last of the Starks" (which happens entirely off screen, mind you), I can honestly say I wasn't exactly holding out for a happy ending for Missandei. Daenerys's attempts to have Missandei freed at the gates of King's Landing fail, and her loyal adviser is beheaded by The Mountain after saying "dracarys" as her last words. Missandei's death isn't necessarily a surprise - we admit that there was no shot of Cersei forking her over to her biggest enemy - but to see one of the few women on the series (and the only woman of color) die in the chains she escaped in season three is such a slap in the face.
Overall, it seems Missandei's demise happens only to move Dany's plot forward, giving the ruler yet another reason to morph into the Mad Queen down the line. Yes, Missandei had always been a supporting character, but we've gotten to know her well enough that she deserved a far more fulfilling and honorable death. Not to mention, her death happens so quickly that we barely have enough time to process Grey Worm's tragic reaction to watching the love of his life beheaded. The entire sequence is a very unjust end to a strong character.
Jaime Lannister
What in the fresh hell is up with this? Had we come around to Jaime in recent episodes, especially since he and Brienne had gotten together? Yes! He's had one of the best redemptive arcs of any character on the entire series, next to Theon. We've seen him go from a selfish, emotionless, Cersei-obsessed shell of a human to an honorable warrior who worked hard to change people's perceptions of him and earn their respect. So, running back to King's Landing to save Cersei, and dying tearfully in her arms as they're buried alive, is not the way for him to go. Moreover, they didn't give a ton of backstory as to why he went back in the first place. Because he's "hateful" just like her? Gimme a break!
Cersei Lannister
As someone who has been expecting a Joffrey-level murder of Cersei since season two, I have one question: what gives? On one hand, I totally get how Jaime and Cersei dying with their unborn child is poetic justice in many ways. But on the other, I feel that we've been robbed of the deliciously just ending we all - and Cersei - deserved. She is so bad to so many people along they way and has steadily built a reputation as one of TV's greatest, most complicated, most ruthless, and somehow still sympathetic villains.
Remember the Wildfire incident at the Sept of Baelor? Or how she uses her influence to have Ned killed back in season one? Or even when she orders Jaime and Tyrion killed in season eight? Let's be clear: she's the best villain Game of Thrones ever had, and she certainly deserved a more memorable death. Frankly, for a strong, badass, cunning woman like Cersei, dying via a crumbling building is flat-out wimpy. Period.
Ser Jorah Mormont
Whether you're Team Daenarys or Team Kill the Mad Queen, it was hard for us not to turn on the waterworks when Ser Jorah Mormont gives his life to protect the Mother of Dragons during the Battle of Winterfell. We've been well aware she is the love of his life since early on in the series, so when he does everything in his power to protect her from a throng of wights, the emotions certainly started flowing.
We knew from the second we saw him interact with Daenarys that he was going to die some way or another saving her hide. It was inevitable. While we wish we could've seen him go out during a stronger episode (or at least one that was bright enough for us to see what was happening), in the end, Jorah's death is a fair send-off for the longtime character.
Edd Tollett
As hard as it is not to absolutely adore Samwell Tarly, he's the sole reason Edd Tollett meets his untimely demise during the Battle of Winterfell. As a fellow member of the Night's Watch, he initially questions Samwell's presence on the battlefield, and for good reason. After saving Sam from a wight and encouraging him to get up and fight, Edd is stabbed in the back by another member of the undead army right before Sam's eyes. If not for Samwell, Edd would probably still be alive. As an experienced fighter, there's no way he would go down that easily in any other circumstance, which is why his exit left us with a bad taste in our mouths.
Euron Greyjoy
We've never been big fans of Euron Greyjoy. He could pass as a poorly dressed member of an early '00s boy band or an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean, and even the actor who plays him thinks he is "a f*cking idiot." So, do we really need to see him duel with Jaime while Dany's army is absolutely destroying King's Landing? Hell no. They really should've just killed him off while he was on one of the Iron Fleet's ships earlier in the episode and been done with it. The bottom line? Euron is impossible to like and doesn't add much to the story other than being a sleazy perv, so I'm not sure his death deserves that much screen time.
Melisandre
Say what you want about the Red Woman, but she has a destiny at the Battle of Winterfell, and she sure as hell fulfills it. After all, she's the one who inspires Arya to kill the Night King (hell yeah!) and uses her powers to spark a firewall that temporarily keeps the undead at bay. She definitely pulls her weight, despite her sketchy past! But when her destiny is seemingly fulfilled, she walks off into the early morning light, shedding her cloak and her magic necklace - thereby shedding her youth - then she collapses and dies in front of Davos.
As a witch who has been alive for, um, ever and who also has been responsible for some seriously brutal moments throughout the series (RIP Shireen), this is a pretty sudden and anticlimactic way for her to go. Also, remember her whole obsession with Jon being the reincarnation of Azor Ahai? Did the writers just forget about that whole storyline before killing her off, or . . . ?
Related: Game of Thrones: What to Remember About Davos and Melisandre's Tragic History
Varys
In the end, all of the Spider's whispers finally catch up with him. Although it's clear that Varys is 100 percent correct in saying Jon Snow should probably take a stab at ruling the seven kingdoms over Dany (see the most recent episode for proof), he does commit treason against a short-tempered woman with a dragon. That being said, why would a character as smart as Varys ever do such a thing? Like Tyrion, he's always been an integral part of maintaining the balance of power in Westeros, so we find it incredibly hard to believe that he decides to just strut up to Jon and make his intentions clear (risking being executed for treason in the process, which he had to have known was a consequence).
For a character who's stirred up so much sh*t over the years, we don't buy it. He would've used his words to work behind the scenes like he always has, influencing others to do the dirty work for him. It's a shame that a complex and interesting character like Varys seems to lose all sense, gets ratted out by Tyrion, and is promptly killed by Dany's dragon all within the first 15 minutes of the penultimate episode. What a waste.
Rhaegal
Oh, where to begin with the death of Rhaegal? As hard as Euron and the Lannister army are working to perfect those terrifying Scorpion weapons, Rhaegal is simply done dirty, especially when you factor in the unbelievable fiery hellscape Drogon turns King's Landing into during "The Bells." Seriously, Rhaegal survives being mounted and stabbed by dozens of wights during the Battle of Winterfell, and this is how he goes down? While there's no doubt Rhaegal is flying after being critically injured from the battle - just look at the holes in his wings! - his death is a little too convenient for our liking and doesn't do him justice. RIP.
Missandei
After she is captured by Cersei's army in "The Last of the Starks" (which happens entirely off screen, mind you), I can honestly say I wasn't exactly holding out for a happy ending for Missandei. Daenerys's attempts to have Missandei freed at the gates of King's Landing fail, and her loyal adviser is beheaded by The Mountain after saying "dracarys" as her last words. Missandei's death isn't necessarily a surprise - we admit that there was no shot of Cersei forking her over to her biggest enemy - but to see one of the few women on the series (and the only woman of color) die in the chains she escaped in season three is such a slap in the face.
Overall, it seems Missandei's demise happens only to move Dany's plot forward, giving the ruler yet another reason to morph into the Mad Queen down the line. Yes, Missandei had always been a supporting character, but we've gotten to know her well enough that she deserved a far more fulfilling and honorable death. Not to mention, her death happens so quickly that we barely have enough time to process Grey Worm's tragic reaction to watching the love of his life beheaded. The entire sequence is a very unjust end to a strong character.
Jaime Lannister
What in the fresh hell is up with this? Had we come around to Jaime in recent episodes, especially since he and Brienne had gotten together? Yes! He's had one of the best redemptive arcs of any character on the entire series, next to Theon. We've seen him go from a selfish, emotionless, Cersei-obsessed shell of a human to an honorable warrior who worked hard to change people's perceptions of him and earn their respect. So, running back to King's Landing to save Cersei, and dying tearfully in her arms as they're buried alive, is not the way for him to go. Moreover, they didn't give a ton of backstory as to why he went back in the first place. Because he's "hateful" just like her? Gimme a break!
Cersei Lannister
As someone who has been expecting a Joffrey-level murder of Cersei since season two, I have one question: what gives? On one hand, I totally get how Jaime and Cersei dying with their unborn child is poetic justice in many ways. But on the other, I feel that we've been robbed of the deliciously just ending we all - and Cersei - deserved. She is so bad to so many people along they way and has steadily built a reputation as one of TV's greatest, most complicated, most ruthless, and somehow still sympathetic villains.
Remember the Wildfire incident at the Sept of Baelor? Or how she uses her influence to have Ned killed back in season one? Or even when she orders Jaime and Tyrion killed in season eight? Let's be clear: she's the best villain Game of Thrones ever had, and she certainly deserved a more memorable death. Frankly, for a strong, badass, cunning woman like Cersei, dying via a crumbling building is flat-out wimpy. Period.
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