As the dawn of the Great War approaches this Sunday (April 28), it’s becoming abundantly clear that some of our favorite Game of Thrones characters will soon die or join the army of the dead. Despite our hopes and dreams of seeing certain characters make it to the end, the sad truth is that at least one of your favorites will probably die in the next episode.
Game of Thrones has a massive cast of characters that a wide audience can find appealing. The series also has a reputation for being unapologetically vicious when it comes to the treatment of fan-favorite characters. Here five deaths that would be massively devastating.
One final spoiler warning for Game of Thrones Season 8 episode 2.
Ghost
Jon’s ever-loyal Direwolf has become one of the most beloved characters in a show with a long list of charismatic and relatable human characters. It’s quite the feat considering Ghost hasn’t been seen since season six. He was just shown for a few seconds in the most recent episode and the internet went crazy.
Ghost is one of the few characters introduced in episode one to make it this far. Even though he’s lived so long, it feels wrong to call him a survivor. Ghost is a warrior like any other soldier out on the battlefield. Jon left him at Castle Black during the Battle of the Bastards, but he has saved his owner and Samwell countless times.
Ghost’s heroics make him feel more like one of the human characters. No other Direwolf but Grey Wind came close to that kind of personification. This pup seems to be highly intelligent and is great at taking orders. His ability to protect those important to him and Jon makes this white Direwolf a unique character in Game of Thrones.
There’s no indication if Ghost will take part in the impending battle. Unfortunately, Game of Thrones is known to bring back long–missing characters just so they can have them die on screen. We can only hope that won’t be the case here. If Twitter went wild just seeing a few seconds of Ghost on screen, I would hate to see the fallout if he dies this Sunday.
Brienne of Tarth
Westeros is a land of unscrupulous thieves, liars, and murderers. Brienne of Tarth is not one of these many unsavory characters.
She’s run into her fair share of bad luck while protecting Renly Baratheon and Catelyn Stark. In the end, it’s her strength and honor that Game of Thrones fans respect most.
Brienne is an incredibly skilled knight of the seven kingdoms. She defeated one of the most feared swordsmen in the world (Sandor Clegane) in one-on-one combat. The Hound may have been a bit weary from traveling, but a win is a win. Brienne is even honorable in the way she fights; you won’t see her pull out any cheap tricks in order to win a battle.
The first woman knight of the seven kingdoms is also one of the most physically imposing and powerful characters in Game of Thrones. Her tall frame alone is enough to intimidate most soldiers. She also has the advantage of most men underestimating her strength. It’s not her fault, but even without this advantage, Brienne could likely strike down any man in Westeros.
Despite her skill and large stature, Brienne is also well-known for being one of the most honorable characters in Game of Thrones. Her sword’s name, Oathkeeper, is a bit on the nose, but it’s who she is. Her undying loyalty to the Starks may bring Brienne to her end, but she would certainly prefer an honorable death to living as an oathbreaker.
Her loss would cause a terrible wave of sadness among Game of Thrones fans. Her Valyrian steel sword will surely cut down hordes of Wights, but the army of the dead had a few thousand hordes. It looks like Brienne may be stationed on the front lines of the coming fight, which doesn’t bode well for her. At this point, all we can do is hope that she makes it out alive.
Davos Seaworth
The Onion Knight is one of the most well-liked characters in Game of Thrones. He has never shown any signs of evil or hateful intentions throughout the series. The worst mark against his name is being associated with Stannis Baratheon, which isn’t the worst thing he could have done.
As a young boy in Flea Bottom his life didn’t seem too promising. From the slums, he rose up to become an infamous smuggler. When we finally meet him, however, he had long left behind his smuggling past. Davos was but a lowborn advisor to the eldest brother of King Robert Baratheon. Yet, he managed to gain Stannis’ trust and move his way up with his honesty.
One of his most endearing traits is his kindness. Shireen, Stannis’ greyscale-infected daughter became one of Davos’ best friends. She taught him how to read and write and he was welcome company for an otherwise lonely girl.
Shireen’s death was one of the most painful scenes in Game of Thrones. The only thing more painful was Davos’ reaction to it. Fortunately, he didn’t have to see her burn, but finding her toy deer among the ashes was heart-wrenching enough for him and all of us watching.
Davos may be a knight, but he is no fighter. His luck will need to carry him through the fight with the army of the dead. This smuggler turned knight has already survived the Battle of Blackwater, The Battle of Winterfell, and the Battle of the Bastards with little thanks to his combat prowess. This battle may finally be the end of his story, but we certainly hope that’s not the case.
Jaime Lannister
Jaime Lannister’s story is the definition of a redemption arc. In his eyes, all his actions were for the love of his family. It’s admirable to be so loyal, but he was always a huge jerk. Also, the protection of his family left behind a wake of dead and disfigured innocent people.
Our introduction to Jaime Lannister showed him at his worst. Pushing Bran from a tower window to protect his family from accusations of incest seemed like second nature to him. He didn’t even think twice about attempting to kill Bran. We also knew Jaime for being the Kingslayer: the knight who swore to protect the king, then stabbed him in the back when he had the chance.
Despite all the posturing and betrayal, Jaime Lannister has become one of the most likable characters in Game of Thrones. In his long journey, he lost a hand, was humbled by Brienne, and has most recently given up his spot on the Kingsguard in order to fight the Army of the Dead at Winterfell.
He knew that going there was a death sentence. Either the dead would get him or the Starks and Danerys would happily string him up for his crimes against their families. Even if he survived both, then Cersei would likely have him captured and executed. Yet, Jaime made his way north despite the unfavorable odds.
The eldest Lannister brother has changed massively from his introduction in season one. He’s still one of the most polarizing characters because of his past actions.
Considering the horrible acts he’s committed, it’s completely understandable why some people still don’t like him. However, there’s no doubt that this most recent action of abandoning his comfy position at King’s Landing showed us who Jaime truly is.
There are too few honest people in Game of Thrones. Jaime just took a little longer to become honest, humble, and honorable. Although his death would be immensely sad, the old Kingslayer seems to have finally come to terms with who he was and who he wants to be down the road. Unfortunately, it may be too late for the latter.
Tormund Giantsbane
Tormund Giantsbane is one of the most bizarre characters to still be alive. His style in battle is wild and erratic. He wears no armor of any kind. The guy isn’t very smart. Yet, this flame-haired Wildling is the last of his kind in Game of Thrones to be an integral character.
Tormund was just your typical Wildling when he was first brought in to the series. He hated Crows and wanted to kill Jon Snow. It makes sense since the Night’s Watch was known for killing Freefolk. His motivations were not for power or gold. Tormund just wanted to keep his Wildling brothers and sisters safe from the Crows south of The Wall, and far from the White Walkers to the north.
As Jon showed mercy during Mance Rayder’s execution he gained some respect from Tormund and the other Wildlings. This was when their opinion of the “Southerners” started to turn and Tormund’s character began to build. There wasn’t much to his backstory up until the most recent episode, but his middle school-like attraction to Brienne and generally wild behavior has always been good for a laugh.
Even though there’s not much to his character, Tormund’s bluntness is endearing. This was on display in the last episode when he explained the history behind his surname Giantsbane.
Talking about killing a giant at the age of 10, then nursing on its wife for three months was equal parts strange and hilarious. Then he just had to down that entire horn of giant’s milk to show off to Brienne. However, it didn’t prove anything other than the fact that he’s pretty messy.
That whole scene makes it seem like Tormund has reached his final battle. It’s like we just learned that information because he’s going to be leaving the show soon. If I’ve learned anything from Game of Thrones it’s this: once you start to like a character that makes them an instant target. It’s the kind of show where a character boasts about killing a giant, then gets killed by an undead one in the next episode.
Hopefully, the winds of Winter blow in Tormund’s favor and we don’t have to worry about his survival until Cersei tries to clean up the scraps of the Great War.
While you wait for this Sunday take our GoT Character Quiz to see who you’re most like. Be warned, if you start to like them, then they’ll likely die.
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