Top 10 best Game Of Thrones villain deaths — so far
Game Of Thrones would be nothing without its villains but we really enjoy it when we see them die. We take a look back at the best villain deaths ahead of the release of the show’s final season.
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Game Of Thrones would be nothing without its villains — but we are down to the last few after many of the worst ones have been killed off.
And thank goodness for that. Watching the baddies die has almost made up for the loss of all those Starks.
Still, until we know just who is going to meet an unpleasant end, here’s a look back at the best villain deaths so far, in descending order of scumbaggery.
10. STANNIS BARATHEON
King Robert’s younger brother was supposed to be honourable. Ned wanted him to be king and he did save Jon Snow from the Wildling attack.
But he was obsessed with Melisandre and, thanks to her, ordered his younger brother Renly murdered by a Demon Baby, kidnapped his nephew Gendry, imprisoned Ser Davos Seaworth and then, worst of all, burned daughter Shireen alive.
After his army was destroyed by the Boltons, Brienne of Tarth finished him off, to everyone’s relief.
9. TYWIN LANNISTER
Cersei’s dad was actually pretty decent to Arya Stark (although he didn’t know who she really was). But let’s not forget he organised the Red Wedding, where Catelyn and Robb Stark were murdered and was also hideously cruel to his son Tyrion.
Luckily Tyrion gets revenge. For a man obsessed with honour, being crossbowed to death by your dwarf son while you’re reading on the dunny is probably not the way you would want to go. But we loved it.
8. SER MERYN TRANT
He was the sneering knight who killed Arya Stark’s sword trainer Sirio Forel. If that wasn’t bad enough, it turns out he’s also a paedophile who enjoys beating underage girls.
But revenge is sweet when Arya poses as an underage prostitute in the Braavos brothel he is visiting. She first blinds Ser Meryn before slitting his throat. That was almost a kindness.
7. VISERYS TARGARYEN
Viserys looked like he would be a major villain for the series — until he threatened to kill sister Daenerys’s unborn child if Drogo does not give him an army.
Instead he got a “golden crown” early after Drogo poured a pot of the molten metal over his head. That was gold!
6. THE WAIF
After killing Ser Meryn Trant, Arya is punished by Jaqen H’ghar and the Many Faced God and blinded.
The Waif took great pleasure in tormenting and beating the sightless Arya. But the tables are turned when the pair finally fight to the death.
The Waif appears to have Arya cornered in a darkened room. But Arya takes out the one candle and uses her blind-fighting skills to take down The Waif. Ironic and delicious all in one.
5. SER ALLISER THORNE
Ser Alliser was nasty to Jon Snow and Sam Tarly from the start. Worse, he refused to listen to Jon’s warnings about the Wildlings.
After weaselling out of the battle, he then turned traitor when the Night’s Watch voted in Jon as the new Lord Commander. He and a few others, including Olly, tricked and murdered Jon Snow and then tried to kill off Edd, Ser Davos and the few other Jon Snow loyalists.
Luckily, thanks to Melisandre, Jon Snow sprang back to life in time to hang Ser Alliser.
4. WALDER FREY
The Red Wedding. Need we say more? There had to be a reckoning and Arya was the weapon.
In a wonderful scene (for us, not so much for him), she kills Frey’s sons, bakes them in a pie and serves them up to Walder before slitting his throat.
Then she takes his face and poisons the rest of his clan. Now that’s a tasty revenge.
3. JOFFREY BARATHEON
Joffrey was a spoiled, cruel brat from the start and only went downhill from there. Where do you start with his list of crimes?
Killing Arya’s friend, killing Sansa’s direwolf Lady, killing Ned Stark … it goes on and on. Luckily his end was brilliant.
At the Purple Wedding, he scoffs down poisoned pigeon pie and chokes to death in Cersei’s arms. A rat of a man killed by a flying rat. How apt.
2. PETYR “LITTLEFINGER” BAELISH
You were never sure where you stood with Littlefinger. Yes, he betrayed Ned Stark but he also helped Sansa — at times. Plus he helped save Jon in the Battle of the Bastards.
Still, as time went on, we became sure he was pure evil. He was the one who poisoned John Arryn, who started this whole war between the Houses.
But when he tried to set Sansa and Arya against each other, his fate was sealed. In a nice touch, Sansa tricked him and Arya killed him. He fell off the chaos ladder.
1. RAMSAY BOLTON
Ramsay really was a bastard — by birth and by deed. He was so evil it was ridiculous.
What he did to Theon and Sansa was bad enough but, just when you thought you couldn’t hate him any more, he killed Rickon Stark before the epic Battle of the Bastards.
Afterwards came the pay-off. After Jon beat the crap out of him, Sansa had Ramsay tied up in the Winterfell kennels with his man-eating hounds, who haven’t been fed for seven days.
Finally, the goodies got to bite back.
* The eighth and final season of Game Of Thrones screens on Foxtel Showcase from April 15
Originally published as Top 10 best Game Of Thrones villain deaths — so far
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