The shocking deaths that made us cry as our favourites were killed
George RR Martin is famous for his twists, especially with characters that we love. Here’s the most shocking moments we have seen so far.
Game of Thrones
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George RR Martin is famous for killing off characters, especially characters that we love.
He famously said: “Any time somebody asks me when the next book is coming out, I kill another Stark”.
And while we have seen plenty of baddies meet a deserved end, we have also seen some of our favourites disappear.
Here’s some of the saddest, most shocking deaths we have seen so far.
1. NED STARK (SEASON 1, EPISODE 9)
Both Sansa Stark and the unwitting TV audience of Game of Thrones believed that Joffrey would show mercy to Ned Stark after he confessed to treason on the steps of the Sept of Baelor. Oh no he didn’t! Looking back it’s easy to see Ned Stark’s beheading was crucial to the overall plot, but viewers who hadn’t read the books were horrified when lead actor Sean Bean was executed in just the ninth episode. What kind of show would kill off the main character in its debut season?
2. KHAL DROGO (SEASON 1, EPISODE 10)
We didn’t like Drogo at first because he was nasty to poor Daenarys. But then he softened as she won him over and we began to like him when he killed off her brother Viserys. Then he got a minor wound defending her honour — and was poisoned by a maegi. Dany exchanged her baby for Drogo’s life, only to find he was a vegetable. A tearful Dany was forced to suffocate him with a cushion. At least she got some dragons out of the whole sorry incident.
3. ROBB AND CATELYN STARK (SEASON 3, EPISODE 9).
Poor, poor GoT fans made it this far believing that one day the Starks would have their revenge. After all Ned’s widow and eldest son had spent two and a half seasons traipsing around Westeros fighting battles and negotiating a take-down of the Lannisters. Surely they would have their vengeance soon …. and Arya was tantalisingly close to her family. Alas, we learnt the ugly truth the moment Walder Frey shut the castle doors and announced that the Lannisters sent their regards, having Catelyn, Robb (and his wife and unborn child) killed while he looked on.
4. PRINCE OBERYN MARTELL (SEASON 4, EPISODE 8).
The colourful Prince Oberyn arrived with a flourish in King’s Landing to seek revenge against those who murdered his sister and her children. He saw his chance to kill “The Mountain” Ser Gregor Clegane by standing in as champion for Tyrion Lannister. Unfortunately he was so determined to make Clegane admit it was the Lannisters behind the murders that he let his guard down and got his head squished. The graphic scene left fans in shock and in fear that Tyrion would die next.
5. YGRITTE (SEASON 4, EPISODE 9)
Right from the start we knew Jon Snow’s forbidden relationship with wilding Ygritte was doomed, despite their hanky-panky in the cave. Various scenes had one contemplating killing the other, until the attack on Castle Black where Ygritte planned to take out Snow to save her reputation. While she hesitated, young Olly came to the rescue and shot her in the back and fans through the heart. They should have stayed in that cave.
6. PRINCESS SHIREEN BARATHEON (SERIES 5, EPISODE 9)
She may have been scarred by Greyscale but she was a lovely girl. Even gruff Stannis Baratheon loved his daughter. She touched our hearts as she taught the gruff Ser Davos to read, secretly visiting him in prison. Stannis was shocked when Melisandre suggested Shireen be sacrificed in exchange for victory in the battle for Winterfell, but he went ahead and had her burned at the stake anyway. It was controversial in real life as well as the show, where most of Stannis army abandoned him in disgust and Shireen’s mother hung herself.
7. JON SNOW (SERIES 5, EPISODE 10)
Jon Snow’s death came as much of a shock to viewers as it did to him. One minute he was safely tucked in his Lord Commander’s quarters at Castle Black and the next he was lured outside by Olly where he was knifed by various traitors with young Olly taking the final stab. But we all knew that Snow was destined for greatness and speculation in the long months between the end of series 5 and series 6 was correct — Snow wasn’t going to stay dead.
8. BABY BOLTON (SERIES 6, EPISODE 2)
Even though he had an evil lineage (his father Roose Bolton and his mother’s father Walder Frey orchestrated the Red Wedding) viewers were still appalled at the manner of the innocent newborn baby’s death. Shortly after hearing of the birth, Ramsay Bolton stabbed his father and then set his dogs on both Walda and her babe to secure his status as head of House Bolton.
9. HODOR/WYLIS (SERIES 6, EPISODE 5)
When the White Walkers drop in for a visit, Bran, in the throes of a vision/visit to past Winterfell, had to be dragged to safety while warging into Wylis, the stable boy who would grow up to be Hodor. Thanks to Bran, Wylis heard Meera tell Hodor to “Hold the door!” against the wights, as they killed poor Hodor. Wylis hears the words and fells the pain, the phrase morphing into ”Hodor” as it fries his brain. The terrible death and finally knowing the horrible truth about why Hodor only says “Hodor” left many fans gutted.
10. MARGAERY TYRELL (SERIES 6, EPISODE 10)
Yes, she had schemed to get rid of Joffrey and Cersei. But she was kind and generous and a source of hope for the series. Naturally she was going to die. Cersei had her, her brother, father, the High Sparrow and more blown up by wildfire. Yet although we could see the disaster unfolding, we still held out hope for Margaery. She realised the danger and urged everyone to leave, leading viewers to believe she was about to escape. She wasn’t.
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Originally published as The shocking deaths that made us cry as our favourites were killed
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