Relive the 5 best 'Game of Thrones' deaths... so far

Ethan Alter
·Senior Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
Updated

The last season of Game of Thrones is shrouded in secrecy (although we’ve been lucky enough to see the first episode), but here’s one thing we know for sure about the final six episodes: There will be deaths… lots of them. The HBO series has never been shy about killing off popular and unpopular characters, amassing a super-sized body count over the course of its seven previous seasons. Speculation (and betting) is already rampant for who is going to be the first to die in Season 8. Before we start grieving those who are about to die, here’s a look back at our five favorite Game of Thrones deaths so far. We promise, it’s going to be a bloody fun walk down memory lane. (Watch the video above.)

5) Everybody in the Sept of Baelor (Season 6, Episode 10: “The Winds of Winter”)

For Cersei Lannister, vengeance is a dish best served with… wildfire. Using just a single candle, she scored a decisive victory over her long list of enemies. The resulting explosion killed off all three Tyrells — Margaery, Loras and Mace — as well as two Lannisters (Kevan and Lancel), the High Sparrow and, oh yeah, thousands of innocent civilians, including a poor guy who was crushed by a giant bell. While this battle tactic proved effective, it was also an unforgivable act of terror for which Cersei immediately paid the price. Devastated by his mother’s actions, her last surviving child, Tommen, leapt to his own death, souring the sweet taste of revenge.

4) Oberyn Martell (Season 4, Episode 8: “The Mountain and the Viper”)

It’s hard to remember now, but there was a moment — just one moment — where we thought the series might be diverge from the books. No, it wasn’t the Red Wedding (more on that in a minute), but rather the fate of flamboyant Dornish fighter, Oberyn Martell. Having volunteered to defend Tyrion Lannister in a trial by combat against the mountainous Gregor Clegane, the man who killed his sister and her children, Oberyn made a fine showing in the ring. Rather than stand and fight the Mountain toe-to-toe, the so-called Red Viper struck nimbly and with exact precision. Victory seemed assured, until those hopes were squashed with the single most horrifying death of the entire series. One minute, Oberyn is standing triumphant over his vanquished foe, and the the next he’s flat on his back, the Mountain’s thumbs pressing down on his eyes. We can never unsee those peepers being gouged out just before his skull is smashed like a grape. Ellaria Sand’s screams only add to the horror.

3) Joffrey Baratheon (Season 4, Episode 2: “The Lion and the Rose”)

Say what you like about King Joffrey, but you can’t deny the guy had a knack for uniting everyone… in detesting him. His evil ways finally caught up with him on his wedding day, as a substantial dose of poison closed off his lungs and turned his face purple. (Small wonder those nuptials have since become known as the “Purple Wedding.”) Equal parts shocking and incredibly cathartic, Joffrey’s death was one that audiences had been clamoring for, and it was a gift that didn’t disappoint.

2) The Red Wedding (Season 3, Episode 9: “The Rains of Castamere”)

It was one thing to read George R.R. Martin’s descriptions of the Red Wedding on the book page — seeing it onscreen was almost worse. So many people lost their lives due to House Frey’s betrayal that we honestly lost count after awhile. But the deaths that hurt the most were Robb Stark, his new bride, Talisa, and their unborn child. Considering the horror she witnessed firsthand, it was almost a mercy that Catelyn Stark died, too. That death was undone in the books, after a fashion, but in the world of the show, she’s in a happier place.

1) Ned Stark (Season 1, Episode 9: “Baelor”)

With one short, sharp shock, Game of Thrones announced that it wasn’t playing around. Instead of a last-minute rescue, the heroic Ned Stark lost his head in front of the Great Sept of Baelor, defying what audiences typically expected from a television series. It also re-assured book readers that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss weren’t going to re-write Martin’s prose. Looking back on Ned’s death all these years later, it’s clear that his beheading was confirmation of the High Valyrian adage: All men must die.

Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. on HBO.

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