Many characters died before the Game of Thrones finale, and there were some who should have lived at least until the last episode. Based on the A Song of Ice & Fire novel series by prolific author George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones became a cultural phenomenon in the 2010s for merging cinematic blockbuster entertainment and addicting television. The series was highly regarded for many years before tanking in quality in its final season. The Game of Thrones ending is notorious for being one of the worst in television history.
Beyond just the overarching Game of Thrones narrative, many of the show’s best characters were damaged by the writing of the final season. In order to simplify matters for the endgame, many characters were killed off prematurely. This includes characters who died throughout season 8 and others who died in previous seasons. Of course, it doesn’t mean these characters should have survived the show, but rather that they deserved to have some role in the finale, determining the fate of Westeros in some manner at the show’s climax.
10 Varys
Died In Season 8, Episode 5
His death in 8×05 felt rushed and oversimplified for a character who was far from simple.
Varys begins Game of Thrones as one of the show’s more mysterious characters, as it’s hard to pin down his true loyalties. Unlike Littlefinger, who’s motivated by his own desire for power, Varys seeks stability for the realm and plots for a Targaryen return to the Iron Throne. But after siding with Daenerys and bringing allies to her cause, Varys eventually betrays her and is executed in the show’s penultimate episode.
Varys had one of the less fulfilling deaths in the series, as it was anticlimactic in comparison to how the early seasons portrayed him. Varys began Game of Thrones as a genius schemer who always seemed steps ahead of his enemies, even going toe-to-toe with Littlefinger. He’s a character who deserved to live until the show’s ending and could have had a bigger impact by betraying Daenerys in the finale after her destruction of King’s Landing. His death in 8×05 felt rushed and oversimplified for a character who was far from simple.
9 The Night King
Died In Season 8, Episode 3
Game of Thrones spent nearly its entire run building up the White Walkers as a devastating threat. Yet, in season 8, episode 3, they arrived at Winterfell for a final battle that ended with Arya Stark killing the Night King. This shocked many, as the series opened with a prologue scene showing the threat of the White Walkers, leading viewers to expect they would be the final antagonists of the series.
It’s evident that Game of Thrones needed more time all around, but saving the Night King for the final episode could’ve allowed for a more climactic ending. This would involve many other pieces being moved around to accommodate for this storyline, but the Night King being the endgame threat of Game of Thrones always seemed like it was going to be how the show ended. Who knows how this would’ve factored in Cersei, Daenerys, and other characters, but it could’ve been a better climax for the North plotline.
8 Lyanna Mormont
Died In Season 8, Episode 3
Lyanna Mormont quickly became a fan favorite in Game of Thrones season 6 as an outspoken supporter of Jon Snow in the North. As the young leader of a lesser noble house, Lyanna wouldn’t have had any major stake in the finale’s conflict in King’s Landing, but it would have been nice to have someone put in a good word for Jon Snow in the show’s finale, suggesting that he shouldn’t be forced into exile for saving the Seven Kingdoms.
It’s harder to argue that Lyanna’s death was bad compared to other, more prominent characters, but it seemed like she was just a throwaway for the Battle of Winterfell. Like Dolorous Edd or Beric Dondarrion, Lyanna fell into the category of characters who weren’t important enough to survive the battle, marking them for death. It wasn’t a bad death, but it felt pretty lazy, and she would’ve been nice to see in Jon’s corner in the finale.
7 Doran Martell
Died In Season 6, Episode 1
Keeping Doran alive could’ve allowed Dorne to remain relevant in the series.
Many Game of Thrones TV fans will have forgotten Doran Martell, who died in the season 6 premiere. This character’s death speaks to a larger problem with one of the show’s most common complaints about the Dorne plotline. The novels build up Dorne to be a crucial narrative that could play a major role in the endgame, but the TV series never seemed to know what to do with it after Oberyn Martell’s death in season 4.
The show tried to replace Doran with Ellaria Sand as the representation of Dorne, and after her death, an unnamed Dornish Prince was added in the final episode. Keeping Doran alive could’ve allowed Dorne to remain relevant in the series. The fact that Game of Thrones essentially left out a significant portion of its kingdoms in the latter seasons demonstrated the declining attention to world-building details, and Doran Martell’s premature death was the perfect example of this issue.
6 Melisandre
Died In Season 8, Episode 3
Melisandre’s death was pretty vague, and the reasons for wanting to keep her around are similar to those for the Night King. A crucial aspect of the books that was left out of the TV show is the Prince That Was Promised prophecy. As the representative of the Lord of Light, Melisandre would’ve been the perfect character to provide some clarity on who the prophetic hero was rather than leaving audiences to guess between Jon, Daenerys, and other characters.
Game of Thrones notoriously left out many of the magical elements from the books, making Melisandre and her demon baby to be an outlier. It seems like killing her off was another step to leave out the prophecies, as she surely would’ve been interested in knowing who the Prince That Was Promised was, especially after proclaiming Stannis, Jon, and alluding to Daenerys.
5 Littlefinger
Died In Season 7, Episode 7
Even more so than Varys, Littlefinger’s death was one of the most disappointing narrative conclusions in Game of Thrones. Again, he’s a character who’s set up to be extraordinarily intelligent, working his way up from practically nothing and constantly gaining more power and influence. He easily could’ve been an endgame character who could’ve orchestrated a massive plot twist in the finale but was killed off because they seemingly didn’t know how to fit him into the plot anymore.
Part of what makes Littlefinger so threatening in the books is that everyone trusts him, while no one trusts the version in the TV series. In that sense, it makes sense why someone would finally just make the call to kill him. But the early seasons of the series still build him up to be far more intelligent, and his scheme in Game of Thrones season 7 wasn’t very impressive.
4 Jorah Mormont
Died In Season 8, Episode 3
Jorah Mormont and Theon Greyjoy are arguably the only characters with decent deaths in Game of Thrones season 8, as they’re the ones whose arcs fully came to fruition. Jorah betrayed Daenerys, but he works his way back to her and dies fighting for her. It’s neat and poetic, which doesn’t feel entirely right in the spirit of the TV series that gained its reputation for being messy and unpredictable. What could’ve been more interesting would have been to see Jorah in the aftermath of “The Bells” and see how he would react to what Daenerys did.
Jorah claimed that he would follow Daenerys through anything, and it would’ve been fascinating to see him after she burned King’s Landing to a crisp. Perhaps he still would’ve defended her, which could’ve resulted in an epic sword duel between him and Jon. There are many possibilities for how he could’ve been utilized in the finale.
3 The Hound
Died In Season 8, Episode 5
One could argue that The Hound had his ideal death fighting his brother, but it’s also fair to say that the narrative lost some value over time, as both characters had changed so much by season 8. The Hound had essentially become a decent guy, or at least an antihero, while The Mountain had spent the prior seasons without any dialogue or characterization to suggest he was still the same person. Having them fight was likely always the plan, but it doesn’t seem as fulfilling a death for The Hound in retrospect.
Given that Sandor Clegane came pretty close to a redemption arc through Arya in Game of Thrones, it would’ve been interesting to see him survive the battle, maybe joining her on her voyage. Alternatively, he could have lived out his days in relative peace, which would’ve arguably been a more challenging ending for the character, given how his difficulties with peace were expressed in season 6.
2 Cersei Lannister
Died In Season 8, Episode 5
To have Cersei die under rubble was a waste of what could’ve been great dramatic moments for the finale.
Cersei Lannister is one of the Game of Thrones TV series’ greatest accomplishments, as she’s one of the main characters despite only being a POV character in one book. They added some vital elements to her character that almost made her compassionate at times, and yet, her death in “The Bells” was one of the least satisfying. Especially after the Valonqar prophecy from season 5’s premiere, the possibility of Cersei being killed by one of her brothers was theorized for years.
To have Cersei die under rubble was a waste of what could’ve been great dramatic moments for the finale. From Tyrion to Daenerys to Jaime, seeing her interact with different characters after being fully defeated was too good an opportunity to waste, and yet none of it happened. She could’ve added extra nuance to the finale that it ultimately lacked.
1 Jaime Lannister
Died In Season 8, Episode 5
After being one of the show’s most consistently compelling characters, Jaime Lannister had one of the least satisfying conclusions in season 8. Similar to Theon Greyjoy, Jaime constantly challenged the audience to sympathize with a character they had once hated. Many viewers hoped Jaime would stay with Brienne, but it does feel suitable for the world of Game of Thrones that he would return to Cersei. However, that doesn’t mean he needed to die with her.
Keeping Cersei and Jaime around for the finale could’ve been fantastic, allowing him the opportunity to potentially kill her. This death could’ve played out similarly to Jon killing Daenerys, but it would’ve been backed by years of narrative weight. Sure, it wouldn’t have been as romantically upsetting as Jon and Dany not working out, but that’s not what Game of Thrones was really ever about. Exploring messy dynamics was what the series excelled at.
