Winter is here. And in just over a month, the final six episodes of the beloved series Game of Thrones will arrive. The series has proven to be one of the best written, best directed and best-acted series in recent memory, and Game of Thrones Season 8 is aiming to finish off the series right. However, as the series has loved to flaunt, people die, and they die a LOT.
So with the Night King coming, Cersei still in power, and more possible twists coming…who is going to end up on the chopping block?
To be clear, I’m not warning of spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, but rather, Game of Thrones Seasons 1-7. Anyway, onto the list.
1. Grey Worm
This one may seem like an obvious pick, but Grey Worm has developed a lot as a character since his debut in Season 3 of the series. He didn’t say much at first, but he eventually became someone we really cheered for, especially when he got into a relationship with Missandei, which evolved greatly over Season 7.
So why should I have him on this list? Well, in the trailer for Season 8, Grey Worm is shown multiple times. Including on the front lines of the battlefield that will be Winterfell. He’s leading the army of Unsullied, as is his duty. And he also gave Missandei a very passionate kiss before the battle begins.
While it’s true that the show is going off-book (for the most part), it seems logical in terms of character that Grey Worm would die. He would not be one to retreat, no matter the odds. He would fight for his Queen, he would fight for his love, and he would fight for the living.
Grey Worm almost died once in battle but survived because of an ally. With the White Walkers and their army coming, he might not have that luck anymore.
But given how he would die, it would be an honorable death. Which brings me to…
2. Jorah
Hail Jorah, king of the Friend Zone!
I kid. Jorah is honestly one of my favorite characters in Game of Thrones. And as it stands, his arc for the last couple seasons has been to prove his worth to Daenerys and then being cured of Greyscale (thanks Sam!) so that he could return to her. And no sooner did he do so that he volunteered for the suicide mission north of the wall, and witness Jon and Daenerys fall in love.
As I said, king of the Friend Zone.
Like Grey Worm, Jorah is shown at the battle of Winterfell, and you know that Daenerys will be there with her dragons in tow (fighting the Night King and his undead dragon…I can’t wait for that match). But I feel that there will be a scene where Jorah sees her in danger and takes a hit or two, or three, or more, for her so that she can live. His ultimate show of love, that he would die so that she may live.
And if you think about it…where else can his story go? Granted, Jon and Daenerys will no doubt find out their…uh…situation…and renounce their romance, but it’d be odd to have Jorah swoop in and be her husband. And though he would be a welcomed advisor to her, I don’t see that as the best option for him.
So, for Jorah, the best ending to his story would be to die in the name of his Queen.
3. Euron Greyjoy
If there’s one thing that Game of Thrones has taught us, it’s that the bad guys don’t die when they should. Geoffrey, Walter Frey, Ramsay, they all died in the end, but it wasn’t quick enough. And many more villains still live. But one I will guarantee will die though is Euron Greyjoy.
And honestly, it’s because of the plot more than anything else. At the end of Season 7, we found out that Euron had been sent to bring the Golden Company to King’s Landing to serve Cersei Lannister. He has a large fleet of ships, a thousand as we’re told.
Plus, he has Yara, and Theon went out on a mission to save her. Euron surviving would mean that he would have control of his fleet and would come back after Theon and Yara. Sure, they could show mercy, but given everything Theon and Yara have gone through, plus the fact that he killed their father, it makes it EXTREMELY unlikely that he survives.
And honestly, he’s a dick and needs to die.
4. The Mountain
Continuing on with villains that need to die – Gregor Cleagane, aka The Mountain, has been a constant force and presence in Game of Thrones. And Game of Thrones Season 8 is setting up an epic match for the ages, The Mountain vs The Hound.
The Hound has wanted to kill his brother since long before their duel in Season 1. And now, we seem to be on our way to making that happen. Again, this is a question of logic more than hope because The Mountain is Cersei’s biggest chip in terms of defense. He’s basically a zombie now and will do whatever she asks, which he’s fulfilled for a couple of seasons now.
Giving The Hound his due after his redemptive arc is crucial, else what was it all for? Plus, if The Hound doesn’t kill The Mountain, who will? A random death would be meaningless here. It needs to be personal after everything he’s done. To The Hound, to Oberron, to the Starks, etc.
It’s time for this mountain to fall.
5. The Starks
Oh yeah, I went there. But honestly, this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. If Game of Thrones has taught us anything, its that Starks have to die. Ned, Robb, Caitlyn, Rickon, Starks dying is a key part of the mythology of the show.
But, at present, there are four Starks remaining. So…who is going to croak?
If you remember the Winterfell Crypt teaser, we see Arya, Sansa and Jon all in the Crypt and looking at statues of themselves. Which represents that they died. Jon’s looks the oldest, while Sansa and Arya look like they’re the same age as they are now. Which would imply that the ladies of Winterfell won’t last?
The trailer for Season 8 opened with Sansa running for her life. And that would be a terrible tease that this is how she meets her end. As for Sansa, she would be one of the safest characters per se because she’s not in the fighting, at least at first. The same logic would go to Bran given his Three-Eyed Raven nature and his crippled state.
So…does that leave Jon? No. He’s already died once, and I think him dying again would be hollow, especially for a reason I’ll name later.
Therefore, I will say that at least one Stark will die in Game of Thrones Season 8. But who? I’ll let myself be surprised.
6. Cersei Lannister
I don’t care how. I don’t care by who. But CERSEI LANNISTER MUST DIE!!!!
As of right now, the only two true antagonists left on the global scale is the Night King and Cersei. And there’s no doubt that Cersei has to be dealt with eventually. She’s done too much, killed too many, tortured endless amounts of people just to please herself and her self-interests. She’s on the Iron Throne through sheer force of will and guile. And now, it’s time for her to get taken off of it.
Personally, I’d love Sansa or Daenerys to do the deed. Especially since she tortured the former and betrayed the latter. But I honestly don’t care how or when or why. She has to die.
If for no other reason than the fact that in the trailer for Season 8, she looks so dang smug because she knows there’s a massive war going on in the North and she doesn’t have to do a dang thing!
Smile and drink while you can Cersei, your time is coming. Winter is coming…and the North Remembers…
7. The Night King
In the teaser posters for Game of Thrones Season 8, there is one that shows the Night King on the Iron Throne. Showing that there is a chance that the true villain (sorry Cersei) of the story could win in the end. But I’m not buying it. Here’s why.
Yes, he has an undead dragon now, and there’s no doubt that half the season will be dealing with the Night King and the army of the undead in one form or another. But what about the other half? Let’s say that episode 1 is the setup. Everyone is in Winterfell preparing for what’s coming. Episode 2 is the Battle For Winterfell that everyone is teasing. And then Episode 3 is the aftermath of that.
That still leaves three episodes to do…something. And that something is likely going after Cersei.
Plus, as much as I love how George R.R. Martin has subverted fantasy stereotypes over and over again in Game of Thrones, I highly doubt he’d be bold enough to have the Night King win outright. Not to mention, if my pacing of the episodes is correct, the final three episodes would be us watching Cersei slowly succumb to the grip of the Night King. Not exactly award-winning television.
Finally, IF the Night King does win the battle for Winterfell, that means about 3/4’s of the main cast are dead. That’s too much, even for Martin. But…that doesn’t mean we can’t have one big meaningful death…
8. Daenerys Targaryen
For the record, I will cry if she dies. Because Daenerys Targaryen is one of the true beating hearts of this series. But Game of Thrones Season 8 can’t go out by just killing off supporting characters and the main villains. There needs to be a heroic sacrifice. And while Jon Snow is the obvious choice or the other Starks, Daenerys is just as likely.
And it all goes back to Martin and his desire to subvert fantasy tropes. He is a master of playing readers and viewers like fiddles and showing that just when you think he’s going one way, he goes another.
Robb’s winning the war against the Lannisters? He dies at a wedding. Does Jon Snow become Lord Commander? He dies soon after at the hands of his own men. Daenerys has gone on a very jagged but simple path called the “Heroes Journey.” She started with nothing and now commands a vast army and is aiming for the Iron Throne once the Night King is dealt with.
So wouldn’t that be the ultimate twist, that after 7 seasons of watching her rise from the ashes (pun intended) and grow to be the queen/Khaleesi that we all support…that she dies right as she approaches the finish line?
Obviously, you’re asking, “Then who wields the throne?” Well…she’s not the only Targaryen out there, is she? And if she dies in the battle of Winterfell…we saw that Jon already has a connection with Drogon…so…
In the end, Game of Thrones Season 8 is promising to be a great end to the series and one that will have a high death count for sure. Let me know who you think is going to die, and what you hope from the series finale in the comments below!
