George R.R. Martin never fails to shock viewers with victims and circumstances revolving around the deaths of characters on GoT!
Game of Thrones regularly finds creative ways to kill off its characters. Let’s take a look at the five most shocking deaths on GoT over the first four seasons of the show. SPOILERS AHEAD.
#5 Catelyn and Robb Stark: The Red Wedding
Of course you knew this would be on the list. And, really, it should rank higher as far as shocking moments go, but the deaths themselves weren’t that shocking. George R. R. Martin has proven again and again that the good guys don’t win all that often and this is most certainly the most shocking example of that. If you are/were a reader of the books, then this was somewhat foreshadowed. All of the main characters have chapters told from their point of view. Robb is the only main character to have never received a POV chapter, so his death was, essentially foreshadowed all along.
All of these people agree, The Red Wedding is shocking!
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#4 Joffrey Baratheon
It was a surprise that young Joffrey went this easy. Well, of course he did, but it was still a surprise. He was a king without any kingly qualities to insure his longevity. It was obviously coming, but the obvious is often avoided by George R.R. Martin, so in part, I didn’t think it would happen so soon with such ease. This is, by far, the most rewarding death of the show through the first four seasons.
Actor Jack Gleeson spends a half an hour answering questions about Joffrey!
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#3 The Red Viper / Oberyn Martell
Probably the most visually shocking of all of the deaths listed here. His was a death of vanity. He had The Mountain defeated. His Princess Bride, “You killed my father, prepare to die,” speech didn’t go so well. And, instead of achieving vengeance, he had his head obliterated. He was an incredibly likable character in a season where the likable characters were few and the survivors even fewer.
Martin proves that he can continue to shock viewers!
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#2 Tywin Lannister
He was on the toilet! The great man, the magnificent manipulator, the man behind the kings. His greatness and penchant for evil schemes was expected to prevail again and again until a final showdown. However, the showdown came early and with a surprise killer … his own son. He died in the same location as another great king — Elvis has left the building.
Maybe not the death of Tywin but it’s certainly the death of something …
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#1 Eddard “Ned” Stark
This, at least for me, remains by far the most shocking death in Game of Thrones. I was still a newbie to the world not having read the books yet and I really didn’t believe that this would happen. Even after good old Ned Stark lost his head, I kept waiting for that “we tricked you” moment, but it never came. This moment inspired me to read the books. Very quickly after the death of Ned Stark, viewers (and readers) realize there is no guaranteed happy ending for the good guys.
The bad luck of the Starks got us thinking at Influx, that, perhaps, there is a connection to the American royal family — The Kennedys.
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Honorable Mention
Renly Baratheon tops the list of honorable mentions; sudden and unexpected, just when he was becoming a key player, he is wiped out. Martin has a tendency to do that to us — he builds up the likability and importance of a character, then kills them off at the peak of their potential!
More shocking deaths to come on GoT, I’m certain.
by Gordon Shelly
*****
