After eight seasons of Game of Thrones, the Battle of Winterfell (in which our beloved characters will attempt to take on the Night King and his army) is finally here. Our characters have more or less been preparing for this day since the pilot. They have been through battles and suffered many losses, and it’s arguably all been for this moment.
For viewers, Season 8, Episode 3 will be just the beginning of the traumatic deaths that we’ve been promised since the beginning. As much as we’d love for the next few episodes to have the fluffiness of a Marvel film where absolutely no one dies, deep down, we know that’s not the case. Last week’s episode, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” was the last time for many characters to shed their final tears and show their final smile because even they know that Winter is here with a vengeance.
So without further ado, here are the 10 characters most likely to die during the Battle of Winterfell.
1. Greyworm
Greyworm has been through and survived a lot. But as soon as he promised Missandei that they would see the warm beaches together after the battle was won, Greyworm’s fate was sealed. After all, Game of Thrones isn’t exactly known for giving its characters happy endings and his death would be one of the few that would affect Daenerys in particular. Sorry buddy, it seems the only body of water you will unfortunately be seeing is the River Styx.
2. Theon Greyjoy
From a child ward to a loyal soldier to a traitor, Theon Greyjoy’s journey throughout the series has been an interesting one. At the expense of betraying everyone he loved, he brought the Boltons into power and suffered immensely at the hands of Ramsay. Now that he is at Winterfell once again, he has vowed to protect Bran from the Night King. But with the way his character arc has gone, there’s only one way he can truly be redeemed: dying to save the family that raised him. With the way that the Starks (particularly Sansa) embraced him, it’s all but guaranteed that he won’t be around for much longer.
3. Jorah Mormont
Whether it’s his numerous encounters with slavers or Greyscale, Jorah just can’t seem to die. His loyalty to Daenerys has kept him going and not even the pain of getting infected scales ripped off his back could keep him down. But last week’s episode may have finally set him up for his final days. Him asking Dany to forgive Tyrion and making sure his fiery cousin Lyanna is okay seemed to give us a sign of finality for his character. And if that didn’t convince you of his expiration date, Sam giving him his house’s sword says it all.
4. Gilly
Let’s be honest here: with Game of Thrones’ infamous treatment of its female characters, it’s a surprise that Gilly has survived this long. She and her son have been nothing more than a device for Sam’s development and have spent the majority of the series just following in his footsteps.
But now, it looks like Gilly might have a purpose. Last week, she was helping bring the women and children into the crypts before the battle. With all of this talk about how safe the crypts are, something is sure to go wrong. With both Sam & Gilly protecting Little Sam down there, one of their fates is sealed and seeing as how Sam is needed to cheer Jon on, there only leaves one person left to dispose of. Gilly deserves so much better.
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5. Lyanna Mormont
Lyanna Mormont has been our fiery little angel who hasn’t been afraid to call out Winterfell’s bluff. For a 12-year-old, she has the bravery of someone 20 times her age and that might ultimately lead to her downfall. The last time we saw her, she was talking with her cousin, Jorah, who was trying to persuade her to go to the crypts. Of course, she vehemently refused, stating that she desires to be on the battlefield.
While she may have the tongue of an esteemed politician, her temper says nothing about her skills as a soldier. Since Weiss & Benioff are holding nothing back this season, there’s no reason why killing off snarky young girls is off limits.
6. Brienne of Tarth
Brienne’s journey has been extremely relatable to the female audience. She started as a lone soldier who was hopelessly in love with her king, but then swore a new oath to Catelyn Stark to ensure that her children would be safe. Five years after Catelyn’s death, Brienne finally completed her oath and was given the one thing she always wanted: an official knighthood by Ser Jaime Lannister himself. At this point, Brienne’s arc has come full circle, leaving her with nothing left to accomplish. Her death would be a noble one and one of the few that wouldn’t feel like it was done for pure shock value.
7. Tormund
There is no doubt that Tormund will be a severe loss. He has established himself as much-needed comic relief in this dark world and losing him will be like taking a 1,000 punches to the gut. Not only is he a loyal soldier who would die for Jon Snow, but he also established himself as a supportive feminist when he rooted for Brienne’s knighting.
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Tormund is everyone’s best friend, which is why his dying first makes sense. There is no one he wouldn’t sacrifice himself for. Whether it’s Jon, Brienne, or Edd, if there is a White Walker going after them, he’s jumping in front to save them.
8. Podrick
Podrick has been Tyrion’s loyal squire since he was a wee lad, starting as just a simple page before becoming Brienne’s apprentice. Pod has seen a lot throughout the years and has always made it through by the skin of his teeth. And while he has been serving Brienne, he just hasn’t proved that he will be a decent soldier on his own. If anything, his last moments could serve as another character point for Brienne: she’s on the battlefield and sees that Pod has turned into a White Walker and has to kill him herself. Sure, it’ll be utterly gut-wrenching, but it makes for good television.
9. Gendry
The face of a meme since season three, Gendry has finally rowed his way into a major storyline. The last living son of Robert Baratheon, Gendry certainly has a lot to contribute to the final episodes of the series (like maybe being the one to actually take the throne?).
But seeing as his family hasn’t been an issue this season, there may be a chance that it won’t matter at all. Only Davos and Arya know about his heritage, and they seem to be busy with their own situations. Having Gendry dying in battle as just a poor blacksmith would be risky storytelling, but a refreshing take nonetheless.
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10. Davos Seaworth
If there’s anyone who deserves the title of “Ultimate Dad,” it’s Davos Seaworth. He was always there for Shireen Baratheon, making sure she knew that she was more than just her disease. He also helped Gendry escape the Red Woman’s clutches and ultimately brought him back to Winterfell to help prepare for the White Walker battle. Now that Stannis is gone, his allegiance doesn’t particularly lie with any specific house- just the one who will end this war. While he didn’t necessarily have a “final scene” last week (though his interaction with the Shireen-look-a-like was heartbreaking), he’s minor enough that he could be killed off without stirring that much of a buzz among watchers. Though, that doesn’t make him any less amazing!
Game of Thrones Season 8 airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
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