Still, that should take nothing away from the many shocking moments present in this series, especially when it comes to the many deaths that fans have witnessed in Game of Thrones. Despite the narrative weight of these moments, most fans can make an argument that these deaths could’ve been avoided in a different set of circumstances.
8. Oberyn Martell
His Showboating Cost Him
- Takes Place In: The Mountain and the Viper (Season 4, Episode 8)
Pedro Pascal has become a household name at this point, with his appearance in Game of Thrones being an absolute game-changer for his career. He played the cocky prince of Dorne who wanted to get revenge on the Mountain for the death of Elia Martell, leading to one of the best Game of Thrones episodes of all time.
7. Daenerys Targaryen
Her Sudden Swerve Was Poorly Explained And Didn’t Need To Happen
- Takes Place In: The Iron Throne (Season 8, Episode 6)
The poor writing of the final season was lambasted by many, especially since it introduced a new story angle that barely had any time to breathe. After facing numerous psychologically damaging events, something snaps in Daenerys as she orders the sacking of King’s Landing.
Her army and dragons kill everything in sight in a horrible swerve that should never have happened in the first place. If the Mad Queen had retained her sanity, then Jon wouldn’t have felt the need to assassinate the love of his life in cold blood.
6. Eddard Stark
If Cersei Had A Tighter Hold On Her Son, He Would’ve Been A Valuable Prisoner
- Takes Place In: Baelor (Season 1, Episode 9)
Season 1 serves as a strong introduction to the elements of Game of Thrones. The political intrigue and fantasy elements were slowly introduced, even if the former had more time to develop in the early goings.
After the death of King Robert Baratheon, Ned gets an official document to take over the throne, only to be outwitted and imprisoned by Cersei. His honor ended up being the death of him, with Joffrey deciding to execute him in a spur-of-the-moment decision that had a rippling effect throughout all of Westeros. Perhaps Cersei would’ve been able to raise her voice and overrule Joffrey at this moment if she had a stronger hold over her child, but she was unable to let a valuable political prisoner meet a grisly end.
5. Khal Drogo
Trusting Mirri Maz Duur Was A Fatal Mistake
- Takes Place In: Fire and Blood (Season 1, Episode 10)
Khal Drogo is a character who started as a despicable tyrant before eventually endearing himself to Daenerys and audiences alike. He harbored a deep love for his wife and rode into battle with his head held high, only to suffer a wound that Daenerys wanted to treat.
She enlisted the help of Mirri Maz Duur, which turned out to be a fatal mistake. This godswife took revenge on the Dothraki for their brutal assault by infecting his wound, leading to Drogo ending up in a vegetative state. The Khaleesi knew that her husband would rather die than live such a pathetic life and smothered her husband before condemning Mirri Max Duur to a fiery death for her transgressions.
4. Robb, Talisa, & Catelyn Stark
Robb’s Amorous Adventures Led To The Infamous Red Wedding
- Takes Place In: The Rains of Castamere (Season 3, Episode 9)
The Red Wedding is one of the most iconic moments in television history, featuring the brutal death of King Robb and his bannermen. After the head of House Stark decided to annul his existing marriage agreement, Walder Frey took revenge on all of House Stark by killing all of them in a harrowing moment that fans still haven’t gotten over.
While Robb did renege on their agreement, this reaction wasn’t justified in the slightest. Watching Robb, Talisa, and Catelyn meet a grisly and undeserved end made it seem like the Starks were annihilated for good.
3. The Night King
Died In A Hilariously Convenient Manner That Was Hard To Digest
- Takes Place In: The Long Night (Season 8, Episode 3)
The poor writing of Season 8 claimed many victims, including the legendary Night King himself. This White Walker was meant to be a seemingly unassailable threat, only to meet a disappointing end at the hands of Arya.
Her foolhardy charge was stopped by the Night King, but she conveniently dropped her dagger and landed a final blow that killed off all the White Walkers. It felt like a cop-out to remove the threat of this undead horde and felt completely unearned after building up this threat strongly for numerous seasons.
2. Viserys Targaryen
A Diplomatic Mind Would Never Have Incurred Khal Drogo’s Wrath
- Takes Place In: A Golden Crown (Season 1, Episode 6)
The Targaryens are a proud bloodline, but the House had lost a ton of its former glory after the actions and subsequent assassination of the Mad King Aerys. Still, Viserys clung to the hope of helping his bloodline become powerful again, using her sister as a bargaining chip to enlist the help of the Dothraki.
However, he was too impatient and didn’t shy away from insulting the people he saw as savage warriors. After a drunken tirade that crossed a line, Khal Drogo decided to punish this man by giving him the crown he wanted. Had Viserys been more tactful in his approach, he wouldn’t have endured the grisly fate of his head being coated in gold.
1. Shae
Things Would’ve Been Different If She’d Been Loyal To Tyrion
Shae and Tyrion had a good thing, but the former started feeling insecure after Sansa and Tyrion’s marriage. Tyrion failed to help her feel secure and tried to break up with her by discarding her feelings, but this backfired.
After Joffrey’s death and Shae’s testimony, Tyrion was all but condemned to death. However, he wasn’t going to go out without a fight. After escaping from prison, he saw Shae in Tywin’s bed and strangled her with a gold chain for her betrayal. Had they just managed to reconcile and find solace in each other’s arms, it’s possible that Shae could’ve survived and possibly fled with Tyrion too. Unfortunately, fate had something different in store for her.
