10 Most Devastating Game of Thrones Character Deaths Ranked

Tons of fan-beloved characters fell throughout Game of Thrones‘ eight-season run on HBO from 2011 to 2019. Based on the unfinished book series by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones chronicled a variety of storylines across Westeros, from the emerging threat of the White Walkers beyond the Wall to the battle for the Iron Throne in the Seven Kingdoms. Game of Thrones was notoriously unkind to many of its characters, especially those who were innocent or who tried to play by the rules. Thus, devastation swept over fans time and time again when their favorite Game of Thrones figures met their demise. There exist more than a few deaths scenes that severely traumatized viewers.

Ranked from least to most heartbreaking, these 10 Game of Thrones character deaths were the saddest.

10. Olenna Tyrell

Lady Olenna Tyrell’s (Diana Rigg) ending ranks among Game of Thrones‘ most memorable character deaths. Bested by Jaime Lannister’s (Nikolaij Coster-Waldau) forces at Highgarden in Season 7, Olenna was afforded the chance to die peacefully by drinking poison instead of meeting a tortuous end. The Tyrell matriarch cleverly took advantage of the opportunity by consuming the poisoned wine and only afterward admitted to Jaime that she orchestrated the death of Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), his sone with Cersei (Lena Headey). “Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me,” remains one of the most iconic moments in Game of Thrones, as Olenna, who never hesitated to rebuke the Lannisters, got the last laugh.

Brazen in her wit, Olenna won the hearts of Game of Thrones fans, and her death was bittersweet due to her likability as a character in a universe of despicable beings. Olenna would have deserved to live the rest of her life in peace and happiness, but that was not to be.

9. Ned Stark

Arguably Game of Thrones‘ most shocking character death, Ned Stark (Sean Bean) was abruptly executed for treason by the command of King Joffrey in the penultimate episode of Season 1. The horrific public beheading of Ned sparked war in the North and kickstarted a violent power struggle that would plague the Seven Kingdoms for the remainder of the show’s narrative. Even though his Game of Thrones tenure was brief, Ned garnered a lot of sympathy because he was wrongly accused of betraying the late King Robert (Mark Addy). The character’s commitment to honor and integrity made him one of the realm’s few upstanding individuals, thus his demise came as an immense and unfortunate loss.

8. Margaery Tyrell

Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) met a tragic end when Cersei blew up the Great Sept of Baelor using wildfire in the Season 6 finale. Her brother Loras (Finn Jones) and many others, who were attending Cersei’s trial before the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce), perished in the jaw-dropping mass casualty event. When Cersei failed to show up, Margaery suspected treachery and advised everyone to vacate the Sept, but her warning came too late.

The loss of Margaery was particularly devastating because she held great potential as a leader. She was placed in the challenging position of having to collaborate with the Lannisters by marrying Cersei’s son Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), but she handled the task with courage and resolve. Margaery also bravely stood by Loras when he was persecuted for his sexuality. The character stood out among the few genuinely good people of the Seven Kingdom’s houses, which made her death an exceptionally hard pill to swallow.

7. Hodor

In Game of Thrones Season 6, Hodor (Kristian Nairn) sacrificed himself to protect Meera (Ellie Kendrick) and an unconscious Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) from the wights assault. Hodor’s final act involved sacrificing himself to give Meera and Bran the chance to escape, with the devastating sequence revealing that Hodor’s name, which was also the only word he ever speaks, derived from the phrase “hold the door.” The stableboy, formerly named Wylis, suffered a seizure in his youth, which caused him to experience the moment of his death. The trauma forever limited his ability to speak.

Hodor’s passing and simultaneous uncovering of his backstory was an extremely tragic moment in Game of Thrones, as viewers finally learned the tragic reason behind his name and inhibited speech. The character’s noble sacrifice went down as one of the series’ great acts of heroism, as well as one of the saddest deaths.

6. Oberyn Martell

Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne (Pedro Pascal) arrived in King’s Landing in Game of Thrones Season 4 with one thing on his mind — revenge. Determined to obtain justice for Gregor Clegane aka the Mountain’s brutal rape and murder of his sister Elia, Oberyn volunteered to represent Tyrion in his trial by combat, pitting the Red Viper against his foe. During the face-off, Oberyn’s victory was all but guaranteed when he stabbed Clegane in the chest, causing him to fall. However, the ensuing moments saw the Mountain capitalize on Oberyn’s hesitation to end the fight out of insistence that Clegane first admit to his crimes. The Mountain suddenly tripped the Dornishman from behind and crushed his skull.

This scene was incredibly shocking and gruesome, compounding the sorrow of Oberyn’s loss. Throughout his few appearances in Game of Thrones, Oberyn became a fan-favorite character thanks to his sly charisma and irresistible charm. Oberyn’s tenacious effort to seek justice for his sister’s horrific death easily resonated with audiences, as many could empathize with his desire for vengeance against the Lannisters and the Mountain. Accordingly, Oberyn’s final moments were immeasurably painful to witness, especially given that he came so close to achieving his goal.

5. Catelyn Stark

Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) met her end in dreadful fashion at the wedding of her brother Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies) to one of Lord Walder Frey’s (David Bradley) daughters. Frey had secretly betrayed the Starks in favor of the Lannisters, and organized the mass murder of Catelyn, Robb, and their allies at the celebration held at the Twins. Widely known as the Red Wedding, this astonishing event in Game of Thrones Season 3 served as a grisly reminder that loyalty in Westeros is never guaranteed, and that the series would not grant “plot armor” to its most prominent characters.

Catelyn’s story was a rather tragic one, as she had endured the losses of her husband, father, and in her mind, several of her children, too. She was complicated, but admirable in her courage and loyalty to her family. Thus, watching Catelyn fall moments after watching her beloved son die was devastating.

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4. Robb Stark

Robb Stark (Richard Madden) was King in the North when he perished at the Red Wedding. His cruel ending coincided with the deaths of his pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin), as well as that of his mother. House Frey’s unexpected betrayal of Robb resulted from his broken promise of marrying one of Lord Frey’s daughters. Even though one could argue that Robb was responsible for the wedding’s violent turn of events, his demise broke many hearts. In the wake of Ned’s tragic death, Robb rose up to succeed his father and avenge the treachery that killed him. The oldest Stark son seamlessly earned the support of Game of Thrones fans, which made his untimely passing truly heartbreaking.

3. Ygritte

Ygritte (Rose Leslie) endured the agonizing ending of dying in the arms of her former lover Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in Game of Thrones Season 4. During the Wildlings’ attack on Castle Black, Ygritte found herself face-to-face with Jon, but unable to release an arrow in his direction. The brief moment of pause enabled Jon’s young steward Olly (Brenock O’Connor) to fire his own arrow through Ygritte’s chest from behind. Of course, Ygritte’s final words were “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” as she reminisced about their short, yet passionate, time together before perishing. Genuine romance was hard to come by in Game of Thrones, and Jon and Ygritte were among the lone couples worth rooting for. Additionally, Ygritte’s death illustrated the senseless back-and-forth violence between the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings. Ygritte, at a young age, became another tragic victim of the longtime struggle perpetuated by the Seven Kingdom’s powerful figures, who resorted to great lengths to ostracize the people beyond the Wall.

2. Missandei

Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) became one Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) closest confidants after the Mother of Dragons rescued her from slavery in Astapor. Serving as both a translator and trusted adviser to Daenerys during her quest to conquer the Iron Throne, Missandei was never too far from danger, and she eventually met her deminse in Game of Thrones Season 8. Missandei was captured by Euron Greyjoy’s (Pilou Asbæk) forces in an ambush and brought to Kings Landing, where Cersei ordered her public execution in front of Daenerys and her allies.

The sadness of Missandei’s ending was largely defined by the character’s unrealized potential. Having recently pursued a romance with Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), Missandei had so much ahead of her, and she would have led a successful life and career under Daenerys’ rule, had it lasted for longer than a day. The treatment of Missandei’s death as a plot device designed to spearhead Daenerys’ downward spiral was disappointing, as it reduced the recurring character to a mere pawn in the Targaryen queen’s story rather than an individual with her own developed narrative.

1. Shireen Baratheon

In Game of Thrones Season 5, Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) had his young daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram) burned alive, believing that a human sacrifice to the Lord of Light would bring him victory and the Iron Throne when he felt it slipping away. The moment when Shireen was tied to a pyre and set on fire by Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) is arguably Game of Thrones‘ most disturbing scene. Truly revolting and infuriating to watch unfold, Shireen pleaded for help as she burned, but no authority intervened to stop Stannis’ madness. Such an unjust act inflicted on a child was unspeakably shocking and heartbreaking. Shireen existed as a minor character in Game of Thrones, but her death scene shook audiences to their core.

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