Does Theon Die in 'Game of Thrones' Episode 3?

The Battle of Winterfell is upon us. Tonight, the third episode of Game of Thrones' eighth and final season will see the Night King and his Army of the Dead do battle in the North with those at Winterfell. It's a battle that is sure to see heavy loss of life and will most assuredly seen the end of several fan-favorite characters. This has Game of Thrones fans wondering about the odds of many they've grown attached to over the years -- including Theon Greyjoy.

Unfortunately for Game of Thrones fans, when it comes to Theon's odds, they aren't particularly good. While pretty much any and all characters on the wildly popular series are in danger -- Game of Thrones is rather notorious for its brutality when it comes to offing characters -- there are some that are more likely to die than others partially because of how they are positioned headed into the Battle of Winterfell, but also because of where their story arc has taken them.

For Theon, both his position as well as story serve as double strikes against his survival. Let's start with his position. As we've noted in our pre-show analysis of who we think will die tonight, Theon is a really difficult place. Bran Stark is the Night King's target. As the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran is the "living memory" of Westeros and the Night King absolutely wants that memory crushed to bring darkness into the world. Theon will be defending Bran in the godswood during the battle and by being the one to defend the Night King's target? Theon is absolutely at high risk.

There's also the matter of Theon's arc. His story is, largely, complete. He rescued his sister and mended their relationship in the first episode of this final season. He returned to Winterfell to atone for his sins against the Starks. He has come full circle. With his story "complete", ending him would make narrative sense. Couple that with his role protecting Bran and it does not look good for Theon. All things point to him going out in a tragic, noble way defending Bran.

Of course, there's also the slim chance that Theon will survive. As we mentioned, Game of Thrones is known for some surprising choices when it comes to life and death of characters and that may apply here. Sparing Theon would deny him that noble finale to his arc and there could be an even larger story to tell by doing so. If Theon were to fail to protect Bran, it would be a major blow to both the character and the series and one that almost no one would see coming -- a very Game of Thrones thing to do.

Now it's your turn. Do you think Theon Greyjoy will get out of tonight's episode of Game of Thrones alive? Let us know in the comments below.

Game of Thrones airs at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

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