It’s a bloody show we follow, Game of Thrones viewers. And this season was the bloodiest of the bloody, as we continue a tradition here at 4LN eulogizing those who’ve passed during the season we’ve just watched. In fact, so many characters fell this season that I’m going to have to split this years obits into two parts. Click if you want to read the Season 4 and Season 5 obits (there may be some photos that need to be updated, so I apologize if some photos do not appear) if you’d like to review deaths from previous seasons.
As for this season, twenty nine important characters appeared for the last time this year. Today, we recall the lives of characters that died in the first seven episodes.
Doran Martell
When: Episode 1, The Red Woman
How: Stabbed by Ellaria Sand
I have real mixed emotions about this one. Book Doran Martell is (and I emphasize is because he’s still alive in the text) a pragmatic thinker who acts when he has the resources to do so. And I would have mourned the loss of that character more fervently. But show Doran Martell sat in a wheelchair and did nothing. I think he would have been the central character of the Dorne story line. But season five butchered it so badly that the show producers decided to cut their losses and limit the Dorne narrative so that it wasted as little screen time as possible. Doran was a victim of this decision by show producers.
Areo Hotah
When: Episode 1, The Red Woman
How: Stabbed by Tyene Sand
Another misrepresented character from Dorne, Areo was the head of Doran Martell’s personal guard. Doran’s gout makes it essential that he has strong, loyal protection. And Areo was all of that in the books. But he was made weak by his only scene in season six, when a Sand Snake who should have never been allowed to get behind him stabbed him in the back.
Trystane Martell
When: Episode 1, The Red Woman
How: Stabbed through the face with a spear by Obara Sand
We hardly knew the only son of Doran and Myrcella’s betrothed, who seemed prime for an interesting change of scenery in King’s Landing following Myrcella’s poisoning. But the producers’ purging of Dorne left few survivors and Trystane was immediately put back on a boat, where he was stabbed through the face with a spear by Obara Sand. The purging of Dorne, with the Sand Snakes magically sneaking their way onto a boat that managed to get itself between King’s Landing and Dorne in record time, was the worst bit of storytelling in the history of the show. But at least it meant we only had to spend five more minutes in Dorne later in the season instead of wasting valuable screen time down there like we did in season five.
Roose Bolton
When: Episode 2, Home
How: Stabbed by Ramsey
Roose Bolton was a key adviser to Robb Stark during the War of Five Kings. But as Lord Bolton started questioning Robb’s decision-making, he turned on the young wolf, helping to arrange the Red Wedding and putting the final wound into the dying Stark.
Bolton became Warden of the North and, with the help of his son Ramsey, defeated Stannis at Winterfell.
Bolton was also known for his shrewd political maneuverings,especially with Ramsey. But one of those moves (holding the threat of a true born heir over his bastard’s head) proved to be the end for Roose. Ramsey killed his father right after the announcement that the baby had been born.
Walda Frey
When: Episode 2, Home
How: Eaten By Ramsey’s Hounds
A candidate for the season’s most gruesome death, Walda was the wife of Roose Bolton and the granddaughter of Walder Frey. Lord Frey offered a dowry of silver equal to the weight of the bride Roose Bolton chose from the available Frey girls. So the shrewd Lord Bolton chose the fattest Frey available.
Roose did grow fond of Walda and the affection she had for him. But it was the son the two had together that proved to be their downfall as Ramsey killed his father, stepmother, and baby brother to gain control of House Bolton.
Balon Greyjoy
When: Episode 2, Home
How: Knocked off a bridge by his brother, Euron Greyjoy
The Lord of the Iron Islands was central to the plot for only season two. Balon threw his hat into the ring for the war of five kings when he sent Iron Born ships to invade and take over lightly defended cities in the North.
Even up to his death, Balon held on to his misguided notions of the Iron Born ruling a great empire again. His fathering skills were also lacking as his poor reception to a returning Theon led the latter down a path that cost him some pretty important parts.
After a two season absence, Balon returned just long enough this season to meet his end on a poorly constructed bridge in the rain. He was the last of the five kings remaining when he met his end as his brother came home to take his place.
Alliser Thorne
When: Episode 3, Oathbreaker
How: Hanged for Killing Jon Snow
Thorne was the proper name for the man who was Jon Snow’s Professor Snape. Thorne never liked the Stark bastard, often referring to him as “Lord Snow” (a name that would one day be true of Jon). Thorne played the adversary of Jon with the exception of one night: the Wall battle where the two men put aside their differences to keep the Wildlings from invading Westeros.
But it would be the focus of that fight that would prove to be Thorne’s downfall. When Jon, seeing the Whitewalkers as the greatest threat of all, made an alliance with Tormund Giantsbane and the rest of the Wildlings, it was too much for the man who dedicated the last 15 to 20 years of his life defeating the ones Jon now welcomed.
Thorne conspired with other members of the Night’s Watch to kill the Lord Commander at the end of Season Five. But as we all know, Jon didn’t stay dead and came back to execute Thorne and his fellow conspirators for their crimes.
Thorne, however, stood by his choice, hoping he’d make the same decision again even if he knew it would cost him his life.
Olly
When: Episode 3, Oathbreaker
How: Hanged for Killing Jon Snow
We first met Olly in Season 4 when Wildlings (Led by Tormund Giantsbane) killed his entire village on their way to the Wall. He was kept alive so he could warn the men of the Night’s Watch what was coming.
Jon took him under his wing immediately, training the young man how to fight. But Olly said he was good with a bow and arrow. And this proved true with Olly’s most heroic moment: saving Jon’s life when he shot Ygritte.
Olly would become Jon’s steward before the Lord Commander took the step Olly could not accept. It’s the same decision Ser Allister made with different motivations: Olly couldn’t align with men who killed his entire family.
Olly turned on Jon, leading him into the trap and being the last one to stab Lord Snow at the end of season five. But Jon’s return meant the unfortunate end for Olly, who seemed to hold onto that bitterness up until the moment he was hanged.
Osha
When: Episode 4: The Book of the Stranger
How: Stabbed by Ramsey Bolton
Another victim claimed by the Bolton bastard, Osha was a wildling who helped Bran and Rickon escape Winterfell back in season 2 while Theon was in charge.
She came to Winterfell as a captive, one of a party of three who were fleeing the North to avoid Whitewalkers. But she proved herself useful in the service of Winterfell and worked hard as a servant right up until Theon’s invasion. She then used her “feminine persuasion” to give the Stark boys the chance to escape.
When Osha had no interest in staying with Bran and crew as they headed north of the wall, she agreed to take Rickon to the Umbers for safe keeping. But the once loyal bannermen to the Starks joined Ramsey and turned Osha and Rickon in to the new Warden of the North.
Though I hated for such an instrumental character to meet such a sudden end, it was a very logical move for Ramsey to take out the Wildling before she worked out another Theon-like escape.
Hodor
When: Episode 5; The Door
How: Killed by Wights Holding the Door so Bran and Meera Could Escape
A true fan favorite passed in season six and his death was as heroic as any the show has seen. Hodor was the stable boy who became of service to Bran Stark following the accident that left him unable to walk. A simple task for a simple man, it would appear. But that task would take Hodor to the very far reaches of the North where he would also serve as a deadly weapon whenever Bran would warg into him.
We all know the fateful moment when the boy named Wyllis “Held the Door” and became Hodor, losing his life and mental abilities saving the boy and friend he served loyally right up to the end.
The Three-Eyed Raven
When: Episode 5; The Door
How: Struck down by a Whitewalker in his mystical cave.
We barely new the wise old treehanger before his time came to an end. A different actor greeted Bran at the end of the fourth season. But the show gave Bran and crew Season Five off, so we had to wait almost two years to find out what purpose this mystical being served in the story.
The Three Eyed Raven was a mentor Bran, showing him his family’s history, the origin of the Whitewalkers, and perfecting (well not quite as Bran’s training had to finish early) Bran’s ability to warg into the past.
Though the Raven was gone after only three episodes, he was responsible for a trio of the show’s biggest reveals: the events at the Tower of Joy, the Children’s role in creating the Whitewalkers, and the origin of the name Hodor.
Rey
When: Episode 7; The Broken Man
How: Hung by Rogue Members of the Brotherhood
There’s a number of one episode characters that died this season that I will not be writing about. However, I felt it was important to include Rey, the man who saved and reformed the Hound before meeting his untimely end.
Rey was a reformed soldier who renounced violence entirely as he and his followers attempted to build a new village out in the country. But his stance on nonviolence proved to be the end for him and his followers. At least, I don’t believe his death will be in vain as we ended Season 6 with a newly inspired Hound and a possible team-up with the brotherhood in the works.
Tomorrow, we’ll remember all the characters we lost in the final three episodes. Also, here’s what else is planned for this Game of Throne wrap-up week.
Monday: The Season Finale Recap
Today: Obituaries Part One
Later Today: Obituaries Part Two
Thursday: The Tower of Joy Explained
Saturday: Ranking The Seasons
Monday: Book vs Show: Which is superior?
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