If there’s one thing the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, filmed here in Northern Ireland, lot are good at it’s death.
Let’s face it, one of the main reasons we watch it is for it’s fantastically brutal gore-ridden scenes and callous disregard for the lives of our favourite characters. We’re a sick species, really.
If you’re a dedicated GoT fan you may be somewhat desensitized to the sight of corpses at this stage, but there are ten stand-out deaths that really made us gasp, yelp and recoil from our screens.
So, before the show is back on screens on April 24 let’s relive those truly gruesome scenes in all their sinister glory…
1. Lysa Arryn
I doubt I’m the only one who was hoping Sansa Stark’s weird Aunt would be killed off…well, as soon as possible.
The deranged eyes, her obsession with Lord Baelish and THAT breast-feeding-son situation. It was downright creepy.
This death wasn’t too high up in the gore-stakes, but watching Little Finger fling Lysa Arryn out of the Moon Door into oblivion was nothing short of satisfaction.
2. Tywin Lannister
There are several reasons why this death was great. But mainly because it was Tywin, the fearsome head of House Lannister, who was shot with a crossbow by his own son. Oh, and he was on the loo.
Not only did it mark the start of the Lannisters’ downfall, it was a fitting end to his reign over the family.
You can be sure we were all cheering Tyrion on as it slowly dawned on Tywin that he was going to die with his pants round his ankles.
Awkward Level: 10
3. The Hound
I’m sure The Hound wasn’t too impressed to meet his end at the hands of a woman, but after his combat with Brienne of Tarth he was left to die by Arya Stark.
I’m sure that peeved him off even more.
Instead of showing mercy, Arya chose to walk away and leave the wounded Hound to bleed to death. A bittersweet moment that definitely had an impact on viewers.
4. King Joffrey
Another long-awaited death played out when the tyrannical Brat King, Joffrey Baratheon, was poisoned at his own wedding feast.
Quite frankly we were growing tired of his tantrums, his relentless torment of Sansa Stark and the irritating facial expressions in general.
Remember the moment that smirk turned to panic as he frantically clawed at his neck and turned a really gross colour? Glorious.
5. Myrcella Baratheon
Just when you think something was going right, Myrcella is poisoned and collapses on the ship back to King’s Landing after a lovely family moment with Jaime Lannister.
To be honest, this was pretty sad. Not only was she a young girl who had little to do with the politics that led to her death, but she’d just told her Father how much she loved him despite the fact that he and her Mother were siblings…
A little creepy, but it was a heartfelt moment, okay?!
Shock Factor: 9
6. Ser Meryn Trant
It wasn’t until the end of Season 5 that we saw Arya Stark unleash her vengeance on Meryn Trant, but it was well worth the wait.
Disguised as a prostitute, the quick-witted little scamp stabbed him in both eyes and multiple times in the stomach before finishing the job by cutting his throat.
Not only did it make us wince, we learned that Arya is no longer a girl to be reckoned with. Top marks for gruesomeness.
7. Jon Snow
The final death of the series so far was that of Jon Snow, but did he actually die? I’m personally still in denial, but we’ll leave those questions to Season 6…
Poor Jon, he was always just trying to do the right thing. And where did it get him? Stabbed to death by his own Brothers of the Night’s Watch.
Pray to the Gods that he returns to our screens in some form or another.
8. Oberyn Martell
We were really rooting for Oberyn. He was colourful, extravagant, and really just wanted the Lannister’s to pay for the rape and murder of his sister and her children.
Tyrion’s Trial by Combat seemed to be going so well…until it didn’t.
In one of the most gory scenes in Throne’s history the Dornish Prince had his eyeballs squished and brains blown out the back of his head by The Mountain.
Lesson 1 for GoT fans: Never love anybody, because they’ll most likely die.
9. Shireen Baratheon
Young Shireen’s brutal death was definitely a shocker.
We know Melisandre is a psychopath and that Stannis would go to great lengths to take the Iron Throne…we just didn’t expect him to burn his kid at the stake in the process.
This wasn’t a bloody scene nor did we actually see Shireen burning alive, but hearing and knowing what was happening made it all the more powerful. Grim.
10. The Red Wedding
Okay, this was more than one death so it might be cheating. But it was hands down one of the most horrific Game of Thrones scenes so far, and the least-expected (unless you read the books).
In a few swift moments, King Robb and most of his men, his Mother Catelyn, his wife Talisa and their unborn child were massacred at a wedding feast. We might have known the Lannisters were to blame.
Author George R. R. Martin has proven that no one is safe in the Game and there’s no such thing as ‘too controversial’ when it comes to dishing out gruesome deaths. Brace yourself, Season 6 is coming.
Game of Thrones Season 6 is back April 24.