Let’s face it. Half the fun of watching Game of Thrones is waiting for the next big death scene. We all know that George R.R. Martin is not afraid to dispatch any character at any time, which has kept the series exciting and unpredictable, but the other intriguing part is exactly how these beloved characters kick the bucket.
Warning: You won’t find the deaths of Ned Stark or Robert Baratheon on this list, because, while significant, their deaths were quick and on the fairer side of tame.
With that said, let’s take a look back at the ten most gruesomely awesome deaths from seasons 1 and 2:
10. PYAT PREE – DEATH BY DRAGONS
Season 2 of Game of Thrones taught us all a valuable lesson: Don’t mess with Dany and her dragons. Pyat Pree (known better to Game of Owns listeners as Captain Creepyface) made the mistake of stealing said dragons, and he paid for it with his life.
9. JORY CASSEL
The head of Ned’s houseguard didn’t fare well in King’s Landing. The poor guy got a sword through the eye at the hands of the infamous Kingslayer, and it certainly qualifies him as one of the most gruesomely awesome deaths of the series thus far.
8. KNIGHT THAT BRIENNE KILLS ON THE ROAD
If there’s one person that you don’t want to cross paths with on the Kingsroad, it’s Brienne of Tarth. She draws a fine line between friend and foe, and she is easy to offend. She dispatches this unfortunate Stark bannerman quite painfully after he executed a trio of women, and then proceeded to insult her.
7. DOTHRAKI AT THE WEDDING CELEBRATION
We all know that a Dothraki wedding is a dull affair if there aren’t at least 3 or 4 deaths. The kick off death at Drogo and Daenerys’ wedding was a truly memorable one. After a brief battle over a woman, the loser was disemboweled and had his braid cut off, proving that this wedding would be one for the ages.
6. VISERYS
There are many ways to describe Viserys, and one of them is definitely cruel. Having seen his horrific treatment of Daenerys, it wasn’t hard to watch his death at the hands of fan favorite Khal Drogo, and the method definitely wins points for creativity.
5. HUGH OF THE VALE
While most tournament battles end in bruises and dented armor, this poor former squire to Jon Arryn didn’t fare as well. His existence posed a threat to the Lannisters, and therefore he paid the ultimate, and very bloody, price.
4. DEATH BY CROWD IN KING’S LANDING
The crowd rioted against the crown when the processional returned from seeing Princess Marcella off, and gave us one of the most grisly deaths of the series thus far. The man that got pulled to pieces by the crowd definitely qualifies as one of the most violent deaths of the series to date.
3. MIRRI MAZ DUR – THE WITCH LADY
Angering the Khaleesi is an easy way to get yourself killed, and the simplest way to piss her off is to have a hand in the death of her Khal. Daenerys punished Mirri Maz Dur for her role in Drogo’s death by tying her to the Khal’s funeral pyre and watching her burn alive.
2. RODRIK CASSEL AT WINTERFELL
Poor Rodrik. Theon made more than a few mistakes sacking Winterfell, but one of his biggest was trying to hack off the Master of Arms’ head. While any beheading took Ned and his trusty sword Ice one swift motion to kill, it took Theon nearly five or six swings to finish the job.
1. DEATH BY RAT AT HARRENHAL
Our introduction to Harrenhal was decidedly less than pleasant as this poor guy’s death was particularly icky. He may not have been a character we knew well, but the thought that Gendry or Arya could be next was what made this scene particularly gruesome.
Honorable Mention:
WINE-SELLING ASSASSIN
While most Dothraki executions are quick, attempting to assassinate the Khaleesi is apparently a no-no. The wine-selling assassin from the first season learned that the hard way. At least he had a chance at life, but only as long as he could keep to his feet…