The 60 Most Important Deaths on Game of Thrones
By Corey Smith
41. Varys
Varys dies in the penultimate episode of the show, executed by Daenerys Targaryen for trying to spread the word about Jon Snow having a claim to the Iron Throne. Does he actually succeed in getting any of those letters he was writing off? Frankly, it’s unclear; Varys’ death seems a little hasty, which is why he’s relatively low on this list despite being a major player. His death would stand out more if the show had taken a little more time to explore his state of mind as he turned against the dragon queen, and the threat his actions posed to her.
Still, we can’t discount the importance of his character in the grand arc of the show. Varys was working for a Targaryen restoration from the beginning, plotting and scheming through all eight seasons of the show. While Littlefinger schemed for his own advancement, Varys was looking out for the realm, which made him the “good” backroom wheeler-dealer. Fans got attached to him, and it was rough to see him go.
Speaking of Littlefinger… -Dan
40. Petyr Baelish
After watching him wriggle his way out of one tight spot after another, there came a time when Game of Thrones fans wondered if Petyr “Littlefginer” Baelish would ever be brought to justice for his many, many crimes. From betraying Ned Stark to pushing Lysa Aryn out the Moon Door to selling Sansa to the Boltons, he’d done a lot worth punishing. Luckily for us, the Stark siblings finally put an end to Littlefinger’s machinations at the close of season 7.
With the army of the dead on the march, it was important that figures like Littlefinger, somehow who could sow chaos among the living in their time of greatest peril, be removed from the board. When the dead show up, the living will need every single soldier it can get, and we’re guessing that Littlefinger would have booked it back to the Vale at the first sign of real danger, taking as many soldiers as he could with him. Thanks to Sansa, Arya and Bran putting their heads together, they were able to avert this problem.
The only reason Littlefinger doesn’t rank higher on our list is because of the timing. This late in the game, his death doesn’t change as much as it would had Littlefinger died, say, before he betrayed Ned Stark in season 1 or wooed the Tyrells over to the Lannister side in season 2. It might have taken longer than we wanted or expected, but we’re glad he’s gone. May his perplexingly changing accent die with him.