The 60 Most Important Deaths on Game of Thrones

25. Stannis Baratheon

Stannis was a complicated character. Sure, he murdered his brother Renly with blood magic, but it wasn’t until he decided burn his own daughter at the stake that we hated the one true king of Westeros. His death by Brienne’s hand removed a major player for the board, one less contender vying for the Iron Throne, which allowed the Lannisters and others to focus their attention elsewhere.

Stannis’ death sent ripples through the story that affected a number of other characters. Jon Snow benefited the most. Before he died, Stannis sent Davos back to the Wall, and Melisandre followed not long after. Both of them were key to bringing Jon back to life, but Davos is now one of Jon’s closest advisors. Stannis’ death would also have huge impacts on Sansa Stark, through his killer, Brienne.

Sansa benefitted, too, albeit not immediately. With Brienne’s oath to kill Stannis fulfilled — an oath she’d been holding on to ever since she saw Melisandre’s shadow baby murder Renly — she was free to swear herself to Sansa, and none too soon, since Sansa and Theon were being hounded by Bolton soldiers at the time. As Davos became one of Jon’s closest advisors, so did Brienne provide counsel for Sansa, and still does. And Brienne is a good deal handier with a blade.

So Stannis might not have been anyone’s best friend, but he touched plenty of people’s lives. The Seven Kingdoms lost its scion of grammar, and we are lesser (not fewer) for it.

24. Ygritte

Has anyone else noticed there are a lot of dead exe’s on this list?

Anyway, apart from the emotional impact of seeing the fiery Ygritte die during the Battle of Castle Black, Ygritte’s death was important for two main reasons: first, it cleared the way for Jon to rejoin the Night’s Watch, something that had to happen if was going to be allowed to become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and then die, and then come back, and then become King in the North, and so on. Had she lived, there’s a good chance Jon would have walked away from his vows and joined her. As Maester Aemon once said, and we’re paraphrasing here, honor is all well and good until your brothers threaten to kill your girlfriend. And if Jon had stayed at Castle Black, he may have tried to carry on a secret relationship with Ygritte and been beheaded for it, and not even Melisandre could help him then.

Secondly, Ygritte had to die so Jon would be emotionally available when he met new boo Daenerys Targaryen a few seasons later. Jon loved Ygritte and Daenerys loved Drogo, but had they lived, Westeros would lose the power couple that just may shepherd it through the coming war with the dead, and we can’t have that.