The 60 Most Important Deaths on Game of Thrones

49. Lysa Arryn

Speaking of castles without a lord (we don’t count Robin), let’s talk about Lysa Arryn. Her trip out the Moon Door set a few things in motion. Not only did it leave her runny-nosed runt Robin without a mother, it left the whole of the Vale without adult leadership. Granted, even when Lysa was alive, that leadership was spotty, but spotty is preferable to ruthlessly ambitious and self-interested, which is what the Vale got when Petyr Baelish, who gave Lysa her terminal push in the first place, stepped into the power vacuum she left behind.

Varys once remarked that Littlefinger was the most dangerous man in the Seven Kingdoms, and that having acquired land and titles, it was only a matter of time before he acquired an army. With the Knights of the Vale at his command, Littlefinger was able to affect change in a much more direct way, as when he intervened at the Battle of the Bastards. Thank goodness Sansa was in a position to call in his help; otherwise the Boltons would still be in charge of the North and the realm would have no hope whatsoever.

Lysa’s death could also prove consequential when the army of the dead assaults Westeros in earnest come season 8. Had she remained alive, it’s likely she would have continued her isolationist policy, keeping the Knights of the Vale behind the Mountains of the Moon while the armies of the living fall one by one. Only together can the living fight the dead, and thanks to Littlefinger’s little shove, the living now include the Knights of the Vale.

48. Maester Aemon

Aside from being one of the precious few deaths on Game of Thrones to happen due to natural causes, Maester Aemon’s death is important on a few levels. As with the deaths of Jeor Mormont and the Three-Eyed Raven, Aemon’s death meant that some of the younger characters no longer had a mentor, most notably Samwell Tarly. And who knows? Had Maester Aemon still been around to exert his influence, the Night’s Watch mutineers may not have thought it proper to murder their own Lord Commander, Jon Snow.

More generally, Maester Aemon was the wisest and most knowledgeable member of the Night’s Watch at the time of the his death — he may have been the wisest and most knowledgable person in Westeros. He was almost a king, and had lived through conflicts that shook the Seven Kingdoms to their core. That’s a heck of a resource to lose right before the Night King comes calling.

This last part is pure speculation, but with Maester Aemon dead, Daenerys had literally no family left (that she knew of). Advisors like Tyrion have only barely been able to reign in Dany’s more murderous tendencies, but we’re guessing she would have listened to Maester Aemon. Everyone always did.