The 60 Most Important Deaths on Game of Thrones

47. Beric Dondarrion

Beric is an interesting character. He’s a knight who was killed fighting the Mountain who was brought back unexpectedly from the dead and continued the fight even as he had more and more trouble remembering why he was doing it. He brings up all kinds of questions about the nature of life, death, and purpose.

That said, the show mostly leaves those question by the wayside after season 3. He’s a minor character, and his death during the Battle of Winterfell didn’t hit that hard.

However, he gets bumped up a few notches because Beric dies defending Arya Stark from wights literally moments before she goes on to kill the Night King, ending his war on the living. If Beric didn’t did, Arya would die, and Westeros would be in big trouble. We salute you, Beric Dondarrion; way to take one (well, technically you took seven) for humanity. – Dan

46. Roose Bolton

Roose Bolton was not a good person. He betrayed his king, Robb Stark, at the Red Wedding, personally sticking a knife in his stomach. But as bad as Roose was, his bastard son Ramsay was much worse. Ramsay eventually killed his father, stabbing him in much the same way that Roose stabbed Robb. Without Roose around to exert any kind of moderating force, Ramsay was free to usher in a new reign of cruelty in the North.

That’s bad, but it also gave Jon and Sansa the opening they needed to retake Winterfell. Roose was a crafty man. He may have been able to turn more of the Northern houses away from Team Jon, killing Sansa’s plan in its crib. Perhaps Roose would have been more careful about Littlefinger, who galloped into the Battle of the Bastards at the last minute and saved the day for Jon and friends. And in all likelihood, Roose would have stayed inside Winterfell rather than met Jon on the field of battle, relying on the snow and cold to do their work. Ramsay was not nearly as methodical as his father, and less mindful of the enemies he made wherever he went.

Going even further, Roose would probably have been smart enough not to antagonize Jon in the first place; Jon only really threw himself into retaking Winterfell after Ramsay sent him that nasty letter. Before that, Jon was planning to get the hell out of dodge. Had Roose lived, he might have stayed that way.

Finally, just in case anyone is getting the idea that we like the guy, let me say in closing: F$*@ Roose Bolton.