11 Game of Thrones characters who should’ve survived to the end

6) Stannis Baratheon

The older brother of King Robert Baratheon, Stannis was a complex character, a man with a chip on his shoulder and an unshakable conviction that the Iron Throne was his by birthright. His fiery pursuit of power helped ignite the War of the Five Kings. His death, somber as it was, was a poignant end to his journey of blood and trechery.

Stannis met his end in the season 5 finale, executed by Brienne of Tarth for the crime of having killed his younger brother Renly with black magic. His exit signaled a shift in the larger narrative framework of Game of Thrones, one where bombastic battle sequences began to overshadow the intricate plots and schemes that had previously enthralled audiences.

It’s true that Stannis, with the weight of his foul deeds heavy upon him, was destined for an untimely end. But for every dirty thing he did for his ambition, he was also a man of his word who would have earnestly tried to help fight the war against the White Walkers. He had to go, but we missed the show he took with him.

5) Mance Raydar

Mance Rayder, the charismatic and proud leader of the wildlings, was in relatively few episodes, appearing intermittently from seasons 3 to 5. His memorable end comes after the stormy battle at the Wall, following the wildlings’ defeat at the close of the fourth season.

Mance was played by the talented Ciarán Hinds, which makes us wonder how else he could have compelled us if he had laster longer or featured in more scenes before being executed by Melisandre at Castle Black. After all, no one knew the White Walker threat better than him. In the end, Jon Snow shot him through the heart with an arrow rather than let him burn to death, a small mercy that still killed.