Game of Thrones quickly developed a reputation as the kind of show where anyone can die. After Eddard "Ned" Stark (Sean Bean), the series' de facto main character throughout the first season, wound up losing his head by the end of the ninth episode, no one seemed safe.
Throughout the course of Game of Thrones, countless other leads followed Ned's example by dying, shocking all audience members who hadn't read the books. For example, two seasons later, Ned's wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), son Robb (Richard Madden), and daughter-in-law Talisa (Oona Chaplin) all die in one fell swoop at the now infamous Red Wedding. In season 4, the newly introduced and utterly lovable Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) is killed off almost immediately. And the series ends with the death of one of its most important characters, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).
However, despite actually having managed to survive until the final episode of Game of Thrones, "The Iron Throne," a handful of important figures are nowhere to be seen at the very end. These five characters seemed to have managed to pull off the impossible and make it through Game of Thrones alive, but they still sit out of the series finale.
1. Meera Reed
Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick), along with her brother Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), first appears in season 3, crossing paths with Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and his travel companions. The Reed siblings help Bran hone his newly developing greenseer abilities, directing him to venture beyond the Wall. However, after Osha (Natalia Tena) and Rickon (Art Parkinson) diverge from the group, and Jojen and Hodor (Kristian Nairn) are killed, Meera ends up as Bran's last remaining ally until he returns to Winterfell in season 7.
Shortly after Bran's homecoming, Meera heads back to Greywater Watch to see her family. Bran musters a weak "thank you" as his goodbye, much to Meera's dismay. Bran's ingratitude and coldness towards Meera apparently lasts until season 8, when, even after he becomes King of Westeros, Meera is nowhere to be seen. She does not assume any sort of position in his Small Council or Kingsguard, and her exit halfway through season 7 marks her final appearance in the entire series.
2. Archmaester Ebrose
Oscar Winner Jim Broadbent joined the cast of Game of Thrones for the show's seventh season. He plays Archmaester Ebrose, the head of the Citadel of Oldtown who helps facilitate Sam Tarly's (John Bradley) training to become a maester himself. However, Sam cuts his training short, and after he leaves the Citadel, Ebrose never appears again.
Despite Ebrose' chronicles of the events of Game of Thrones appearing in "The Iron Throne," he himself remains absent. Instead, Sam presents the book to Tyrion Lannister during the show's final small council meeting, winking at the audience as he reads its title, A Song of Ice and Fire. However, this is the character's first mention since season 7, and if he's to help document the entire series, his lack of inclusion in season 8 feels a little awkward.
3. Daario Naharis
Daario Naharis (first played by Ed Skrein before Michiel Huisman took over the role) joined Daenerys' entourage in season 3. Before long, he'd become one of her most trusted advisors, and their relationship grew far beyond a sellsword and his queen. Daenerys and Daario's sexual dynamic would eventually verge on love.
However, when Daenerys finally sailed to Westeros, she left Daario in charge of Meereen, partially because she could trust him, but mostly because she knew it would be a mistake to bring a lover with her, since she would not be free to pursue a politically advantageous marriage. As such, Daario exits the show for good at the end of season 6. Still, it would have been nice to see him once more before the final credits rolled, or at least hear about his rule in Meereen.
4. Jaqen H'ghar
When Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) finally heads to Braavos at the start of season 5, many fans were pleasantly surprised to see the return of a man called Jaqen H'ghar (Tom Wlaschiha). In the books, a character simply referred to as "the kindly man" acts as Arya's tutor at the House of Black and White, while the show combined his character with Jaqen's, allowing the fan favorite to return.
However, after Arya's Braavosi arc comes to a close, Jaqen disappears from Game of Thrones entirely. He never shows up again, even as Arya faces off against the Night King (Vladimir Furdik), an arguable interpretation of the "God of Death" who played such a large role in relation to Braavos. Seeing Jaqen one last time in season 8, or even allowing Arya's faceless man training to pay off again after her revenge against House Frey, would have been a nice touch.
5. Gilly
Gilly (Hannah Murray) first takes a liking to Sam after he saves her and her newborn son from Craster's (Robert Pugh) Keep. Shortly after their great escape, Sam kills a White Walker in order to protect Gilly, becoming the first character to do so. He then brings Gilly to safety in Castle Black, where the two fall in love.
What separates Gilly from the rest of the entries on this list is that she actually appears throughout season 8. Murray still receives main cast billing, and plays a role in the first four episodes of the season. However, after her goodbye to Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), Gilly is never seen or mentioned again, despite Sam still having a role to play in the series finale. Gilly's lack of a proper, on screen conclusion makes her storyline feel incomplete, especially in comparison to several of the other (mostly male) characters whose stories end on a more conclusive note.
We're in the final stetch of April, but the celebration of Game of Thrones' 15th anniversary isn't over yet! Keep following along for more retrospectives as we honor this epic fantasy series that grew into a culture-defining phenomenon.
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