From its conception, Game of Thrones has shown they aren’t afraid of killing your favorite characters. Back when season 1 aired in 2011, we barely got to know Ned Stark, who was posited as the lead of the series, before his head ended up being lopped off.
Game of Thrones being so ruthless with who they kill is just one of the many reasons it’s one of the best TV series of all time. But equally, there have been occasions where fan-favorite Game of Thrones characters dying sparked outrage, like Daenerys Targaryen dying at the final hurdle.
But which member of the Game of Thrones cast do you wish they didn’t kill? That’s the question one user posed to the Game of Thrones subreddit, which inhabits 3.2 million members.
Several Redditors admitted that they wish Jaime Lannister survived, with one writing, “I grew pretty fond of Jaime; even if he was terrible at the beginning, he had legitimate growth towards the end.”
Another said they “really wanted” Jaime to be a reincarnation of Azor Azhai, a legendary figure who wielded a burning sword to defeat the Great Other. Numerous others said they wish Robb Stark, who died at the infamous Red Wedding, was kept alive, with one user saying he is “hands down the best Stark,” while another remarked that his story arc in the series felt unfinished.
But the most popular deceased character, even more popular than Jaime and Robb, was Oberyn Martell. Played by Pedro Pascal, Martell volunteered as Tyrion’s champion for his trial by combat, but ended up being brutally defeated by The Mountain, who even gouged his eyes out for good measure.
Apart from everyone adoring Pedro Pascal, Redditors noted how “everything went downhill” after Oberyn died, and to be fair, they had a point. Myrcella was only assassinated by Ellaria to avenge Oberyn’s death. If Myrcella had never been killed, perhaps Cersei wouldn’t have gone off the rails and blown up the Great Sept: an action that killed many people and ultimately led to Tommen, her last surviving child and King of Westeros, killing himself.
For every death in Game of Thrones, there was a butterfly effect that drastically changed the course of the show. This tradition started with Ned Stark’s death, which led to the titular Game of Thrones and the War of the Five Kings, and Oberyn’s death is no different.
If you like the best fantasy series, then you’d love the prequel series. House of the Dragon. To learn more about that, check out our guides to, House of the Dragon season 2, and the House of the Dragon cast.