Death is something Game of Thrones does best. Most deaths on the show are rather creative and horrible. In fact, only one onscreen death occurred naturally.
While many deaths in game of thrones have been the result of treachery and horror, one has to admit there are some deaths that have even the most life-respecting viewers cheering. Justice is occasionally served on Game of Thrones. Here is a rundown of the 10 most satisfying deaths so far.
10) Janos Slynt-Died in Season 5
Why so pleasing:
- Betrays Ned Stark to Queen Cersei when he plans to challenge Joffrey’s claim to the Iron Throne upon discovering his true lineage
- Commands the City Guard to kill the Stark soldiers, leaving Ned vulnerable to be arrested for treason, ultimately leading to Ned’s execution
- Oversees the massacre of all of King Robert’s bastard children, on the orders of King Joffrey
- Personally murders the illegitimate baby of King Robert and a prostitute
- Calls for Jon Snow’s execution upon hearing his testimony about his killing Qhorin Halfhand and living among the Wildlings
- Suggests Jon Snow be sent to Craster’s Keep to dispel the mutiny, hoping he will be killed in the process
- Flees the Battle of Castle Black, locking himself in the kitchen, leaving his command post
- Refuses to follow Jon’s orders as Lord Commander to oversee command of the castle at Greyguard, frequently referring to him as “boy” and “bastard.”
- When Jon is about to carry out his death sentence he crumples and begs for mercy admitting he’s “always been afraid.”
Death: Executed for treason/insubordination by the newly-appointed Lord Commander Jon Snow.
9) Tywin Lannister-Died in Season 4
Why so pleasing:
- Hating his younger son, Tyrion, and blaming him for his mother having died in childbirth as well as despising him for his dwarfism
- Angry at Tyrion marrying a common prostitute, pays her to have sex with all of his men and forces Tyrion to watch. The marriage was dissolved afterwards
- Betrayed King Aerys when it became apparent his was the losing side during Robert’s Rebellion
- Ordered the Targaryen family massacred once inside King’s Landing
- Refuses to allow Tyrion to take over Casterly Rock, their ancestral home, calling him an “abomination.”
- Kills the plan to have Sansa Stark marry Loras Tyrell and instead arranges for her to marry Tyrion, against the wishes of both. He figures she is now the heir to Winterfell and will not see that power given to the Tyrells.
- Forces his daughter Cersei to be betrothed Loras Tyrell against her wishes
- Supports and presides over the trial against Tyrion for murdering Joffrey. When the trial by combat results in a bad outcome for Tyrion, Tywin triumphantly declares his sentence for death.
- Takes Shae, Tyrion’s lover, as his own after she falsely testifies against Tyrion during his trial
- With his last words, denies Tyrion is his son
Death: Shot by Tyrion with a crossbow several times while in the privy
8) Lysa Arryn-Died in Season 4
Why so pleasing:
- Poisoned her husband, Jon Arryn, who was Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon. She then lied to her sister, Catelyn Stark, and blamed the Lannister’s for his murder, setting events in motion that would lead to the near extinction of House Stark, including the assassination of Catelyn.
- Attempted to execute Tyrion Lannister for killing her husband and attempting to kill Bran Stark. Both accusations were false.
- Cruelly accused her niece, Sansa, of having intimate relations with her new husband, Petyr Baelish, after spying him kissing her. Subsequently, she tried to kill Sansa by pushing her through the moon door of the Eyrie.
- Being all-around creepy, smothering and unsettlingly jealous of her sister
Death: Pushed through the moon door by Petyr Baelish after she tried to kill Sansa by the same means
7) Shae-Died in Season 4
Why so pleasing:
- Wanting revenge for being sent away for her own safety, Shae falsely testifies against Tyrion saying that he and Sansa Stark plotted to kill King Joffrey, leading to his condemnation of death.
- When Tyrion goes to confront his father before escaping King’s Landing, he finds Shae in his father’s bed, clearly now Tywin’s lover.
Death: Strangled by Tyrion when he discovers her in his father’s bed using the gold chain he once gave her
6) King Joffrey Baratheon-Died in Season 4
Why so pleasing:
- Refuses to offer condolences for Bran Stark’s near fatal injury
- Repeatedly humiliating and tormenting his uncle, Tyrion Lannister
- Due to his lies about being attacked, is the direct cause of the murder of Mycah, the butcher’s boy and Arya Stark’s friend. He is also the cause for Arya sending her direwolf, Nymeria, back into the wild to save her life. In Nymeria’s place, Sansa Stark’s direwolf Lady is killed to appease the Baratheon’s for Joffrey’s injuries.
- Sentences Lord Eddard Stark to death by beheading for treason despite his assurances of mercy if Lord Stark confessed to (false) treason and publicly recognized Joffrey as king.
- Orders a citywide massacre of all of King Robert’s bastards due to their potential claim to the throne (in light of learning the possibility of his true parentage)
- After Tyrion commissions two prostitutes to serve Joffrey, in an effort to pacify him, Joffrey orders one to beat the other while threatening both of them with a crossbow if they don’t comply.
- During Tyrion’s and Sansa’s wedding, he repeatedly humiliates his uncle and quietly threatens to rape and impregnate Sansa during the night.
- At his own wedding, Joffrey has arranged a performance by dwarves (as a hateful insult to Tyrion) parodying the War of the Five Kings.
Death: Poisoned on his wedding day by Olenna Tyrell and Petyr Baelish
5) Ser Alliser Thorne-Died in Season 6
Why so pleasing:
- Consistently berates Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly for being, what he considers, too soft
- Mocks Jon for being “a traitor’s bastard” when his father, Ned Stark, is arrested for treason
- Prosecutes Jon for killing Qhorin Halfhand (at Qhorin’s request) and for sleeping with a wildling girl, breaking his oath and doing so with the enemy. Thorne is overruled by Maester Aemon.
- Attempts to send Jon to deal with the mutineers at Craster’s Keep with only volunteers, arguably to set him up for failure at best, death at worst
- Angry that Jon has allowed wildlings into their midst, to protect them, Alliser orchestrates a ruse to lure Jon out into the yard of Castle Black where he and several other brothers of the Night’s Watch stab Jon to death, on the pretext of treason.
Death: Executed by hanging by the recently resurrected Jon Snow for having murdered him
4) King Balon Greyjoy-Died in Season 6
Why so pleasing:
- Through his own arrogance during Robert’s Rebellion, lost many of the Ironborn lands and men, including the lives of his two elder sons.
- Mocks his son, Theon, for having been raised by House Stark even though it wasn’t by choice
- Instead of accepting Robb Stark’s offer of an alliance via Theon, goes behind him to claim weakly defended lands in the North
Death: Pitched off a bridge by his usurping brother Euron
3) Roose Bolton-Died in Season 6
Why so pleasing:
- Two words: Ramsay Bolton
- Killed a miller then raped his wife under his hanging corpse. Ramsay was the product of the crime.
- Attempted to convince King Robert Baratheon to execute Ser Barristan Selmy
- Suggests torturing Lannister prisoners to King Robb Stark. The Boltons are renowned for torture.
- Releases Jaime Lannister as long as he tells Tywin that Lord Bolton had nothing to do with the loss of his hand. Keeps Brienne of Tarth prisoner with intent to have her charged with treason.
Death: Stabbed by his son Ramsay after Roose’s wife gives birth to a (legitimate) son.
2) Smalljon Umber-Died in Season 6
Why so pleasing:
- Asks Ramsay Bolton for help fighting the wildings Jon Snow has let roam the North. When Ramsay demands he swear fealty to him, Umber refuses but offers a gift instead: Rickon Stark and Osha the wilding.
- When Ramsay asks for proof the boy is Rickon Stark, Umber produces the severed head of Rickon’s direwolf, Shaggydog.
- Participates in the Battle of the Bastards on the side of House Bolton. Particularly focuses on Tormund Giantsbane.
Death: Tormund Giantsbane rips his throat out with his teeth then stabs him repeatedly in the head.
1) Ramsay Bolton-Died in Season 6
Why so pleasing:
- are you kidding me ??
- Sacks Winterfell, flays the Ironborn that were going to be forgiven by King Robb Stark, takes Theon Greyjoy prisoner (though doesn’t reveal his face to him yet). Proceeds to have his men torture him.
- Lies to the Northern armies about Winterfell, the location of Bran and Rickon Stark and the whereabouts of Theon.
- Tricks Theon into “escaping” with him and tells him he’ll take him to his sister. Theon confesses he didn’t actually kill the Stark boys. Ramsay then escorts Theon back into the torture room he had been in before, revealing his true nature. He proceeds to torture Theon for days on end, removing a finger, crippling him, castrating him and stripping him of his identity and spirit.
- Renames Theon “Reek.”
- Refuses to kill Theon, despite his pleas. Ramsay tells him he’s too important as the heir of the Iron Islands.
- Sends Theon’s castrated bits to Balon Greyjoy with a message to surrender.
- Hunts down one of his lovers, Tansy, with his hounds. When his favorite bedwarmer, Myranda, hits her with an arrow, Ramsay unleashes the dogs to mangle and kill Tansy.
- Congratulates Locke on the mutilation of Jaime Lannister.
- Suggests Locke kill Jon Snow as well as Bran and Rickon (should he find them) to avoid any further House Stark entanglements.
- Keeps Theon in the kennels with his dogs. Has “trained” him to the point where he’ll only answer to “Reek” and refuses to escape with his sister when she comes to rescue him.
- Forces Theon to go to the Ironborn in Moat Cailin, convince them to surrender and tells them they’ll be allowed to return home peacefully. When they agree, Ramsay has all of them flayed instead.
- Despite assuring Petyr Baelish he will never harm Sansa Stark, he proceeds to rape her on their wedding night, in her childhood home, forcing Theon to watch. He rapes her repeatedly each night, keeping her locked in their room during the day.
- Sansa’s elderly maid gives her a message from Brienne of Tarth stating to place a lit candle in the tower window when she needs help. Sansa convinces Theon to do so for her, but he betrays her to Ramsay. Ramsay has the old woman flayed, shows the body to Sansa and locks her back in their room.
- Sends a message to the Wall, figuring Sansa has escaped to her half-brother Jon Snow, demanding her return. If Jon refuses he threatens to kill all the wildlings with him, rape and let his men rape Sansa and maim/kill Jon and Rickon.
- Sets Rickon free on the battlefield, instructing him to run to his brother Jon. He fires arrows at him as he does so, intentionally missing until he’s within Jon’s grasp. He lets the last arrow hit its mark and kills Rickon.
- Kills Wun-Wun the giant
- Taunts Sansa even as he’s tied up, prepped for deathDeath: By Sansa’s directive, he is tied up in his kennel with his hounds, whom he’s not fed in seven days. He planned to set them, starving as such, on Jon and his advisers. He protests they won’t hurt him, but he’s wrong. They eat him alive.
