We need to prepare ourselves because Game Of Thrones season eight is coming. Tonight.
The last chapter. The final hurrah.
And while we might have been lucky these past couple seasons, with the exception of Hodor and Ned Stark, no one we really, really love and hold dear and were rooting for to make it to the Iron Throne has met their maker.
Yet.
That’s not to say it won’t happen this eve when the latest series kicks off in the early hours. Far from it.
If anything, George RR Martin has been stockpiling our favourite characters to make sure we get super attached to them, only to rip them away from us in a few short weeks.
Isn’t that sweet?
Visme, a data visualisation tool, illustrated the probability of each of the main characters meeting a grisly end (or, for the non-dramatic, an end), using the latest betting odds doing the rounds. So we thought it fitting we figure out which ones meant the most to us so we can prepare our sore hearts for the end.
Because much like winter, death is definitely coming.
Sansa Stark
Sansa is more tactical and less on the battlefield, so there isn’t much of a risk of her being killed in a horrid way.
However, we’ve had so many close calls with this Lady (Ramsay Bolton, for one…Joffrey Baratheon another; don’t forget that random guard who nearly raped her in season one) there is a fine chance she may die this season for a totally arbitrary reason, like falling off Winterfell.
Or being killed by her sister Arya.
These two sort of have this lingering rivalry (or is just us?) that came about last season, mainly through a little mistrust.
Arya so wants to cross everyone off her list, Sansa wants Winterfell to rule. So, honestly, they have differing ambitions. But Arya is also this cold-blooded killer now so she won’t hesitate to stick the Needle to Sans, should her sis get in the way.
At least, we believe, should Sansa die it’ll leave a smouldering hole in our very souls.
Arya Stark
Big chance our mate Arya will bite the bullet and taste the metal of a killer’s sword. Still, much like Sansa, she’s done well to avoid death thus far.
Especially seeing as she spent time as part of those faceless people who basically killed their minutes slaying others. Then she went blind and one of them turned on her and that was really a wild ride for a season there.
While The Hound isn’t coming back for her any time soon (we assume…) the crafty warrior has made many an enemy since being smuggled out of King’s Landing way back in season one after the execution of Ned Stark (RIP, never forgotten).
Just because she’s tucked up sweetly in Winterfell doesn’t mean the bad guys won’t come for her. We best ready the tissues should she lose a battle in a few weeks.
This is one we’re not prepared for, but should be.
Jon Snow
He’s died once, can he die again?
Our favourite pouty secret-Targaryen is on the frontline this series as he brings his ladylove/aunt Daenerys back to Westeros in their united fight for the Iron Throne.
Right now he doesn’t know he has a claim on it – the same claim Daenerys has as a blood-born Targaryen – so once all that comes out in the wash we can only expect Dany is going to go rip-roaring mad, call traitor and get her dragons onto him.
That and the two will surely come up against Cersei, who is currently sitting on the throne after killing everyone she knows or loves (directly or indirectly). Cersei won’t GAF if we love Jon. Cersei doesn’t care about our feelings at all.
At least we have dealt with a Jon Snow death before (and boy did that come out of the blue) – we can live through another. Just.
Cersei Lannister
C’mon, there’s at least a 90% chance she carks it this season. And we’re ready.
Cersei has enraged everyone that could potentially be on her side. The Mountain is the only guy who would actually fight for her if it came down to a man-to-man battle and he’s dead. So what does he know.
We can only assume someone boss like Sansa will make the final blow after she was exposed to so much abuse during her time as Joffrey’s first intended wife and ‘little dove’.
Either that, or someone like Arya, who witnessed her father’s execution, egged on by Cersei, will stick it to her after she was shunned from the city afterwards.
Actually, no, Tyrion Lannister should have that final moment with her. As long-tortured brother, he killed their dad and Cersei isn’t that big a leap.
G’won Tyrion, do your best.
Please note: we’re not so much preparing for Cersei’s death like it’s going to hurt, it’s more so to prepare our cheer. Sorry, Cers. You’ve got it comin’.
Daenerys Targaryen
She’s got a lot of enemies, but if she can survive the dothraki, she can surely make it in King’s Landing, right?
After many an attempt on her life, after fleeing Westeros as a kidlet following the topple of the Targaryen rule at the hands of Robert’s Rebellion, Daenerys can’t make it to the eighth season to falter at the finish line, right?
Oh, yes she can.
If we’ve learnt anything about the mighty bard George RR it that’s he really craves that heartbreak. Why, we wouldn’t be surprised if he got Dany so close to the Iron Throne (and Jon Snow) to then have her accidentally scorched by her dragons at the final hurdle.
Wait, she can survive fire. Accidentally sat on, then.
Should she bite it in the finale, this one is really going to sting.
And the fact Emilia Clarke, who plays the actress, said once she read the ending she walked around London for three hours in a daze doesn’t bode well…
If you take on board anything we say, it’s to prepare for this one.
Tyrion Lannister
The comedic relief, yet powerful presence alongside Dany and Jon, Tyrion is someone who is on borrowed time, let’s be completely honest with ourselves here.
Moving on.
Brienne Of Tarth
She’s proven herself a pretty trusty companion to both Sansa and Jaime Lannister. But being a warrior and also someone who has sacrificed herself many a time to save whoever she’s been charged to protect, it’s only a matter of time before someone takes her up on that sacrificial offer.
We can only hope she doesn’t meet The Mountain. At least give her a fair departure, George.
No more skull smashing, please.
Theon Greyjoy
This one will suck because we sort of came to like Theon after he transformed into Reek.
But, yeah, he’s definitely going to die and we’re okay with that.
Luckily we can hazard a guess no one major (maybe just Euron Greyjoy, but he’s a bad guy) is going to bite the dust in the first couple episodes.
Prepare yourselves now. Death is coming.
Game Of Thrones series eight returns 14 April. And is available to watch on NOW TV.
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