One of the surprising fan-favorites of Game of Thrones is Theon Greyjoy. The character betrays the protagonists and has his moments of cowardice. Since Theon lasted for eight seasons, he got the opportunity to better himself as a person.
Theon even formed an unexpected bond with Sansa, and fans speculated a possible romance. People were happy to see a redemption arc for him. The actor who played Theon was Alfie Allen, and he once shared how David Benioff and D. B. Weiss lied about an earlier death.
Theon’s exploits throughout the series
Theon appears in the first episode of season 1, and he is the youngest prince of the Iron Islands. He lives in Winterfell with the Starks as a ward and has a friendly relationship with several of them. A glance at the character’s Fandom wiki page shows the kind of arc Theon goes through.
Despite pledging his loyalty to Rob Stark, Theon would betray him by taking over Winterfell. He keeps Bran and Rickon hostage after he seizes the place, but things do not stay in Theon’s favor for long. The young Starks escape his captivity, and his men turn on him.
Theon would say that people would continue to treat him like “a fool and a eunuch.” The line would end up predicting his brutal torture at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. For a while, Theon works as Ramsay’s servant and goes by the name of Reek.
Viewers got to see Theon choose a positive path when he helped Sansa escape Ramsay. He later returns to the Iron Islands and pledges his support of his sister’s goal to be the next ruler.
The showrunners told Alfie Allen he would die
Theon had a long journey compared to some other notable characters. In a show where anyone can die at any time, some non-book readers felt surprised he lasted for so long. The actor likely felt the same, especially after Benioff and Weiss tried to prank him.
According to Bustle, the creators of the series told Allen that Theon would die in season 2. He even received a fake script that explained how the death scene would happen. The moment would have occurred during Theon’s siege on Winterfell.
“The script was given to me, and basically, I give this rousing speech — if I do say so myself — and at the end of my speech, Bran pops out and stabs me in the chest and says, ‘This is my Winterfell, not yours,’” Allen explained. “And so I took it on the chin and got on with it.”
Instead of “tearing his hair out,” Allen accepted whatever the script said. After three weeks, Benioff and Weiss decided to reveal that it was all a prank. The actor was enjoying his vacation at the time.
Theon redeemed himself before his actual death
Several fan favorites did not get to make it to the final season. However, Theon got to last for eight seasons until his death against the white walkers. The final part of his journey includes him redeeming himself. Theon goes back to save his sister from his uncle.
Of course, Theon’s final heroic act is protecting Bran from the Night King. He fights to the best of his abilities, but the Night King proves to be formidable. His sacrifice is not in vain since Arya arrives to finish the job.
Many fans were sad to see Theon die, but they were glad that he went out as a redeemed man. Still, some people hoped that he managed to survive his wounds. Sansa, Allen, and everyone else put Theon to rest during the mass funeral pyre scene.
