The Battle of Winterfell has arrived and it was just as brutal, dark, and harrowing as expected. As the previous episode foreshadowed, many did not survive the fight. All the chess pieces were laid out for bloodshed and the Night King came ready for a checkmate.
That said, the battle was quite disorienting and hard to keep track of at different times. And with such a dizzying battle, one might be left wondering who all actually died this episode. Well, here is a comprehensive list of everyone who was killed or died in the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones.
Who died on Game of Thrones last night?
Dolorous Edd
The first character to go was the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. The kill happens towards the beginning of the battle when Edd is stepping in to keep Samwell from being killed, only to be stabbed in the back himself by a Wight Walker.
The death might be frustrating for some because Samwell seems to be completely out of his element the entire episode. One might even argue Edd would still be alive if Sam was not so stubborn about fighting in the battle for Winterfell.
Jorah Mormont
Of all the deaths in the show, this one hit the hardest. Ser Jorah has been Dany’s protector since day one and he went out defending the person he loved the most at the very end.
In his final moments, Jorah manages to save Dany as she falls off her dragon and becomes surrounded by the Night King’s army. The battle intensifies when the Night King resurrects the dead again and Jorah gets stabbed several times.
As the battle ends, Jorah collapses in Dany’s arms as she mourns his eventual passing. It’s a bittersweet death but one that is completely fitting for Jorah.
Beric Dondarrion
After dying several times and being brought back to life by the Lord of Light, Beric has officially crossed over to the afterlife. That said, he went out like a champ being stabbed several times and still exercising a full-fledge beat down on the Night King’s army.
He also has a great moment in the battle pulling The Hound out of his hopelessness that death is winning and manages to be our biggest hero of the night, getting Arya to safety. It was a hard death in the show but one that was heroic and virtuous.
Theon Greyjoy
Theon’s character journey is a masterclass of how to flesh a redemption story from start to finish. He has come so far from being an absolute waste of a human being to becoming a broken tortured wreck of an individual and ending his life as one of the most endearing brave heroes of the whole show. It’s incredible to see how satisfying his arc became in his final moments.
And how fitting is it for him to die defending Bran from the Night King? In the scene, Theon knew what would happen but he charged at the Night King anyway, choosing to stare death in the face and give a middle finger to fear. Needless to say, Reek is no longer meek.
Lyanna Mormont
With the exception of Arya, Lyanna Mormont might be the second MVP of this episode. Young and fierce, she proved why she was not suited for hiding in the crypts as the battle ensued.
In the scene, the undead giant (formerly known as Wun Wun) crashes into Winterfell and smacks her away. As she gathers herself, she charges at the huge creature and the giant grabs her and begins crushing her while pulling Lyanna close.
This was a giant mistake as she puts a dragon glass dagger through the creature’s eye, causing the giant to fall and crumble. It’s a shame the character died but she went out on an extremely high note.
Melisandre
Melisandre was easily the show’s biggest surprise of the night. When she first appears, we half expect her to be the Night King but it’s the Red Woman coming to assist in taking down the Night King’s army using her magic.
She arms the Dothraki army with flaming swords, ignites the trenches in the height of the battle, and show’s Arya that only she has the talents to sneak up on the Night King.
As the battle ends, she removes the piece of magical jewelry that is keeping her young, walks outside the kingdom of Winterfell and slowly ages away into death. She clearly knew her purpose had been served and was ready to cross over in the next realm.
The Night King
Good riddance to this monster! The Night King has fallen and surprisingly by the hands of none other than Arya Stark. Most of us probably would’ve expected it to be Jon Snow but it’s fitting that the sneakiest character in the show was the one able to surprise the Night King.
In his final moments, the Night King kills Theon and slowly approaches Bran to finish the job of erasing the memory of mankind. As the Night King goes for his sword, Arya flies through the air with her dagger but is caught by the neck by the Night King himself. Clever as she is, Arya pretends to drop the dagger, catches it with the other hand, and stabs the Night King, thus destroying him and the entire Army of the Dead in a single blow.
This will probably upset some fans who were hoping to get some answers on the Night King’s identity but maybe it’s best that his identity forever remains a mystery. Either way, what a thrilling finish.
Between the overwhelming battle, the length of the episode, and the death toll, this was a very exhausting episode of Game of Thrones. That said, most of the deaths in the episode were extremely heroic and well done. As Michael Fassbender says in 300, they had “a beautiful death.”
Game of Thrones continues the battle for the Iron Throne every Sunday on HBO at 9/8C.