Most shocking deaths in ‘Game of Thrones’

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19. Maester Luwin While trying to save Theon, Maester Luwin was fatally wounded by Dagmer during an attack on Winterfell. Dying in the Godswood, Luwin declared his loyalty to the Starks and nodded to Osha to put him out of his misery. Graceful.

17. Mirri Maz Duur Let’s face it. After giving Khal Drogo a fatal illness, the witch had to burn. Her fiery death also set up the brilliant Season 1 finale as Daenerys Targaryen emerged from the fire with baby dragons on her shoulders.

16. Kraznys Mo Nakloz Speaking of dragons, who can forget this one? Daenerys Targaryen arrived to trade one of her dragons, only to unleash its fire-breathing potential, killing Kraznys Mo Nakloz and freeing the slaves of the Unsullied Army.

15. Ser Rodrik Cassel In one of the more gruesome deaths in the show, Ser Rodrik Cassel died during the fall of Winterfell at the end of Season 2. Why was it so gruesome? Because his neck was so thick. Need we say more?

13. Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane After “The Hound” fell off the cliff, Arya robbed him and left him to die, as he shouted pathetically after her.

12. Ros
Cupid may shoot love arrows, but when you’re a hooker in “Game of Thrones,” you get used as target practice for Joffrey’s arrows in Season 3.

11. Ygritte Speaking of deadly arrows, Ygritte had her crossbow drawn on Jon Stark in a pivotal moment in Season 4. When she hesitated — due to feelings for him — she took a fatal arrow to the back. Fittingly, Jon Stark took her body beyond The Wall for a funeral pyre, recognizing her feelings toward him.

10. Syrio Forel Few relationships were as beloved in Season One as Young Arya and her fight instructor Syrio Forel. When he scarified himself to save her, it ripped our hearts out.

9. Renly Baratheon The death of Robert’s youngest brother, Renly, was so shocking because it was the most supernatural, as he was killed by Melisandre’s shadow baby. It’s this sort of creature that makes fans love the series and detractors roll their eyes, a la the Smoke Monster from “Lost.”

8. Viserys Targaryen We loved Daenerys Targaryen from the start, but hated her spoiled brat of a brother. So we cheered when Khal Drogo poured molten gold over his head, allowing him to wear a different crown.

7. Shae Shae may have betrayed Tyrion in the courtroom, but he certainly got his revenge. After breaking out of prison, he found her in his father’s bed, then proceeded to strangle her with a chain.

6. Tywin Lannister After strangling Shae with the chain, Tyrion next encountered his father, Tywin Lannister. Ask John Travolta in “Pulp Fiction” or the lawyer in “Jurassic Park” — sitting on the john is a horrible way to go.

5. Oberyn Martell After the infamous Season 4 poison, Tyrion’s fate hung in the balance as Gregor Clegane (The Mountain) and Prince Oberyn (The Red Viper) squared off in a skull-crushing battle that remains hard to shake.

4. Khal Drogo The “Sun and Stars” Dothraki romance between Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo carried much of Season One, until he was sickened by a witch’s spell. Unable to move or speak, Daenerys had to put him out of his misery, smothering him with a pillow like Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

3. Joffrey Baratheon After hating him for four long seasons, the little brat King Joffrey finally got his due, foaming from the mouth after drinking poisoned wine in the Purple Wedding. Has there been a more hated TV character in recent memory? Good riddance.

2. The Red Wedding Episode 9 of Season Three was technically called “The Rains of Castamere,” but everyone knows it as “The Red Wedding.” The bloody massacre not only claimed the life of one main character — Robb Stark — we also had to watch his pregnant wife Talisa stabbed to death in the belly and his mother Catelyn get her throat slit. As if that wasn’t enough, Robb’s direwolf Grey Wind was also killed. Never has a single moment of television robbed us of so many major characters all at once — and sent social media into a frenzy.

1. Ned Stark The Red Wedding could easily be No. 1, but we’re topping the list with the unexpected beheading of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) at the end of Season One. It wasn’t nearly as bloody as the Red Wedding, nor was the body count as high. Joffrey’s demise could also be No. 1 for its satisfying nature, but our very hatred of Joffrey began with his execution of Ned Stark. Most importantly, the beheading set the tone that anyone — and we mean anyone — could go at any time. It would be as if Tony Soprano, Walter White or Don Draper got whacked in the very first season. The beheading instantly joined Janet Leigh’s “Psycho” shower among history’s most shocking moments of main character demises. Sorry Ned, we hardly knew you.