Some People I Hate Kick the Bucket

6 Biggest Deaths from Season 4 of Game of Thrones

You’d think that Game of Thrones would get tired of killing off characters after the Red Wedding, but it doesn’t. While the War of the Five Kings may be ending, the bloodshed doesn’t, as Season Four sees even more long-standing characters meet their fates. Some of them also happen to be people on my Game of Thrones hate list, too.

Four days remain until the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, and there are more characters who bite it. Let’s look at the six biggest deaths from Season 4 of Game of Thrones.

#6- Locke & Night’s Watch Mutineers, “First of His Name”

Back in Season Three, members of the Night’s Watch staying at Craster’s Keep got fed up with the poor way Craster was treating them. In response, they mutinied and killed Craster and Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. In Season Four, Jon Snow leads a raid on the Keep, killing all the mutineers and free Craster’s daughter-wives. Unknown to all, one of the Night’s Watch members, Locke, was sent to find and kill Bran Stark on behalf of House Bolton, only to have his neck snapped by Bran when he warges into Hodor

The deaths of the mutineers was refreshing, but these deaths were important as a whole for several reasons. By leading the raid, Jon Snow not only proves himself as the leader that Jeor Mormont saw him to be, but avenges his mentor’s death and keeps the traitors form falling into the hands of Mance Rayder or the White Walkers.

Meanwhile, Locke’s death ensures that the continued survival of Bran Stark remains a secret, allowing him to travel northward to be trained by the Three-Eyed Raven.

#5- Ygritte, “The Watchers on The Wall”

Some of the greatest love stories end in tragedy, or so the story goes. While infiltrating the Free Folk, Jon Snow and Ygritte end up falling for each other. That makes it hurt even more for both when Jon chooses his loyalty to the Night’s Watch over love for Ygritte. Despite vowing to kill him during the Battle of Castle Black, Ygritte hesitates when she has the chance, leading her to be killed via arrow by Olly.

Despite being on opposite sides, Jon Snow and Ygritte truly loved each other and were heartbroken over the fact that they may have to kill each other. Jon remains devastated by Ygritte’s death, making it one of the hardest of the many losses he’s experienced throughout the show. It would be years before Jon’s able to move on from her death. Regretably, the next girl he ends up falling for is his (unknowing) Aunt.

#4- Lysa Arryn, “The Mockingbird”

Game of Thrones hasn’t focused that much on the Vale or Lysa Arryn, but it’s clear to everyone that she’s not mentally sound. When she discovers her new husband, Petyr Baelish, kissed her niece, Sansa Stark, Lysa comes close to throwing the poor girl out the Moon Door. While Littlefinger seems to calm her down by pretending to say that he loves her, he reveals that he’s only ever loved her sister, Catelyn Stark. He then proceeds to push Lysa from the Moon Door to her death.

Aside from showing how manipulative Littlefinger can be, Lysa’s death scene reveals one of the biggest mysteries of the show: the death of Jon Arryn. Lysa says that she was the one who posioned her husband, then lied to Catelyn and said the Lannisters were responsible. All of this was done on the orders of Littlefinger himself. Meaning, all the deaths and chaos that have occurred since the start of the show were because of Littlefinger’s machinations. What a jerk.

#3- Oberyn Martell, “The Mountain and the Viper”

You had one job Oberyn, and that was to kill the Mountain. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat for being accused of Joffrey’s assassination, Prince Oberyn Martell volunteers to be his champion against Cersei’s champion, the Mountain. While Oberyn easily gains the upper hand over the Mountain, he lets his desire to hear the man confess to raping and killing his sister, Elia Martell, and her children with Rhaegar Targaryen. As a result, the Mountain crushes his skull like a grape.

Oberyn’s death was one of the most brutal on the show, and that’s saying something. Aside from sentencing Tyrion to death for a crime he didn’t commit, Oberyn’s demise has far-reaching consequences. It practically dooms any hope of an alliance between the Lannisters and Martell, and leads to even greater death and suffering in the following seasons.

#2- Joffrey, “The Lion and the Rose”

After his Uncle and Grandfather secured his place on the Iron Throne, Joffrey solidified his power by marrying Margaery from the powerful House Tyrell. Yet in the midst of his wedding feast, Joffrey started choking to death without any warning. Despite the assistance of those present, Joffrey died in his mother’s arms.

It may have been the start of a new round of bloodshed and carnage, but fans of Game of Thrones practically danced in the streets in celebration. Joffrey was a rare type of villain in fiction: the kind universally despised by the fans. His death sparked an avalanche of memes and reaction videos celebrating the monster’s death. I can’t think of anything else to say, so here’s a reaction video from Sean TankTop on YouTube:

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#1- Tywin Lannister, “The Children”

All his life, Tyrion has been emotionally abused by his cruel father, Tywin Lannister, who refuses to acknowledge any of his merits simply because he’s a dwarf. The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was letting him be framed for the murder of King Joffrey, sentencing him to death, and even turning the woman he loved against him. Pushed to his breaking point, Tyrion escapes and then kills his own father while he’s on the toilet.

I won’t lie, I respected Tywin Lannister a great deal for being one of the smartest characters on the show. For all his success at gathering power, it was his failures as a father that did him in. His death would ultimately cause chaos in King’s Landing and enabled the rise of the Sparrows. Even so, watching the jerk die still put a smile on my face.

Agree with my picks? Send me your best reaction video to Joffrey’s death.

Click here to see my favorite scenes from Season Four.