Skip To Content
BuzzFeed Homepage
Sign In
Search BuzzFeed

    Every "Game Of Thrones" Character, Ranked From "Definitely Dying" To "Only Maybe Dying"

    If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    The final season of Game of Thrones is upon us, and with it comes the inevitable deaths of many iconic characters.

    HBO

    This show has never been shy about killing off key players (I still haven’t recovered from Lady’s death in Season 1, tbh), and with the Night King breaking into Westeros with his Army of the Dead in the Season 7 finale, it’s only a matter of time before he claims some of our faves. So to keep from screaming/sobbing in the lead up to the season, here are my (totally subjective and probably entirely wrong) predictions about who is most likely to die, and who might actually make it out of this alive...

    42. The Mountain

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Zero

    He’s already died once, and the promo for Season 8 has teased Cleganebowl (a fan-predicted epic battle between the Clegane siblings). The Hound has to finally put an end to his evil zombie brother – it’s the only conclusion to either of their arcs that makes any sense.

    41. Ser Beric Dondarrion

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Zero

    Like the Mountain, Beric has already died once...or twice or six times. His handy fire priest Thoros of Myr is no longer around to bring him back, and I doubt Melisandre will be wasting her energy on him. I foresee Beric going down swinging with his sword ablaze, taking as many wights with him as possible.

    40. Cersei Lannister

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Extremely low

    Cersei is one of the few characters still obsessed with the ~game of thrones~, with little regard for the RELENTLESS UNDEAD ARMY approaching. She was pregnant when we last saw her in Season 7, but I reckon she’ll lose the baby, lose the rest of her sanity, and finally, lose her life. I’m betting it will be either Jaime or Arya who gets her in the end.

    39. Ser Jaime Lannister

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Extremely low

    Jaime at last stumbled upon some character growth at the end of Season 7 and broke away from Cersei to ride North. We saw him fighting in the Battle of Winterfell in the Season 8 trailer, and we know some heroes are definitely gonna die in that fight. But I’d like to see him at least stick around long enough to get closure on his arc with Cersei (like, say, killing her before dying himself).

    38. Euron Greyjoy

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Extremely low

    Ugh, this guy. He’s such a late arrival to the show and frankly adds nothing to the plot. Theon will surely complete his redemption arc by killing old Uncle Euron. Otherwise what was even the point of him?

    37. Qyburn

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Extremely low

    Once Cersei’s gone, Qyburn will follow. And good riddance to him, too!

    36. Melisandre

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Extremely low

    Melisandre has already predicted her own death, so it’s definitely coming. It will be interesting to see whether she’ll be able to confirm who exactly the prince that was promised is before she kicks the bucket.

    35. Rhaegal

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very low

    This pains me to say, but I think the likelihood of any dragons surviving this season isn’t very high. Out of the two living dragons left, Rhaegal is definitely the most ~disposable~, plot-wise. I mean, I hope I’m wrong – I want to see those big fire puppies live – but I doubt it.

    34. Ser Jorah Mormont

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very low

    Next to banging his Khaleesi, I feel like Jorah’s greatest wish is to die for her. And I think he’s going to get exactly that wish at some point this season. Sad.

    33. Lord Varys

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very low

    Melisandre predicted Varys’ death as well as her own, so things aren’t looking great for the Spider. He’s also one of the last surviving members of the old Baratheon court, which has been slowly but surely crumbling over the course of the last seven seasons. He’s a goner.

    32. Drogon

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very low

    I (regrettably) repeat: the dragons are not surviving this season. If any of them have a chance, of course, it’s Drogon. But it’s still not a high chance.

    31. Ghost

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very low

    This show has killed so many direwolves and we DO NOT DESERVE to see any more of them die. But we will. We know Ghost is coming back this season, and he’ll probably fight in the Battle of Winterfell, and he’ll totally die. And I will be utterly wrecked.

    30. The Night King

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low

    I swear to the old gods and the new, if the Night King isn’t defeated by the end of Season 8, I will riot. RIOT! But look, there is a chance he’ll be victorious – or at least go back into hibernation or wherever the hell he’s been for the last thousand-odd years. I don’t like it, but I have to acknowledge it.

    29. Qhono

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low

    Qhono is the most prominent member of the Dothraki left. That means his chances of surviving are not good, to be frank. It’d be pretty messed up if Daenerys dragged all the Dothraki to Westeros only for them to be wiped out in the various battles – but it wouldn’t be the first time her plot has been pretty messed up.

    28. The Hound

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low

    Cleganebowl confirmed, GET HYPE!!! And it will probably result in the deaths of both Clegane brothers. But the Hound will last a little longer than the Mountain – enough time to claim satisfaction in his victory, at least.

    27. Grey Worm

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low

    This one really hurts. The trailer made a point of highlighting Grey Worm and Missandei kissing goodbye (emphasis on the goodbye) before he prepares to fight the Night King’s army. I will be (happily) surprised if our fave Unsullied makes it through the Battle of Winterfell.

    26. Yara Greyjoy

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low to medium

    Yara is currently in Euron’s clutches, but I don’t think she’s dead yet. Theon has to have the chance to redeem himself by saving her, after all. I think he could be successful. But I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

    25. Eddison Tollett

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low to medium

    Bless Dolorous Edd, the most unexpected Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. And probably the last Lord Commander, too. The Night’s Watch is unlikely to exist by the time the Night King is done – at least in its current form (which is a shadow of its former self in the first place). It would be kind of hilarious and great if Edd did survive, though.

    24. Tormund Giantsbane

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low to medium

    Tormund is one of the last wildlings, which is really, well, wild. As fierce a fighter as he is, I think he’s perhaps one of the more disposable heroes in the grand scheme of things, which makes him a contender for death before the season is over.

    23. Theon Greyjoy

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low to medium

    As I’ve already said, I think Theon will get his redemption arc and kill Euron, perhaps saving Yara in the process. And I’m guessing he’ll probably die not long after that. I can’t really see him returning to the Iron Islands or even Winterfell to live out a peaceful life after everything that’s happened.

    22. Nymeria

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Low to medium

    The likelihood of any of the magical creatures making it out of the season alive is very low, but Nymeria might just be the one to do it. She’s made it on her own (well, with her wolf pack) in the wild since Season 1, after all. Maybe, just maybe, she can make it out of the Night King’s clutches too.

    21. Daenerys Targaryen

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Daenerys is smack bang in the middle of this ranking because there’s a really high chance she’ll die – and an equally high chance she’ll survive. Confusing, I know! But basically I’m really torn about her fate. I feel like there’s no way both she and Jon Snow – arguably the two leads of the show – can survive. Either both of them will die, or one of them will live and have to mourn the other. If it’s the latter, I’d say Jon has slightly more chance of being the one who survives. Imagine how emo he would be! Talk about bittersweet. Although if Dany dies in childbirth, I will be FURIOUS.

    20. Jon Snow

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Jon is in the middle for the exact same reasons as Dany. He’ll probably die! But also maybe he will live? Like, it’ll be tragic if he has to sacrifice himself to defeat the Night King, just when he found the will to live (and love) again. But it’d perhaps be even more ~bittersweet~ if he lost everything he’d been fighting for and had to live out his days alone. I don’t know, I don’t know, all I know is I am STRESSED.

    19. Harry Strickland

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Harry Strickland is truly a wild card. He’s the leader of the Golden Company – the army of sellswords Euron is fetching from Essos for Cersei – and we got a glimpse of him in the trailer. Who knows where he’ll end up this season. Maybe he’ll fight Jon and Dany, maybe he’ll turn on Cersei, maybe he’ll run scared from the Night King. It’s hard to care at this point tbh.

    18. Podrick Payne

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Pod!! He must survive!! But also he probably won’t. He’s another, er, less important hero whose death would pack a conveniently emotional punch. Then again, he could surprise us all – just like he did that time in the brothel...

    17. Bran Stark

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Bran’s weird Three Eyed Raven powers and his connection with the Night King have GOT to come into play in a big way this season. Surely it wasn’t all just so he could reveal that Jon is banging his aunt? I mean, I don’t believe Bran is the Night King as some do, but I also think he’ll be key to defeating him – perhaps by sacrificing his own life.

    16. Yohn Royce

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    He’s the leader of the Knights of the Vale, who we know from the trailer are fighting the Army of the Dead at the Battle of Winterfell. The only reason he’s got a higher chance of surviving than some of the others is because frankly not many people would really care if he died.

    15. Gendry

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Listen. If they bring back Gendry and have him reunite with Arya just in time for him to be killed off, I will scream. But the writers kind of just forgot Gendry’s existence until he was needed for convenient plot purposes again, so I’m hoping that means they’ll just, like, forget to murder him. Lol.

    14. Arya Stark

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Arya is one of the deadliest characters on the show. But the fact that even SHE is running scared from the wights in the trailer has me very, very concerned. Unless, of course, she’s setting up a trap, like that time she tricked the Waif. I wouldn’t put it past our little murder child. On the other hand, I think death would be a weirdly (and heartbreakingly) perfect way for Arya’s story to end. Of course, I’d be much happier if she got to sail off (row off with Gendry?) into the sunset and find out was was west of Westeros instead. But this show has never cared about any of our happiness, so.

    13. Robin Arryn

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Remember Robin Arryn? Lord of the Vale? You know, the one who fed off his mother’s boob until he was far, far too old to do so? Yeah, he’s still alive! And he’s coming back this season! Like Yohn Royce, I feel like Robin might survive purely because no one would really care if he died. And SOME characters have to live. Right? Right?!

    12. Missandei

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    There’s no way both Missandei and Grey Worm are making it out of this alive. But Missandei has more chance, considering she won’t be in the battle herself. At least, I don’t think she will. Missandei deserves to live and be free and return home to Naath. Unfortunately, good characters often do not get what they deserve on this damn show (why are we all watching it again???).

    11. Bronn

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium

    Bronn is a survivor. He switches sides more than he changes his undies. Who knows, maybe he’ll even see the Night King coming and volunteer to fight for him, just in the hopes of getting an ice castle. But I could also see Bronn going out fighting, with one last witty one-liner thrown in for good measure.

    10. Brienne of Tarth

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium to high

    Brienne did NOT come this far to be murdered by the freaking Night King. Or Cersei. Or anyone else, for that matter. Here’s what I hope happens: she gets to reunite with Jaime, they get closure, she mourns his inevitable death, and she survives and lives out her days serving Sansa (more on her in a sec) and/or Jon and Dany’s baby (more on THAT in a sec). If any of the warriors are going to survive, Brienne will.

    9. Edmure Tully

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium to high

    Last we heard of Edmure, he was rotting away in Walder Frey’s dungeon. Presumably he’s found freedom since Arya murdered all the Freys. He will be back for Season 8, probably to bring the remnants of the Tully army to fight against the Army of the Dead. He’s another character that, in the twisted world of this show, is just not important enough to die.

    8. Lyanna Mormont

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium to high

    Can you imagine if they killed off Lyanna Mormont, everyone’s favourite pre-teen? Then there really would be riots. There’s no doubt her death would make an impact, and for that reason I can’t entirely rule it out. But I mean, there’s no way they’d really do that, right? Oh wait, I just remembered Shireen...shit.

    7. Tyrion Lannister

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Medium to high

    Maybe Tyrion will get his dream of retiring and running his own vineyard. Maybe he will die a fiery and painful death. Here’s my current fave theory, though: Tyrion and Sansa will reconnect and rule Westeros together as regents while raising Jon and Dany’s orphaned baby to be a smart and good king or queen. I know, I know, it probably won’t happen. But I can’t help feeling like Tyrion will make it through this yet.

    6. Sansa Stark

    HBO

    Chance of survival: High

    Everyone has underestimated her since day one – including most of the audience. It would be so incredibly satisfying if Sansa, out of all the Starks, is the one who lives and thrives (not that I’d be satisfied if ANY of them die, but you know what I mean). Maybe she’ll be Lady of Winterfell, or Queen in the North. Perhaps she’ll be regent, as I mentioned – or maybe she’ll even sit on the Iron Throne (or whatever’s left in its place) herself. Whatever happens, I’m not betting against her.

    5. Boatsex Baby

    HBO

    Chance of survival: High

    Okay, so we all agree that Dany is definitely pregnant with Jon’s baby, yes? Yes. I think that baby will actually be important to defeating the Night King. The song of ice and fire, the prince that was promised, and all that jazz. I don’t know how it will work, but somehow it will. And one or both of the baby’s parents will die in the process. But the kid will live. Talk about bittersweet.

    4. Ser Davos Seaworth

    HBO

    Chance of survival: High

    I could be way off, but I’ve got a good feeling in my gut about old Ser Davos. I can see him joining Tyrion and Sansa and helping to raise Boatsex Baby. Just look at how he bonded with Lyanna, and Shireen before her. He’s good with kids. It would be a satisfying ending to his arc, and to the show in general.

    3. Baby Sam

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very high

    There’s a theory floating around that the Night King is actually after baby Sam, and that’s why he’s in Westeros. After all, Sam was meant to be sacrificed to the Night King after Gilly gave birth to him – that’s why she ran away with Sam Senior in the first place. It makes a lot of sense, but I don’t really see the big turning point of the show revolving around such a minor character (sorry, baby Sam). I also don’t see them killing him off...but I’d never say never.

    2. Gilly

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Very high

    Gilly is underappreciated by many, including old mate Samwell. But she’s made it this far, and I think she’s got a good chance of seeing this thing through. If anyone’s going to wind up with a happy, solid family at the end of all this, it’s Sam, Gilly and baby Sam. The true underdogs of the whole show.

    1. Samwell Tarly

    HBO

    Chance of survival: Extremely high

    When Sam was first introduced, you never would have thought he was the character most likely to survive, right? Maybe you still don’t. But I do. Sam is smart, he mostly stays out of the fighting – but can kill a White Walker or two if he needs to – and he’d have an important part to play in the future of Westeros, whatever that may be. While I don’t quite buy the idea that the camera will pull back at the end to reveal Sam is writing down A Song of Ice and Fire – he was telling the story the whole time! – I do think he’ll be one of the last ones standing. If not the sole survivor.

    What do you think? Did I get it right? Am I totally wrong? Sound off on your thoughts and theories in the comments, or @ me on Twitter!