The One Game of Thrones Death Scene That Will Go Down in TV History
Game of Thrones established itself very early on as "that show."
The show where you never know who will die next. It prompted new fans to be warned by old fans to not get too attached to anyone.
Some deaths brought anger, some relief, some heartbreak, and some were so sad that the audience could barely cope. But which death was the saddest of them all? There were many strong contenders in the discussion on Reddit.
Ned Stark seemed the obvious choice, given that his death was shocking and unexpected. It also left his wife a widow and his children without a father.
To make matters worse, Ned was a good, decent man, who died purely for doing what was right. But his was surprisingly, not the saddest death according to fans.
Ser Jorah Mormont who died protecting Daenerys got a mention, as did Tommen and Myrcella Lannister. Lady Walda and her baby were also strong contenders, along with Robb Stark and Oberyn Martell, due to the savagery of their murders.
Robb's mother Catelyn and wife Talisa who also perished at the infamous Red Wedding were put forward as suggestions. And of course, Hodor, the lovable giant who gave his life to save Bran Stark and his friends.
Fans also held a soft spot for several non-human characters that lost their lives. Lady, Shaggydog, Grey Wind, and Summer, four of the six dire wolves owned by the Stark children and Jon Snow, along with Dany's two ill-fated dragons brought strong reactions from the audience.
But when all is said and done, one death above all others tore the fanbase to shreds in agony as far and away the saddest of all. Princess Shireen Baratheon.
It is clear why Shireen's death hit fans the hardest. She was a sweet, innocent child with such an unfailingly kind and loving nature. She was gentle and adored her parents.
Some of the scenes with her and Ser Davos are the most beloved in the show. That all came to a horrifying end when her parents burned her alive on the instruction of Melisandre, to appeal to the Lord of Light to aid Stannis in victory.
Shireen's screams of terror, pain, and disbelief as she burned to death while her parents looked on are the stuff of nightmares. How any parent could do that to their child defies the imagination.
Her mother committed suicide shortly afterward, unable to live with the guilt of what she had done. And to make a devastating situation even worse, Shireen's father, Stannis, didn't even win the Game of Thrones.
So, not only was her death tragic and appalling, it was for nothing.