David Pierdomenico
This weekend will mark the largest battle scene in the history of Television! We’ve been waiting for 8 seasons to see the Night King with his army of the dead face off against Daenerys with her dragons, and all the great warriors of Westeros. But we all know that this wouldn’t be a Game of Thrones episode without the deaths of beloved characters and immense tragedy. But some characters have a better chance than others. So let’s take a look at each character, and what their chances of dying are:
Arya – 1 in 10
While she may not have experience in a large scale battle, Arya’s determination will not let her down. Besides, she’ll remember what we say to the god of death, “Not today!” She’s also a fan favorite and lately the writers haven’t wanted to kill off any of them.
Beric – 1 in 3
He’s been brought back enough times and his powerful faith in the Lord of Light prevents him from having any fear. He’ll easily sacrifice himself to save someone else on the battlefield.
Bran – 1 in 15
He’ll be a great risk since he’s unable to defend himself and being used as bait. But, we haven’t actually seen the Night King or his zombie dragon approaching Winterfell with the rest of the army. Some theorize that he may be headed to King’s Landing to wipe out Cersei. If this holds true, Bran is safer.
Brienne – 1 in 2
She’s such a good and loyal person that fate would cruelly reward her with death. Plus, she’ll be leading her own unit and as beautiful as her knighting by Jamie was, it was pretty much guaranteeing she wouldn’t survive. Sort of like in a war movie, when a soldier shows up a picture of his girl back home and then is killed minutes later.
Daenerys – 1 in 50
We’re not saying that she’s guaranteed to survive until the end of the series, just that her odds of surviving this particular battle are pretty good. Her biggest risk will be an aerial dragon fight with the Night King, but he’ll be busy going after Bran. But if the King’s Landing theory holds true, that won’t be a concern at all.
Davos – 1 in 10
Despite admitting to having no ability on the battle field, Davos does have a knack for survival. It won’t be through his own skills or talents, but rather some fortunate coincidence.
Gendry – 1 in 10
So far he’s been underused, and to kill him now would just sort of feel like wasting his character. Gendry is young and ambitious, and will mostly likely play a role and building a new and better world, assuming the world survives…
Grey Worm – 1 in 5
Much like Brienne, Grey Worm’s immense loyalty makes him just good enough to die a hero. He’ll be leading the Unsullied against the army of the dead, and Winterfell isn’t exactly terrain or climate he’s used to. Plus, he committed the fatal flaw of planning a happy future with Missandei.
The Hound – 1 in 3
He’s one of the most ferocious warriors in Westeros who’s had one of the best redemption arcs of any character. That said, he’ll probably be in the front line, and he’ll be the first to sacrifice himself for Arya or Sansa.
Jaime – 1 in 3
Normally, he’d get better odds, but Jaime himself admitted he’s not the fighter he used to be. So unless they’re giving him a dragonglass hand to fight with, he’ll have some trouble.
Jon – 1 in 50
He’s already been killed once and brought back, to kill him off now would just seem tacky. And this is his kingdom, his fight that he’s been getting everyone else on board with. Plus, he’s the closest thing this series has to a true noble hero. Like Daenerys, he might not survive until the end of the series, but he’ll survive this particular battle.
Jorah – 1 in 25
He’s been exiled, exiled again, captured and forced into the fighting pits, exiled once again, then infected with greyscale. He’s survived a hell of a lot just to get here and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him come out alive once again. Especially in Daenerys ends up on the Iron Throne, it wouldn’t be complete without him by her side!
Lyanna – 1 in 5
She may the fiercest young lady in all of Westeros (even more so than Arya), but when the realities kick in that she’s not exactly a battle test warrior, she may not make it. Especially considering Game of Thrones hasn’t been afraid to kill children in the past (RIP Rickon Stark)
Podrick – 1 in 3
He may have survived the Battle of Blackwater, but he’ll be close to Brienne here and it’s likely they’ll both go down fighting valiantly. Plus GOT has had a history of killing off lovable side characters like him.
Samwell – 1 in 15
“Slayer of White Walkers” indeed! Like Bran, Sam is coming into this fight with a great deal of knowledge. And while he may not be the best warrior, he’s used his brain to save himself before.
Sansa – 1 in 5
She’s grown more than just about any other character from a naïve, trivial teenage girl to a wise and bold noblewoman. As Lady of Winterfell, she’s one of the few characters who doesn’t worship the ground Daenerys walks on, and her boldness just might get her killed, especially if it’s to protect her family.
Theon – 1 in 3
If Bran truly is the bait for the Night King, then Theon will be the direct line of fire. Just like with the Hound and Jamie, he’s seen a pretty significant redemption in the last season and dying to save the boy he once betrayed would make or a poetic and poignant ending for him.
Tormund – 1 in 20
He’s already survived fighting white walkers before, and any man who survives by being nursed by a giant is a legend too cool for death!
Tyrion – 1 in 3
Given that he’s the favorite character of most fans, and he’s regularly tested his plot armor, one might assume he’d have better chances. Especially considering Daenerys ordered him to stay in the crypts with the civilians. However, if the Night King is able to raise the dead down in there, as so many have theorized on the internet, Tyrion and everyone else in the crypts will be doomed!
No matter what happens, Sunday night will be epic, exciting, as well as tragic. But without all this, it wouldn’t be Game of Thrones!
David Pierdomenico is a former History/English Teacher, and a current HR Professional. His dorky passion is an absolute love of film, especially horror and comic book. He is also the author of horror novels Kushtaka and Veritas.
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