The hit television show Game of Thrones ended last year with a season that greatly divided fans. A lot of the choices made by the creators, producers, writers, and others involved with the story rubbed most audience members the wrong way, leaving them unsatisfied after each episode.
That isn’t to say that everything about the final season, or Game of Thrones as a whole, was unsatisfactory. The large cast of characters met a variety of fates which came from a combination of the characters’ luck and skill as well as what the writers felt was necessary for the story. So, some characters got fitting endings, while others did not, as touched upon in an earlier published article. Even so, here are five more characters who did receive fitting endings and five more characters who deserved better endings.
Fitting Ending: Yara Greyjoy
Yara Greyjoy was the daughter of Balon, the Lord of the Iron Islands. She was trained in military combat and by the events of the series, commanded her own fleet. She and Theon both vied for the claim to succeed their father, though their father believed that Yara was more deserving of the title because of her leadership and military skills.
After the death of Theon and her uncle Euron in the final season, Yara was the last living Greyjoy and was named Lady of the Iron Islands, a title that she more than earned throughout the series.
Deserved More: Gendry
Gendry was the bastard son of Robert Baratheon who was sent to join the Night’s Watch. On his journey, he met Arya Stark and subsequently bonded and developed feelings for her. The two ended up sleeping together the night before the Battle of Winterfell and Gendry later proposed to her after being legitimized as a Baratheon and she turned him down.
Gendry was able to maintain his new status as a legitimate Baratheon, which he deserved. What he did not deserve is falling for Arya when she would inevitably not reciprocate his feelings. The two were great as friends, and Gendry deserved an arc that maintained their friendship, rather than getting his heart broken.
Fitting Ending: Jorah Mormont
Jorah Mormont was the son of Jeor Mormont and was exiled by Ned Stark for illegally selling poachers as slaves. He eventually joined Daenerys Targaryen in her quest to reclaim the Iron Throne. At first, he did so in order to conspire to have her killed, but he later changed his ways and fell in love with Dany.
Jorah was killed by White Walkers in the Battle of Winterfell protecting his Queen. Because of the close bond he had with Dany as well as his unreciprocated romantic feelings toward her, it is fitting that he would die in battle while protecting her.
Deserved More: Missandei
Missandei started out as a slave and was freed by Daenerys. Upon being freed, Missandei chose to remain with Dany on her quest to win back the Iron Throne. Missandei showed loyalty to Dany throughout the series, even when Dany showed her capability for cruelty.
Missandei started out timid and unsure of herself. By the final season, she had grown confident and strong to the point of standing by Dany, even in the face of death. She was killed by The Mountain on the orders of Cersei for not renouncing Dany. While the reason for which she was killed is fitting for her character, she of all of Dany’s eventual followers deserved a long, happy, and peaceful life after a life of slavery and war.
Deserved More: Daario Naharis
Daario Naharis was temporarily Danaerys’s love interest while she still ruled directly over Meereen in the land of Essos. In the sixth season, in which he makes his final appearance, he confesses to Dany his love for her. This does not stop her from setting out to Westeros in order to reclaim the Iron Throne, and she leaves him to rule Meereen in her stead.
As mentioned above, the sixth season is the last viewers see of Daario, with little mention of him as the series continues into its seventh and eighth seasons. Daario deserved more screen time and deserved to fight alongside Dany in the battles that ensued in the final season.
Deserved More: Lyanna Mormont
Lyanna Mormont was the head of her house, even though she was still a child. She was fierce, independent, and strong, and she was unafraid to speak her mind. She ensured that House Mormont never wavered in their loyalty to the Starks and was the one to proclaim Jon as King in the North. She insisted on being trained in military tactics as she believed that girls and boys should have the same opportunities to do so.
She was killed during the Battle of Winterfell by an ice giant, but she did not go down without a fight. She took down the giant with her. Like Missandei’s death, her death was fitting for the character, but she deserved to live to see the North gain independence and grow up to be a strong leader for House Mormont.
Fitting Ending: The Hound
The Hound, also known as Sandor Clegane, had a complicated character arc and even more complicated past. He originally was depicted as working for the Lannisters in a similar capacity to his brother Gregor, or The Mountain. However, the relationship between The Hound and The Mountain is beyond sibling rivalry.
The Hound was bent on revenge on his brother for sticking his face in a fire when they were both kids. During Danaerys’s siege of King’s Landing, the two brothers had a final confrontation in which Sandor threw himself and Gregor into a fire several stories below where they were in the Red Keep. The brothers were equally matched, meaning it makes sense that they both die after finally confronting each other.
Deserved More: Lord Varys
While Lord Varys is a morally ambiguous character at best, viewers still found him much more likable than Littlefinger. He, like Littlefinger, kept tabs on every one of importance in King’s Landing and beyond. Unlike Littlefinger, he claimed to be doing so for the good of Westeros. He stuck by this claim until his death.
He was killed by Drogon on Daenerys’s command after Tyrion Lannister revealed Varys plotting to instate Jon on the Iron Throne over her. Even though people are generally aware of Varys’s doings, he is generally more discreet and should have been wiser than to include Tyrion in his plot to circumvent Daenerys.
Fitting Ending: Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger)
Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, was quickly established as a sleazy, two-faced character after betraying Ned Stark’s trust and siding with Cersei Lannister and Joffrey Baratheon. He was one of the least likable characters on the show.
After Bran Stark revealed Baelish’s true nature to his sisters Sansa and Arya, the former of whom was standing in as Lady of Winterfell, Baelish was put on trial for his crimes and then executed. Even with mixed feelings about the overall writing of the final season, Game of Thrones fans was glad to see Littlefinger be killed and agreed he truly deserved his fate.
Fitting Ending: Theon Greyjoy
Theon Greyjoy had a rocky character arc and spent much of his time figuring out his place in the world and who his true family was. He made many mistakes along the way, burning bridges and seeking familial relationships with the wrong people.
He eventually found his way back to the Starks, who ended up being his true family. He started to redeem himself by rescuing Sansa from Ramsay Bolton. His redemption arc ended with him being killed while defending Bran against the Night King. His death was the perfect way to end his redemption arc, showing that he had truly grown as a character, truly wanted to redeem himself, and had accepted his fate.
Next: 10 Quotes From Game Of Thrones That Will Stick With Us Forever
