A couple of days before the final season of Game of Thrones premiered, we created a poll asking you, the reader, who you think will die in the course of the 6 episodes. Before last night’s final episode, we released another poll asking who you think will sit on the Iron Throne.
Now that Game of Thrones has wrapped up, we’re delivering on our promise of showing you what the viewers expected to happen versus what actually happened. Let’s take a look!
Who Will Die in Game of Thrones Season 8?
Game of Thrones is no stranger to brutal and shocking deaths, so it was safe to assume a lot of characters would meet their end in its final season, irrespective of their status and importance to the fans.
Out of a total of 3,492 votes, here are the characters you thought were most likely to die, in descending order:
- The Mountain – 182 votes (5,21%) – Status: Dead
- Cersei’s unborn baby – 180 votes (5,16%) – Status: Dead
- Cersei Lannister – 174 votes (4,98%) – Status: Dead
- Euron Greyjoy – 172 votes (4,93%) – Status: Dead
- Ice Viserion – 158 votes (4,53%) – Status: Dead
- Melisandre – 153 votes (4,38%) – Status: Dead
- Beric Dondarrion – 152 votes (4,35%) – Status: Dead
- The Night King – 148 votes (4,24%) – Status: Dead
- Ellaria Sand – 144 votes (4,12%) – Status: Uncertain
- Qyburn – 137 votes (3,92%) – Status: Dead
- Ser Ilyn Payne – 137 votes (3,92%) – Status: Uncertain
- Jorah Mormont – 130 votes (3,72%) – Status: Dead
- Theon Greyjoy – 114 votes (3,27%) – Status: Dead
- Dolorous Edd – 113 votes (3,24%) – Status: Dead
- Grey Worm – 113 votes (3,24%) – Status: Alive
- Varys – 110 votes (3,15%) – Status: Dead
- Edmure Tully – 103 votes (2,95%) – Status: Alive
- Yara Greyjoy – 102 votes (2,92%) – Status: Alive
- Jaime Lannister – 102 votes (2,92%) – Status: Dead
- Daario Naharis – 86 votes (2,46%) – Status: Alive
- The Hound – 85 votes (2,43%) – Status: Dead
- Bronn – 78 votes (2,23%) – Status: Alive
- Daenerys Targaryen – 73 votes (2,09%) – Status: Dead
- Rhaegal – 73 votes (2,09%) – Status: Dead
- Tormund Giantsbane – 70 votes (2,01%) – Status: Alive
- Brienne of Tarth – 61 votes (1,75%) – Status: Alive
- Hot Pie – 55 votes (1,58%) – Status: Alive
- Drogon – 55 votes (1,58%) – Status: Alive
- Podrick Payne – 53 votes (1,52%) – Status: Alive
- Bran Stark – 52 votes (1,49%) – Status: Alive
- Jon Snow – 46 votes (1,32%) – Status: Alive
- Sansa Stark – 43 votes (1,23%) – Status: Alive
- Arya Stark – 35 votes (1,00%) – Status: Alive
As you can see from the graph above, most of you nailed your predictions of who is going to die. Some predictions were fairly obvious, such as The Mountain, who got the most votes (182), while others were indeed difficult to believe, such as Arya dying (just 35 votes).
Perhaps one of the most surprising outcomes was Grey Worm’s. Before the Battle of Winterfell, when he and Missandei made plans for a brighter future, everyone was sure he’d never make it out alive. But surprise: he did. However, in true Game of Thrones fashion, his beloved did not, marking another surprising outcome: Missandei’s decapitation by the Mountain.
This was such a surprise for us that she wasn’t even included in the original list, which is why she doesn’t appear on the chart either. The same goes for little Lyanna Mormont, who perished in the Battle of Winterfell doing what she did best: fighting like a badass.
A lot of you also thought Yara was going to die, but since she was barely featured in this season, her death wouldn’t have brought the shock value D&D was looking for. The same goes for Edmure Tully, a character I honestly forgot existed before last night’s episode.
Toward the end of the list, you guys’ predictions became increasingly accurate, in that not many people believed characters such as the Starks, Brienne, Podrick, or Tormund would die, and they didn’t (thank the Lord of Light). We don’t know anything for sure about Ellaria Sand or Ser Ilyn Payne, but there’s a chance they’re dead based on their last known location – King’s Landing.
Who Will Sit on the Iron Throne?
This is a question that has been on our mind for about 10 years, and the last episode of Game of Thrones finally answered it… kind of.
Out of the 432 people who voted, many put their faith in Jon Snow to be the next ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Here’s how you voted in descending order:
- Jon Snow – 107 votes (24,77%)
- No one – 95 votes (21,99%)
- Sansa Stark – 90 votes (20,83%)
- Gendry Baratheon – 33 votes (7,64%)
- Arya Stark – 28 votes (6,48%)
- Tyrion Lannister – 28 votes (6,48%)
- Bran Stark – 28 votes (6,48%) – King of the Six Kingdoms
- Daenerys Targaryen – 14 votes (3,24%)
- Daenerys’ potential unborn child (sometime in the future) – 4 votes (0,93%)
- Samwell Tarly – 3 votes (0,69%)
- Davos Seaworth – 2 votes (0,46%)
According to the information above, 107 people believed Jon Snow would end up on the Iron Throne. If only there was an Iron Throne left to end up on, amirite?
95 people voted for “no one,” as in actually no one, not Jaqen H’ghar or Arya Stark. That is kiiiind of correct if we consider the fact that Drogon burned the Iron Throne so no one can actually sit on it anymore.
However, this doesn’t mean there won’t be a king of the Seven Kingdoms (well, six). And that king is… drumroll please… none other than Bran Stark, who only got 28 votes in our poll, showing that people were definitely not expecting this outcome.
More people seemed to think characters such as Sansa, Arya, Tyrion, or even Gendry Baratheon had more of a chance of ruling the kingdoms than Bran. There was one thing people were mostly right about though, and that’s Daenerys not winning this thing.
Conclusion
So, tell me, what did you think of the Game of Thrones finale? Were you expecting Bran to become the King of the Six Kingdoms? Would you have wanted someone else to take on that role?
What about the people who died? Are there any deaths you truly regret or people you wish would’ve died but didn’t? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments!
Andreea Voicu
Executive Editor
If you were to look for me most days of the week, you would find me either in front of my laptop watching TV shows, or reading a book with my cats beside me.
I enjoy keeping up-to-date with TV shows and movies that strive to provide positive and accurate representations of different aspects of society and groups of people. Moreover, I am a geek at heart when it comes to franchises like Harry Potter and Star Wars. If you think I own too many Harry Potter bits and bobs, you’re definitely right.
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