The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Game of Thrones season eight, episode three, “The Long Night.” Please use caution going forward. There are many, many spoilers.
“The Long Night” was the longest episode of Game of Thrones yet, and the Battle of Winterfell sure felt interminable. The living were badly outnumbered and severely outmatched. Still, things didn’t go to badly for our heroes, all things considered. (And All Kings Considered.) You can check out the full list of who lived and died here. Below, we’re gonna get more specific about the deaths by ranking them all. Because why not?
Last Chance to Avoid Spoilers!!!
So, not that many people died in the Battle of Winterfell. Of our heroes, only six died. Every death is a good death, but let’s go ahead and rank them for the fun of it.
7. The Night King, et al
Not so big and bad now, are ya? All you had to do to win was walk a little faster. But no, the Night King got bested by the admittedly amazing Arya Stark. With him went all the White Walkers, and with them went the entire army of the dead. Lame.
6. Lyanna Mormont
Lady Lyanna Mormont proved herself a formidable warrior and a keen leader. Since her first appearance, she’s been an unexpected pillar of strength in the North. But pretty much anyone will tell you, don’t just stand in the middle of a battlefield when a giant is headed your way. Yes, she did get to kill a wight giant but she was already crushed to death at that point.
5. Dolorous Edd
Somebody had to die first, just a shame it was as stalwart a brother as Edd. He saved the in-over-his-head Sam from certain doom, but immediately suffered a back stab thereafter. He was a wight for two seconds, so that’s pretty cool at least.
4. Beric Dondarrion
I don’t think anyone in Westeros expected Beric Dondarrion to last as long as he did. Without Thoros to bring him back to life, his days were numbered anyway. At least he got to help save Arya from a library full of wights, and restore the Hound’s sense of duty in the process. That was a good move. We can almost say if not for Beric, Arya wouldn’t have killed the Night King.
3. Jorah Mormont
Not a great week to be a Mormont. Jorah has wanted to die for his queen for eight seasons now, and he finally got to do it. He fought valiantly to protect her on an open battlefield, surrounded by the dead. He’s a true hero and a brave ally. His death was written, but it’s a miracle he survived up to that point; he was on that first ill-fated Dothraki charge.
2. Theon Greyjoy
Theon had much to atone for: He betrayed his surrogate family, sacked his home, left Bran and Rickon for dead years ago. Still, Bran tells Theon he’s a good man and all of his actions led him here. In a battle where hundreds fought bravely, Theon perhaps fought braver than the rest. He managed to hold off the army of the dead for almost the entire battle. When his arrows ran out and the rest of his team died, he swung a spear like Bran’s life depended on it. Ultimately, Theon made a final charge and got killed by the Night King. As far as deaths go, that’s a pretty great one.
1. Melisandre
Number one with a bullet. Melisandre was not only the MVP of the episode, but got to go out like a boss. We hadn’t seen the Red Woman since season seven’s third episode. She came to Winterfell on foot and did all she could to help the living win. From magically setting the Dothraki weapons ablaze to lighting the trench on fire when Daenerys the Queen of Dragons couldn’t, Melisandre was clutch. And she ultimately gave Arya the confidence—maybe even the foreknowledge—to kill the Night King and end the war. So what’s a formerly sinister witch to do when all that’s done? She walks off into the sunrise, casting off her magic necklace and allowing her true age to take her. Hell of a send-off.
This is our ranking of the main deaths in the halfway point for Game of Thrones‘ final season. Do you agree? Let us know your ranking in the comments below!
Images: HBO
Kyle Anderson is the Editor at Large for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!