Game of Thrones is on its last legs, literally. The show’s penultimate episode delivered a visual feast of gore, destruction, death, and character assassination. But enough of the discourse, let’s talk more about the deaths. One death that hit particularly hard this week was the bad boy of Westeros – equal parts scummy, dirty, pirate, cartoon, sexy (I said it!), dramatic, and terrible – Euron Greyjoy.
Throughout its run, Game of Thrones has had a formidable pantheon of villains, though none as completely hammy and over-the-top as Euron. Joffrey was evil; Ramsey was cruel and evil; Cersei was smart and evil; and Euron was both evil and silly, and relished every treacherous deed more than the last. His commitment to villainy and telling people about how bad he was should be celebrated.
Euron wasn’t particularly sympathetic as a character – he imprisoned Yara, mercilessly mocked Theon, annoyed the hell out of Cersei, and shouted at just about everyone within earshot. While Euron was canonically a bad guy, he was genuinely fun to watch. His way with words was ineloquent. He spoke lazily but with purpose, tossing off insults left and right and self-aggrandizing at every turn. He really wanted to be a king, to be in charge of people, and to have someone to listen to him at all times. Honestly, that last aspect of Euron is pretty relatable.
Besides murdering a dragon and boning Cersei, Euron didn’t have a ton to do this season. But his presence was felt every time he sauntered crotch-first into a scene. Whether you loved his particular brand of dirtbag or you hated his smug face every time he spoke, Euron definitely left his mark on Game of Thrones. Despite doing some truly awful things in his tenure, he was good for a laugh or a fight. And even at the end of his life, he was doing what he loved to do best: taunting his enemies about who he had most recently had sex with. And claiming premature victory; he did that too. Euron, you weren’t too good for this world. You were too much for this world. And for that, we thank you.
Featured Image: HBO