Warning: Major "Game of Thrones" season 8 spoilers ahead.
When you play the game of thrones, you’ll probably die.
The series’ eighth and final season took the lives of more than a dozen of the characters we grew to love, thanks largely to the battles at Winterfell and King’s Landing.
Below, a look back at the players who met the God of Death in "Game of Thrones" season 8.
Episode 6: One victim
Daenerys Targaryen
Many fans knew this death was inevitable after the Battle of King’s Landing. The Mother of Dragons used her power to leave the city in ashes, essentially fulfilling the "mad" Targaryen prophecy. Dany meets her end in the arms of her lover, Jon Snow, who betrays her with a knife through the chest after much persuading by Tyrion.
Episode 5: Seven victims
Cersei Lannister
Perhaps the biggest death of season 8 to date came in the form of Cersei’s Shakespeare-esque final moments. Watching Dany take down King’s Landing on the back of Drogon, Cersei tried to flee the Red Keep and fell into the arms of her loving twin brother, Jaime. A panicked Cersei clutched Jaime close as the Red Keep tumbled down upon them both. The moment was fitting for the pair, but less satisfying for fans who hoped to see Arya stark cross Cersei off her list firsthand.
Jaime Lannister
Jaime lands on the list for meeting his demise with his one true love. Sorry, Brienne.
Qyburn
It’s fitting the maester met his end at the hands of the monster he created. The Mountain shoved Qyburn down the steps of King’s Landing after seeing The Hound. He died instantly from the impact, in a pretty anticlimactic death.
Sandor Clegane
This King’s Landing death couldn’t be avoided. The long-awaited Cleganebowl proved The Hound couldn’t defeat his Frankenstein-esque brother, The Mountain, without tumbling down with him. The Hound got his epic battle moment — a head-to-head match that played out on the steps of the Red Keep while King’s Landing fell to rubbish behind them.
Gregor Clegane
The Mountain seemingly couldn’t be killed by sword, despite The Hound’s best efforts. In the fifth episode’s second paired death, the brothers tumbled down into the flames together.
Euron Greyjoy
Dubbed the "Dane Bowl" by HBO, Euron died in a twisted love battle for Cersei against Jaime. At the request of actor Pilou Asbæk, we didn’t actually see Euron die. Instead, the bloody Greyjoy held his wounds and cried up into the sky his last words, "I’m the man who killed Jaime Lannister." Not exactly, Euron.
Varys
Lord Varys was the first to die in the penultimate episode. After trying to poison Dany and spread the word of Jon Snow’s true lineage, the Mother of Dragons showed no mercy and ordered his execution.
Episode 4: Two victims
Missandei
Missandei’s death was a tipping point. Cersei refused to call a truce with the North and beheaded Missandei, a chained prisoner, in front of Grey Worm, Dany and Tyrion. Her last word, "dracarys," seemingly foreshadowed Dany’s reaction to the death of her closest companion. One of the purest hearts in "Game of Thrones" was robbed of her happy ending.
Rhaegal
Euron’s superpowered scorpions nearly took out the Targaryen fleet ahead of the King’s Landing battle. With one swift shot, he killed Rhaegal, leaving Dany with only one of her three dragons.
Episode 3: Eight victims
Melisandre
So, the Red Woman had a purpose after all. A major player in the battle against the Night King’s army, Melisandre removed her magical necklace and turned to ash outside the walls of Winterfell following the defeat of the Night King. The Lord of the Light was probably proud.
The Night King
As it turned out, the biggest threat to the Seven Kingdoms wasn’t exactly near-impossible to kill. Just as it seemed the North had lost nearly all of its resources in the battle against the Night King, Arya swooped in and showed off her House of Black and White skills by stabbing the leader with a Valyrian dagger. The moment alone was epic, but the dagger carried a higher meaning. It was the same one that was intended to be used to kill Bran, which kicked off much of the "Game of Thrones" drama in season 1.
Viserion
Dany’s dragon turned Night King weapon broke to a million teeny pieces, along with the rest of the army of the dead, when the Night King was defeated. Thanks, Arya.
Jorah Mormont
Jorah was one of several members of the North’s army who didn’t make it out of the Winterfell war alive. We can only imagine Jorah himself would be satisfied with his ending, which came while giving his all to defend Daenerys from the wights.
Theon Greyjoy
Theon redeemed himself in his final moments, charging full force ahead to fight the Night King in Bran’s defense. The moment paralleled one in season 6, in which Theon jumped ship rather than save his sister Yara.
Beric Dondarrion
The Lord of the Light may have been working some dark magic after all. Beric, who was revived from the dead several times over the course of the show, met his final death after helping Arya escape the wights in Winterfell. His sacrifice allowed Arya to make her way to the godswood, where she jammed a dagger into the Night King and saved the Seven Kingdoms.
Lyanna Mormont
Considered yet another epic Winterfell death by fans, Lyanna charged at a giant wight and was fatally squished after stabbing him in the eye.
Eddison Tollett
One of the first to die in the Winterfell war, the acting Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch sacrificed himself to save his former watch brother, Samwell Tarly.
Episode 2: Zero victims
Episode 1: One victim
Ned Umber
Used as a warning of the death to come, young Ned was captured and killed by the Night King’s army in the first episode of season 8. He was resurrected as a wight in a horror movie-style scene that showed Edd Tollett and Tormund Giantsbane discovering his body. Before his death he had pledged his army to House Stark.
