After eight seasons and 10 years on the air,
Game of Thrones came to a surprising and controversial end. We're here to rank its major characters' endings
from worst to best -- and boy, there are some doozies. Introduced in the third season as a slave,
Missandei is quickly welcomed into Daenerys Targaryen's camp as a free woman. The two soon become close friends and confidantes,
rarely leaving each other's side throughout much of the series. However, in the show's final season, when
Daenerys' ships are attacked, Missandei is captured by the allied forces of Euron Greyjoy
and Cersei Lannister. When Daenerys tries to save her friend, the
duo beheads Missandei in front of the desperate dragon queen. Missandei's death is tragic, and her last
word proves her loyalty to Daenerys with gutting finality. "Dracarys." Although Missandei using Daenerys' catchphrase
was powerful, her death was in poor taste. One of the show's few characters of color,
Missandei was a thoughtful, layered character who was needlessly killed off simply to motivate
Daenerys in the show's final few episodes. One of the show's most sinister villains,
Cersei Lannister looms large over Game of Thrones, from her affair with her twin brother
Jaime to her abject cruelty towards her enemies. One would think that a complex character like
Cersei would get an ending befitting her impressive legacy. But unfortunately, that doesn't come to pass. In the final season, Cersei ends up in the
line of fire when Daenerys arrives at King's Landing, dragon blazing. As Cersei's home base collapses in rubble,
the typically inscrutable queen is alone until her brother, Jaime, arrives. The two die together, crushed under falling
debris as they attempt to escape. This ending proved to be pretty disappointing
for fans who expected the ruthless queen to go out in a more dramatic fashion. Over the course of the series, Jaime Lannister
becomes one of the show's most complex characters. After beginning the series loyal to Cersei,
Jaime eventually turns away from his sister, deciding to help his brother Tyrion and Daenerys
instead. But at the end of the series, Jaime returns
to Cersei, right after finally consummating his slow-burn relationship with Brienne of
Tarth. Ultimately, Jaime rejects his honorable path
to die alongside Cersei in the Red Keep. Though it makes poetic sense that the duo
would leave the world together, it felt as though Jaime's anticlimactic ending undermined
many seasons of impressive character growth. As one of the most popular and beloved characters
on the small screen, many fans fully expected Daenerys, the Mother of Dragons, to take the
Iron Throne by the end of the series. Unfortunately, Daenerys had a far different
fate waiting for her. Upon conquering King's Landing, Daenerys loses
control of her emotions and lays waste to the city, killing countless innocent civilians. Even her closest allies realize she must be
stopped. Before she can take the Iron Throne, Daenerys'
lover Jon Snow kills his queen for the good of the realm. In the wake of her death, her last remaining
dragon, Drogon, torches the Throne and carries his mother away. Daenerys' ending is certainly dramatic, but
her sudden descent into madness and rushed death tarnish her character's otherwise incredible
story. From the very first scene of Game of Thrones,
viewers are made aware that despite rampant infighting within the Seven Kingdoms, the
realm has a bigger threat looming: the ancient and mysterious beings known as White Walkers. Though the Night's Watch guards the northern
Wall to try and protect Westeros from what lies beyond, the White Walkers start heading
south in the show's second season. When the show's heroes finally face off against
the Night King and his army, all hope seems lost. However, just when the humans have all but
given up, Arya Stark leaps from the darkness and kills the Night King once and for all. While this makes for an epic moment, it's
also weirdly disappointing: After years of mystery surrounding the Night King, his entire
storyline ends in seconds. The Night King was set up as a major villain,
but ultimately, the show disposes of him like a minor baddie. It's hard not to feel cheated out of a potentially
gripping story about this intriguing character. Few of Game of Thrones' conniving characters
had as much potential as Margaery Tyrell, an unparalleled strategist who was also the
prize beauty of the wealthy House Tyrell. After a short-lived marriage to Renly Baratheon,
Margaery shifts her allegiances to the Lannister family in King's Landing. Before long, Margaery is married to the sadistic
Joffrey Baratheon, but when he is assassinated at their wedding, she ends up serving as queen
to his sweet younger brother, Tommen. Unfortunately for Margaery, however, she makes
an enemy of Cersei almost immediately thanks to her beauty and quick mind. When Cersei vindictively blows up the Sept
of Baelor before she can be tried for her various crimes, Margaery is among her many
victims. Although Margaery realizes what's happening
before Cersei's plan is executed, she's unable to escape in time, bringing her fascinating
story to an abrupt and disappointing conclusion. After being paralyzed by Jaime Lannister in
the show's first episode, Bran Stark gradually grows into someone entirely new, taking on
the mantle of the omniscient Three-Eyed Raven. When Westeros needs to choose a new king in
the wake of Daenerys' death, Tyrion makes a surprising case for Bran to take the throne. Despite previous assertions from Bran that
he has no political ambitions for himself… "I could never be lord of anything. I'm the Three-Eyed Raven." Bran is somehow chosen as the next King of
Westeros. The reasons that put him on the throne are
nonsensical at best, bringing the series-long struggle for the Iron Throne to a frustrating
and unsatisfying conclusion. A master of gossip and intrigue, Varys spends
the series frequently teaming up with fellow strategists like Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish
and Tyrion to advance his political career and the cause of peace in Westeros. For most of the show, there's rarely any doubt
that Varys always has a brilliant plan up his sleeve. Unfortunately, Varys' potential is wildly
squandered by the time the show draws to a close. After doing very little in the last two seasons,
he acts completely out of character when he stages an open, obvious coup against Daenerys. Unsurprisingly, his scheme is uncovered, and
Daenerys executes him for treason, resulting in an utterly unsatisfying ending for one
of the show's most intriguing characters. Introduced as a perpetually frightened brother
of the Night's Watch, Samwell Tarly eventually proves himself in battle, and spends time
expanding his knowledge at the Citadel. Though Sam finds himself rejected by his noble
family, his growth as a character is pretty impressive. At the conclusion of Game of Thrones, Sam
is shown wearing Maesters robes, indicating he is now one of the intellectual elite. It turns out he has been named the Grandmaester
for King Bran. He also writes a book that chronicles the
dramatic events of the series, and settles down with Gilly and Sam Jr., their young son. Sam's ending might be unusually neat and tidy
for Game of Thrones, but he deserves a happy ending. Theon Greyjoy begins Game of Thrones as the
insecure ward of the Stark family who overtakes Winterfell the second the family departs. However, Theon ends up suffering for his crimes
when he's captured by the Bolton clan and tortured by Roose Bolton's sadistic son, Ramsay. Before long, Theon has lost his grasp on his
former identity, referring to himself only as "Reek." Reek endures horrific torture, but eventually,
Theon's bravery returns, as does his loyalty to the Stark family. After helping Sansa Stark escape Ramsay's
captivity, Theon volunteers to personally guard Bran during the Battle of Winterfell. Ultimately, Theon sacrifices himself to save
Bran, providing redemption for one of the show's most complicated and long-suffering
characters. From the beginning, it's clear that Jorah
Mormont harbors romantic feelings for Daenerys, the young Mother of Dragons. After meeting Daenerys at her wedding to Dothraki
warrior Khal Drogo, the disgraced heir of the Mormont clan pledges his loyalty to his
Khaleesi, and stands by her side until the bitter end. During the Battle of Winterfell, Jorah tries
his best to defend his Khaleesi, and gets mortally wounded in the process. Not only does Jorah nobly sacrifice himself
for his queen, but he escapes having to see Daenerys abandon her principles during her
attack on King's Landing. In a way, this gives Jorah the best ending
he could hope for. Sandor "The Hound" Clegane became a fan favorite
early on, thanks to his gruff demeanor, fighting prowess, and secret sensitive side. His scarred face is courtesy of his brother,
Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, who shoved Sandor into a fire when they were both young. The Hound doesn't care about much, but he
does care about getting revenge on his brother. Eventually, the Hound forms a close bond with
Arya Stark. As one of his final acts, he saves her life
by convincing her to flee a crumbling King's Landing. But rather than escape with her, the Hound
faces off against his brother, who has become an unstoppable killing machine. Ultimately, the Cleganes die together when
the Hound flings them both into the flames below, giving him a tragic but poetically
fitting ending A fighter of uncommon skill, dedication, and
honor, Brienne of Tarth's refusal to adhere to traditional gender roles often makes her
feel like an outsider. Desperate to prove her worth in battle, she
eventually allies herself with the Stark family, promising to protect Sansa and Arya as well
as she can. Along the way, Brienne also forms an intense
bond with Jaime Lannister. He knights Brienne before the Battle of Winterfell,
making her the first female knight of the Seven Kingdoms. When they both survive the attack, Jaime and
Brienne consummate their relationship. Unfortunately, Jaime ends up abandoning Brienne
for Cersei shortly thereafter. Though Brienne is left bereft, the blow is
softened when she becomes Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, fulfilling her destiny as
one of Westeros' most formidable and honorable warriors. Serving as the Stark family's servant, the
lovable giant Hodor manages to find emotional nuances with each repetition of his name,
which is the only word he is able to say. For a long time, viewers have no idea why
Hodor has such a limited vocabulary, until season six's "The Door" reveals his shocking
backstory. As Bran gains the knowledge to become the
Three Eyed Raven, who can travel throughout space and time, he encounters a young Hodor,
who has a full vocabulary. However, while Bran is in the past, wights
attack the present-day Bran and Hodor. Hodor blocks the wights behind a door so Bran
can escape, while in the past, a young Hodor yells one sentence over and over, until it
turns into a single word: "Hold the door," repeated until it's "Hodor" Losing Hodor is heartbreaking, but the revelation
of his past is an incredible feat of storytelling. While violent, charming Wildling Tormund Giantsbane
was initially no big fan of Jon Snow, the two eventually become close friends, fighting
alongside one another time and time again. Tormund ends up surviving the battle against
the White Walkers as well as the siege of King's Landing. Though his enormous crush on Brienne remains
unrequited, Tormund's ending is fitting, with him returning to the far North where he belongs,
alongside his sworn brother, Jon Snow. One of Game of Thrones' most emotionally conflicted
characters, Jon Snow always wants to do what's right. That instinct leaves him with a hard decision
to make when his lover, Daenerys, decimates the city of King's Landing. After talking to Tyrion, Jon realizes he must
do the right thing despite his love for Daenerys. As the Dragon Queen reaches the Iron Throne
she has fought so hard to win, Jon stabs her in the chest. After Dany's death, Drogon burns the throne
and carries Dany away, but Jon still must face justice for his crime. Eventually, it's decided that Jon will be
banished from Westeros and return to the North. Though this is painted as punishment, it feels
natural for Jon Snow, who never felt at home in the halls of the kings and queens of Westeros. He heads back into the Northern wilderness
with Tormund and his loyal direwolf, Ghost, by his side. Born without a prestigious name, Petyr Baelish
quickly learned to do anything to gain power. Eventually, the conniving noble known as Littlefinger
became a major player within King's Landing, running a brothel and collecting information
on the biggest names in Westeros. Though he seemed loyal to Sansa Stark, he
readily traded her to Ramsay Bolton when he thought it might gain him power. Once Sansa returns to Winterfell, Littlefinger
does his very best to pit sister against sister, attempting to turn Sansa and Arya against
one another. Though Littlefinger thinks victory is nigh
when Sansa calls for a trial that he assumes is for Arya, she beats him at his own game. "You stand accused of treason. How do you answer these charges, Lord Baelish?" On Sansa's orders, Arya slits his throat,
and Littlefinger's death provides an incredibly satisfying ending for this often despicable
man. For a show with its fair share of bad guys,
few are as repulsive as Ramsay Bolton. In addition to tormenting Theon, Ramsay repeatedly
assaulted Sansa Stark and killed her younger brother Rickon just for fun. After he kills Rickon. Ramsay loses the Battle of the Bastards, and
finds himself at the mercy of the surviving Starks. Bound and helpless in the depths of Winterfell,
Ramsay sneers at Sansa until he realizes that he's surrounded by his own snarling dogs. When Ramsay says they'll never hurt him, Sansa
points out that Ramsay stopped feeding them days prior, in anticipation of winning the
battle. He'd been planning to feed the Starks to his
pets, as he'd done with other victims in the past. As Sansa leaves him to the same fate he'd
dealt out to so many others, Ramsay's dogs rip him to shreds, putting an end to Game
of Thrones' most reprehensible sociopath. Tyrion Lannister goes on a winding journey
throughout Game of Thrones, but ends up right where he should be. After facing imprisonment for turning on Daenerys
after her siege of King's Landing, Tyrion convinces Jon to assassinate Daenerys for
the good of the realm. Despite her allies being furious with him,
Tyrion is still brought to the council that will decide the fate of Westeros' monarchy,
and actually ends up handpicking the new King. Bran chooses Tyrion to serve as Hand of the
King -- a job he doesn't initially want, after having served as Hand before. But the truth is that pulling the strings
behind a leader is where Tyrion's strengths can best be utilized. The last scene of the series sees Tyrion comfortably
leading one of Bran's Small Council meetings, proving that he's exactly where he belongs. After using the faceless assassin skills that
she acquired throughout the series to seek revenge against her enemies and defeat the
Night King, Arya Stark deserves a break. But with the wars in Westeros drawing to a
close and demand dwindling for her hard-won fighting skills, Arya is faced with the daunting
decision about what to do with the rest of her life. Ultimately, Arya sets off to explore the world,
telling her brothers and sister that she wants to find "what's west of Westeros." Armed with her trusty sword, Needle, Arya
sets sail to explore the darkest corners of the world, seeking independence outside the
contentious borders of the Seven Kingdoms. Arya was always a character who sought her
own path in life, so to see her continuing to challenge herself and push boundaries is
a rewarding end for this beloved character. One of the overarching messages of Game of
Thrones always seemed to be that the ideal leader of the Seven Kingdoms would have the
cunning strategy of Cersei with the honor and trustworthiness of Jon Snow. So it was surprising and a little bit frustrating
when Sansa Stark, the character who most embodies both qualities, is overlooked in favor of
her brother, Bran. However, when Bran becomes King, the shrewd
Sansa seizes that opportunity to make an important request. "The North will remain an independent kingdom,
as it was for thousands of years." Bran agrees, and Sansa is rewarded for her
efforts. In one of the very last shots of the series,
viewers watch as Sansa is crowned the Queen in the North, ensuring that a Stark will remain
in Winterfell for years to come. Though she would undoubtedly have been a fair
and capable ruler of Westeros, her home in the North is where she truly wants to be,
which makes her ending the perfect conclusion to her impressive tale. Olenna Tyrell, the matriarch of the wealthy
House Tyrell who carries the title of "Queen of Thorns," is known for always being several
steps ahead of everyone else. Her razor wit and even sharper tongue serve
her well throughout the series, and her final moments are no exception. After allying herself with Daenerys and her
forces, Olenna finds herself outmatched against the Lannister armies as they approach her
home of Highgarden, leaving her trapped. Unwilling to violently slay an old woman,
Jaime gives her a poisoned glass of wine instead — but Olenna has one last trick up her sleeve. After drinking the poison, Olenna finally
reveals to Jaime that she is responsible for the death of his son with Cersei, the illegitimate
King Joffrey. "Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me." Even though Jamie technically gets what he
wants by taking out one of his biggest enemies, Olenna still manages to come out on top, giving
her the best ending in all of Game of Thrones. As showrunner Dan Weiss once put it, "She beats him in the middle of her own death
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