Characters have a habit of disappearing from Game of Thrones, even if they might seem important or relatable in the beginning. The author of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin, kills his darlings left and right, a trend that is naturally replicated in the TV adaptation of the novels.
In fact, there are very few ways to escape Game of Thrones other than death—most characters cannot permanently relocate to another city/country/continent, nor can they quit their jobs and pursue their dreams, instead. That said, there are a few characters whose exits from the show can be considered premature.
10 Viserys Targaryen Could Have Become A Minor Antagonist In Later Seasons
Viserys Targaryen's robust screen presence is almost deceiving—the amount of confidence he exhibits in his authority and inheritance is overpowering in comparison to his younger sister. However, he pushes Drogo a bit too far, haughtily badgering the Khal for his army in exchange for Daenerys.
Drogo offers Viserys a gold crown (more like a molten metal death mask), but the latter's character could have been explored further, perhaps as a minor antagonist during Dany's adventures.
9 Barristan Selmy's Early Death Is Heartbreaking
The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard technically betrays the Iron Throne by serving Daenerys, who the Lannisters consider a would-be usurper with no legal claim. Barristan makes an excellent warrior but is sadly killed by a surprise attack mounted by the Sons of the Harpy in Meereen.
Daenerys is devastated, and consequently takes revenge on a pair of Great Masters for instigating the crime. Barristan is one of the few truly noble characters in the series, making his early death quite heartbreaking.
8 Oberyn Martell Is Killed By His Own Arrogance
Oberyn Martell doesn't even last for the entirety of Season 4—he is squashed into a pulp by Gregor Clegane after overconfidently presuming his opponent to be dead.
His explosive personality is a great change of pace in King's Landing, where most people tend to walk on eggshells for fear of being randomly incarcerated and tortured. Oberyn's fight and subsequent death is a constantly replayed moment on Game of Thrones, but it weakens the Dorne arc considerably.
7 Joffrey Baratheon's Death Deprives Fans Of A Character They Loved To Hate
Joffrey starts as an arrogant prince, elevating himself to the most authoritative position in Westeros following his "father's" death. He is far from charming, given that he takes pleasure in making other people suffer, often for no reason other than to entertain him.
Fortunately, Joffrey's reign of wanton violence is cut short when his wine is poisoned (and not by Tyrion Lannister). Unfortunately, his death also deprived fans of a character they loved to hate.
6 Jojen Reed Is Killed By A Stray Wight
Jojen Reed's introduction takes place in one of Bran Stark's dreams—his role as the latter's Warg-chaperone is incredibly important in Bran's eventual development into the Three-Eyed Raven.
Although his sister, Meera, attempts to save him from an attacking wight, Jojen is stabbed far too severely to survive. Fans are aware of the show's tendencies to take their favorites away, but his death is unbearably sad, and, some might argue, pointless.
5 Ygritte's Death Is Early, But Necessary For Daenerys To Take Her Place
Ygritte is Jon Snow's first love interest: she helps him navigate the hitherto unexplored realms of romance with her trademark observational humor. Nevertheless, she swears to kill him in order to regain the trust of the Free Folk, only to be shot by Olly's arrow.
Jon is miserable after Ygritte's passing, and more so when Tormund reveals how much she cared for him. That said, her death allows Daenerys to take her place in later seasons.
4 Eddard Stark's Death Paves The Way For Most Events In The Show
Eddard (Ned) Stark's sham trial and execution come as a complete surprise, mainly because viewers were expecting him to expose House Lannister for usurping the Iron Throne via Joffrey.
His death paves the way for most of the events that follow, including the Red and Purple Weddings, as well as strengthening the Stark children's resolve to avenge their family name. Still, Ned could have survived another few episodes without considerably altering the main plot.
3 Stannis Baratheon Helps Weaken House Bolton
Despite his borderline sociopathic methods of establishing his power, Stannis Baratheon loses everything after his army is routed by the Boltons. Before he can escape, however, he encounters Brienne, who decides to kill him for his role in his younger brother Renly's death.
Stannis' attempts may not have helped himself, but it certainly worked to dilute House Bolton's control over Winterfell. He is the last of the three brothers to perish, resulting in a permanent end to the Baratheon line.
2 Catelyn Stark Could Have Been Resurrected As Lady Stoneheart
Catelyn Stark is a maternal force of nature, vowing vengeance against the Lannisters for murdering her husband, but is herself killed when the Freys take the Starks by surprise at the Red Wedding.
What's worse is that she is forced to watch her beloved Robb bleed to death right in front of her, helpless to intervene. The books resurrect Catelyn as the semi-undead Lady Stoneheart, a storyline the show would have greatly benefited from.
1 Olenna Tyrell's Sass Is Incomparable In Every Respect
Olenna Tyrell has a long and arguably fruitful life—she assassinates Joffrey, installs her grandchildren in positions of royal power, and is filled with a level of sass that can never be surpassed by any other character in Game of Thrones.
She lasts for four seasons, but even that isn't enough to fully encapsulate her incomparable majesty. In fact, it's possible that Westeros would have been infinitely better off had Olenna somehow smuggled herself onto the Iron Throne. She's certainly capable of that and more.