What These Killed Off Game Of Thrones Actors Look Like Today

Being cast on Game of Thrones can be a mixed blessing. On one hand, acting in HBO's hottest series can seriously boost your acting résumé. On the other hand, given the show's history, you're probably going to get killed off sooner or later—as this long list of casualties can attest. Here's a look at some of the major characters who have died on the show, and where the actors who played them are today. Warning: this article contains spoilers for every season of Game of Thrones. 

He was supposed to be the true King of Westeros, but Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd) was the first main character to meet his maker on Game of Thrones, when Khal Drogo "crowned" him with molten gold during season one. Lloyd has kept himself busy since Thrones, continuing to act on television and in movies. His most recent projects include the 2017 film The Wife (alongside Thrones co-star Jonathan Pryce), the Starz sci-fi thriller series Counterpart, and the role of Charles Xavier in the X-Men series Legion.

King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) met a gruesome end after a hunting trip gone wrong in season one, dying not long after a wild boar gashed him during a hunting expedition gone wrong — and prompting his best friend Ned Stark to take unwise action against Cersei and Joffrey. Since leaving Thrones, Addy has surfaced on several television series, including Great Expectations and The Syndicate. More recently, Addy appeared in the miniseries Jericho and the U.K. dramas Undercliffe and The Runaways.

After Robert's death, Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) tried to take control, sending a letter to Stannis inviting him to come take his rightful place on the throne. Unfortunately for Ned, Cersei was two steps ahead of him, and Ned was arrested; a deal was arranged for him to serve with the Night's Watch, but Joffrey nixed it with a headman's axe at the end of season one.

Although Bean has a reputation for being killed off in many of his projects, he hasn't let that stop his acting career. Since Thrones, he's appeared in a variety of projects, including The Martian and Legends, and some of his other recent work includes roles in the 2017 thriller film Drone and the six-part BBC miniseries Broken. His upcoming projects include the sci-fi thriller Possessor and the lead role of Macbeth in Instruments of Darkness.

Although Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) was dead essentially from the moment Mirri Maz Duur infected his wound with her poultices, his actual death was much more tragic, as Daenerys had to suffocate him with a pillow to put him out of his misery. His death forged her destiny, however, as it was on his funeral pyre in the season one finale that her dragons were born.

Momoa's brief Game of Thrones tenure served him well in Hollywood, with no shortage of projects on his docket since his departure from the hit series — most notably the DC Extended Universe, which he joined as the superhero Aquaman. His introduction as the character in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was followed by a much larger role in the 2017 Justice League movie, and his own standalone solo adventure in 2018's Aquaman. In 2020, he'll appear in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune as swordmaster Duncan Idaho.

Following King Robert's death, his younger brother Renly (Gethin Anthony) attempted to claim the throne. Renly had one of the largest armies in the Seven Kingdoms following his wedding to Margaery Tyrell; unfortunately for Renly, his older brother Stannis had Melisandre on his side. She gave birth to a shadow of Stannis, which killed Renly in his tent during season two.

After Game of Thrones, Anthony appeared in the 2014 film Copenhagen as well as the popular series Call The Midwife, then demonstrated his range by playing Charles Manson in the NBC period crime drama Aquarius. He also provided the voice of Gil Brodie in the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Ros (Esmé Bianco) went from being a Northern prostitute to Littlefinger's trusted assistant at one of his King's Landing brothels, but her increased station came with a price—Littlefinger discovered that she was spying on him for Varys, so he gave her to Joffrey. It all ended quite brutally for Ros, who was bound to Joffrey's bed frame and killed with several crossbow bolts in season three.

Since her gruesome Thrones demise, Bianco has appeared in the TV movies A Christmas Mystery and Ominous, as well as the television series The Magicians. Her recent film projects include Hypnotized, about people trapped under hypnosis when their hypnotist falls into a coma, and the found-footage vampire thriller Living Among Us.

Standing in for the book character of Jeyne Westerling, Talisa Maegyr (Oona Chaplin) married Robb Stark, the King in the North. Sadly for the couple, their union violated an earlier deal Robb had made with Lord Walder Frey, in which he was supposed to marry one of Frey's daughters or granddaughters; Walder got his revenge by slaughtering the pregnant Talisa and the rest of Robb's forces during the Red Wedding near the end of season three.

After Game of Thrones, Chaplin starred in the 2014 miniseries The Crimson Field and an episode of the popular television show Black Mirror, as well as was the 2015 movie The Longest Ride. Some of her latest projects include the British drama series Taboo and a starring role — alongside Thrones costar Natalia Tena — in the 2017 Spanish comedy As We Like It. Over the next few years, she'll be busy appearing in James Cameron's various Avatar sequels.

The real-world inexperience of Robb Stark (Richard Madden) eventually did him in. By marrying Talisa, he made Lord Walder Frey his enemy, and Walder took his vengeance by having nearly the entire Stark/Tully wedding party (and their army) killed at the Red Wedding. The traitorous Roose Bolton delivered the killing blow, stabbing Robb in the heart.

Following his exit from GoT in 2014, Madden appeared in the series Medici: Masters of Florence and as the Prince in the 2015 live-action Disney adaptation of Cinderella, and the 2017 Amazon original series Oasis. 2019 sees him taking a major spotlight in Rocketman as John Reid, Elton John's partner in both business and romance.

Although Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) contributed to the start of the war by taking Tyrion Lannister captive, she usually had pretty level-headed advice for her son Robb. Catelyn was the first to realize Walder had murderous intentions for her clan at the Red Wedding, but it was too late — she was forced to watch her son die before one of Walder's sons slit her throat.

Fairley has been busy since Catelyn died; her projects include the television series Resurrection and the movie In the Heart of the Sea, and she's also been seen as Margaret Beaufort in the Starz historical drama miniseries The White Princess. She's got more prestigious TV work lined up in upcoming series like The Feed and Gangs of London.

Thankfully, Joffrey Baratheon's reign came to an early end. Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) married the widowed Margaery Tyrell, but a secret plot involving the Queen of Thorns, poison, and Sansa's jewelry ended with Joffrey lying on the ground, clawing at the air in vain as he choked to death at his wedding in season four.

Jack Gleeson retired from screen acting after Game of Thrones, but he remains involved in the arts. He founded Collapsing Horse Theatre Company in Ireland, which competed at the 2016 NYC Irish Festival; their play/puppet show Bears in Space was honored with an award.

Lysa Tully (Kate Dickie) largely orchestrated her own downfall by assisting Littlefinger in his schemes, even murdering her own husband at his behest, and never realizing she was just a pawn. She even thought Littlefinger loved her — up until the moment he shoved her through the Eyrie's Moon Door in season four.

Since Lysa's death, Dickie has continued to act, appearing on shows like By Any Means and films like the 2015 horror film The Witch. Her more recent projects include an appearance on the British crime drama Vera and a small role as a First Order officer in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The "Red Viper" Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) traveled to King's Landing in hopes of finding answers regarding the death of his sister Elia. Oberyn got more than he bargained for when he volunteered to fight for Tyrion during a trial by combat against Gregor in season four; he got the answer he wanted, but Gregor smashed his head like a grape not long after. Since Thrones, Pascal has starred in Graceland, Narcos, The Great Wall, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. His star power is only continuing to rise as he prepares to take the title role in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian and an as-yet unidentified part in Wonder Woman 1984.

The "kissed-by-fire" wildling Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and Jon Snow entered into a passionate romance, but it wasn't meant to be. Jon abandoned her and was later forced to watch her struck down in the season four battle between their forces. She was ultimately killed by someone else's arrow, but her death weighed heavy on Jon.

Leslie has kept busy since leaving Game of Thrones, continuing her role in Downton Abbey and starring in The Last Witch Hunter. Leslie and Thrones co-star Kit Harington also became romantically involved after she left the series, culminating in their summer 2018 wedding. Her recent projects include a main role in the CBS legal drama The Good Fight.

As Tyrion Lannister's lover, Shae (Sibel Kekilli) had to walk a fine line to avoid detection by Tywin or Cersei. Tyrion sent Shae away to protect her, which she took as a betrayal. To get revenge, she lied on the witness stand during his trial; during his escape in the season four finale, he found her in Tywin's bed chambers and strangled her with a golden chain he'd given her.

Following Game of Thrones, Kekilli returned to her recurring role in the German-language police drama Tatort and landed a part in the German film Im Feuer. Kekilli has also become famous in Germany for her activism against domestic violence: she delivered a speech on the topic from the German President's home in 2015 and was awarded a medal for her work by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. She could most recently be spotted on screen in the star-studded anthology film Berlin, I Love You.

Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) made his way across the sea to join Daenerys Targaryen as one of her closest advisors. During their time in Meereen, the elusive Sons of the Harpy lay an ambush for the Unsullied in season five, killing many before Ser Barristan arrived. He took on nearly a dozen foes and managed to fell all but one of them, who fatally stabbed him.

Despite being upset about Barristan's early demise, McElhinney has moved on with his career, appearing in Rebellion, Ripper Street and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He can currently be seen as scientist Val-El on Syfy's Superman series Krypton.

The Princess Shireen (Kerry Ingram) has royal blood — which is why Melisandre insists on bringing the child with them when Stannis' army marches to Winterfell. Unfortunately, Shireen didn't live to see the end of that march; she was sacrificed by the Red Priestess in season five, when Melisandre convinced Stannis and his wife to let her burn Shireen at the stake for a blessing from the Lord of Light.

After her character's horrible fate on Game of Thrones, Ingram moved on to other television roles. She's appeared in the shows Wolf Hall, Doctors and Barbarians Rising, and can currently be seen in the Netflix original series Free Rein.

Stannis (Stephen Dillane) sacrificed his daughter to gain the blessing of the Lord of Light, but blessings weren't exactly what he received in return: his wife committed suicide, half of his army deserted him, and all of his horses were stolen. The remnants of his forces were easily swept away by the Bolton army, and the defeated Stannis was killed by Brienne during the season five finale.

Since Game of Thrones, Dillane has appeared on the television show The Tunnel and the Netflix biographical series The Crown. Fans could also find him in the 2017 film Mary Shelley alongside Elle Fanning and his Game of Thrones co-star Maisie Williams.

Myrcella (Aimee Richardson, Nell Tiger Free) was shipped off to Dorne for her safety by Tyrion back in the second season. Unfortunately, the death of Oberyn made Dorne a very unsafe place for her. When Jaime went to Dorne to retrieve her, Ellaria Sand gave Myrcella a farewell kiss sealed with poison. She died in Jaime's arms in season 6, shortly after revealing she knew he was her father.

Aimee Richardson played the role in seasons 1-2 before being recast with Nell Tiger Free for seasons 5-6. Since Game of Thrones, Aimee has grown up considerably — she's now 21 and appeared in the series My Mother and Other Strangers. Nell Tiger Free has only had the opportunity for one big-screen project: the movie Wonderwell, in which she co-stars with the late Carrie Fisher. She'll next be seen in the M. Night Shyamalan-produced series Servant.

After his parents were killed by Wildlings, Olly (Brenock O'Connor) went to Castle Black to warn them. He was taken in by the Watch, and soon became one of them. He later felt betrayed by Jon Snow after Snow allowed Wildlings through the Wall, and participated in the mutiny against him that ended in his (temporary) murder. After Jon's resurrection in season six, he brought the mutineers to justice, hanging Olly and the rest.

O'Connor has been in demand since departing Game of Thrones; he's appeared in the World War II drama Another Mother's Son and has a major role in the football comedy The Bromley Boys and the culture clash dramedy Living the Dream. He's also been showcasing his musical talents — singing and playing piano & guitar — via his YouTube channel.

As one of the Children of the Forest, Leaf (Kae Alexander) has witnessed thousands of years of Westeros history. In season six, the Night King attacked the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven, and Meera and Bran were forced to flee. To give them time, Leaf sacrificed herself, allowing the zombie wights to swarm her before she detonated a magical grenade, killing herself and many of the wights.

Alexander has kept herself busy since Game of Thrones — with roles requiring much less prosthetic makeup. You can catch her in One of Us, The White Room, Ready Player One, and the miniseries Collateral. In 2019, she'll appear in the Disney sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

Hodor (Kristian Nairn) loyally served the Starks since he was a child, ultimately becoming Bran's protector. He literally carried his young charge on his back into the wilds beyond the Wall in search of the Three-Eyed Raven, and finally gave his life to save him in season six. On the run from a horde of zombie wights, Hodor dutifully followed the last instructions Meera gave him: "hold the door." He held back the onslaught as long as possible, allowing Bran and Meera to escape before the wights broke through and killed him.

A successful DJ as well as an actor, Kristian Nairn has spent his post-Thrones period touring the world performing DJ sets as well as landing roles in films such as Mythica: The Godslayer and The Appearance.

As the youngest Stark child, Rickon (Art Parkinson) didn't get a lot of screen time before he and Osha separated from Bran's group in season three. They reappeared in season six as captives of Ramsay Bolton, and during the Battle of the Bastards, Ramsay set Rickon free, telling him to run to Jon Snow before firing on the boy. He nearly made it, but one of Ramsay's arrows struck, killing Rickon.

Parkinson has scored several roles since, including his 2016 stint voicing the title role in the animated film Kubo and the Two Strings and an appearance in the movie Zoo alongside fellow Thrones vet Ian McElhinney (Barristan Selmy). He can currently be seen on the U.K. police procedural series The Bay.

Since season three, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) shocked Game of Thrones fans with his cruelty on a regular basis—and eventually, as viewers knew it would, it all caught up with him. Following Ramsay's defeat at the Battle of the Bastards in season six, it looked like Jon Snow might beat him to death—but he held off, giving the honors to his sister Sansa, who made use of the loyal dogs Ramsay had been starving for seven days. Given the chance to take a bite (or more) of their master's bloody face, they tucked right in.

Rheon's stock has soared since Thrones; he's appeared in several shows, including the 2017 miniseries Riviera. His more recent projects include the movies Nitrate, Last, and Daisy Winters, and a part as Maximus in the Marvel series Inhumans. In 2019, he appeared in Netflix's Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt as guitarist Mick Mars. 

The politically savvy and whip-smart Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) nearly managed to resolve her family's issues with the Faith, but she underestimated the lengths Cersei would go in order to "protect" her son. In a pivotal scene from the season six finale, Margaery and much of her family — along with the High Sparrow — were consumed alive by Wildfire after Cersei put her plan in motion. Recently, Dormer lent her voice to the 2017 game Mass Effect: Andromeda and appeared in the miniseries Picnic at Hanging Rock and the films Patient Zero and In Darkness. Next, she'll be seen in the Penny Dreadful spin-off City of Angels and heard in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Netflix's follow-up to Jim Henson's fantasy classic.

Tommen Baratheon became an unlikely king when he succeeded to the throne after Joffrey died at the "Purple Wedding." After witnessing his mother blow up the Sept of Baelor — killing his wife and all others inside — Tommen took control of his life in the only way he could: by jumping to his death from a balcony in the Red Keep during the season six finale. Since departing Game of Thrones, Dean Charles Chapman has booked roles in the films Breathe and The Commuter, as well as a regular role on AMC's Into the Badlands.

Dame Diana Rigg was already an acting legend thanks to roles in films like On Her Majesty's Secret Service and TV series like The Avengers when she arrived on Game of Thrones, but she quickly carved out yet another legendary role for herself as the witty and dangerous Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna Tyrell. When she finally met her end in the season 7 episode "The Queen's Justice," she was the last remaining major player in her house and she'd already done plenty of damage to the Lannisters. As Jaime Lannister forced her to drink poison rather than be tortured, she dealt once last blow and admitted she was the one who poisoned his son Joffrey at his own wedding. 

Since exiting Thrones, Rigg has continued to act, most recently as the Duchess of Buccleuch in the TV series Victoria and as Aunt Diana in the TV movie A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. 

Ellaria Sand's time on Game of Thrones was marked by a meteoric rise and a sharp, horrifying fall. After her lover Oberyn died in season 4, Ellaria returned to Dorne and began to seize power there with the help of her daughters, the Sand Snakes. By season 7 she was powerful enough to attract the likes of Yara Greyjoy, and loaned Dorne's support to the Iron Island, until she was taken prisoner by Yara's uncle Euron and presented to Queen Cersei Lannister, who wanted to enact vengeance on Ellaria for having poisoned her daughter, Myrcella. Rather than poison or kill Ellaria in kind, though, Cersei had something more cruel in mind. Instead, she locked Ellaria up in the King's Landing dungeon alongside her last remaining daughter, Tyene (Rosabell Laurenti Sellers), and poisoned Tyene with the same poison that killed Myrcella. Cersei pronounced that Ellaria would watch her daughter die, then simply sit by her corpse in the dungeon as it rotted, until she too was dead. So while we never got to see Ellaria's death onscreen, Indira Varma confirmed to Entertainment Weekly after her final episode that she will not be returning to the show, leaving us to assume that she did indeed die in Cersei's dungeons.

Varma's kept busy since then, co-starring in the miniseries Patrick Melrose and landing new film and TV roles. She can also be seen in the dark fantasy series Carnival Row. 

Aidan Gillen's Littlefinger remained among Game of Thrones' longest-serving and most frustratingly capable survivors right up until the end of season 7, when one of the great schemers in Westeros finally met his end. He seized power in the Eyrie, won favor with Sansa Stark, and then very nearly managed to turn the Stark children against each other when they were all finally reunited at Winterfell. Then, at long last, Arya and Sansa revealed that they had Littlefinger right where they wanted him, and Sansa executed him with his own dagger. It was one of the show's most satisfying deaths, and the end of one of the show's most persistent villains. 

Gillen's been in high demand ever since his work in the days of The Wire, and that hasn't changed since he left Thrones. As he was ending his time on that series, he joined the acclaimed series Peaky Blinders, played a role in Bohemian Rhapsody, and continued his work in The Maze Runner franchise. In January 2019 his new series Project Blue Book, about the U.S. government's hunt for UFOs, premiered on the History Channel. 

Nymeria Sand (Jessica Henwick) is one of the three Sand Snakes who help Ellaria Sand seize and hold power in Dorne after the death of her father, Oberyn Martell. Like her sisters, she's highly skilled in battle, and like her sisters she ultimately suffers defeat at the hands of Euron Greyjoy. After an alliance is formed between Ellaria and Yara Greyjoy, Yara's uncle Euron ambushes her fleet, killing both Nymeria and her sister Obara (Keisha Castle-Hughes) while Ellaria and their sister Tyene are taken captive. The last time we see Nymeria, she's strung up by her own whip on the bow of Euron's ship. 

Of the three Sand Snakes on Game of Thrones, Henwick has been most visible outside of Game of Thrones so far. In 2017, as her time on Thrones was ending, she started playing martial artist and teacher Colleen Wing on the Netflix and Marvel Television series Iron Fist. She also appeared as Colleen in a cameo appearance in the second season of Luke Cage, and played a major role in the crossover event The Defenders, before Iron Fist was canceled after two seasons. Her next major franchise project is a role in Godzilla vs. Kong, scheduled to be released in 2020.

Benjen Stark has one of the more interesting arcs in the course of Game of Thrones' run. After appearing early in the first season and welcoming his nephew Jon (Kit Harington) to the Night's Watch, Benjen ventures out beyond the Wall and isn't heard from again until season 6, when he reveals to his nephew Bran and Meera Reed that he's now undead, having been stabbed by the White Walkers and then brought back from the brink by the Children of the Forest. He was never fully converted into a wight, which means he can fight for the living, but he's too far gone to cross back over the Wall and pass through its many enchantments, so he does what he can from the far North. In season 7, that includes sacrificing himself to the wights to save Jon, ending his watch once and for all. 

Outside of Game of Thrones, Joseph Mawle's career continues to gain traction. He was cast as Odysseus in in the 2018 TV series Troy: Fall of a City; he can also be seen as George Orwell in the biographical drama Mr. Jones, and alongside Richard Gere in the British drama series MotherFatherSon. 

We haven't seen quite as much of Dolorous Edd in recent seasons as we did in the earlier years of the show, but whenever Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly have needed a loyal ally, he's always been there for them, and that remained true right up until his very last breaths. Edd — who along with Sam and Jon was one of the last surviving members of the Night's Watch recruits from the show's early years, and who'd risen to acting Lord Commander status — fought on the front lines of the Battle of Winterfell, and in true Dolorous Edd fashion, went down grumbling after he had to save Sam from a wight only to catch a sword in the back.

Ben Crompton was a decade-plus veteran of screen acting even before Game of Thrones, and the show's massive success has only bolstered his already impressive career. In the years since the show kicked off, he's compiled an impressive list of additional credits, including Doctor Who, Kill List, Pramface, The Great Fire, and Peterloo.

The middle seasons of Game of Thrones told, among other things, the story of the North's disintegration into chaos, as the largest of the seven kingdoms shifted from steadfast bastion of honor and durability to a Bolton-led mess. When Jon and Sansa finally started putting the North back together under Stark banners, they met Lyanna Mormont, the pint-sized Lady of Bear Island, who ultimately proved to be one of the most effective and unflinching leaders the show has ever seen. In her final days, Lyanna refused to hide from the fight against the dead, opting to lead her men rather than take shelter from the battle, and she went down like a boss, stabbing an undead giant in the eye as he crushed her bones.

Game of Thrones was the world's introduction to young Bella Ramsey, and her acting career has steadily gained momentum ever since her debut on the show in 2016. Her other credits now include the title roles in the TV series Hilda and The Worst Witch, and this year she'll also co-star in two period drama films, the Judy Garland biopic Judy and the World War II drama Resistance.

Beric Dondarrion is one of the more intriguing supporting characters in all of Game of Thrones, in part because he's one of the few characters who's been brought back from the dead and doesn't seem to have any baggage attached to that fact at all. For Beric, everything is part of a greater plan, and his unshakeable faith is proof of that. His faith has been essential to the greater story of the series, bringing in the Hound from the cold to join the fight for the living and even helping to convince Jon Snow of his greater purpose. Hours before his death, Beric said the night would belong to the Lord of Light, and he was correct. As Melisandre served her own purpose in service to the light, Beric also served his, sacrificing himself to save Arya Stark so she could survive to kill the Night King and end the war.

Richard Dormer's screen acting career stretches back more than 25 years, and before Game of Thrones it included credits like The Escapist, Middletown, and Ghost Machine. Since Game of Thrones, he's gone on to other major television work, including the series Rellik and Fortitude.

Few characters on Game of Thrones have endured even half as much as Theon Greyjoy, and that's really saying something for a show like this. Raised in Winterfell as part of a peace agreement after his father's rebellion, Theon always existed between two houses and two very different moral codes. He tried to be more like a Greyjoy and steal Winterfell from under Robb Stark's nose, and eventually got himself captured, tortured, castrated, and dehumanized for his trouble. His journey back to redemption was long and full of false starts, but in his final three episodes of Game of Thrones, he managed to rescue his sister and restore her as the Lady of the Iron Islands, journey to Winterfell and volunteer to fight, and keep Bran safe from wights until the last possible moment. His death charge against the Night King himself only came after Bran Stark finally told him what he needed to hear: that he was a "good man."

Alfie Allen's career began at a young age, and before Game of Thrones he'd already landed roles in major films like Atonement and The Other Boleyn Girl. Since the show, he's continued to land high profile work in films like John Wick and The Predator, and he'll soon be seen in the films Jojo Rabbit (directed by Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi) and How to Build a Girl.

Throughout the run of Game of Thrones, the Night King has remained one of its most enigmatic figures. For seven seasons, we saw his forces slowly building, his plans slowly falling into place, and at the end of season 7, he at last launched an all-out assault on the world of the living. That assault was finally ended at the Battle of Winterfell, when Arya Stark managed to slip a Valyrian steel dagger into him, obliterating the Night King and his entire army and ending the Great War. He leaves behind many unanswered questions, but a lot of relieved humans who can live on.

Vladimir Furdik has played The Night King since season 6 of Game of Thrones (Richard Brake played him in Seasons 4 and 5), and he's also the unnamed First Man you saw transformed into the leader of the White Walkers in a flashback. Though he has played small roles in various films, including Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Prometheus, Furdik's work is primarily as a stunt performer and supervisor. In addition to stunt work on numerous Game of Thrones episodes, Furdik's other credits in his 25-year career include Skyfall, John Carter, Thor: The Dark World, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Snow White and the Huntsman, and many more.

Ser Jorah Mormont is one of Game of Thrones' longest-surviving supporting characters. He showed up in the very first episode at Daenerys Targaryen's wedding to Khal Drogo, and has remained a key player in her story ever since. Loyal to and in love with Daenerys, Jorah braved everything from exile to a perilous journey through the ruins of Old Valyria to a Greyscale infection. It took Samwell Tarly's study skills and courage to cure him of that disease, but he made his way back to Daenerys and her service, and when all seemed lost at the Battle of Winterfell, it was Jorah who fought to save her until his very last breath. Only after the dead fell did he too give up, leaving his beloved Khaleesi to fight on.

Iain Glen's screen acting credits stretch back more than 35 years, and before Game of Thrones he was seen in everything from Darkness to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to Kingdom of Heaven. The same year that the series debuted, he also made several appearances on the hit series Downton Abbey, and since Game of Thrones, he's landed roles in everything from the Jack Taylor films to Delicious. This year, he'll also add a superhero to his resume, playing Batman/Bruce Wayne in the second season of the DC Universe original series Titans.

Even in her final appearance on the series, Melisandre of Asshai remained a mystery to us in many ways. How did she manage to learn those new fire magic tricks? Where did she come from that she was able to just ride up to Winterfell unguarded? How did she understand her purpose in that moment so clearly, when so many of her previous prophecies were misdirected and misinterpreted? It's not clear, but the Red Woman came through as one of the chief heroes of the Battle of Winterfell, providing much-needed relief (if only for a few moments) by lighting the trench in front of the castle and reminding Arya Stark what her true purpose in the fight was. When the battle was done, Melisandre herself was done with her time in the world, and walked out into the morning without her enchanted necklace, allowing her ancient body to crumble to dust.

Carice van Houten's 20-year career included acclaimed work in films like Black Book and Valkyrie before Game of Thrones came along. During her seven seasons with the series, she's continued to compile an impressive list of credits including The Fifth Estate, Intruders, Jackie, and even a voice role on The Simpsons. Her upcoming projects include the film Domino and the TV miniseries Temple.

Poor Missandei of Naath. Though we had a few moments to take it in, her capture and subsequent death seemed to almost come out of nowhere in an episode that was largely devoted to setting up the battle between Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister. After years of loyal service to Daenerys, the woman who freed her and made her a woman of power and influence in her court, Missandei finally seemed to be on the verge of true freedom. She and her lover Grey Worm had survived the battle with the Army of the Dead, and now they just had to survive one more fight before they could leave the wars of Westeros behind them. Now, with one stroke of Gregor Clegane's sword, Cersei has wiped all of that away, and Daenerys is ready for fire and blood. 

Don't worry about Nathalie Emmanuel, though. Since joining Game of Thrones she's landed roles in both the Fast & Furious and The Maze Runner franchises, and now that her time on the series is over she'll have plenty more to do. We'll next see her in not one but two different TV series: A TV adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral and the new Dark Crystal series, Age of Resistance. 

Varys, "The Spider," who's served more kings and queens than any other character on the series, has basically skated on the edge of death since we first met him. When he served Robert Baratheon and then Joffrey Baratheon in Westeros, he was always scheming to one day restore a Targaryen ruler to the Iron Throne, conspiring with fellow loyalists across the Narrow Sea. Then, when he finally escaped Westeros and found the Targaryen ruler he'd been working for in secret, he seemed to at long last be in service of the queen he wanted with Daenerys, only to discover that she seemed to possess the same mad streak her father had before he was overthrown. With another Targaryen waiting in the wings, Varys tried to get the word out that Jon Snow, a.k.a. Aegon Targaryen, would be the better ruler, and it cost him his life. He died hoping he was wrong, and understanding completely why his friend Tyrion Lannister turned him in. 

Conleth Hill is a 30-year veteran of screen acting who rose to even greater international prominence thanks to Game of Thrones, a show he's been a key part of since the very first season. Since the show's success, he's continued to earn more major film and TV work, including roles in Suits, Arthur & George, 12 Monkeys, and Hang Ups. In the wake of Game of Thrones he'll co-star in the upcoming series Dublin Murders. 

Euron Greyjoy once said "life is boring" when Cersei asked him why he took so many risks, and the commander of the Iron Fleet held onto that philosophy right up until the very end. With his fleet in ruins thanks to Daenerys and Drogon, Euron somehow managed to make it to shore beneath the Red Keep, where he found Jaime Lannister trying to sneak his way to Cersei. Euron did what Euron does, and challenged Jaime to a fight. He mortally wounded the Kingslayer, but Jaime could not be deterred, and ultimately buried a sword in Euron's chest. He died as he lived: arrogant to the last, claiming that he'd killed Jaime Lannister. 

Pilou Asbaek has built up an impressive resume in his first decade of screen acting. Before Game of Thrones, he had credits on The Borgias, 1864, and many more. Since Game of Thrones, he's been seen in films like Overlord and Ghost in the Shell, and he'll next been seen in Project X-Traction and Run Sweetheart Run. 

Qyburn's one of those characters who seemed like he'd probably die, but also seemed perfectly capable of slipping the grip of death if he really wanted to. A loyal and unscrupulous servant of Cersei Lannister's, Qyburn stepped up to help her when no one else would, plotting everything from the resurrection of Gregor Clegane to the explosion at the Great Sept. He also managed to build the scorpions which ultimately took down one of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons in "The Last of the Starks," and he wisely advised Cersei to retreat from the Red Keep even before she actually decided to. Alas, Qyburn could not escape the wrath of his own inhuman creations, and was killed when Gregor Clegane shoved him down a flight of stairs in defiance of his orders.

A veteran star of stage and screen and Associate Artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Anton Lesser is a distinguished character actor with a long resume that's recently included period drama hits like Wolf Hall, The Hollow Crown, Dickensian, and The Crown. In recent years, while starring in Game of Thrones, he's also been a regular on the British crime series Endeavour. 

In some ways, Ser Gregor Clegane has been dead for some time. The monstrous Mountain That Rides seemed to be on the brink of death by poison after his fight with Oberyn Martell (which he won at the last second) in season 4, only to be resurrected through some dark, unknown means by Cersei Lannister's hand, Qyburn. Since then he's been a mute, always threatening presence by Cersei's side, killing and torturing on her behalf but never seeming to act on his own wishes. That is, until "The Bells," which saw Gregor's brother Sandor return to King's Landing with a lifetime's worth of revenge on his mind. Defying his queen's command to stay with him, Gregor fought his brother to the death, until they both crashed through the walls of the Red Keep and into the dragonfire below. 

A former basketball player, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson's chief occupation for the last decade has been as a strongman competitor. He is the reigning World's Strongest Man, having won that competition in 2018, and the 2018 and 2019 champion at the Arnold Strongman Classic. His time on Game of Thrones is done, but we'll likely be seeing him again very soon, performing some massive feat of strength outside of the acting world. 

Few characters on Game of Thrones have been through quite as much as the Hound. Scarred for life as a baby by his cruel brother, he grew up with hate in his heart, and used that to become a cruel enforcer for the Baratheon/Lannister dynasty. He eventually left that life behind, earned a little humanity alongside Arya Stark, almost lost his life, found new purpose with the Brotherhood Without Banners, fought the army of the dead, and then returned to King's Landing for a final stand against his brother. All of that, and he still somehow managed to end his life on his own terms. Realizing that his brother could no longer be killed by conventional means, Sandor — after helping Arya Stark to learn that she didn't simply want to give her life up in the pursuit of death — shoved his brother and himself out of the Red Keep and into the dragon fire below. 

Rory McCann celebrates 20 years of screen acting in 2019, and his career has included plenty of highlights. Before Game of Thrones, he co-starred in Rockface, The Book Group, Hot Fuzz, Clash of the Titans, and much more. Since Game of Thrones he's been seen in The Jury, Banished, and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. 

Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister always seemed destined to go down together in one way or another. In love since they were children, the twin Lannisters sacrificed, fought, and made terrible decisions on behalf of each other and their secret family throughout Game of Thrones, and much of the bloodshed on the show stems from those very decisions. Jaime's journey was one of constantly struggling between what was right and what he would do for love, and though he seemed to be swaying in the direction of redemption by the end, all roads eventually led him back to Cersei. With no way out of the Red Keep's cellars as the castle fell around them, Jaime declared the only thing left was for them to have each other at the very end. 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau broke out in his native Denmark and then in Europe as a whole before joining the cast of Game of Thrones, and his eight seasons on the show helped to make him a truly international star. During the show's run he's co-starred in films like Oblivion and Gods of Egypt, and he'll next be seen in the films Domino and Suicide Tourist. 

Cersei Lannister was either going to die in Game of Thrones season 8 or rule over a pile of Stark and Targaryen corpses, and though many fans were sure her demise would come, they could not agree on how. Would Arya Stark fulfill her pledge to kill her? Would Jaime Lannister slay his sister and lover on a quest for redemption? Would Tyrion Lannister pull the trigger on a crossbow yet again? For a moment in "The Bells," it looked like Daenerys Targaryen might bring Cersei down herself with a blast of dragon fire. Instead, Cersei died beneath the Red Keep in Jaime's arms, sobbing over all she'd lost and realizing that the one thing she wanted most of all was to stay alive. She did not get that wish. 

Lena Headey was one of the biggest stars to join Game of Thrones (alongside the likes of Sean Bean) in its first season, and she's remained one of its key figures ever since. Her impressive list of credits before the series included the starring role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and the blockbuster 300, and the series has only brought more opportunities her way. Her recent credits include Trollhunter: Tales of Arcadia, Dredd, and The Purge, and she'll next be seen in films including The Flood and Gunpowder Milkshake.

At the beginning of Game of Thrones' final season, it felt like we'd lose just about every major character we know and love for the sake of the story, as contender after contender fell to pave the way to the Iron Throne. In the series finale, with numerous major characters still standing, it turned out there was only one life left for the show to take.

After Daenerys Targaryen's burning of King's Landing in "The Bells," she came to the throne room of the Red Keep hopeful that she could continue to show the world that she really was a liberator, and the show took great pains to convince the audience that she really and truly believed she was doing the right thing. Jon Snow also felt he had to do the right thing, though, and in the end that meant plunging a knife into the heart of the woman who was his lover, his aunt, and his queen.

Game of Thrones brought Emilia Clarke worldwide stardom that she's since parlayed into films like Me Before You, Terminator Genisys, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, and more opportunities will continue to flow for her. She'll next be seen in the drama Above Suspicion and the romantic comedy Last Christmas.