You Win Or You Die: Ranking the 99 Game of Thrones Deaths

Image credit: HBO/Helen Sloan

Renly Baratheon

Renly Baratheon wasn’t much for the kingship. He may have been as good and kind as they come, as Loras said, but he had few skills to encourage a crown atop his head. His war was all theatrics with little substance. Ultimately, Renly didn’t bring much to the plot table. His death came as no great shock, although I must confess I expected him to die on the battlefield. Instead, Renly’s death was one original feat. Game of Thrones outdid even itself on this one.

Renly’s elder brother, Stannis—arguably the rightful heir to the Iron Throne after Robert’s death—aligned himself with the Red Priestess Melisandre. With her, he created a demonic shadow whose purpose was to kill the “false king” Renly by way of dark magic. Probably not the greatest aspirations for a shadow baby, but then again that’s what you get when “shadow baby” is on the table in the first place.

Understandably, Renly’s men and others who heard of his death weren’t wont to believe in the magic angle. Many believed that Brienne of Tarth, newly appointed member of his Kingsguard, had slain him. Regardless, nothing much came to pass after Renly’s death. Perhaps in all the chaos of war, there was simply no one who cared enough to avenge him. Aside from Brienne herself, that is, who took on the responsibility famously.