[AFfC Spoilers] Best Death

[Kyptonite]

Yeah,

But Lysa is whiny and stupid while Littlefinger is clever and Machavellian...

Who makes Westeros a little more intresting?

Besides Littlefinger is out for himself and won't kill innocents if there is no profit in it for him (and there usually isn't). Unlike many other well beloved characters on the board (coughSandorBronncough).

And don't forget Littlefinger just planted the seeds of war. It was entirely up to the Lannisters and Starks to start it. [i'm looking at Catelyn, Cersei and Jamie here].

Littlefinger isn't a innocent bleating lamb. But he's not as bad as some.

"Only Cat" takes the cake. By the way .

Followed by Syrio.

I like your brain.

[Steve the Pirate]

Looking at it from another angle- my favorite mass death scene is Weasel Soup at Harrenhal. No pretentions of nobility there, just badassness, slashing throats, and Jaquen wiping the bloody blade on Arya because a girl should be bloody too.

I love Littlefinger as a villain. He's the most cunning character in the series, and I hope he lives until the end. The series needs a consummate shit-stirrer like him around to keep the story moving forward.

[LadySoftheart]

Littlefinger isn't a innocent bleating lamb. But he's not as bad as some.

Heh! I guess destroying the realm for your personal gain might not be considered as bad as throwing little boys off of roofs or cutting them in two as a couple of my favorites have done Or is it a case of "the things I do for love" being true for Littlefinger as well? Can't have Catelyn? Very well then, destroy her husband, her family, and while you're at it make sure you pull the country into a civil war. He was definitely fun to watch, but somewhere along the line when his entirely inappropriate feelings for Sansa Stark manifested themselves and I realized he'd transferred his fixation on Catelyn to her DAUGHTER, I started to think of him as a doublet-clad Humbert Humbert and I lost what little liking I'd ever had for him.

I still like that he killed Lysa though I just hope Sansa learns all she can from him and then introduces him to her inner wolf!

I love Littlefinger as a villain. He's the most cunning character in the series, and I hope he lives until the end. The series needs a consummate shit-stirrer like him around to keep the story moving forward.

Steve the Pirate, given the speculation elsewhere that there must be more to the whole Dany story than that she just comes to Westeros, defeats the others with dragons and reenacts Aegon the conqueror - my theory is that in the last book, Dany, Jon Snow, any remaining Lannisters, Starks, Tullys, Martells, etc. all perish fighting the Others, and our last scene is Littlefinger mounting to the Iron Throne. (With Sansa as his Queen - and eventually she'll end up offing him - of course, that is a given for me!)

[Oathkeeper]

Ned's death. Not because I LIKED watching Ned die, but because I just couldn't believe that Martin had actually DONE that - I was convinced that Ned was the hero of the series, and then *boom* one psycho teenage king later, he's just gone. It still hits me the hardest, I think, of all the many deaths in the series, because I still feel the same shock I did the first time around.

Lady Softheart, I find myself agreeing with you constantly! Yes, Ned's death still hits me harder than any other, even moreso than the Red Wedding. There's just something about the way Arya hears the soft sighing sound as the crowd lets out its breath in unison, and you never actually see the execution, and it hurts so much more. It breaks my heart.

Lysa's death was well-written, but doesn't top Ned's for me. Then again, I can't find it in me to hate such a pitiful creature.

[Kyptonite]

I like Petyr's mindset. He doesn't passively accept some bland fate. If he can't have what he wants, he sees no reason why someone else should.

[Steve the Pirate]

Ned wasn't that interesting to me. He was too cold, too hard. Martin telegraphed that death from the beginning. Plus what's a typical guy adventure fantasy without a martyred father-figure?

That's a pretty involved theory, Lady. Anything's possible in Westeros. LF went from nothing to Master of the Cash and Lord of whatever. So why not King, as well.

[Walpurgisborn]

I still like that he killed Lysa though

Am I the only person who got absolutely terrified of Sansa Stark being in the hands of someone capable of such a cold blooded act? Not that I particularly care for the wolfless Stark, but I don't doubt that Littlefinger's twisted enough to "accidently" drop some apothecarial concotion in Sansa's cup and consummate a relationship with her. Creepy bastard.

As for most effective death, the one that really wrenched me the most was Ned, but Robb and Oberyn's are pretty close. The one I enjoyed most was Tywin's, Tyrion's droll observation about Tywin not shitting gold clinched it for me. Although I loved Arya's tickling the Tickler.

I have to admit, the only death I really didn't enjoy on some level was Lyssa's. It just reinforced the idea that LF was twisted, and I knew that already.

[ThatWierdGuy]

Lady Snow, I think the reason why people like Jaime and Sandor, I think a lot of people like the idea of a previously evil character seeking redemption. Perhaps this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but in terms of Littlefinger, he has done nothing to redeem himself, looks for his own personal gain, and probably single handedly started a civil war which has killed much more innocent children then Sandor or Jaime did in their lifetime.

I don't see how anyone saw Ned's death coming, unless they heard it was one of those books where the main characters get killed prior to reading GOT. Usually characters like Ned that get so much screentime, and portrayed as the main character, don't get whacked three-fourths through the story. That movie "Psycho" is the only one that comes to mind.

[Kyptonite]

Lady Snow, I think the reason why people like Jaime and Sandor, I think a lot of people like the idea of a previously evil character seeking redemption. Perhaps this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but in terms of Littlefinger, he has done nothing to redeem himself, looks for his own personal gain, and probably single handedly started a civil war which has killed much more innocent children then Sandor or Jaime did in thier lifetime.

Committing the act is much worse than merely being an influence, IMHO. Sandor and Jaime are much more worthy of my scorn despite their "redemptive" qualities.

[The Young Lion]

1. Ned, becuase it was soooooo sad

2. Oberyn, becuase i thought he was going to kill that Mountain bastard!

3. Robert's porridge.

Let my porridge FLY!

The Hound

[Lint]

Ditto for the Red Wedding as the most shocking death. Joffrey's death was one of the more triumphant ones.

[Jesatria]

Oberyn's death was really horrible. He's one of my absolute favorite characters, and knowing that he died the exact same way as the sister he tried to avenge is truely horrible. However, I take comfort in the fact that the Mountain suffered horribly from Oberyn's poison and that his family will eventually avenge his death.

As for delightful deaths, Tywin's is #1 on my list. There was poetic justice there, and it was a humiliating death for a man who hated to be humiliated. My only regret is that he didn't live long enough for us to see what Doran would've done to him. Arya killing the Tickler was magnificent as well.

While I was elated when Joffrey kicked the bucket, I wished his death had been more painful. A trip to the torture chamber would've been appropriate.

[Callandor]

Most shocking: Ned's. I had to re-read the section four times because I thought I kept missing where he survived. Oh, look, it's not there....

Shocking: Oberyn's. It just sucked that a character went in the space of about two chapters from being a "meh" to one of my favorites only to be crumpled.

Purely Enjoyable: Lysa. God did she so deserve to die.

Most wanted death: Robert's. Sorry, but Robery Arryn just has to die.

Second most wanted death: Littlefinger. He just needs to. Preferably after being gelded.

"Only Cat" takes the cake. By the way .

Followed by Syrio.

But Syrio isn't dead!

[Quietman73]

I would also list Khal Drogo's "crowning" of Viserys - I enjoyed seeing his arrogant ass shut up so matter-of-fact like.

Ned's was definitely shocking, because of the concept of the main character getting offed early in the series.

The Red Wedding was the saddest, because I was expecting Robb to have to keep apologizing to Walder Frey profusely, and then bang! King in the North and most of his bannerman wiped out.

The one I anticipate the most is Littlefinger, simply because he's a conniving little bastard, and I hope he gets a good one.

[Ser Benfrey SNow]

Most glamorous death: Syrio, He went out with flare and dignity

Most delightful death: Lysa, I really hated her

Most needing a head shortened: LF, He is the cause of and solution to all problems in Westeros

Most depressing: Catelyn, I didn't really care for her but her death was so slow and sad

Most Shocking: Robb, despite the signs I really blinded myself to Robb's danger

[Mutant for Hire]

I like Tywin's death, because Tyrion finally got even for all the crap his father dumped on him all those years. Admittedly, he's called Kinslayer now, but damn if his father hadn't earned it. In the end, Tywin's arrogance with his son having a crossbow pointed straight at him... he really deserved to be died for that level of sheer hubris.

The Red Wedding and Ned's death were the other big two. When the Stark's die, it tends to be something of a dramatic moment. There were plenty of other deaths that were reliefs more than anything else, such as Lysa and Joff.

I'm going to pervert the topic of the thread and work out the "best deaths" for characters that I think or I'd like to see die. In other words, what's the best way for them to go down.

Cersei:

I want her killed by Jaime, or to make it clear that Jaime was directly involved in the events leading up to her death/execution. The woman deserves an eternity's worth of pain. Since that's not likely to happen, I will settle for Jaime betraying her to her doom. That will cause her no little amount of anguish before she finally dies. I'd also like her to know that she will be forever remembered as a disaster and a disgrace to the Lannisters and the Seven Kingdoms but she's got too much ego to ever believe that. Jaime abandoning her to her doom, even helping her along to it, is something that can sink a knife into her heart.

Littlefinger:

I think the very best death would be for Sansa to make a final choice between Tyrion and Littlefinger and for her to choose Tyrion. That will cause him no little amount of fury as he realizes that he's lost his Cat-replacement. The only other possibility is for unCat to learn of Littlefinger's involvement in her family's ruins and to take vengence on him. Seeing her killing Littlefinger would be very entertaining to me. I'd bring popcorn.

Jaime:

I want him to go down a hero, preferably fighting the Others. Redemption in death, dying a true knight of the Kingsguard and one last entry of heroism in the book.

[The Marquis de Leech]

Not that I particularly care for the wolfless Stark, but I don't doubt that Littlefinger's twisted enough to "accidently" drop some apothecarial concotion in Sansa's cup and consummate a relationship with her. Creepy bastard.

Ah, but Littlefinger can't do that for a while yet, if only for political reasons. As long as Sansa keeps her maidenhead, LF can prove that Tyrion never consumated the marriage. No consumation means that the marriage can be set aside, enabling LF to conveniently marry Sansa off to Harry the Heir.

Back on topic, LF deserves a medal for pushing Lysa out the Moon Door. Easily the most emotionally satisfying death in the series. The most shocking death on the other hand would have to be that of Oberyn Martell.

[Jonjamin]

The death that had me cheering the loudest was Tywin's.

But I liked Arys Oakheart's death as well, mainly because Hotah is so badass.

[Ser Tyler]

Ned's was probably the most shocking. All signs were pointing to his demise, but I still remember my jaw dropping when GRRM actually killed him off.

Same with Robb. As much as I liked his character I didn't honestly think he would last much longer, and I kind of expected trouble with the Freys after he married the Westerling girl, but after they had guest right I expected him to be ok at least for the moment. The Red Wedding is probably my favorite scene in the series so far, despite all of it's tragedies. Robb, Catelyn, Grey Wind, and countless bannermen of House Stark... The Freys are cursed for sure, I'm anxiously awaiting the discontinuation of their entire house.

Most of the other really good scenes involving death have already been mentioned, Lysa, Oberyn, etc. Rodrick Cassell's death struck a chord with me, he was just such a nice guy. It seems nice guys have no place in the cruel world of GRRM.

I really liked Qhorin Halfhand's death as well, what a complete and total badass. Way to sacrifice himself for the good of the Night's Watch.

[Kama45]

Martell. What a fight!