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Choose the next dead Stark


Waylin Stark

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:agree: Arya will die first, and Jon will die in the end. I'm not sure about the rest...

Don't agree with that at all. The idea that GRRM will kill off "any" character is so overhyped and really not true.

Arya, like Sansa and Bran, are living out what is known as the "monomyth": the hero's journey. But Arya arguably living out the purest and most exact version of it. And the hero's journey begins first with their training, then with the death of the mentor. The hero must also believe that they are the "last hope" which all three do at this point do.

The series is really Arya, Bran's and Sansa' coming of age story, which characteristically do not end in death.

Take a look at the pattern of deaths in the series so far and reconsider the idea that "any" character will die:

Ned: mentor who had to die

Cat: mentor who had to die

Maester Luwin: No POV, mentor who had to die

Robb: no POV, and had to die for the others to believe that they are "the last hope"

Tywin: no POV, inverse mentor

Viserys: no POV

Jeor: no POV, mentor who had to die

Khal Drogo: no POV

Robert Baratheon: No POV

Renly Baratheon: no POV

Oberyn: No POV

Quentyn: Only 2 POVs, and introduced very late in the books

See the pattern. GRRM performed us a bait in switch by making Ned a POV in a political thriller to disquise him as a mentor who was obviously marked to die from the beginning.

By contrast, Arya has spent 34 chapters just growing-up and maturing: all that would be wasted if it ended in her death. Bran has had 25, Sansa 21. Their arcs are identity ones centered on their future rolls in House Stark.

Only Jon, whose narrative is narratively tied and paralleled to Dany and Tyrion's ("a hero's story" in another sense) is likely die, and I for one think he almost certainly will: sacrificing himself to finally prove to the world that he is not just some "traitor's bastard"

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I know nothing about literature, but it seems to me that Arya's death was foreshadowed, and her arc is to seek vengeance and be a tragic figure. I suspect Jon will sacrifice himself in the end -- which, I think, many agree. :)

Is it though?

Think about her list: The list is distinctively compared to a prayer. It's a prayer that bad people will be given their justice desserts. Only three people on the list have died by her hand or influence, and only one directly.

Twyin Lannister: dead because he was a bad father

Joffrey: dead because he was a terrible king.

Amory: death by bear

Cercei: will die because of the Valonqar (aka tragic villain figure)

Polliver: killed by coincidence not design, and not by her direction

Weese: killed by his dog

At Harrenhall, Arya forgoes a chance to have Tywin killed in order to do something she thought would make her and her friends safer. This is fitting with her parallels to Cat: who preferred to accept bitter peace rather than fight the war.

There are countless incidences where Arya displays the "pack mentality": loyalty to living friends is more important than vengeance upon enemies

Arya's big problem with the FM is that what they sell is essentially vengeance. They say that when you ride off to get vengeance, dig a grave for yourself and a grave for your enemy.

The second Faceless Man was granted vengeance on his master in return for his "life".

The price they FM charge is "dear" but can always be paid: up to and including one's own life.

When the KM explains how the first FM killed the slave to grant him "the gift" and thus was a just and natural thing, he asks Arya if she understands this. She says "yes" but he responds "You lie."

"He should have killed the masters."

The theme of vengeance is much less valuable to Arya than people believe that it is, and really results from shallow reading.

I'm trying to find it but there's a pie graph out there that shows that less than 15% of Arya's thoughts are about vengeance.

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Tony in Avengers 2.

Nobody ever dies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Thor - Loki died ... oh no he didn't

Avengers - Coulson died, oh no he didn't. Tony died ... oh no he didn't.

Iron Man 3 - Pepper died ... oh no she didn't.

Thor 2 - Loki died again ... oh no he didn't.

Cap Am 2 - Bucky died ... oh no he didn't, Fury died ... oh no he didn't.

Guardians - Groot died ... oh no he didn't.

It's like the opposite of ASoIaF.

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Is it though?

Think about her list: The list is distinctively compared to a prayer. It's a prayer that bad people will be given their justice desserts. Only three people on the list have died by her hand or influence, and only one directly.

Twyin Lannister: dead because he was a bad father

Joffrey: dead because he was a terrible king.

Amory: death by bear

Cercei: will die because of the Valonqar (aka tragic villain figure)

Polliver: killed by coincidence not design, and not by her direction

Weese: killed by his dog

At Harrenhall, Arya forgoes a chance to have Tywin killed in order to do something she thought would make her and her friends safer. This is fitting with her parallels to Cat: who preferred to accept bitter peace rather than fight the war.

There are countless incidences where Arya displays the "pack mentality": loyalty to living friends is more important than vengeance upon enemies

Arya's big problem with the FM is that what they sell is essentially vengeance. They say that when you ride off to get vengeance, dig a grave for yourself and a grave for your enemy.

The second Faceless Man was granted vengeance on his master in return for his "life".

The price they FM charge is "dear" but can always be paid: up to and including one's own life.

When the KM explains how the first FM killed the slave to grant him "the gift" and thus was a just and natural thing, he asks Arya if she understands this. She says "yes" but he responds "You lie."

"He should have killed the masters."

The theme of vengeance is much less valuable to Arya than people believe that it is, and really results from shallow reading.

I'm trying to find it but there's a pie graph out there that shows that less than 15% of Arya's thoughts are about vengeance.

Well, you may be right, I generally read before I go to sleep and often not really as engaged as I would like to be. ;)

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The next death we'll find out about is probably Benjen but he technically won't be the next dead Stark, he probably died before the RW.



After that i'd say in order of likelihood



Arya: this is almost certain


Rickon: he's been through so much pain and the effect its having on him is so clear, he's been set up to be a tragic figure


Jon: its impossible to make a prediction without knowing what happened with the attempted assassination


Bran: not happening


Sansa: not happening


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