8 Dead Game Of Thrones Characters You Forgot Existed (And Why They're Important)

With the notoriously trigger-happy George RR Martin as the defacto God of the Game of Thrones universe, the casual viewer can be forgiven for forgetting all about some of the show’s many deceased characters. In fact, even the biggest fanboy would struggle to reel off the names of every man, woman and child that has died in Westeros and the lands beyond, with the number now well into triple figures.

Season 6 is only three weeks old and already we’ve said goodbye to a number of regulars, with treacherous Warden of the North Roose Bolton seeing the bastard side of his son and Ser Alliser Thorne (along with little Olly) being strung up for murdering Jon Snow. The body count will only rise as the show enters the twilight of its run, though it is the deaths of seasons gone by we are concerned with here.

When recalling memorable Game of Thrones exits, Viserys Targaryen being presented with his crown of boiling gold springs to mind, as does the beheading of Ned Stark, the poisoning of Joffrey and, of course, the Red Wedding. The ramifications of these deaths were as shocking as the killing itself, though what about the many other characters that have fallen by the wayside? Were their deaths meaningless, just cannon fodder for bloodthirsty writers?

For the most part, the answer is yes. Most of the dead characters you’ve forgotten all about you probably forgot about for a reason, though some of them are actually more important to the story then you likely remember...

Life And Death:

Long-time Master-at-Arms at Winterfell, Ser Rodrik Cassel was a good friend to Northern lords Jon Umber and Eddard Stark, whom he fought alongside during Robert’s Rebellion. Following Ned Stark’s execution and the proclamation of Robb Stark as the new King in the North by his bannermen, Rodrik was tasked with returning to Winterfell with Bran and Rickon, where Robb believed they would be safe.

After Theon Greyjoy betrayed Robb and sacked an undefended Winterfell in season 2, however, Rodrik is brutally beheaded after failing to bow down to the Ironborn. Theon botches the execution, with three swings of his sword and a kick needed to remove Cassel’s head.

Why He Was Important:

It was Rodrik Cassel that identified the blade used by Bran's would-be assassin as Valyrian steel, which in turn lead the vengeful Catelyn Stark to Tyrion Lannister. Ser Rodrik then arrested Tyrion on Lady Stark's orders, inadvertently setting in motion a chain reaction that contributed to Ned's execution and, eventually, the War of the Five Kings.

Rodrik was also an important character in that he trained the men of Winterfell in combat for generations. Not only did he tutor his eventual killer Theon, but he showed both Robb Stark and Jon Snow how to use a blade, and how to use it well. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed a young Cassel training childhood versions of Eddard and Benjen Stark in Bran’s first season 6 flashback, meaning his influence on House Stark and the Game of Thrones universe cannot be understated.