9 Most Important Deaths In Game Of Thrones
3. Robb Stark
The King In The Norths death reinforced the message that was sent with Neds beheading. No one is safe and honour wont protect anyone as well as treachery and low cunning. Robb played everything by the numbers and payed with his life. A strong thematic statement.
The entire Red Wedding causes Arya to remain on the run and under the rough tutelage of the Hound. Sansa remains a hostage and Winterfell is left unprotected. All of these things were vital going forward and he was in the way of this.
The Norths fractured state and reach of Lannister influence were all illustrated well with this brutal display and the audience learned not to hope. The reactions to his death by all the major players are very telling indeed. We gained further insight into Lord Tywins strategic mind and Tyrions heart when the news reached the capitol.
All hope for the restoration of the old order was snuffed out with the young wolf and audience members all over began to take a more subjective view of protagonists and antagonists. This allowed the story to take some unexpected and very dramatic turns. If Robb were still alive would we really be upset by Jamies daughter being killed?