9. Ros
As an original creation of the show, Ros acting like something of a cipher for the audience. She allowed certain characters to explain their motivations most infamously in the Littlefinger sexposition scene on screen, an enormous help considering we lacked the molecular detail of the books. She was never truly loved by the fanbase but some held an enduring soft spot for her, and by the time season three rolled around she appeared to be on the up-and-up, occupying a position of relative power rather than getting undressed every three minutes. But again, in Westeros no good character goes unpunished. Ros flew too close to the sun in her alliance with Varys and got burned when Loras accidentally let slip the Tyrell/Spider plan, and what this led to was so grim, matter-of-fact and shocking that she had to warrant a place on this list. Namely, Ros become Joffreys pet pin-cushion in a truly horrifying vignette. Ros death is made all the more powerful entirely because its carried out off-screen. Shes been an important character for a while now, but when push came to shove she fittingly met her end as a pawn in Littlefingers larger scheme, highlighting that no matter how far she might rise, she is still just a cog in the machine when it comes to the game of thrones. Fitting, perhaps, but not made any less traumatic.