Renly was one of those vying for the throne of Westeros, although it must be stated that he had the least likely claim being of course the younger of the two surviving Baratheon brothers. Despite this he managed to gather some important allies, such as House Tyrell and others from the Stormlands. But it was his elder brother that would ultimately cause his demise. In the first demonstration in the series that magic is real and can have powerful effects, Melisandre gives birth to a shadow, which hunts down Renly in his camp and kills him in front of both Catelyn Stark and Brienne of Tarth. He is the first of the Kings seeking the throne to be murdered, but certainly not the last. This death proves that the magic of the Lord of Light is a significant weapon which occurs again and again throughout the series from that point onwards. While Renly might be the most major death seen by those means, it has also been used to resurrect other characters and almost certainly will have more major impacts down the road. After all, Melisandre has only just mentioned that Stannis€™ daughter Shireen will be needed for their upcoming plans.
