Games Of Thrones Season 4: 20 Most Hotly Anticipated Moments
13. The Death Of Ygritte
When Jon Snow made the decision to become a brother of the Nights Watch, no doubt he never expected to fall in love with a wildling. Like all children of the north, he had been brought up being told scary stories of how barbaric and terrible they were. They were the enemy, and as a black brother, he is sworn to defend the realm against that enemy. Of course, in typical Game of Thrones fashion, it turns out the enemy is not quite what he had expected, and it is his unexpected love for Ygritte that helps him realize that. While things between them were great when he was behind enemy lines, last season they officially broke up when Jon chose duty over love. Now, with Jon back at the Wall and Ygritte marching south with her wildlings, the two lovers are poised to face each other in battle. As readers of the books know, Ygritte is part of the first attack on Castle Black. The Nights Watch is able to defeat them, but not without a cost to Jon. After the battle, Jon scans what remains of the wildlings in desperate search for Ygritte. He finds her with an arrow in her chest, and after taking one last opportunity to tell Jon he knows nothing, she dies in his arms. The relationship between Jon and Ygritte is one of the most passionate and genuine on Game of Thrones, so of course tragedy is not unexpected. Still, this moment is sure to be one of the saddest of the season. For Jon, it personalises the effects of the conflict between the Nights Watch and the wildlings, which will greatly inform the decisions he makes down the line. It plays a huge part in his development into a leader, making this moment highly anticipated.
