Summary
War-torn Westeros during the events ofGame of Thronesis not a place where many would want to live, and true to the grimdark nature of both the show and the book series it was based on, almost all the characters suffer; innocent or not.
Some particularly unluckyGame of Thronescharacters, however, suffer more than others, often through no fault of their own. Out of these tragic characters, some are utterly broken by their misfortune, while others are slowly worn down by their fate.
7Lady, The Direwolf
Human characters aren’t the only ones to suffer inGame of Thrones, and Sansa Stark’s direwolf, Lady, is perhaps the unluckiest of them all. When Arya’s direwolf, Nymeria, attacks Prince Joffrey and subsequently runs away at the behest of her owner, it is Lady through no fault of her own who is killed instead as punishment and retribution.
Lady, like Sansa, was the gentlest of the pack and though as Cersei argued she was indeed capable of savagery, she had been raised well by Sansa, and would have only attacked if Sansa was under serious threat. The only solace for Lady was that she got a clean and quick deathat the hands of Eddard Stark.
6Renly Baratheon
There is little doubt that Renly Baratheon would have made a great king and at the precipice of the War of the Five Kings, with the combined might ofHouses Baratheonand Tyrell behind him, he was well-positioned to take the Iron Throne, and perhaps bring peace to the realm.
However, despite being loved by most, and well-protected by his Rainbow Guard, there was just one little thing that got in his way. Melisandre’s shadow baby which took the guise of Renly’s brother, Stannis, cut the young king’s reign short before it could truly begin, making Renly one of the unluckiestGame of Thronescharacters.
5Edmure Tully
Due to his young king’s naivety and folly, Edmure Tully was forced to agree to a marriage with a Frey girl in his stead. While Roslin turned out to be the girl of his dreams, Edmure’s relief and happiness were soon cut short bythe infamous events of the Red Wedding.
Instead of enjoying what should have been one the happiest nights of his life, Edmure, at no fault of his own, had to listen to his family, friends, and brothers-in-arms be mercilessly slain. He was then held captive for years in the Frey’s dungeons, never once seeing his wife or the son they made together. He was then told by Jaime Lannister that if he did not comply, his son would be hurled at the walls of Riverrun by a catapult.
4Tommen
Tommen Baratheon had it pretty rough and as all the tragedy that befell him was out of his hands, and given that he was a child, he can certainly be considered one of the most unluckyGame of Thronescharacters. Raised in a dysfunctional family that was broken up by the death of his father, Tommen had to then watch his brotherterrorize the people as king.
Before Joffrey’s murder, which must have been traumatic for young Tommen, his sister was also taken away from him and he would never see her again. After taking on the burden of ruling, and over a fragmented realm at that, Tommen finally found happiness with his wife Margaery. His reprieve did not last for long, however, as his mother had Margaery and many others blown up in the Great Sept of Baelor. After all that, there is little wonder why Tommen took his own life.
3Hodor
While the lovable Hodor mostly puts on a brave face and appears to enjoy the small things in life, season 6 showed that he is in fact one of the most unfortunate and unluckiest characters inGame of Thrones. Hodor was once known as Wylis, a perfectly normal and innocent stableboy, however,the future event of Bran warging into him, caused young Wylis to collapse and undergo a seizure in which he saw his own death.
He could also hear Meera shouting at him to “Hold the door,” which in turn caused him to repeat the phrase over and over again knowing it was his one mission and eventual death. Fans watched in horror and realization as the slurred phrase slowly turned into “Hodor”, the only thing he would say for the rest of his life.
2Sansa Stark
After a seemingly peaceful and happy childhood, Sansa Stark had an early and brutal introduction to the adult world, followed by years of suffering. After Sansa’s innocent direwolf was killed, it wasn’t long before she was forced to watch her fatherNed Stark’s equally unfair execution.
Sansa then became the plaything of one ofthe most ruthlessGame of Thronescharacters, the newly crowned King Joffrey, who took pleasure in tormenting her. She was then forced to marry Tyrion Lannister, before eventually escaping with the help of Littlefinger who turned out to have his own malign intentions for her. Somehow, after all this, the worst was still to come when she was forced into marriage with Ramsey Snow.
1Theon Greyjoy
Although Theon Greyjoy certainly made some massive mistakes that he came to regret, there is no denying that he had it rough and arguably suffered more than any other character. Taken hostage as a child for his father’s own folly and humiliated on his return, it is easy to see why Theon felt resentful and that he must prove himself.
After trying and failing to impress his father and sister, and committing grievous sins in the process, Theon was taken prisoner by Ramsey Snow where he was brutally tortured and mutilated. From this point onwards Theon’s life, if it can even be called that, was pure misery and pain.
