Game of Thrones fans, our watch has almost ended.

To mix metaphors, we’re in the endgame now. The last six episodes of the world’s biggest television series are about to air, and with them, certain death for almost all of the show’s characters.

Loath as we are to be brutal, we must speak the truth: almost everyone is going to die in season eight of Game of Thrones. It is known. This is a show that has, after all, borne witness to more than 150,000 deaths. Many more will come in season eight, especially considering that the show’s longest battle sequence is coming, shot over a gruelling 55 consecutive night shoots in Northern Ireland. Smart money is on that episode, the Battle of Winterfell, serving as the backdrop to the death of several major characters. 

But let’s put our money where our mouth is. Here at Stylist there are two Game of Thrones superfans in the office and they are us, Kayleigh Dray and Hannah-Rose Yee. Now, once and for all, we’re going to declare very definitively (by which we mean totally, wholly subjectively), who we think is going to live and we think is going to die in season eight of Game of Thrones.

Valar morghulis. All men must die.

A note on methodology: Each character has been given a dire wolf ranking between one and 10. 10 dire wolves indicating that they better start building the funeral pyre now, one dire wolf meaning that they are going to live a long and happy Westerosian life. 

Will Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane die?

HRY: So dead. He’s the deadest of all. In fact, he’s already dead right now, reanimated at the hands of weird, freaky Maester ‘Frankenstein’ Qyburn. With Cleganebowl – or the battle between the Mountain and the Hound – almost certainly coming, Gregor is going to finally get his just desserts for raping and killing Elia Martell and for pushing poor baby Sandor into the fire. Good bloody riddance!

KD: I thoroughly concur: this guy is going to die (again) at the hands of Sandor, i just know it. And I reckon there will be some sort of poetic justice to be had, too. More on that later…

How likely is The Mountain to die? 10 dire wolves 

 Will Qyburn die?

HRY: This creepy Maester is a survivor, I’ll give him that. He’s managed to make it this far alive, can’t he escape season eight unscathed? No, he can’t. He’s going to die, and probably not in a very nice way, either.

KD: I reckon Qyburn will perform one last evil rite before he dies: he’s going to bring someone else back from the dead (a lot of people have this pegged as Cersei, after she ‘dies’ in childbirth), and that same someone is going to go full Pet Sematary on his ass. Read: they will wrap their cold, lifeless hands around his throat and end him, ever so dramatically. Laters, Q.

How likely is Qyburn to die? 8 dire wolves 

Will Jaime Lannister die?

KD: This is a fun game so far, isn’t it? Dead, dead and - sorry to all the Jaime fans out there - dead again. But at least Jaime will die doing something terribly, terribly noble. Anyone who’s read my GoT musings on Stylist.co.uk will know already that I have Jaime pegged as the one to kill the Night King (see my carefully reasoned argument for this here). It’s the only way to end his beautiful sweeping arc in a satisfying way.

Think about it: Jaime began his GoT career as the Kingslayer who shoved Bran out a window. Now, he’s going to end it as the NIGHT Kingslayer - and if Bran is actually the Night King, as so many people believe, then so much the better. He’ll die using his Valyrian steel sword to slice that shuffling undead’s head off, you mark my words. And thus he will perish, but his honour will be restored.

HRY: I like Jaime a lot. I recently rewatched the entire seven seasons of Game of Thrones in preparation for the finale because who needs a social life, really, and Jaime has one of the best character arcs that the show has ever seen, full of growth and nuance and steps towards restoring his honour and his name.

We last saw him on the road north to fight alongside Jon and Daenerys against the Night King, and the best fan theories have suggested that the Kingslayer might ride once more and fell that zombie monarch for good, dying in the process. I think that’s about the best theory going right now, and that Jaime is going to die on the battlefield, in Brienne’s arms, having finally restored his honour.

How likely is Jaime Lannister to die? 7 dire wolves 

Will Euron Greyjoy die?

KD: Euron is a bad man and an even worse feminist, so he has to die. And he has to die knowing he’s been bested by someone he views as less than him. Yara, maybe? Theon, possibly? Or maybe even Cersei herself? After all, he thinks he’s got Bad Queen Lannister dancing to his tune, but he doesn’t know her at all. And he’s vastly underestimated her abilities to a) destroy the men who put her down, b) get exactly what she wants, and c) come up with seriously fun and inventive ways to kill all those who have slighted her. Wildfire ain’t got nothing on the Drowned God that Cersei has lined up for this guy, I bet… especially when she hears about his “finger up the bum” comment.

HRY: Euron sucks! He is the worst. He’s a cartoon character villain and a waste of space who needs to seriously rethink his love of eyeliner. He’s so dead. And Theon is going to kill him.

How likely is Euron Greyjoy to die? 10 dire wolves

Will Bronn die?

HRY: I am excessively fond of Bronn. My man runs around Westeros thinking only of number one, and how much money (and women) he can accumulate in the service of number one. He doesn’t do anything unless there’s something in it for him, which makes him ideally suited to somehow survive the war for the throne and make it out not only alive but unscathed. I think he might live, and will finally get that rich wife and castle that he so desperately craves.

KD: Bronn may fight for cash, but I reckon he’ll get a case of the honours and wind up joining the Lannister brothers up North in the big fight against the Night King. Probably at a really fortuitous moment, too. And I suspect he will wind up saving Tyrion or Jaime from being snatched up by Undead Viserion, too. After all, he did famously say: “Till I get what I’m owed, a dragon doesn’t get to kill you. You don’t get to kill you. Only I get to kill you.”

Whether he lives, though… well, I’d like him to get the social status, dominion and wife of his dreams, but this IS Game of Thrones. How likely is that really?

How likely is Bronn to die? This could go either way. 5 dire wolves 

Will Bran Stark die?

KD: A weirwood will live forever if left undisturbed… and a lot of GoT fans suspect that all greenseers wind up as weirwoods eventually. If the show wants to get super trippy, they may wind up having the show end with Bran’s POV as the weirwood at Winterfell, able to see deep into the past and future. It’s that or he really is the Night King and Isaac Hempstead-Wright’s protestations as to otherwise are all lies. Either way, Bran ain’t making it out of this show in human form. Sorry, folks.

HRY: I mean, technically speaking Bran is dead right? And the Three Eyed Raven is in his place? What’s that? You’re booing that joke? And also the entire plotline of this boring character? Me, too. Kill him off and be done with it. Yawn.

How likely is Bran Stark to die? 5 dire wolves

Will Melisandre die?

HRY: She’s the worst witch in the world, manifestly unable to interpret prophecies and understand what her alleged Lord of Light is asking of her. She’s the Sybil Trelawney of Game of Thrones, except she’s worse, because she keeps sticking her fingers in pies that resolutely do not want her fingers stuck in them. Melisandre needs to go.

KD: Melisandre has said herself that she has “to die in this strange country”, so let it be so. Maybe she’ll pull a Trelawney and get something right for the big finale, eh? And maybe that something will see her fetching the Golden Company from overseas and bringing them to fight alongside Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. Job done, she’ll either slink off into the shadows to live the rest of her life alone, or something will go wrong with her glamour and she will age rapidly before everyone’s eyes, finally expiring in a heap of dust and bones. Grim.

How likely is Melisandre to die? 7 dire wolves

Will Tyrion Lannister die?

HRY: Tricky, this one. He’s cheated death this far, which usually means that a ghastly end is coming for him. But, on the other hand, George RR Martin has always said that Tyrion is his favourite character. I think Tyrion’s going to make it.

KD: Poor, sweet, optimistic Hannah. Wouldn’t it be more interesting if Tyrion is put on trial for the third time - on this occasion, for betraying Jon and Daenerys - and loses his head as a result? Or maybe he winds up banished overseas and drinks himself to death instead, in an end truly befitting of the God of Tits and Wine?

Then again… a lot of people think that George R R Martin’s tale is based on the War of the Roses, and that Tyrion and Sansa will step into the roles of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York to end the series. It would certainly be a “bittersweet” union - which is all we’ve really been promised by the GoT bosses - and both have proven themselves adept leaders and skilled diplomats. I’m torn.

How likely is Tyrion to die? 4 dire wolves 

Will Tormund Giantsbane die?

HRY: I want Tormund to live so he can have “big monster babies” with Brienne. (If she’s willing, of course.) He’s going to be involved heavily in the war, but we know that he can fight his way out of a straightjacket. “I’m good at killing people,” he once said. That skill is going to come in handy in season eight. My big, bushy-bearded boy is going to make it.

KD: Ah, Tormund - you had an excellent run, but I’m afraid this is the final curtain for you. If a wall of ice and snow landing on your head doesn’t do it, then your haphazard way of fighting the White Walkers will. May you rest in peace, you sweet ginger giant.

How likely is Tormund to die? 5 dire wolves 

Will Gendry die?

HRY: Kayleigh is going to kill me for this but… Gendry is gonna die. When a throne is in contention we simply can’t have too many heirs running around. Plus, he’s good with a warhammer but unless he can make that warhammer out of dragonglass then it’s going to be no use against White Walkers. Sorry, you oily, greased-up blacksmith matinee idol, but it was good while it lasted.

KD: As if, Hannah. Gendry is VITAL TO EVERYONE’S SURVIVAL because he’s going to set up shop and start churning out Dragonglass weapons for our would-be heroes. Plus there’s that prophecy to think about…

“When the hammer shall fall upon the dragon, a new king shall arise, and none shall stand before him.”

Not only is Gendry excellent with a hammer, but he’s part-Targaryen, too. I reckon he could whip up a dragonglass warhammer, bop Viserion on the head with it, and thus secure the way for a new king. Or, you know, it could refer to a zombie-Gendry killing off live dragons on behalf of the Night King. But that, my friends, would be utterly intolerable.

How likely is Gendry to die? 6 dire wolves 

Will Jorah Mormont die?

KD: Hannah is absolutely obsessed with Jorah, but even she knows he has to die this time around. He has greyscale, for crying out loud, and he’s sworn to protect Daenerys with his goddamn life. He’s dying. He’s dying nobly, sure, but he’s dying. Make your peace with it now, people.

HRY: Full disclosure: Jorah is the only character I care about on Game of Thrones. Sure, he might have done some bad stuff in his past but that was then and this, my friends is now. Jorah is devoted, steadfast and loving, the one true boyfriend in this whole cursed show. Just think of his season seven arc: he really got flayed alive and trekked his sorry behind all the way to Dragonstone to find Daenerys chilling with some new hottie? And then he basically told that hottie that Daenerys was his to love and cherish and let said hottie keep his family’s historic sword? Sweet, sweet Jorah.

All that flaying is going to be for naught, though, considering that Jorah is absolutely dying in season eight of Game of Thrones. He will do so on the battlefield, protecting Daenerys, as he has done for the past seven seasons. This I know in my bones, more than any other death on the show. You know what they say, if you love something, you have to let it go. Farewell, Knight of the Andals, Knight of my heart.

How likely is Jorah Mormont to die? 10 dire wolves (sob) 

Will Samwell Tarly die?

KD: Nobody can kill Sam. I decided that he was the Prince who was Promised a while back, and made my theory so utterly convincing that Hannah was persuaded to write an entire article about it. I also have a sneaking suspicion that George R R Martin has based this character on himself: he’s logical, he’s got good historical knowledge about his fellow characters, and he WRITES STUFF DOWN. Sure, he’s not your archetypal hero, but that didn’t stop Samwise Gamgee from carrying Master Frodo up the Mountains of Mordor now, did it? Exactly. And if you don’t believe me, read what John Bradley West and his fellow actors have said about it all here, because they’ve unwittingly backed me up to the gills.

HRY: Making it through all the way to the end, like the Prince who was Promised. Someone has to write the history of Westeros, a la Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, after all.

How likely is Samwell Tarly to die? 2 dire wolves

Will Cersei Lannister die?

KD: I’m a big fan of Cersei, but even I have to admit the future doesn’t look all that bright for our favourite wine-guzzler. Then again, if anyone is able to strike up a bargain with the Night King, it’s Queen Lannister herself - unholy matrimonial alliance, anyone?

HRY: I want her to die, because it would be a satisfyingly dramatic death and we know that Lena Headey would give a death scene for the ages, but I also think there is a world in which Cersei survives by the skin of her teeth. If she dies, my money is on Jaime or Tyrion doing the deed.

How likely is Cersei Lannister to die? 6 dire wolves 

Will Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane die?

HRY: I think Sandor is going to beat The Mountain, but he’s going to die on the battlefield. Win the battle, lose the war, as they say.

KD: Sandor is afraid of fire, but I bet you any money he’s going to overcome this fear for The Greater Good in season eight. If he doesn’t wind up wielding Beric’s firesword and bumping off Wight Walkers (and his undead brother) left, right and centre, I’ll eat my hat. But he will almost definitely die doing it.

How likely is The Hound to die? 8 dire wolves

Will Varys die?

KD: There are countless theories about Varys, many of which state that he is a mermaid OR a Targaryen-in-disguise. One thing we do know, though, is that he’s a man of mystery, and ever so charming, which means that, at the moment, the only people who have cause to kill him are Cersei (go figure) and the Night King (duh). I can’t see him dying, to be honest. I reckon he’s going to be pulling his puppet strings and securing the future of Westeros right through to the bitter end.

HRY: Varys is – cue the Destiny’s Child music – a survivor. But maybe this is one corner this slippery courtier can’t wriggle out of? Melisandre did prophesise that both she and Varys would die in Westeros. But then, when has Melisandre been right about literally anything?

How likely is Varys to die? 4 dire wolves 

Will Gilly die?

HRY: Maybe Sam will kill her as a sacrifice to become Azor Ahai. But also, maybe he won’t? If Sam makes it to the end, Gilly (and baby Sam) will too.

KD: It would be too cruel, even for Game of Thrones, to kill off sweet, sweet Gilly. Plus, she’s already proven herself to be adept at uncovering secrets and thwarting White Walker plans: wouldn’t it make more sense for her to serve some greater purpose come the finale than another pointless tearjerker of a death?

How likely is Gilly to die? 3 dire wolves

Will Davos Seaworth die?

HRY: I lied when I said Jorah is the only character I love. Davos. Ah, Davos! Davos, Davos, Davos. Wise-cracking, aphrodisiacal fermented crab-peddling, Shireen-loving Davos. You’ve smuggled your way into all of our hearts with your moral compass and your determination. He’s not great on the battlefield, which worries me somewhat, but something makes me believe that he will make it.

KD: Davos has lived a long and noble life, tis true… but did that save Ned Stark? Did it hell. This guy is White Walker-fodder, and we all know it. But at least he’ll be reunited with his beloved Shireen, eh?

How likely is Davos to die? 5 dire wolves 

Will the Night King die?

HRY: Dead. Again.

KD: Agreed. And it’ll happen when he and Bran lock eyes, realise they’re the same person, and their heads explode…

How likely is The Night King to die? 10 dire wolves

Will Grey Worm die?

KD: We all saw what happened to Angel after he finally had sex with his one true love in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: he lost his actual soul, went on an undead killing rampage and broke her heart in the process. I’m not saying that the exact same thing is going to happen to Grey Worm, but… well, I am, actually. Sorry.

HRY: This breaks my heart, but Game of Thrones is going to have to have some big casualties in order to maintain any sense of its high stakes, and most of those casualties are going to happen on the battlefield. Who is almost guaranteed to be in the line of fire? Grey Worm. He has to die. Sorry.

How likely is Grey Worm to die? 8 dire wolves 

Will Podrick Payne die?

HRY: Ah Pod, terrible squire but excellent lover and friend to all the prostitutes in King’s Landing. He’s going to die. And, just like when infamous brothel frequenter Victor Hugo died, all the prostitutes in King’s Landing will hang their windows with black silk in mourning for their most beloved customer.

KD: Hold your horses, Hannah. Podrick may be a terrible squire, but he’s learnt a lot during his time with Brienne, and I feel like… well, I feel like he may live. Then again, he’s basically the Dobby of the series, isn’t he? All it would take is one ill-advised act of heroism and the next thing we know, Tyrion will be tearfully digging a grave for him on a nearby beach. Stay fearful, Podrick, and avoid battle as much as possible. Have-a-go heroes die tragically in fantasy epics, but lovable cowards make it through to the bitter end.

How likely is Podrick to die? 6 dire wolves 

Will Jon Snow die?

HRY: Here’s the thing. For a long time I was convinced that Jon was going to make it. We saw him die in season five, I’d yell. (Nobody was listening.) Where’s the jeopardy! But since completing my rewatch I’m convinced that Jon Snow is not long for this world. I have this strong sense that Jon Snow is living on borrowed time and that he was brought back for a reason.

What that reason is isn’t entirely clear yet. Is it to knock Daenerys up? Is it to kill the Night King? Is it to restore order to the North? Whatever it is, you better believe Jon will achieve it in season eight. After that? RIP, Jon.

KD: I’m pretty sure Hannah is right (we’ve discussed this at length, and have always both concluded that Jon’s days are numbered), but let’s play devil’s advocate for a second. Because Jon could die, sure, but he could also live. And he bloody should, really. The whole series is called A Song of Ice and Fire, which - as we all now know - refers to Jon Snow’s lineage: his mother was a Stark, his father was a Targaryen. He has yet to learn of his true parentage, he has yet to ride a dragon (and he is SO riding a dragon), and he has yet to wring his hands in despair over the fact he’s had sex with his Auntie. He has a LOT to do this season, which means he has to make it until at least the final episode (something which Kit Harington recently confirmed himself as a matter of fact.) 

But, while he may survive, it’s unlikely he’s getting a happy ending. I suspect he will either a) be forced to kill Daenerys, as decreed by the prophecy, and be driven mad with despair, b) wind up back on the Wall, having done his duty and convinced he must continue his Watch for the “greater good”, or c) have to spend his days in King’s Landing, far from Winterfell and the home he loves.

How likely is Jon snow to die? 5 dire wolves 

Will Theon Greyjoy die?

HRY: Theon has made it this far. I think he’s going to make it all the way to the end, killing his mad uncle along the way. But unfortunately this doesn’t bode well for his sister…

KD: I humbly disagree: Theon isn’t long for this world… and I reckon he’s fine with that, to be honest, because this world hasn’t exactly been good to him. Hopefully, he dies quickly, painlessly and courageously, eh?

How likely is Theon Greyjoy to die? 5 dire wolves

Will Yara Greyjoy die?

HRY: She’s dying. I’m sorry Yara. We all guessed as much when you didn’t make it onto this year’s Entertainment Weekly cover of the remaining cast members. (You were the only one not to appear, which is… damning.) You’re one of only a few women left on the show, but if Theon makes it you’re not going to. It’s one or the other in this scenario, and I’m going with the other.

KD: Oh, Yara: we hardly knew ye.

How likely is Yara Greyjoy to die? 8 dire wolves 

Will Arya die?

HRY: She thinks she’s all that, with her tiny little sword and her Braavosian dance master moves. Sure, she’s toting around all those faces in her satchel, like some kind of deranged Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, but remember how scared she looked running through the tunnel of Winterfell in the trailer? Something is coming for Arya. Can she defeat it? I’m torn.

KD: Arya has a lot going on: we’ve been told, time and time again, that she looks just like Ned’s late sister… otherwise known as Jon’s mother, Lyanna. We know she’s always been fascinated with female dragon riders. We know her wolf, Nymeria, is one of the only Stark direwolves to survive. And we know she was gifted a Valyrian steel dagger in season 7 by her brother Bran, after he received it from Littlefinger (as in, yes, her brother Bran who can see into the future, and therefore probably knows that she will find use for a weapon which is guaranteed to kill White Walkers at some point). All signs point towards Arya surviving… so what did Maisie Williams mean when she said her character winds up alone?

Well, let me turn your attention to this theory from redditor u/Aeiexgjhyoun_III which states:“Arya claimed she wanted to go beyond the shadowlands and explore uncharted waters. Secondly Arya named her wolf Nymeria, who was a princess that sailed across the seas searching for a new home for her people

“Arya is going to leave Westeros and explore the regions beyond the map.”

Bittersweet? Absolutely. But I’m so here for it.

How likely is Arya Stark to die? 5 dire wolves 

Will Sansa Stark die?

HRY: She’s making it. If I am certain about anything about this show that has bewitched me, body and soul, for the better part of a decade, it is that. She learnt the art of survival from the best, after all.

KD: Agreed. Sansa has been through far too much to wind up dead in the finale.

How likely is Sansa Stark to die? 3 dire wolves

Will Brienne of Tarth die?

KD: All anyone seems to care about is whether Brienne ends up with Tormund or Jaime. What all of these people fail to realise, though, is that Brienne doesn’t need either to survive and thrive. After all, she’s been taught, time and time again, that it’s far harder to live a hero than die one. I reckon she’s going to take that challenge on come the end of season 8. 

HRY: In my gut, I think Brienne is going to live. But the odds are not in her favour. For one, battles have the nasty proclivity of leading to many, many casualties, and she’s about to take part in the mother of them. On the other hand, I like the idea of Jaime saving Brienne and dying in her arms, with Brienne later seeking solace with the lusty Tormund in one of those sex caves the North seems so full of. Brienne lives!

How likely is Brienne to die? 4 dire wolves 

Will Daenerys Targaryen die?

KD: I’m a big, big fan of the “nobody wins the Iron Throne” theory. If this plays out, I reckon Daenerys will have Drogon melt it down (aka break the wheel) and reforge a new democratic power system, based on individual merit rather than a supreme ruler who is born to power. And she has to survive to do this, right?

HRY: It’s going to piss a lot of fans off if Daenerys doesn’t make it to the end of Game of Thrones. This is what the show has been building up to these past eight years. We sat through a whole bloody season of Mereen bureaucracy, for crying out loud! Give the people what they want!

But let’s face facts. Dany is one dragon down, and though she’s a great commander she’s woefully untested on the battlefield. She can Dracarys all she wants, but in one-on-one combat how is she going to fare? Not well. And she’s proving more and more like her father the Mad King by the day. Some fans say that Tyrion is going to kill her when she becomes too power hungry. Maybe he will. Or maybe she will die on the battlefield. But I don’t think she’s going to make it onto the Iron Throne she so desperately craves. But that’s what makes Game of Thrones so compelling. No one, not even the heroine, is safe.

How likely is Daenerys to die? 5 dire wolves. This is a tough one. 

Will Missandei die?

KD: Missandei has to survive, if only so we have someone to mourn Grey Worm properly. And I reckon she will join Daenerys in King’s Landing, to help usher in a new era of modern-day politics.

HRY: What she said. 

How likely is Missandei to die? 4 dire wolves 

Lyanna Mormont

KD: As if they’re killing Lyanna. We need her to stick around and rebuild Westeros come the end of it all, or, at the very least, fire off a few more oh-so-quotable speeches.

HRY: She’s the feminist queen of the north, and has proven herself as able and willing on the battlefield as anyone. She can handle herself, is what I’m saying, and with almost all of the great Houses – Tyrell, Bolton, Frey – wiped out, do we really want to wipe out the Mormonts of Bear Island, too?

How likely is Lyanna Mormont to die? 3 dire wolves 

Game of Thrones season eight premieres on HBO in the US on 14 April and on Sky Atlantic and Now TV in the UK on 15 April.