Game of Thrones: Season 8, Episode 3 preview / HBO
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR GAME OF THRONES
Maybe what the most surprising thing about the Battle of Winterfell is how few of our heroes died.
With fans expecting an exorbitantly high death count given the scale of the battle against the Night King and his undead forces, and given how many characters got emotional send-offs last episode, we thought we'd be burying a few more.
FINAL SPOILER WARNING FOR BATTLE OF WINTERFELL
By the time the army of ice zombies all crumble into frost and the Night King is dispatched, those left standing will have to count the dead — if you managed to make them out in the almost imperceptible darkness of the episode's cinematography.
Between the night battle, the frost and the smoke, it was seriously hard to see what was going on. So much that whenever the Shakespearean Beric Dondarrion and his flaming sword around, we were relieved, just because it meant we could see what was actually happening.
A scene from Game of Throne series 8 episode 3. Photo / HBO
If you did manage to eke out what has going on, you'll know that Lyanna Mormont, Beric Dondarrion, Dothraki leader Qhono and Dolorous Edd all lay dead on the battlefield.
Two of our more prominent characters — Theon Greyjoy and Jorah Mormont — both went down fighting, protecting the one person who could give them redemption.
Viserion, the ice dragon, now seems to be permanently dead, exploding into an ice storm.
Ghost is probably among the dead, bolting towards the wights in the first wave with Jorah and the Dothraki, and never seen again - (Correction: next week's trailer has a glimpse of Ghost and Rhaegal).
Game of Thrones episodic's from series 8 episode 3. Photo / HBO
Melisandre reappeared for one episode, but, damn, what an entrance. And true to her word to Davos, she does not see the dawn, having now served her purpose to the Lord of Light.
So who does that leave everyone still standing?
Tyrion, Sansa and Varys survive the crypts. So does Gilly and baby Sam as far as we can tell, though Gilly is the first to notice what many fans had guessed at — that hiding out from someone who can raise the dead in the crypts was not a great idea.
Probably Missandei too, who got off a great line at Sansa, who really put her foot in it about the Dragon Queen.
On the battlements and in the castle courtyards, Brienne, Jaime, Podrick, Sam, Davos, the Hound, Gendry, Grey Worm and Tormund all seemed to have made it through as well — or if they did, they got an off-screen death, which seems, cruel.
Dany made it thanks to Jorah's protective streak and Drogon, who seemed doomed as he barely flew off saddled with dozens of wights trying to kill him, seemed to have scraped through as well.
Bran, who warged off in the middle of the action to Lord of Light knows where, almost met his maker — presumably what he was off doing as everything was falling down around will be revealed in the final three episodes.
Of course the MVP of the whole misadventure was Arya Stark. Goddamn Arya Stark who, light-footed, leapt from nowhere to kill the Night King. What a f**king legend.
Of course the MVP of the whole misadventure was Arya Stark. Photo / HBO
Ned would be so proud.
She did in one night what Jon has tried to do so many times.
Sure, everyone else was very brave, and Theon did what he could to hold the undead back, but it would have all been futile if not for Arya and her lightning-fast hand switch of that blade.
Not surprisingly, fans on Twitter are, once again, losing it at Arya saving absolutely everyone.
(For the sake of your eardrum, turn down the volume when watching the reaction video in the first tweet.)
