Death is a huge part of Game Of Thrones, which is why it's best not to get too attached to any one character. But just because these Game of Thrones characters are dead doesn't mean that they've been forgotten. The Game Of Thrones characters that should return before the show ends are innumerable, and many fans would like to believe that they might see a lot more familiar faces again as the Great War begins.
Yes, it's unlikely that any of these characters will actually return, but, when it comes to this fantasy based on George R.R. Martin's books, it's not completely farfetched. After all, when it seemed like Jon Snow was a goner, he returned from the dead with help from a little of Melisandre's magic. Why shouldn't something like that happen to someone else?
Now, there have been those deaths on Game Of Thrones that seem sad, but were kind of necessary. It was hard to see Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, father of Jorah Mormont, go, but his sword, which he gave to Jon Snow, has come in handy. However, these 14 Game Of Thrones characters might be handy in the upcoming war, if nothing else, and that makes them well-worth revisiting.
1Ned Stark
If Joffrey hadn't had Ned beheaded, there's a good chance that things would be a whole lot better in the Seven Kingdoms right now. It would probably also mean that we wouldn't have much of a show — at least, not like the one we have now — but having Ned back might be worth the risk.
2Robb Stark
Like his father, Robb died because he wanted to do what he thought was right. In his case, he wanted to marry Talisa, the woman he truly loved, instead of pretending to love Walder Frey's daughters for the sake of Winterfell. Losing your life over love is a noble way to go, but poor Robb wasn't shown much honor in the way that he went. I think we'd all like to forget the Red Wedding and bring Robb back so he can show us what he could have done as King of the North.
3Catelyn Stark
The Starks never really had a chance, but the saddest of this family's deaths was their matriarch. After all, she watched her eldest son, her daughter-in-law, and her unborn grandchild die, knowing she would be next. She tried to stop it, but couldn't stave off Walder Frey's goons. If Catelyn had survived, there's a chance the Starks could have already taken back the Iron Throne, since she wielded a lot of political power from being a descendent of House Tully and having Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish wrapped around her, well, little finger.
Worse than knowing Catelyn could have become the greatest military leader the Seven Kingdoms have ever known may be that Catelyn does come back as Lady Stoneheart in the books, but this was cut out of the show. Maybe it's not too late?
4Oberyn Martell
The dreamy Dornish prince lost his eyes in a battle to the death with The Mountain while trying to save Tyrion, and we bawled our eyes right out. Imagine what it would be like to have Oberyn back to take on the Lannisters, especially since he was never afraid to go insult for insult with Cersei.
In all honesty, if Oberyn had lived, Cersei may have never become Queen, something to think about as we launch into the next season. Also, his whole vibe definitely made things a whole lot more chill, which could be good now that Winter has finally arrived.
5Ygritte
Love isn't a thing that happens very often on Game Of Thrones, which is why it was so sad to see Ygritte lose her life with her love Jon Snow watching. An arrow through her heart was like a dagger in his. If she was still alive, she could have helped him run the North and kept enemies at bay with her wicked aim. At the very least, she, along with Sansa and Tormund (before his possible death on the Wall), would have increased the amount of redheads that are running things in Winterfell.
6Shireen Baratheon
She died so that her father could win the battle, but he ended up losing the war. With it, the show lost the bond between the little girl with greyscale and Davos Seaworth. And it was all unnecessary, since Shireen is still alive in the books. It was one of the sweetest relationships on Game Of Thrones, which could use more of those.
7Hodor
There was nothing more heartbreaking than realizing that Hodor's name was actually reference to how he lost his life. He was holding the door to keep the White Walkers from getting Bran, and he sacrificed himself so the new Three-Eyed Raven could live. But Hodor's fate had been chosen for him long ago thanks to the way time evolves on this show. He was always tied to Bran, which makes you wonder what would happen if Hodor stayed alive. Would he be able to get Bran to the Wall to save it or would he have died in some other way to save the kid he had been tied to since he was a kid?
The point is, bringing Hodor back may not actually help anyone, but it would help us rest easy knowing the sweetest of Game of Thrones characters was still around.
8Margaery Tyrell
If there ever was a foe for Cersei Lannister, it was Margaery, who saw right through her and was often able to one-up her. She had a power over Joffrey and Tommen that Cersei never quite had, which is why it made sense Cersei got rid of her in a burst of green wildfire. Now we can only imagine the epic fights these two could have had.
9Jojen Reed
Meera's brother gave his life to save Bran. It was something Jojen knew he always had to do, which perhaps made his death a bit less sad. But, knowing he had his own visions, you can't help but wonder what could have been if both Bran and Jojen had been able to work together and use their psychic powers to take down those White Walkers.
10Syrio Forel
Many of us wished that Arya's sword fighting instructor was still alive, despite him supposedly dying offscreen. Unfortunately, the creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss put a stop to that last year when they said no, Syrio Forel is not alive. If the low-key fan favorite was still around, though, it would be another expert fighter on Team Stark. And, honestly, they can't have too many.
11Ellaria Sand
Ellaria deserved better. The lover of Oberyn Martell was actually more of a fighter, teaming up with Khaleesi, and Theon and Yara Greyjoy, to take down Cersei. Unfortunately, the Queen outsmarted them and captured Ellaria, only to have her rot away in a dungeon. Fans didn't even get to see Ellaria die in a blaze of glory, but instead watched her daughter Tyene Sand die after drinking poison. While we don't see Ellaria die, actress Indira Vara confirmed that the final shot of Season 7 Episode 3 was Ellaria's final scene. She should come back, if only so that she can get a better death — or maybe get a chance to share another kiss with Yara.
12Viserion
A frozen spear killed Dany's dragon, sort of. The dragon helped bring down The Wall after he came back as an icy zombie, a move that totally changed the game. If only Viserion could have been saved, those White Walkers would still be on the other side of The Wall.
13Olenna Tyrell
Bow down to Olenna, who had one of the best deaths of the show. While Jaime Lannister thought he was showing her courtesy by having her drink poison, she spilled the tea, letting him know that she was the one who killed his and Cersei's son Joffrey. Surely that was a dagger in Jaime's heart, but it was also a sign that, even in her final moments, she could best anyone. It's a baller move, which is why it's hard not to wish Olenna was still with us. Game of Thrones could use a bit of her savagery as it comes to the end.
14Khal Drogo
I think we all agree that it's Daenerys who should win the Iron Throne, but imagine if she could do it with Khal Drogo by her side? Their relationship got off to a rocky start, but, before Drogo's death, the two seemed to have found some love in a hopeless place. Not to mention, they had a shared appreciation for power, which would have made them a very hard duo to defeat. It makes you wonder what could have been if Drogo just kept his wound clean. Though if you believe the rumors that Khal Drogo could be Azor Ahai, maybe you won't have to wonder for long.
These are just some of the many, many characters that have lost their lives on Game Of Thrones, but they're also definitely the characters we wish would have stuck around a bit longer. (Notice, Petyr Baelish is not on this list; sorry, not sorry.) Here's to hoping one of these 14 characters could return before Game Of Thrones' final season is through.