Game Of Thrones: 10 Characters Only Saved By Plot Armor

Now that *House of the Dragon* has ended with season 1, fans saw many shocking, brutal, and heartbreaking deaths, including King Viserys’ that provoked the Dance of the Dragons. Other characters remain protected, with fans not believing they will meet their demise for a second — with book fans willing to bet their money on it, with the help from plot armor.

*Game of Thrones did a great job of making fans believe anyone could die for a while, with many ending up protected by plot armor nonsensically in the final seasons. Whether it is because their stupid decisions went unpunished or because they were put in situations that they did not have any right to come out of alive, there are numerous Game of Thrones* characters who were only saved by plot armor.

Ser Brienne Of Tarth

It is unfair to say that Brienne of Tarth is protected by plot armor at all times; she repeatedly proves herself a capable warrior and a total badass. But, if not before, she probably should have died during ‘The Long Night,’ with multiple other characters.

The fact that she got Knighted by Jaime in the previous episode and that her story had, for the most part, gone fulfilled indicate she would meet her end at the hands of the army of the dead. When she is overrun by Wights, which literally pile on top of her (and others), it seems she is dead but somehow survives. From there, she is abandoned by Jaime, who chooses Cersei, and writes Jaime’s story of him being a good man who keeps his oaths — not great for either of them overall.

Grey Worm

Grey Worm is one of the most loyal of Game of Thrones characters and stood by Daenerys Targaryen when she became the Mad Queen and destroyed King’s Landing, but he probably should not have survived to that point.

The only times Grey Worm was properly saved by plot armor was during the Battle of Winterfell and, arguably, the Sons of the Harpy attack. He has nowhere near the amount of plot armor as other characters since his survival was earned for the most part. In the Battle of Winterfell, his death looked to be a certainty since he was also overrun by Wights and was on the frontline for the entire fight, and such a result could have caused Daenerys’ descent to madness quality-wise.

Tormund Giantsbane

Unquestionably one of the funniest Game of Thrones characters and a vicious warrior with incredible strength and resilience, Tormund Giantsbane is someone fans are happy to have seen survive the show — especially now that he may return in the Jon Snow series.

Occasionally, it seemed the Wildling was bound to die, saved only by plot armor. Like many, he survived the Battle of Winterfell in this fashion, but he also looked destined to die at both the Battle of Castle Black and Hardhome, two colossal events that did not need his death but would have been fitting settings for it.

Bronn

Bronn was not just protected through seemingly nonsensical plot armor but thrived in life on it, almost inexplicably becoming Lord of Highgarden and Master of Coin. Without this plot armor, his death was guaranteed.

He somehow broke into Winterfell to confront Jaime and Tyrion with a bowcaster, survived Daenerys’ dragon attack in “Spoils of War,” survived Dorne, and lived a prosperous life after being a sellsword amidst a couple of wars. Most other characters would have died without seeing half the things Bronn lived through.

Tyrion Lannister

Tyrion was arguably the best and smartest Game of Thrones character for at least four seasons. Despite that, though, he quickly fell from grace in the eyes of fans and survived situations that really should have killed him.

Even in his glory days, Tyrion survived battles and nearly-impossible situations that should have seen him brutally killed. Him being at the Battle of Winterfell, betraying Daenerys, constantly being in the face of Cersei, and generally running his mouth all add up to make him one of the characters most protected by plot armor in Game of Thrones ​​​​.

Jaime Lannister

Jaime Lannisters character was ruined in the eyes of many in season 8, but up to the point when he returned to Cersei, he was protected by an obscene amount of plot armor. Fans were not annoyed by that since his character was so great.

His survival during the War of the Five Kings was hardly a stretch, but moving into season 5 and beyond, especially with his one hand, his survival became more unbelievable. Perhaps the peaks of this are his time in Dorne, the Battle of Winterfell, and “Spoils of War,” during which he really should have died in all cases.

Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, was not just protected by her children, her loyal advisors, and her armies, but by plot armor, of which she has a significant amount on full display in every season.

Her being protected by plot armor is not necessarily a criticism; plot armor is a necessary device in shows like this. Suspension of belief is definitely needed to accept how Daenerys, especially as a younger woman in the cruel world created by George R. R. Martin and someone who made a slew of dumb decisions, survived everything she did. She was as strong of a King or Queen in terms of their will and drive as there ever was in Westeros.

Arya Stark

Some characters have plot armor that protects them in big situations populated by multiple characters who also survive, such as the Battle of Winterfell. Arya Stark has these experiences but also has some moments where she is struck by personal injuries and situations alone from which she should never have walked out.

Fans are still confused as to how she survived her attack at the hands of the Waif, and many also question the Night King’s inability to snap her neck when he had a hold of her. She may be a total badass and one of the show’s most consistently awesome characters, but she is not free from the chokehold of plot armor and is someone who benefits more than most from it.

Jon Snow

Jon Snow is the main character from Game of Thrones, with an influence still looming large today through his sequel series and even House of the Dragon. Therefore, it is no surprise that he dons so much plot armor in the show.

The man is killed in the show but revives — something many expected to happen — showing just how much plot armor he had. He could have died at the Battle of the Bastards, when he betrayed Daenerys, when he was north of the wall, or any one of another million times, but that would never happen.

Samwell Tarly

How Samwell Tarly survived the events of Game of Thrones is beyond the comprehension of most pop culture consumers. The only real reason visible to all is a combination of seriously unearned plot armor and poor writing.

Had Sam avoided all the battles and conflicts in the show, his survival as a Maester, as an educated man, would have been far more believable. However, he was bombarded by Wights during the Battle of Winterfell, and though he shockingly survived, many others lost their lives in ‘The Long Night’ episode. That is not the only time he should have died either, as time and time again, he finds himself living through battles that would have killed warriors with triple his nearly non-existent combat skill.

NEXT: The Most Cringeworthy Parts Of Game Of Thrones, According To Reddit

Originally published at https://screenrant.com on October 29, 2022.