‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7 Episode 6: Will Potential Death Be Final In ‘Beyond The Wall?’ [Theories]

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 5 (titled “Eastwatch”).

Fans are bracing themselves for a lot of things in the sixth episode of Game of Thrones Season 7 and chief among them is death. Carnage should definitely be expected in “Beyond the Wall.”

As can be seen in HBO’s advanced promotional photos for Episode 6 on their Medium page, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) will lead the convoy he assembled in Episode 6 to capture a White Walker or wight. He is doing so in the hopes he can convince Cersei (Lena Headey) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) that the threat from the Night King is real.

“Beyond the Wall” promises the first major clash between Jon Snow and the White Walkers since Season 5 Episode 8 (titled “Hardhome”). In that battle, Jon was able to defeat a White Walker combatant using Longclaw, his Valyrian steel sword. Will he have the same success in Season 7?

Death is inevitable

As with any Game of Thrones battle, the death of a beloved character is something fans have to seriously consider. With so many fan favorites headed into the breach on this heroic mission, the chances that a well-liked character will die are high. Or are they?

There is a very interesting person accompanying Jon and his team on their mission, Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye). Thoros is the Red priest who has repeatedly brought Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) back to life. Beric is the guy who ignites the blade of his sword into flames in the trailer for Episode 6, as can be seen in the picture below.

Theoretically speaking, Thoros could bring back any of the characters who die “Beyond the Wall.” While he would not have a lot of time, the dead man’s body could be taken to safety and resuscitated later, as was done with Jon.

With Thoros in the equation, the chance any death taking place in Episode 6 would be permanent is questionable. Or at least there is a strong reason to hope it might not be.

The characters that might die

This is Game of Thrones, so any of them could go. The internet has not been making Suicide Squad memes because these characters are not embarking on a life-threatening mission. So who is the most likely to die?

Game of Thrones likes a big body count and Season 7’s mission is more intimate than Season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards,” meaning there are fewer characters to choose from. Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) and Jon Snow are the only participants in “Beyond the Wall” to have fought and survived Season 6’s climactic skirmish.

Let’s break down each character’s involvement to assess their chances. We begin with the safe bet for survival.

Definitely safe

Ser Davos Seaworth. Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham), who fought in last year’s battle for Winterfell, elected to stay at Eastwatch in Episode 5, citing his track record as a fighter and therefore, a liability.

Beric Dondarrion

He has lived and died countless times. His time coming to an end seems incredibly feasible. If you believe the Lord of Light brought Jon Snow back to life, he might have found a replacement for Beric (Richard Dormer).

Thoros of Myr

Thoros has to survive long enough to serve a purpose. Will he bring someone other than Beric back to life? Just like Melisandre showing up at Castle Black to revive Jon, Thoros’ presence signals a potential game-changer.

The Hound

Sandor Clegane has been seeking redemption in Season 7 and his valiant efforts trying to capture a wight/White Walker would go a long way towards that end. Plus, he has unfinished business. The Hound (Rory McCann) still has to reunite with Arya Stark and have a rematch with Brienne of Tarth. There are too many stories left to tell and The Hound has to survive to tell them.

Jorah Mormont

Thanks to Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), Jorah has recently been cured of a disease that should have killed him. Right after reuniting with his beloved Khaleesi, Jorah (Iain Glen) decided to leave her again to join Jon on his convoy.

Just like bringing Jon Snow back in Season 6 and having him die in the battle for Winterfell would have been disappointing, so would Jorah expiring after having just survived greyscale. That being said, Game of Thrones thrives on tragedy and nothing could be more heartbreaking than Jorah having just beaten death, only to succumb to it a short time later.

Gendry

He just came back to the show and like Jorah, it is hard to imagine him being unceremoniously killed off right after his return. However, stranger things have happened on Game of Thrones, a series that prides itself on full-throttle plot shockers. Gendry (Joe Dempsie) coming back to die would be shocking and emotionally relevant to fans who have anxiously awaited his return.

Tormund

Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) has climbed The Wall, survived the wildling-led attack on Castle Black, the battle at Hardhome, and the battle for Winterfell. This could mean one of two things. His luck is about to run out, or he is on an unstoppable winning streak.

Jon Snow

Jon has way too much to live for to die. Plus, he could come back to life again if he died. Jon had quite a few close calls in Season 6’s penultimate episode, nearly dying several times during the battle for Winterfell.

Could his and Tormund’s luck run out in Season 7? With Thoros around is there any real reason to worry? Find out who survives the battle “Beyond the Wall” when Episode 6 of Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres August 20 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.

[Featured Image by Helen Sloan/HBO]