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David Benioff and D. B. Weiss’Game of Thronestranscends boundaries as a beloved historical fantasy series. However, while captivating fans with a story based on uncertainty of life, ruthless wars, and politics, the HBO show unfortunately ended up failing to justify a few deaths that weren’t even a part of the original storyline crafted by George R.R. Martin.
One such death occurred when Daenerys Targaryen’s loyal bodyguard Ser Barristan Selmy was killed off midway through season 5. The character’s tragic death occurred during an ambush by the Sons of the Harpy, which left fans of George R.R. Martin’s novels scratching their heads since it was a major diversion from the source material.
Ser Barristan Selmy’s Tragic Death inGame of Thrones
Apart from offering surprising twists in every season that kept audiences hooked to the screen,Game of Thronessimultaneously baffled fans by killing off major characters. Establishing the fact that no one is safe when there’s a war going on for the Iron Throne, the 8-season HBO show once wrote off a character without proper justification.
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While people could understand and corroborate the deaths of Robert Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, Myrcella, and even Daenerys Targaryen with that mentioned in George R.R. Martin’s novels, one character who faced an unnecessary death was Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney). Beginning as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Barristan the Bold is disgraced and removed from his position by King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson).
Eventually, this removal led him to side with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and serve as her counselor and protector while helping her learn about her family. But unfortunately, midway through season 5, despite being one of Westeros’ greatest warriors, Ser Barristan Selmy gets killed during the unrest in Meereen. Although his death certainly represented a personal blow to Daenerys, raising the threat of the Sons of the Harpy, it wasn’t justified.
The Death Scene was a Deviation from George R.R. Martin’s Novels
Ser Barristan Selmy had way more to offer in the HBO show than his unjustified death, paving the way for a plot twist surrounding the Sons of the Harpy and their looming threat over Daenerys Targaryen. Most importantly, as perCollider, Ian McElhinney’s character continued survival in George R. R. Martin’s books. Therefore, this creative decision, particularly limited to the show, sparked controversy among fans.
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It seems Ser Barristan Selmy’s death inGame of Thronescame early, just in order to make way for Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) to be Daenerys’ Hand. While his death never even occurred inGeorge R. R. Martin’s novels, the show writers’unnecessary deviation from the source materialslashed Barristan’s rich backstory and character development.
SinceGame of Thronesdiverted its way from George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firenovels to remove Ser Barristan Selmy, the HBO show robbed him of his largest potential contribution that could have come, with his intimate knowledge of Robert’s Rebellion and that of the Mad King and Rhaegar.
Considering that Barristan was a long-surviving character to have witnessed the beginning of the rebellion, his information could have added depth and nuance to the series. ButGame of Throneswriters found it rather convincing to rip him out of the story.
Ultimately, Ser Barristan Selmy’s death inGame of Thronesnot only came without proper justification but also ended up being a disappointing deviation from George R.R. Martin’s original narrative.
Game of Thronesis available on Max.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3219
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Game of ThronesGeorge R.R. Martin
