Through seven seasons, we’ve witnessed the deaths of many beloved characters as well as those we couldn’t wait to see get theirs. But not every exit is a death, and many characters who have gone away still live, tucked in the darkest corners of Westeros or stretched to the farthest reaches of the Known World. With six episodes left, they could still come back one last time. After all, Gendry returned, so there’s hope for these favorites.
Hot Pie
Hot Pie is the rare Game of Thrones character to actually achieve his happy ending. He dodged both a violent death and a lifetime in the Night’s Watch by a hair. He had the good sense to not push his luck, instead choosing the less exciting but also less getting-murdered life of the rural baker. The nice thing to do would be to let him live out his happy life in peace.
By all accounts, the last season promises to be truly heartrending. Heroes may die, alliances may crumble, and whatever the outcome, we only have six more episodes to spend in this incarnation of Westeros. What can ease the pain better than baked goods and a friendly face? We need Hot Pie — if only to remind us that happy endings are possible, even in the Seven Kingdoms.
Salladhor Saan
Westeros in a rich and fascinating place, but it’s just one small part of a much larger world. Beyond the Narrow Sea live a host of colorful characters unlike anyone normally found in Westeros. One of the best of these is Salladhor Saan, a smooth-talking pirate and sellsail so filled with untapped potential he could star in his own spinoff.
Salladhor hires out his fleet to Stannis at the urging of Davos, but he bails when the battle turns. Still, Davos often convinces Salladhor to do the right thing — for the right price, of course. With the Greyjoy siblings out of commission, Daenerys could use a capable naval commander with a strong fleet. Plus, the dashing pirate’s return would promise more screen time for his old friend Davos, and when is that a bad thing?
Ilyn Payne
Who doesn’t want to see Arya complete her kill list? Young Arya looked on helplessly as Ilyn Payne took her father’s head at the orders of King Joffrey, earning the King’s Justice one of the first spots on Arya’s list. Arya has grown so much since then as a person and as a killer. Should they meet, would she pay back a life for a life or has she forgiven him, knowing he had no choice but to obey the King?
Ilyn Payne gradually disappeared after actor Wilko Johnson contracted terminal cancer, forcing him to leave the show. Thanks to a life-saving operation, however, Johnson made a full recovery and has since expressed interest in once again portraying the mute knight. His return to Westeros would be a feel-good moment in a show steeped in death.
The Direwolves
Life in Westeros is no easier for its fauna than it is for its people, and the Direwolves are no exception. Against all odds, Ghost and Nymeria have managed to survive. Arya sent Nymeria away to save her life, but the former Stark companion didn’t seem to keen on a reunion at their last meeting. Meanwhile, Ghost has lived up to his namesake. He was last seen welcoming his master, Jon Snow, back from the dead.
The direwolves’ roles have always been constrained due to the cost of rendering them on screen. With a larger budget for season eight, hopefully the CGI canines will play a more prominent role. Jon, Daenerys, and their allies need all the help they can get against the Night King. Besides, it wouldn’t be a true Stark reunion without the surviving direwolves.
Meera Reed
Pop culture is full of unsung heroes, and Meera Reed may well top that list. Sent by her father — along with her brother, Jojen — to protect the younger Stark brothers, she winds up joining Bran’s journey to find the Three-Eyed Raven. One by one Bran’s team falls, including Jojen, until it’s up to Meera alone to both protect Bran and pull his sled across miles of frozen wastes.
After literally saving his life a number of times, she barely gets a thank you from the newly-Raven-ed Bran. Even a glorious death would have beaten the shrugging-off she received. Whatever the new Three-Eyed Raven contributes to the fight against the White Walkers, Westeros will have Meera to thank for it. Her story deserves a better end.
Syrio Forel
We never saw a body, so Syrio Forel could still be alive. Last seen delaying Meryn Trant and the Lannister guards long enough for Arya to escape, Syrio faced down a fully armed and armored Trant with only a broken practice sword. Given the latter’s reputation for cowardice and incompetence, the First Sword of Braavos may well have survived the duel.
Syrio’s supposed death was one of the first tragedies that led Arya on her path toward becoming a faceless assassin and an expert at the sword. Should Arya’s sword master reappear in Westeros, would he be proud of his former pupil’s skill or horrified at what she’s become? And if he did manage to hold off Meryn Trant and the Lannister guards with a broken wooden sword, imagine how he could help Jon and Daenerys’ forces with a real one.
