We all knew there would be several deaths in Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3. Although most of the people who died in The Long Night were absolutely expected to bite the dust, that still didn't prepare people for the heartbreaking way one of them made the ultimate sacrifice.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers. If you haven't seen Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3, turn back now!
It was meant to happen. Seriously, you can't expect a mere mortal with above average fighting skills and his few Ironborn men to protect Bran Stark properly out in the open. Fans knew that Theon Greyjoy will die in Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3. However, nobody expected it to be as emotional as it was.
In The Long Night, Theon tried to apologize to Bran while they were out at the Godswood waiting for the Night King. However, Bran wasn't having any of it. "Everything you did brought you where you are now," the Three-Eyed Raven simply tells him. "Where you belong. Home." There is no emotion here, just a plain statement about Theon was somehow fated to come back to Winterfell and meet his end in the place where he grew up.
However, that doesn't mean Bran is no longer capable of showing gratitude for Theon's efforts. As the Night King approached, Theon slowly realized that this was the end for him and Bran gave him exactly what he needed. "Theon, you're a good man. Thank you," Bran says.
Game of Thrones co-executive producer David Benioff explains the scene further.
"He knows he's dead, he knows he's not gonna be able to kill the Night King but I think what's really heroic about his action is that, we're all gonna die and we know we're not gonna be able to defeat death at the end but you know, it's how you face those final moments and he chooses to run straight at it. I think he dies in a way that makes us really proud of him and the journey he's gone through," Benioff said in the Inside The Episode video.
We're certainly sad that Theon is gone but his story arc will continue to be one of the best in the series. It's the redemption he deserved after all the things that happened to him in Game of Thrones.
Related: Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3: All The Emotional Deaths In The Long Night [SPOILERS]
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