Author George R.R. Martin has blazed his own bloody path when it comes to fantasy literature. Unlike other authors in the genre, Martin has never been afraid to kill off a fan-favorite character or someone who is seemingly too important to the plot to dispose of. We've seen it with Ned Stark, Robb Stark and even Jon Snow.
In a recent interview, Martin revealed that there is a method to his madness and that he has no plans on changing his approach in the near future. Here's why:
"Death is so arbitrary," he said. "It's always there. It's come for all of us. We're all going to die. I'm going to die. You're going to die...You don't get to live forever just because you are a cute kid or the hero's best friend or the hero. Sometimes the hero dies, at least in my books. I love all my characters so it's always hard to kill them but I know it has to be done. I tend to think I don't kill them. The other character's kill 'em. I shift off all blame from myself."
Martin is very forthcoming when it comes to his repeated character deaths. To his credit, the dramatic stakes would feel incredibly less significant in his world if the hero routinely survived impossible circumstances. Though we all mourn for Robb Stark, there's no denying that he made a costly tactical error. The same goes for the overly honorable Ned Stark. Living by a moral code guarantees you nothing in "A Song of Ice and Fire."
Though fans may hate the constant threat of danger, it's easy to see that this particular aspect of the story has enriched the reading/viewing experience. It forces audiences to cherish the little amount of time they do spend with their favorite people in Westeros and beyond. And given the expansive and ambitious sprawl of Martin's narrative, there are enough important characters to support such a storytelling approach.
Hopefully, though, Jon Snow won't have to deal with a grisly death yet again. I'm not sure the fans could survive that again.
"Game of Thrones" is currently airing its sixth season on HBO. Martin is currently working on the fifth novel in his series "The Winds of Winter."
