David Benioff and D. B. Weiss’ Game of Thrones transcends 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 in Game of Thrones
Apart from offering surprising twists in every season that kept audiences hooked to the screen, Game of Thrones simultaneously 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.
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 per Collider, 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.
It seems Ser Barristan Selmy’s death in Game of Thrones came early, just in order to make way for Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) to be Daenerys’ Hand. While his death never even occurred in George R. R. Martin’s novels, the show writers’ unnecessary deviation from the source material slashed Barristan’s rich backstory and character development.
Since Game of Thrones diverted its way from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels 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. But Game of Thrones writers found it rather convincing to rip him out of the story.
Ultimately, Ser Barristan Selmy’s death in Game of Thrones not only came without proper justification but also ended up being a disappointing deviation from George R.R. Martin’s original narrative.
Game of Thrones is available on Max.
