George R.R. Martin: ‘That’s why I think people remember the deaths in my books’ on Why His Game of Thrones Kills Are Impactful But Extremely “Exaggerated”

SUMMARY

• Game of Thrones is notoriously known for killing off major characters, but George R.R. Martin said that he always has a reason.
• The author explained that he makes the deaths of characters impactful, the way it mirrors death in real life.
• Martin also reiterates that his 'serial character killer' reputation among fans is quite exaggerated.

Game of Thrones earned a reputation for killing off several people, even the protagonists who were supposed to survive, or at least, what fans expected. This trend in the show made it so thrilling to watch because no one could predict who would be eliminated, but also – very devastating.

George R.R. Martin in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert / Credits: YouTube

Many fans hated the author for this aspect alone, and George R.R. Martin went on to explain why he likes murdering beloved characters in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. Not a lot of writers have the guts to do this and not many could provide a proper send-off.

George R.R. Martin explains why deaths in Game of Thrones always hit home

The deaths in Game of Thrones are always memorable, iconic, and upsetting, and George R.R. Martin fashioned it this way because he wants the viewers, as well as the readers, to feel the shock and significance. A character can only die once so it needs to have a lasting impact.

In his interview via BANGCAST on YouTube, the author explained the logic of why he kills off certain characters and the technique he uses to make it more profound. He prefaced it by saying Star Wars kills more people than him, which is true because, in the first movie, the entire planet of Alderaan was blown up. However, the viewers didn’t really feel too bad about it because they knew no one from that place.

Ned Stark’s death scene in Games of Thrones / Credits: HBO

In Game of Thrones, each character is introduced and fleshed out throughout the season. The audience would feel some attachment to them and would even root for them to make it to the end. Killing off this character early in the show, like the case of Ned Stark, would tremendously upset fans – and that’s exactly what Martin does.

“When I kill a character, I want my readers to feel that death,” he stated, “that’s why I think people remember the deaths in my books more because I give them more emotional impact, I think.” It’s now clear that Martin doesn’t really kill too many characters, but what he does is make the impact as intense as possible.

George R.R. Martin thinks fans are exaggerating his ‘serial character killer’ reputation

George R.R. Martin / Credits: CBS News

Martin discussed the same topic in his conversation with 60 Minutes Overtime via CBS News. He admitted to earning the title “exceptionally bloodthirsty” and “killing a lot of characters” which he believes is quite exaggerated.

The author carefully plots the death of his characters in a way that it would have an effect on his readers. “I don’t want death to be just an act break,” he noted and later remarked how he sees to it that these incidents always catch the fans off-guard. “I love unexpected twists and turns,” Martin added.

Avid fans would definitely remember every single important death in the show and how heartbroken they were after witnessing these characters go.

Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO.

Written by Ariane Cruz

Articles Published: 2841

Ariane Cruz, Senior Writer. She has been contributing articles for FandomWire since 2021, mostly covering stories about the latest movies and series. With a degree in Communication Arts, she has an in-depth knowledge of print and broadcast journalism. Her other works can also be seen on Screen Rant and CBR.