In honor of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, IGN is taking a look back at some of the iconic characters who’ve fallen along the way, and the lasting impact they had on the story. These heroes and villains may not have made it to the end of the road, but their lives weren’t in vain – they stand as a fitting reminder that when you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die.
Renly Baratheon had the loyalty of his people, the backing of the powerful Tyrell family, and a loyal Kingsguard behind him, but that wasn’t enough to save him. While Renly’s many years in King’s Landing might have prepared him for the conniving schemes of the Lannisters, he never could have predicted the manner in which his ambitious brother Stannis and the magical Red Woman Melisandre plotted against him — and neither could we.
Source: IGN.com When I Died on Game of Thrones: A Fallen King Reflects on His Legacy