In the seven seasons since Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in 2011, there has been one consistency: a lot of people die. In the seven seasons since Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in 2011, there has been one consistency: a lot of people die.

It’s part of the identity of the show. A new character shows up, and just as you start to love (or despise) them, they die, horribly. It’s no surprise, given the nature of most of the inhabitants of the Game of Thrones world.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and with the show entering its eighth and final season, it’s sure to be a bloodbath.

Season six set a record for character deaths, clocking at least 40 and nearing 50. A few handy battles and massacres kept the Westeros population down, (have to conserve food for the coming winter), and we said farewell to several fan favorites as tensions came to a breaking point.

Then, season seven came along, and a few rules changed. First, no more dying allowed. (That means you, Jon Snow!) The show’s writers went to reference their character list after season six ended and realized there was hardly anybody left! So, they cast an invincibility charm on just about every recognizable character. Engulfed in dragon flames? No problem, Bronn’s here to save you! Stuck on a rock, in the middle of an ice lake, beyond the wall, surrounded by the entire zombie army? Pfft. Just e-mail the dragons to come scoop.

It’s safe to say that after a full season of the show with no significant population drops, the cast list could use a little trim. No, not just the bangs. With the final season coming up in 2018, “happily ever after” doesn’t seem like much of an option. So who gets the axe? We have pent up murderousness to get out!   The answer is: everybody. Game of Thrones fans know that the show never spends too much time on any particular happy or satisfying moment. And George R.R. Martin, the writer of the series on which the show is based, said to expect a “bittersweet ending.”

To me, that spells one of two things. Either, a lot of important characters will sacrifice themselves to save Westeros from the impending zombie invasion, leaving survivors to rebuild the seven kingdoms, or, the living make short work of the dead, and lay waste to Westeros all on their own as they war over control of the continent.

Either way, your favorite characters die. Tragically. But, hey, can’t wait for next summer!