HBO Says One Game of Thrones Character is Definitely Dead

It would probably help put the minds of many Game of Thrones fans at ease if HBO would just come out and say whether or not Jon Snow is really dead. There’s really no good reason for the network to do so, though, because it wants people to tune in next season.

So while people attempt to read the tea leaves regarding the hair length of Kit Harrington, HBO has instead decided to comment on the final fate of another character. Spoilers ahead if you keep reading.

Stannis Baratheon is dead. In the book Game of Thrones: The Noble Houses of Westeros Seasons 1-5, Baratheon is described as “killed outside of Winterfell by Brienne of Tarth.” That jives with what viewers saw on TV last season, where it sure looked like Brienne got her long-simmering revenge by way of sword.

However since we never saw the body, no one knew for sure if Stannis had really kicked the bucket. That’s relevant because fans that want Jon Snow to be alive are clinging to a similar hope. The two situations likely have nothing to do with each other, but if we can learn anything from this, it’s that there’s no habeas corpus when it comes to character deaths on Game of Thrones.

Oh, and for what it’s worth, I think Jon Snow is dead but will either be resurrected or shown in flashbacks. So please stop the Kit Harrington hair watch, okay?

(via Polygon)