Will The Deserter Is More Important Than Game Of Thrones Fans Realize

Game of Thrones has a large ensemble cast, which means minor characters can get lost in the shuffle — but there’s one with just two scenes who’s more important than most people realize. George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books emphasize how small choices and incidents can change everything, so it’s no surprise that even supporting players have a big impact.

This is true in HBO’s adaptation as well, and it’s fitting that both the books and adaptation open with a character who doesn’t play a continuous role in the story. Will, the ranger accused of deserting the Night’s Watch after a run-in with the White Walkers, doesn’t survive long enough to appear in more than two scenes. However, his brief narrative is crucial.

The Deserter Ned Kills At The Beginning Of Game Of Thrones Is More Important Than He Seems

Both A Game of Thrones and Game of Thrones season 1 open with Will and his brothers of the Night’s Watch running into the White Walkers — or the Others, in the books — and then Will later being executed for desertion. Ned killing the deserter may not seem like a major development in the grand scheme of things, but it sets the stage for the entirety of the series.

For one, Will establishes the looming threat of what’s beyond the Wall, even if the White Walkers or Others aren’t immediately a major presence in the story. This allows viewers to understand what’s at stake for Westeros, even when Game of Thrones‘ main characters don’t. The politics are still easy to get lost in, but thanks to Will, we know there are more pressing matters.

Will’s death also drives home the tone of Martin’s story and the realism of the world he’s built. Game of Thrones and ASOIAF don’t shy away from consequences, even when it means killing major characters. And by dispatching one of the first people we meet, the series lets us know that we’re in a brutal place where no one is safe.

Will’s Death Quietly Foreshadows Ned’s Death Later In Game Of Thrones

Sean Bean as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones

It’s fitting that Will is the character who drives home that nobody’s safe, as his death also foreshadows Ned’s demise at the end of Game of Thrones season 1. Will is deemed a traitor and executed despite telling the truth, and he sticks to his story until the very end. Ned writes off what he says about the White Walkers, but he finds himself in similar circumstances later on.

Ned is killed for telling the truth about Joffrey’s parentage, and just like Will, he’s in the right. That doesn’t stop Joffrey from calling for his head, however, even if Ned later declares Joffrey is the one true king — a choice that sets him apart from the deserter.

Even so, they both demonstrate that honesty can be fatal in the world of Westeros, and they highlight that decent men will stand by the truth anyway. It’s interesting that Game of Thrones opens and closes season 1 with Ned on each side of this scenario, his and Will’s fates serving as perfect bookends.