How do you, as such a cool-looking villain, manage to fumble this bad?!
What is Game of Thrones?
I think most of you know this show, but those who don't, Game of Thrones is a HBO show and the adaptation the novels A Song of Ice and Fire written by George R.R Martin. It shows the internal struggles and deceptions within the Seven Kingdoms as everyone attempt to seize the infamous Iron Throne and rule.
Who is the Night King?
The Night King is the show's overaching antagonist. He is the leader of the fearsome Army of The Dead, composed of Wights and White Walkers. His goal is unknown, but it's presumably to plunge Westeros into darkness by killing everyone and adding them as soldiers into his army. The threat of the Night King was built up from the begining of the show until the most epic battle of all time... that lasted just one night, we couldn't see shit, all the characters had plot armor, and the Night King was killed by a random ninja from the shadows (that's not a joke, it's litteraly what happened).
What Do People Like About Him?
- He's considered to be one of the most terrifying and dangerous villains in the show, because of how unstoppable he was teased to be, and how large his army was. The Night King was supposed to be the biggest threat the characters would face, which is why so many liked him.
- A lot of people liked the zombie aspect of the show, which turned Game of Thrones from a simple fantasy tale to litteral survival horror. Most of the White Walkers' scenes were terrifying.
- A lot of people liked the Night King's mysterious and enigmatic nature, since we don't know his exact origins nor his true intentions at first. He was quietly teased in the first four seasons until he finally became a real threat in Season 5.
- "Hardhome" is considered to be one of the best episodes in the show, mainly thanks to the Night King's presence and also because of the intense and sudden battle scene with the Army of The Dead. It's where the Night King was fully established as a character.
- Despite not having as many fight scenes as people wished, the Night King still has some badass moments, such as him raising the Dead for the first time in Hardhome or killing Viserion and turning him into a zombie.
- It's the threat he represented that gave the Night King so much popularity, afraid that he may actually win or kill many beloved characters.
What Do People Dislike About Him?
- The Night King ultimately has an underwhelming and disappointing death: Arya jumps behind him yet he grabs her by the throat but instead of killing her he freezes, giving her time to stab him with her dagger.
- A lot of people were extremly disappointed that Arya was the one to kill him, since she has nothing to do with the White Walkers' storyline, unlike Jon who was involved in that storyline from the beginning of the show. The showrunners used this cheap plot twist just to subvert expectations.
- A lot were also disappointed that the Night King didn't have any fight scene at all. His screentime was very minimal throughout the show, and when people thought he would have a lot more in the last season, he ended up being defeated in the first three episodes, which felt very rushed and underwhelming. Other reasons why the battle of "The Long Night" is hated is because we couldn't see much of what was happening because of how dark the lighting was. Also, many characters in this battle (and in Season 7) had a lot of plot armor, such as when they get overpowered by dozens of wights yet miraculously survive. All of this just makes the White Walkers far less menacing and dangerous, as they get casted down as just secondary villains.
Final Verdict
Yes. Let's just say he got Snoke'd.