HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones saw the curtain close earlier this year. The battle between light and dark played by out with the Night King (played by Vladimir Furdik) vanquished and Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) appointed the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. But why did major player Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish (Aidan Gillen) leave the show before the final series?
Why did Aidan Gillen really leave as Littlefinger?
Littlefinger was killed in a shocking twist after he tried to created mistrust between siblings Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Sansa (Sophie Turner).
Despite his evil machinations, Arya and Sansa colluded together and mastermind his downfall.
In the middle of the Great Hall in Winterfell, it looked like Sansa believed Littlefinger and was sentencing her sister Arya to death.
When Arya asked if this is what she wanted, Sansa simply responded: “It’s not what I want. Honour demands it.”
Arya quizzed her on what honour meant, leading Sansa to say: “That I defend my family from those who would harm us. That I would defend the North from those who would betray us.”
In that moment, it looked like the end was nigh for Arya until Sansa said: “You stand accused of murder. You stand accused of treason. How do you answer these charges… Lord Baelish?”
Littlefinger looked stunned before Arya quickly despatched him with his own knife.
Speaking about his exit from the show, star Gillen said: “You’re left a little bereft — for your character and for your experience.
“It also immediately makes you quantify the hugeness of what that experience has been over the last seven years, which has been massive.”
He went on to say the showrunners promised Littlefinger’s exit would be “river of blood”.
Gillen explained: “It’s better to go out at the end of [the season] with a good arc then at the start of episode two.
“Even if I’m only in a few episodes — like last season I probably had less than any season — once your character is established as part of the world people feel like you’re there all the time.
“So it’s not really an issue for me how many scenes I’m in as long as the scenes are good, and they’re well put together, and your contribution is good.”
He added: “Then people feel like you’re there al the time. I’m glad I had a good story to finish with.”
Gilllen’s words suggest it wasn’t his decision to go but rather the direction his character was headed in.
Littlefinger made a risky move when he tried to play Sansa off against Arya – and this time it didn’t pay off.
Interestingly, Gillen predicted his own death, telling another outlet in 2015 he believed Arya would be the one to deliver the blow.
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