A Eulogy For Hodor: The Best Man In Westeros

On last night’s episode of Game of Thrones, a true hero fell and a great light went out in the world. Willis, the stable boy (aka Hodor, the Hodor-er), sacrificed himself so Meera Reed could cart Bran Stark away into the great white cold. He stood his ground and held the door against the White Walkers and their army of others. He was massive and beautiful and lovely and, like a flying unicorn made out of gold, chocolate, and dreams, too special for this world. We will love him always. He was the best man in Westeros.

Hodor, as he was affectionately known, lost his life in two ways last night. Not only did he die so that our younger, higher-born heroes could live, but he also surrendered his sense of self. In the moment of his death, Bran was simultaneously in the past and inside Hodor’s brain. Through this strange magic, the young Willis experienced his death decades before it took place. His body was ripped apart by shock and his psyche was forever fixed on one moment, one command, one phrase: “Hodor.”

It was confirmed by showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss that this is in fact the fate that Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has plotted out for dear Hodor. In last night’s “Inside The Episode,” Benioff revealed, “We had this meeting with George Martin where we’re trying to get as much information as possible out of him, and probably the most shocking revelation he had for us [was] when he told us the origin of ‘Hodor.’ How that name came about.” So, yes, Hodor will die again “holding the door” in the books. Our sorrow is never-ending, is it?

Hodor was noble in a way that few characters in Game of Thrones could ever be; He may have been the only person in Westeros who acted completely out of selflessness. He wasn’t cruel or avaricious. He wasn’t bitter or mean. Despite his size, he was easily frightened and he was not prone to acts of violence. It would be simple to write off this purity of heart as a side effect of Hodor’s mental condition, but that isn’t the case. When Bran sees the younger version of Willis, he discovers that he was still a sweetheart before he went full “Hodor.”

Hodor also gave us full frontal male nudity. Sure, we got to see that Braavosi actor’s warty dick last night, but in earlier seasons, the peen was rarely, if ever, seen. However, we did get a glimpse of Hodor in his full glory in season one. The moment was more informative than exploitative, though. It gave Osha an opportunity to surmise that Hodor must have giant’s blood in him. This was a great moment for giant prosthetic penises in pop culture.

Hodor was fun. He was good for a giggle. He was cool with carrying a tween around like a backpack. He could lift spirits with his smile and seemed completely unconcerned that he was introduced as comic relief. In the end, Hodor’s story is a meditation on the tragedies hidden all around us. He is an emblem of how innocents are often the first to be sacrificed in the name of some higher idealistic purpose. He, not Bran, is a true hero.

We hope that Hodor is in a better place now. We hope he is a ghost DJ spinning sweet bangers in the Westerosi version of heaven. Sure, we didn’t see him officially shuffle off this mortal coil, but he was being stabbed and scratched a bunch by an army of ravenous zombies — so that’s probably it for Hodor. If we do see his hulking form again on the show, it will either be in a bittersweet flashback or in the ranks of the undead.

Farewell, Hodor! You made us smile, you’ve made us cheer, and now you’ve made us shed many a tear.

You did a good job. You were the best.

Also: Is Bran Stark kind of a dick or what? You had one job: Don’t touch a magical tree root without Max Von Sydow! Gah.

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