SHAGGYDOG (RICKON STARK)



Shaggydog also accompanied Rickon, Bran, and Summer when the group left Winterfell. Rickon, Osha, and the direwolf eventually split to seek refuge through House Umber. The Umbers later betrayed Rickon and killed Shaggydog to give to Ramsay Bolton as a gift. Ramsay disgustingly turned the direwolf into a fur rug. Shaggydog marked the second direwolf to be killed in season 6, much to the dismay of viewers.

GHOST (JON SNOW)



Besides Nymeria, Ghost was the only other direwolf to survive the events of Game of Thrones. Despite being the runt, Ghost grew to be the biggest direwolf of the pack. He was with Jon during his time with the Night's Watch and followed his owner Beyond the Wall. Ghost also participated in many fights, including the Battle of Winterfell. At the end of Game of Thrones, Jon reunited with Ghost and they traveled north of the Wall.

HOW THE DIREWOLVES' FATES CONNECT TO THEIR STARK OWNERS



Many of the Starks shared similarities with their direwolf counterparts, to the point that Game of Thrones fans began to theorize that the fate of the direwolves would connect to the outcome of their owners. The theory may not have played out as many had predicted, but there are some correlations.

Arya is a leader and very protective of her family. She had a lot to give but has decided to leave her family behind and go off on her own. Nymeria did something similar as she was forced to leave her home at a young age and learned to fend for herself as she found another role. Ghost was the odd one out as the albino of the litter, something that Jon struggled with as the bastard child of the Starks. The Direwolf needed a role in the world, just as it seemed Jon was destined to work for the Night's Watch.

Robb and Rickon were killed in a despicable fashion just like their direwolves. Summer sacrificed herself just as Bran gave up his mind and body to become the Three-Eyed Raven. Then there's Sansa, who often suffered the consequences of other people's actions, just like Lady. The Stark never had a chance in her early life but she grew into an admirable woman. The death of her direwolf was another motivator for Sansa to overcome her oppressors.

DIREWOLF DIFFERENCES IN A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE



The fate of the Stark direwolves didn't exactly play out on-screen in the same fashion as it did in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. In the novels, only Grey Wind and Lady have been killed thus far. Nymeria was chased away by Arya just as she did in the HBO show but Summer, Shaggydog, and Ghost are continuing to serve as companions to their respective owners.

It's not surprising that the Game of Thrones TV series would diverge from the books as they have done it on multiple occasions. That's not to say that some of the direwolves won't meet their deaths in the future. Readers will have to wait until George R.R. Martin finally releases his forthcoming novel The Winds of Winter to see if the beloved direwolves make it to the end of another installment within the epic tale.