Game Of Thrones star Sean Bean has revealed what was going through Ned Stark's head moments before his death. While television shows killing off major characters has become almost commonplace now, it was a much rarer occurrence when the first season of Game Of Thrones aired in 2011. Sean Bean was the biggest name in the cast at the time, and Ned Stark was established from the beginning as a noble, righteous character.

Even when he's captured when attempting to reveal the truth surrounding the death of Jon Arryn, everyone – except those who've read the books by George R.R. Martin – expected Ned to come out on top. His beheading on Joffrey's order still stands as one of the most shocking moments of the show and established that no one was safe. Game Of Thrones went on to prove this rule many times over, with the infamous Red Wedding easily being considered the most heartbreaking moment of the series.

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In many ways, Ned's death set off a chain reaction of violence that's still being felt on Games Of Thrones, but one thing fans have always wondered is what was Ned muttering to himself in his last moments? Numerous theories have popped up surrounding his words, but Bean himself revealed in a new Huffington Post interview that Ned was “... just saying a prayer.

It appears that way, doesn’t it? Couldn’t be too specific, because I don’t know if religion [like that] was around in those days, whatever they were. I just thought, ‘What would you do if this were really gonna happen?’ You probably would pray. You probably would murmur some words and you’d keep it quiet. You’d keep it to yourself.

It’s quite subtle in that many people wouldn’t pick it up. It was an interesting thing to do for me at that point. There’s not much you can do really, you’ve got your head on a block. That’s about the only thing you can do is murmur.

Ned Stark's Death in Game Of Thrones

Theories surrounding Ned's final words had him saying 'Valar morghulis,' or that he left a message for Bran to hear via his time-travelling abilities some day. Some have even suggested it wasn't really Ned, but a Faceless Man who took his place. Those fans hoping for some kind of Sean Bean cameo in the final season should probably brace for disappointment, as HBO hasn't been in touch about one.

No, they’ve never said that. And yeah, I’ve heard rumors, but not from very good sources that I might be back. But I think I’ve done my time there, and I created a good character. It’d be rather strange to see him resurrected.

Game Of Thrones is currently gearing up for its final season, which is promising to be an epic conclusion to the saga. Apparently, key members of the cast were crying during a recent table read of the final script, which will feature the deaths of major characters. Theories are also rampant about who will ultimately win, but for now, fans will have to patiently wait until 2019 to see who – if anyone – survives the final battle.

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Source: Huffington Post