Sean Bean has once again suffered an untimely, fictional demise, continuing in a morbid tradition that started out in the 1990s.
The Game of Thrones actor has become known not just for the variety of roles he has under his belt, but for how many of his characters end up kicking the bucket.
His new show, period drama World on Fire, followed in the footsteps of its predecessors, continuing the Sean Bean curse... with a twist.
Related: Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage hasn't watched House of the Dragon as he needed a break
Bean played pacifist bus conductor and WWI veteran Douglas Bennett in the first series of the World War II drama.
Upon the show returning for series two after a four-year break, it was revealed that Douglas has indeed met a tragic fate, but his death wasn't shown to viewers. He was killed offscreen when his home in Manchester was hit by a bomb.
Douglas's passing is the latest addition to the curse, bringing Sean Bean's cinematic deaths to over 25, an undeniably impressive number in the actor's lengthy filmography.
However subtle and nowhere near the dramatic scope of Ned Stark's beheading in GoT, this new death didn't go unnoticed. Sean Bean fans who had been following World on Fire immediately took to social media to share the inescapable sad event.
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"Douglas didn't survive the Sean Bean curse," one fan tweeted.
"Sean Bean killed off yet again!" another person wrote, adding a sad face emoji.
"World on Fire season 2 started tonight and they've killed off Sean Bean off screen, I am f**king furious and devastated," was another comment.
Bean will next be seen in Disney+ murder mystery Shardlake, based on the Tudor thriller book series by CJ Sansom.
The actor will play Henry VIII's right-hand man Thomas Cromwell. It's not clear how much of Cromwell's story the series will cover but it's safe to say that, should they go all the way, the statesman's execution will be eerily reminiscent of Ned Stark's death. You've been warned.
World on Fire is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
