Westeros will return and perish in fire or ice with HBO’s “Game of Thrones” on Sunday.

Blood has been spilt on every side of the war of five kings, and characters loved by fans have been lost. As Queen Cersei Lannister said, “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”

Plenty of the series readers may know what lies in the future of the show, but those of us left in the dark have nothing but the Lord of Light to help us predict what is to come. Here are my top three predictions on who will be the next to leave us fans in tears of joy or pain.

Beware of spoilers ahead for those who have not caught up in the “Game of Thrones” TV series.

Roose Bolton

The orchestrator of the Red Wedding, which no “Game of Thrones” fan will ever forget, tops my list.

While this pick comes with a hint of wishful thinking, Bolton is not in an advantageous spot for the war. If there are any loyal Northerners left, there is no safe place for the Leech Lord.

As a collaborator with Tywin Lannister, lord of Casterly Rock, Bolton may find himself trapped under the lion’s paw. Then again, it is hard to deny the power of the Dreadfort and the Lannisters working in tandem.

While Bolton does sit on the top of my hit list, that is because my greatest fear is seeing more of him.

Sandor Clegane (the Hound)

The Hound is one of the most frightening and powerful men in all of the Seven Kingdoms. He cleaves a body in two with brute force and swings his sword like a wrecking ball. He is one hardcore independent warrior and has recently found himself with an unlikely friend in Arya Stark.

This is precisely why I can feel his death coming ever nearer. As much as I love Arya, being around her tends not to bode well for men. Ned Stark and Syrio Forel are a testament to the dangers of the Stark girl.

The last thing I want to see is for the Hound to be taken away, which is precisely why it seems even more likely.

Rickon Stark

Picking the youngest of the Stark family may sound like a cop-out, and that’s because it is.

Trying to guess who will die next in this series feels nearly impossible at times. Characters important and irrelevant seem to die almost at random.

Rickon falls perfectly into a bizarre character category that’s between being completely irrelevant and important. The Stark name holds a lot of weight and seems to be one of the deadliest names to have. If anything was to happen to Bran, Rickon would be the next lord of the ashes known as Winterfell.

I have little faith in the child being safe with Greatjon Umber. Osha may be the only one capable of keeping Rickon safe from the long claws of the Iron Throne.