Pedro Pascal has become a household name, with his roles in projects like The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Last of Us, and The Mandalorian catapulting him to stardom. But some of Pascal’s best TV shows and movies are from before the actor blew up to this degree. And one of them assisted him in that endeavor, altering the trajectory of his career forever.
Pascal has been acting since the late 1990s, even holding small roles in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law & Order. Pascal’s time on Narcos is underrated and a great early sign of his talent, but the series that put the actor on the map is none other than Game of Thrones.
And while Pascal is iconic throughout HBO’s fantasy hit, there’s one Oberyn Martell scene that ensured it’d be his breakout role and totally changed his career. Not many actors can pinpoint the exact moment it became clear how recognizable they’d become, but Pascal is one of them.
Oberyn Martell’s Death Made Pedro Pascal’s Game Of Thrones Character Even More Iconic
Game of Thrones‘ Oberyn Martell remains one of Pascal’s best TV roles, and the actor steals the show from the moment he first appears on-screen. He captures the charm and confidence of Oberyn from the beginning, and it ensures that viewers will remember his character, despite his short-lived arc in the HBO series.
Of course, the fact that Pascal’s character isn’t around long is precisely the reason he’s so memorable. While Oberyn leaves an impression from just being on-screen, his death ensures that Pascal’s Game of Thrones character will go down in history. Oberyn is iconic, but his brutal and devastating end at the hands of the Mountain makes the role even more so.
Pascal gets one of Game of Thrones‘ most gruesome death scenes, and in a show known for its brutality, that’s no small feat. This moment changed the course of Game of Thrones forever, but it also marked a turning point in the actor’s career. From there, he went on to his underrated Netflix crime show, along with all his bigger blockbuster hits.
Oberyn Martell Is Still One Of Pedro Pascal’s Most Underrated Performances
It’s hard to think of anything on Game of Thrones as being underrated, but Pascal’s time as Oberyn is among his most underappreciated performances in hindsight. While there have been few complaints about Pascal in the role, Oberyn’s character doesn’t come up nearly as much as he should, likely because the actor has gone on to much bigger parts.
Even still, he accomplishes quite a lot with Oberyn in just a handful of Game of Thrones episodes, making the character unforgettable. He deserves far more praise for this, as it takes talent to leave such a strong impression in a short amount of time. The character’s death certainly helps, but Pascal masters every aspect of Oberyn’s arc.

Game Of Thrones
- Release Date
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2011 – 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
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David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
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David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff