20 times Game of Thrones set the internet on fire

Game of Thrones was a fantastic show that never failed to get big reactions out of fans, but which moments broke the net the most?

Caution: Obviously, this article contains SPOILERS for all eight seasons of Game of Thrones

The tricky thing with listing the stunning moments of Game of Thrones is that it’s easy to just go with “everything.” Every season was packed with amazing episodes boasting stunning moments that fans never expected. The series was never shy about killing off major characters, taking unexpected directions and never going where fans thought it would. That makes it hard to narrow down the most buzz-worthy moments. 

Some are among the show’s greatest bits, while others weren’t quite as popular but incited firestorms of talk. So what follows are the 20 times Game of Thrones broke the Internet the most, and that still only scratches the surface of how mind-blowing this show could be.

Honorable mentions: Jamie loses his hand; Melisandre’s true age is revealed; Cersei’s walk of shame; the Battle of the Bastards; Jamie and Brienne hook up. 

Jamie pushes Bran out of the Broken Tower (Season 1 Episode 1, “Winter is Coming”)

This was the first water-cooler moment for the show, and still wild to this day. The pilot looked to be your typical fantasy drama, with the royal company coming to Winterfell, introducing the characters, and setting things up. Then came the final scene as Bran Stark climbs a tower to find twin siblings Jamie and Cersei Lannister together, a shocking revelation. At which point Jamie, who viewers had come to see as an arrogant but still mostly likable guy, shoves the boy out of the tower.

This moment proved no one was safe on Game of Thrones, something the show would reinforce over and over throughout its run. For instance...

Ned is beheaded (Season 1 Episode 9, “Baelor”)

No move in Game of Thrones history was as daring and shocking as this. Casting a noted star like Sean Bean as Ned Stark was a good move for the show, as he gave the part some wonderful gravitas to pull folks in. When Ned was imprisoned by the Lannisters in King's Landing, fans expected that he’d somehow escape to start a rebellion. After all, we'd spent far more time with Ned Stark than any other character. They're not going to kill off the show's frontman, are they?

In one of the most powerful moments in the show, Ned is beheaded in public before the horrified eyes of his daughters, setting up the wars to come. It's still a supremely bold stroke that most other shows don't have the bravery to imitate.

The birth of the dragons (Season 1 Episode 10, “Fire and Blood”)

We knew dragons were coming onto the show, but it was still amazing to watch it happen. This wasn’t some family-friendly scene where eggs hatch to reveal cute little baby dragons. Instead, there's a lot of fire and blood and human sacrifice as Daenerys stepps onto her husband Drogo’s funeral pyre with her eggs. When the smoke cleares, an unburnt Daenerys rises from the ashes with a trio of baby dragons. The Mother of Dragons was born with the beasts, which paved the way for more action to come.

The Battle of Blackwater (Season 2 Episode 9, “Blackwater”)

Game of Thrones became well known for epic battle scenes, but its first is still arguably its best. Set in and around the city of King's Landing, it’s a full-scale war between the Lannisters and Stannis Baratheon’s army which takes place on both land and sea. The complexity of the production is astounding, from the one-on-one fights to the colossal ships exploding in the night. There’s good character work with Tyrion Lannister stepping up when his nephew King Joffrey falters. The episode won multiple Emmys and ranks among the high points of the series.

Daenerys breaks the chains (Season 3 Episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended”)

Daenerys Targaryen made a huge move in this episode. In the slave city of Astapor, she meets a slave trader who heads the Unsullied, the most fearsome warriors in the world. Daenerys seems to agree to trade one of her dragons for this Unsullied slave army. She then reveals she speaks the slavers’ language and orders the Unsullied to kill the slavers while her dragons set fire to her enemies.

The sight of Daenerys framed by dragon fire established her as a true leader and a nightmare to all in her path. Afterwards she frees the Unsullied and they follow her willingly, gaining her reputation not just as the Mother of Dragons but the Breaker of Chains.

The dueling baths (Season 3 Episode 5 “Kissed By Fire”)

Two scenes in this episode involved baths shared by two characters, and each was gripping in their own way. First, after teasing a relationship since they met, Ygriette and Jon finally got together in a steamy cave scene, with Ygriette still getting off a “you know nothing” as she and Jon consummate their union.

Much bigger was the scene where Jamie Lannister and Brienne of Tarth take a bath in Harrenhal while held captive. A delirious Jaime reveals he killed the Mad King to stop him from destroying King's Landing. This is the act that tarnished his reputation, but now we understand that it was the most noble thing he ever did.

This scene was a fantastic showing for the actors, building sympathy for Jamie and deepending his connection with Brienne.

The Red Wedding (Season 3 Episode 9, “The Rains of Castamere”)

Even book-readers who knew this was coming were unprepared for the Red Wedding. It seems to be a high point for the Starks, with an alliance with the Freys and Boltons all lined up. As the band play a familiar song to honor the wedding between Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Catelyn Stark realizes too late they’re caught in a trap. A pregnant Talisa Stark is stabbed as the Stark forces are massacred by the Bolton and Frey forces. Arya Stark shows up in time to see the tail end of the destruction before the Hound drags her away from the carnage.

Catelyn tries to barter for her son’s life by holding one of Walder’s wives hostage, but he doesn't care about his wife and happily has Robb stabbed to death in front of her. Catelyn herself has her throat slit as the episode ends. It was horrifying, stunning and and a high point the series never quite topped.

The Purple Wedding (Season 4, Episode 2, “The Lion and the Rose”)

From one dark wedding to another, only this one was much more satisfying to watch. King Joffrey was truly a loathsome figure, a young sociopath who relished in torturing others and the worst possible choice to be king.

So when he was poisoned to death at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, it was a relief to fans, as brutal as it was for him and his mother Cersei. If anyone deserved to die suffering, it was Joffrey. The later revelation that Marhaery's grandmother Lady Olenna Tyrell was behind it was a meme-worthy moment in itself. It also led to some of the best storylines in the show’s history.

Jamie and Cersei’s reunion (Season 4 Episode 3 “Breaker of Chains”)

This got fans talking, but not for good reasons. After so long apart, Jamie and Cersei were finally reunited over the dead bomb of their son Joffrey, who was lying in state. The scene takes a dark turn as Cersei brushes off Jamie’s advances only for him to push himself on her. Fans debated how it went down, and it became a sour point for some fans. Just because a moment was widely talked about doesn't mean it was talked about positively.

The Mountain vs the Viper (Season 4 Episode 8, “The Mountain and the Viper”)

On trial for Joffrey’s murder, Tyrion demands a trial by combat. Oberyn Martell volunteers to be his champion, facing off against the monstrous Gregor Clegane, aka the Mountain, fighting on behalf of the crown.

The fight is terrific, showcasing Oberyn’s skill and speed getting the better of the Mountain’s strength. Oberyn nearly has it won but makes the mistake of gloating and demanding Gregor confess to killing his sister Elia years ago. That gives Gregor the chance to slam him down and crush his head in a gruesome moment. It ended badly but is still a blast to watch.

Tyrion’s revenge (Season 4 Episode 10, “The Children”)

After being framed for murder and facing death, Tyrion breaks free to take his revenge. After killing his lover Shae for her betraying him during his trial, Tyrion faces his father Tywin, who's on the privy. The showdown is a thrill, with both men sharing their hate for the other before Tyrion kills his dad with a crossbow. It closed out Tyrion’s arc in King’s Landing perfectly and killed off one of the show's key antagonists in the offing.

Shireen’s death (Season 5 Episode 9, “The Dance of Dragons”)

There have been a lot of disturbing deaths on Game of Thrones, but somehow the most disturbing may be the death of young Shireen Baratheon, the young daughter of Stannis and Selyse.

As Stannis’ army is stymied by bad weather, the red witch Melisandre tells him only blood magic can melt the snow. And that requires a sacrifice. After trying to resist it, Stannis agrees to burn his own daughter at the stake. Seeing her cry out for mercy is horrific. It's little wonder fans were outraged after the episode aired. Worse was that it was for nothing, as Stannis is defeated shortly thereafter by the Boltons at Winterfell.

Jon Snow’s death and return (Season 5 Episode 10, “Mother’s Mercy”and Season 6 Episode 2, “Home”)

Jon Snow stepped up to the plate in season 5 by taking over the Night’s Watch, making a union with the Wildlings, and preparing for the coming of the White Walkers. Sadly, what he saw as a way to save the Seven Kingdoms were seen by other in the Watch as a betrayal of their oaths. So in a move worthy of Shakespeare, Jon was betrayed and stabbed to death by his own brothers.

The fan reaction was sheer outrage, with many claiming they were through with the show. As it turned out, this was all part of the plan. Kit Harington claimd he was through with the show, but in season 6 Jon was resurrected by Melisandre, resulting in an even bigger buzz and taking the series to new heights of popularity.

Hold the Door (Season 6 Episode 5, “The Door”)

One of the show’s more popular characters was Hodor, the thick-headed but well-meaning aide for the Starks who protected Bran on his journeys. His final scene was a heartbreaking one that also blew away fans with a stunning revelation. In the present, Bran and his group are set upon by White Walkers and Hodor sacrifices himself holding the door as long as he can.

Bran, meanwhile, uses the powers he's been developing for seasons to project his consciousness into the past and possesses a young Hodor, then called Wylis. Past and present blur together as Wylis starts to echo the words “hold the door” over and over until they become “Hodor.” Thus, Bran realizes he was the one who broke Hodor’s mind. This event is why "Hodor" was the only word Hodor could say. It's a tear-jerking end to his tragic story.

Cersei takes the crown (Season 6 Episode 10, “The Winds of Winter”)

Seasons 5 and 6 of Game of Thrones appeared to be one long road of humiliation for Cersei Lannister. She was outplayed, supplanted by Margarey, put on trial, had her hair cut and was forced to walk naked through the streets of King’s Landing. It was to end with her facing certain execution, but of course, Cersei had a plan. Just as Margarey realized too late that something was wrong, Cersei ignited a cache of wildfire, blowing up the Grand Sept of Baelor and all her rivals gathered within to pieces. They showed up to watch Cersei go on trial. She judged them instead.

Afterward, Cersei's grief-stricken Tommen takes his own life, allowing Cersei to become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. It proved once more that no one could ever underestimate one of the same’s best players.

Littlefinger’s fall (Season 7 Episode 7, “The Dragon and the Wolf”)

In many ways, the tumultuous events of the series can be laid at the feet of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. The conniving schemer set off a chain of horrors with his moves, betraying anyone he could and expertly playing everyone to get ahead. Throughout season 7, it appeared Littlefinger was winning again as he plotted to set Arya and Sansa against each other.

It almost worked. Littlefinger was among those attending Arya's trial…only to realize too late he was the one on trial as the Starks exposed his litany of crimes in public. Littlefinger was outplayed, groveling on his knees for mercy, with Arya slitting his throat with the same knife he’d planted to frame Tyrion years before. It was the perfect ending for Littlefinger that had fans cheering.

Jon’s true identity revealed (Season 7 Episode 7, “The Dragon and the Wolf”)

There was always something about Jon Snow. Fans could tell that the eventual King in the North had more going on than just being Ned Stark’s bastard son. Still, it was something when the truth was revealed to both Jon and the viewers: Jon’s true parents were Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Ned's sister. Not only that, but contrary to legend, the pair were very much in love; their marriage led to a misunderstanding which erupted into war, setting the stage for the events of the main series.

This meant that Jon was the true heir to the Iron Throne. It proved Jon was vital for the future of the land and also rewrote what fans thought was the history of Westeros.

Arya kills the Night King (Season 8 Episode 3, “The Long Night”)

It came down to this. After eight seasons of buildup, the war between the living and the dead erupted in an extra-long episode with the brutal deaths of several lead characters like Theon, Jorah, Lyanna and more. The clashes were epic and nasty as the Night King tore his way through the armies of the living.

The question of who would end him was answered when Arya Stark leaped out of the shadows to slam the Valyrian steel dagger into the Night King. That ended his threat while giving Arya her moment of heroism to close out one of the show's bigger storylines.

The Mother of Dragons (Season 8 Episode 5, “The Bells”)

Some fans say Daenerys’ actions at the end of the show were irrational and ruined the character. Others say it was a logical progression for her arc and likely the only way it could end. Either way, it marked a wild episode as the war for the Iron Throne reaches its final act. It’s a sensational battle as the forces of King’s Landing are helpless before the might of the Unsullied and Stark forces.

The Hound and the Mountain have their battle and we see the end of Jamie and Cersei. Daenerys had won, but the enrated Mother of Dragons still takes wing on Drogon to set the city aflame. It was a controversial turn that sparking a seemingly endless debate.

The finale (Season 8 Episode 6, “The Iron Throne”)

So we come to it at last. The series finale of Game of Thrones is one of the most polarizing, divisive, and discussed finales in television history. We had the big turns of Jon killing Daenerys, Bran becoming King, Sansa Queen of the North, the Iron Throne melting, and Arya starting leaving Westeros. That seemed a good wrap-up, but fans didn’t find it worthy of the show’s run, and the episode left many disappointed.

Still, the one thing all can agree on is that "The Iron Throne" wasn’t boring. The fact it’s still talked of today proves that, for good or bad, Game of Thrones’ legacy will live on for ages.

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