As it’s done for the last two years, German design studio Karakter has released the concept art it created for the most recent season of Game of Thrones. This year, Season 6 is on the docket, and some of the images on Karakter’s website are pretty remarkable. The above picture is proof enough of that, although I don’t recall Wun Wun swinging a horse over his head during “Battle of the Bastards.”
Every concept image on Karakter’s website comes complete with commentary. VFX concept artist Robert Simon sounded off on the one above:
"As a starting point for the Battle of the Bastards, we studied historical battle depictions of the previous centuries. And then we exaggerated it in any way possible. It shows the human kind at it’s worst…"
Let’s move on to another big set piece: the Battle of the Meereen. At the city gates, Daenerys’ Dothraki soldiers charged the Sons of the Harpy…
…while Daenerys lights up the masters’ fleet in the bay.
There are a few more images of Meereen in the set, from initial visualizations…
…to a finished piece of concept art.
Staying on Essos, Karakter takes us to Vaes Dothrak. Jorah and Daario, hoping to rescue their queen, overlook the city.
The next morning, once Dany had won the Dothraki to her side by burning all their leaders in a terrifying show of strength, the city seemed far less intimidating. Time to mount up and leave!
Next, we have our final image from Essos: Daenerys preaches to her Dothraki horde from atop her dragon.
There’s lots more where this came from.
Next: Burning Septs, Holding the Door, and more
The Sept of Baelor’s destruction was a huge moment in Season 6, and Karakter has dedicated a few images to it. Above, the High Sparrow goes up in smoke. Below, the whole Sept does.
Sam Tarly didn’t have a ton of screentime in Season 6, but nearly all of it was important. Let’s remember some of the memorable places he and Gilly visited during the year. First up, stately Horn Hill, home to ancient Valyrian steel swords and dickhead dads.
Next, Sam and his family arrived in Oldtown…
VFX concept artist Floris Didden: As we had not seen Old Town before it was double important for me to hit all the established points we did have. The layout was inspired by the radial city plan of Amsterdam, with Old Town’s many canals circling the spoke of the Hightower.
…where Sam had a joygasm upon entering the Citadel library.
Didden also sounded off on this piece. “The Maesters of Westeros are the most scientific people in a world of backwardness and I wanted the architecture of the Citadel to reflect this fact: ordered, radially symmetrical and highly sophisticated with complex mechanisms reflecting the light of reason through a cavern of gloomy ignorance.”
Next, let’s look at one of the biggest set pieces from Game of Thrones Season 6: the Night Kind’s attack on the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave. Karakter devoted six images to this event.
Clearly, the imaginary camera loves the Night King.
Meera, Leaf, Summer, and Hodor do their best to keep the wights at bay. Oh, the humanity!
Let’s end on a more placid picture: Brienne and Podrick outside Riverrun. Compositionally, this is my favorite image in the set.
Karakter is probably working on concept art for Game of Thrones Season 7 as we speak, if it hasn’t finished already. We’ll have to wait a long while to see it.