The 30 most iconic moments from Game of Thrones, ranked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE2mpse6O1c

21. Tyrion kills Tywin in the bathroom

Tyrion goes against his family’s wishes when he demands a trial by combat after being falsely accused of killing his nephew, but he officially breaks away from House Lannister when he kills his own father during the fourth season finale. Tyrion’s decision to take Tywin’s life is a turning point for his character, as well as for the Lannister family as a whole.

For the majority of the series, Tywin’s influence keeps the Lannisters’ enemies at bay. Tywin earns fear and respect from the great houses of Westeros, which keeps his children and grandchildren in power for the first several seasons. No matter how dreadfully Cersei, Jaime, or Joffrey mess up, it seems that Tywin can always find a way to save them. He brings House Tyrell to their side, and he prevents enemies like the Iron Bank and High Sparrow from rising up against the crown.

When Tyrion kills Tywin, he ends all of that. Without Tywin around to protect House Lannister, the Dornish decide they can take their revenge on the family, and the High Sparrow is able to slip into King’s Landing and poison the populace. The hostility between House Lannister and House Tyrell reaches new levels, and the squabbles in the North go completely ignored.

Essentially, everything falls apart after Tyrion shoots Tywin with that crossbow. Jaime and Cersei lose the two best thinkers in their family, and they’re forced to grapple with the consequences. Unfortunately, they aren’t quite as adept at cleaning up messes as their father or brother.

This is also a hugely emotional moment for Tyrion, one that brings to a head his bizarre, combative relationship with his father. Though the two dislike one another, there’s always been a strange respect between them, and that comes down to how alike they are. When Tyrion pulls that trigger, he eliminates the possibility of reconciliation, and becomes his own man for well and good.