The 30 most iconic moments from Game of Thrones, ranked

24. Melisandre gives birth to a shadow monster

Religion is a major theme throughout Game of Thrones, whether it’s the old gods of the North, the Seven worshipped further south, or the Red God to whom Melisandre listens. In the first season, however, it’s unclear whether these gods actually “exist,” so to speak, or if the characters worship them on faith. At the least, they don’t interfere with the plot directly.

This changes when Melisandre gives birth to a shadow monster that kills Renly Baratheon, showing us that there are most definitely supernatural forces at play in this story. We’d already seen Daenerys’ dragons and the White Walkers, true, but this is magic intruding upon the War of the Five Kings, which up to this point had been more grounded. It’s represents a turning point in our understanding of what kind of story this is.

Talking purely about the plot, the shadow monster alters the political landscape of Westeros. With House Tyrell behind him, Renly actually stood a chance of defeating the Lannisters and forging peace with the Starks. Melisandre’s magic makes that impossible, shifting power to Stannis and prolonging the War of the Five Kings.

Melisandre’s feat also suggests that there is some validity behind her claims about the Red God and the Prince That Was Promised. Before this scene, it’s easy to write Melisandre’s prophecies off as the ramblings of a fanatic. But after she gives birth to a shadow assassin that actually kills its target…well, it’s hard not to take her seriously after that.