Game of Thrones has no shortage of jaw-dropping moments, and many of them continue to influence the show’s direction going into the final season.
When Game of Thrones debuted on HBO, fans had no idea just how much the series would blow up. It was expected that readers of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series would tune in, along with any other fantasy lovers looking for a new show to binge. But no one could have predicted how the series would become a global phenomenon, an iconic entity in its own right.
Much of the popularity Game of Thrones has garnered comes from its ability to push the boundaries of what’s considered normal or acceptable when it comes to storytelling. While many series toe a certain line, careful not to reach into overly dark or offensive territory, Game of Thrones jumps into the breach. The series constantly surprises its viewers because it doesn’t hold back.
That unflinching refusal to rein itself in is part of what makes so many scenes so memorable. Game of Thrones is not a show most people will watch and forget; moments like the Red Wedding and the Battle of the Bastards continue to inspire conversations seasons after they’ve aired. And with the show approaching its final season, plenty of fans will want to rewatch their favorite scenes before the end.
These are the 30 most iconic moments from the show…so far. Let’s get to it!
30. Littlefinger lays out his philosophy
Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish finally, blessedly died at the end of Game of Thrones season 7, but before that, this guy was making all manner of vicious trouble for everyone for years. It’s thanks to Littlefinger that Lysa Arryn first raised her sister Catelyn’s suspicions of the Lannisters, it’s Littlefinger who fed Catelyn false information that led to her arresting Tyrion, and Littlefinger who betrayed Ned Stark and ensured he would be in front of the Sept of Baelor the day Joffrey decided he wanted himself a wolf head. There’s a good argument to be made that Littlefinger, more than anyone else, is behind all the political instability our characters have been dealing with for the past seven seasons.
Why did he do it? The closest he comes to revealing what makes him tick is at the end of “The Climb” in season 3. “Chaos is a ladder,” he tells Varys, his rival and counterpart. “Many who try to claim it fail, and never get to try again…Some are given a chance to claim, but they refuse. They cling to the realm, or the gods, or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.”
What we have here is a man so obsessed with ambition that he will start a war knowing full well that hundreds of thousands of people will lose their lives purely for the opportunity — not even the certainly — to rise in the world. And rise he does, until the last human emotion he can’t quite seem to shake — affection for Sansa Stark — blinds him to seeing how much she’s learned from him.
Ambition and power are key themes in Game of Thrones. No one exemplifies those themes better than Littlefinger, and no scene exemplifies Littlefinger better than this one.
29. Arya takes revenge on House Frey
The seventh season of Game of Thrones wastes no time jumping into the action, delivering some long-awaited justice within the first few minutes of the first episode. “Dragonstone” opens with Walder Frey hosting a feast for his family, but it soon becomes clear that things aren’t exactly what they seem. Walder Frey died in the season 6 finale, after all.
As it turns out, Arya Stark has taken Walder Frey’s face and has poisoned the wine his family members are about to drink. The lot of them die in a grim echo of the Red Wedding. The comeuppance is long overdue, and Arya manages it with an impressive amount of style. Once the members of House Frey are dead, she reminds the only surviving witness that the North remembers. “Tell them winter came for house Frey,” she says, and walks out. What a way to start a season.
This is a dark moment for Arya, but it reveals how far she’s willing to go to seek vengeance for the crimes committed against her family. Prior to this, Arya has knocked a few names off of her list of people she’s going to kill, but this is the first time she’s actively sought out victims, and the first time she’s pulled off not just a murder but a massacre. She’s one to be watched, closely.
Arya’s ability to disguise herself as Walder Frey also demonstrates how far she’s come since arriving at the House of Black and White. She’s able to steal the face of essentially anyone, a talent that will likely come in handy during the final season.
28. Jaime tells the truth and Brienne bathe together
It’s not easy making peace with your enemies, but Jaime and Brienne are proof that sometimes all it takes is an involuntary amputation followed by a bath. The two have many interesting moments during their trip to King’s Landing, but is easily the most powerful.
Although by this point we’d heard the story of Jaime betraying the Mad King several times, we never get Jaime’s version of events. During his bath with Brienne, woozy from the steam and feeing like he has nothing left to lose now that he’s lost his sword hand, he reveals the truth about what occurred the day he stabbed King Aerys in the back, and it’s a bit more complicated than we were initially led to believe.
According to Jaime, he begged King Aerys to surrender when Tywin Lannister besieged the city. But the king not only commanded Jaime to kill his own father, but that his pyromancer set off the wildfire under the city, killing Tywin’s army along with hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. The refusal to do either of those things is what led Jaime to betray and kill his king, saving half a million lives and earning him the title of Kingslayer.
This is the key to Jaime’s character, that he’s punished and hated for the best thing he ever did. It lets us understand why he takes such a nihilistic approach to life and properly kicks off his redemption arc, which is still ongoing. And the moment is acted to within an inch of its life by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who should have it in his performance reel until the day he dies.
27. Jaime charges at Dany after she massacres the Lannister forces
As little as viewers like the Lannisters, is was difficult watching Daenerys and her Dothraki cavalry utterly destroy the Lannister army in “The Spoils of War.” Jaime and Bronn are part of that army, after all, and we like them. This battle turns gruesome very quickly.
Having watched his men burned and slaughtered, it’s only natural that Jaime feels rage toward Daenerys. When he sees an opportunity to kill her and end the war, he takes it, charging her and her dragon after they’re forced to land on the ground. It’s an agonizing moment for fans. Who do we root for here? Most of us were probably like Tyrion, who was watching the whole thing and seemed painfully torn.
On top of all that stuff, the moment is just beautifully photographed. Jaime Lannister rides his horse full throttle across a burnt and blackened battlefield while Ramin Djawadi’s percussive score slams on the soundtrack. How can you not be swept away? This is the kind of epic moment that pays off Game of Thrones taking the time to develop characters on different sides of a conflict, and that could only be done late in the series when they have the resources to really make it pop.
26. Khal Drogo gives Viserys a crown of molten gold
Game of Thrones would be a very different series if Viserys Targaryen had survived the show’s first season. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Viserys would have succeeded in reclaiming the Iron Throne, nor does it suggest that he would have made a decent ruler. However, Viserys’ survival would have put many of the series’ characters on very different paths.
This is why Khal Drogo’s choice to end Viserys’ life is so critical. When Drogo pours the “crown” of molten gold onto Viserys’ head, he alters the course of Daenerys’ life. No longer is she merely his Khaleesi; as far as she knows at the time, Viserys’ death also makes her the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. And that knowledge is what drives her following Khal Drogo’s death. Had Viserys survived, she may have willingly submitted to being taken to Vaes Dothrak. Instead, Daenerys embraces the fact that she’s the last living dragon and begins her journey to reclaim her birthright. She more or less takes the path that Viserys wanted to take, using him as an example of what not to go about it.
So Viserys’ death is one of those moments that helps set everything else into motion. On top of that, it’s a fitting death for his character fans aren’t likely to forget. It’s also the first time a major character is killed off, something the series would double down on in a big way just a few episodes later.
25. Jaime loses his sword hand
The Jaime Lannister fans meet at the beginning of the series is a force to be reckoned with, a character with few discernible morals and lots of skill with a sword. Despite the fact that Jaime has no desire to wed and continue the Lannister line from a keep in Casterly Rock, he’s the golden child of the family. He protects his sister and her children from harm and leads the Lannister armies into battle against Robb Stark.
Even after Jaime is outsmarted by Robb and captured, he remains more or less the same. Even Robb admits that he would lose to the man if they fought one on one. Jaime’s cockiness, even in chains, makes it difficult to feel for him as a character.
Jaime’s characterization shifts significantly when the brutal Locke, Roose Bolton’s flunky, chops off his sword hand. It’s a shocking moment, and the best cut to black in the show’s history.
It’s also the moment that finally lets viewers feel just a little bit of sympathy for this sister-loving child pusher. No longer able to physically defend his family or fight his enemies, Jaime loses the arrogance that once defined him, and the Lannisters lose one of their most powerful weapons.
Losing his hand humbles Jaime and marks the beginning of his redemption arc. Only after he loses his hand does Jaime begin to forge a bond with Brienne that goes beyond antagonizing her. Only after he returns to King’s Landing unable to fight does he start to question his family’s decisions. And by season 7, he’s changed enough to leave Cersei behind and fight for the living.
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.
23. Tyrion’s speaks in his own defense
After Tyrion is accused of murdering Joffrey, he’s put on trial by his family — although the trial, of course, is a complete sham, since they’ve already decided he’s guilty. The final twist of the knife is when Shae, the woman he loves, testifies against with lies fed to her by Cersei. It’s one step over the line too many.
When Tyrion finally speaks in his own defense, all the anger and resentment that’s been building up his whole life spews out. In spite of his efforts to appease his father and siblings, Tyrion has never fully been appreciated by his family. The audience knows this already, but this scene seems to be where it fully sinks in for Tyrion himself. He admits his “crime” of being a dwarf, telling Tywin that he’s “been on trial for that my whole life.”
Tyrion has spent his life trying to wear his weaknesses life armor, but everyone has a limit, and this was his. Tyrion has internalized all of the slights against him, from both his family members and the people in the city he worked to defend against Stannis. It’s a beautifully monstrous speech, delivered with passion and vigor by Peter Dinklage in his show-best performance.
This is the moment Tyrion stops allowing his family to decide his fate. At the end, when he demands a trial by combat, he makes it clear that he’s done making sacrifices for a family that doesn’t value him. He declares that he won’t die for Joffrey — or really, any of the Lannisters — and that he’ll instead let the gods decide his fate. But what he’s actually doing is taking his fate into his own hands.
22. The Mountain kills the Viper
The fourth season of Game of Thrones is full of action-packed scenes, with Tyrion’s trial by combat being the most suspenseful. With Prince Oberyn the Red Viper of Dorne fighting for Tyrion, and Gregor “the Mountain” fighting for the crown, the two opponents seem pretty evenly matched. In fact, Oberyn almost defeats the Mountain. But then he insists that the Mountain admit to his crimes against Oberyn’s family, and instead of repenting, the Mountain knocks Oberyn off his feet and crushes his skull with his bare hands. It’s horrifying.
This scene is one fans will never forget, and may be the grossest onscreen death we’ve seen so far. Ellaria Sand screaming as her lover’s teeth skitter across the ground is all of us. That also kicks off a new storyline involving Dorne. Tensions between the Dornish and the Lannisters were already high, but Ellaria and her followers essentially take Oberyn’s death as a declaration of war. The show starts down the road to Myrcella’s death right here.
Oberyn’s death also sends Tyrion down a new road. It’s hard to say whether Tyrion would have stuck around had Oberyn won and the Lannisters let Tyrion walk free. But at a minimum, he probably wouldn’t have killed his father, which could have changed everything.
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.
20. Stannis and Selyse burn Shireen alive
The death of Shireen Baratheon is one of the most brutal scenes in the series, made worse by the fact that her own father is the one who orders it, with her supporting him. Until this moment, Stannis is a favorite to sit on the Iron Throne, even if he’s not the most likable character on the show. His choice to listen to Melisandre is questionable, but she’s pretty compelling, and it’s not like she’s advocating child murder.
Only she is, and Stannis is listening. On Melisandre’s advice, Stannis burns Shireen at the stake in an attempt to appease the Lord of Light and get him to stop the snowstorm bedeviling his army. Even if it works, this act is unforgivable, as both Stannis’ actual army and his army of fans proved shortly thereafter. The snowstorm does clear, but so many men soldiers abandon Stannis rather than work for a man who would do what he did that he has no chance of defeating the Boltons. Stannis kills his daughter to win, but it guarantees his loss.
And Shireen’s death doesn’t just bring about the end of Stannis’ reign, but also of the Baratheon line. The only character left with Baratheon blood is Gendry, and at the moment, he’s still an un-legitimized bastard. On the other hand, given that Robert, Renly, and Stannis left no heirs, Shireen’s death may actually solidify Gendry’s claim to the House.
That the girl’s death is due to Melisandre’s mistakes also changes things. No longer can Melisandre’s Lord of Light be trusted without question. Until this point, most of Melisandre’s predictions come true. Even if her means of achieving the Red God’s ends are morally questionable, they typically produce the desired result. Not so here. Melisandre is much more chastened from here on out. It may be because she had lost faith, like Thoros of Myr before her, that she was able to raise Jon Snow from the dead.
But mostly, this scene remains iconic for how incredibly powerful it is. Kerry Ingram is heartbreaking as the Baratheon princess who only wanted to help her father and instead was betrayed in the worst possible way.
19. Sansa and Arya kill Littlefinger
Sadly, Sansa and Arya Stark don’t share much of a sisterly bond time over the course of Game of Thrones. They mostly spend it on opposite ends of the continent, or even continents apart, and even before they split up, they didn’t get along. When they finally reunite, they have to work through some of that baggage, but once they figure out they’re on the same team, they immediately make up for lost time and do something completely awesome: kill Petyr Baelish.
Littlefinger had switched his allegiance back and forth throughout the course of the series, climbing up the ladder and not caring who he kicked off during his ascent. By the time we get to the season 7 finale, his death is long overdue. Still, he almost got his way again by turning Sansa and Arya against one another — a trick he’d pulled off before when he played Catelyn and Lysa Tully against each other — but thankfully Sansa and Arya acquit themselves better than their mother and aunt, thanks in part to their all-seeing, all-knowing brother Bran. If only Edmure could have seen through space and time, Catelyn and Lysa could have buried the hatchet, too.
Sansa and Arya let Littlefinger believe he’s driven them apart, and then turn the tables when he’s least expecting it, calling him out for his many crimes in front of a roomful of high lords, none of which like him very much. As they go down the list, it becomes clear just how much damage Littlefinger has done over the series. Had Arya not opened his throat when she did, he probably would have done more.
Executing Littlefinger is a particularly big moment for Sansa. It shows that she’s no longer the naive and trusting girl willing to put herself or her loved ones at risk because she doesn’t want to make difficult choices. As she puts it, she’s a slow learner, but she does learn. And she learns well.
18. Drogon rescues Daenerys from the Sons of the Harpy
Since the moment Daenerys’ dragons were born, fans everywhere were wondering when someone was going to ride one. We had to wait until season 5 to see it happen. This alone makes the scene in Daznak’s Pit iconic.
Things are looking grim for Dany and her court. They’re surrounded by Sons of the Harpy, dissidents who protest Dany’s rule over Meereen, and it doesn’t look like they have a way out. Then Drogon swoops in out of the blue, incinerating many Sons of the Harpy (and a couple of Unsullied). It’s spectacularly satisfying.
But this scene also reminds us that the dragons are vulnerable, as an errant spear wounds Drogon. Realizing she has to get him out of there, Daenerys cautiously climbs onto his back and gives him one command: fly. He does, and Dany becomes the first dragon rider in centuries.
This moment pays dividends down the line. Dany rides Drogon into battle against the Lannisters in “The Spoils of War,” and to save Jon Snow and company from certain death in “Beyond the Wall.” We’re fully expecting more dragon riding in season 8, but with two of the three seats already filled, who will take the third?
17. Wildfire explodes on the Blackwater
The Battle of the Blackwater is the first of Game of Thrones’ large-scale battle sequences, and it’s still among the best. The most exciting moment comes when Tyrion obliterates a good portion of Stannis’ navy by exploding a ship loaded with deadly wirefire on Blackwater Bay. It’s visually spectacular, and let viewers know that Game of Thrones was going to aim higher than most other shows. And it has real emotional stakes because Davos Seaworth, whom fans had already grown to love, is on one of Stannis’ warships. We wouldn’t learn if he’d survived the explosion under the season after.
But for Tyrion’s trick, things could have been much grimmer for House Lannister. After all, Cersei had so little confidence that she planned on poisoning both herself and her youngest son should Stannis breach the castle. Luckily, Tyrion’s wildfire holds the invading army off long enough for Tywin to arrive and rout the bulk of Stannis’ forces. The wildfire trick demonstrates Tyrion’s brains over brawn approach, something he’ll use when he joins up with Daenerys Targaryen later in the series.
This moment also inspires Cersei to use the substance later, albeit for far more selfish reasons. When Tyrion comes up with this plan, he still balks at the idea that there’s so much wildfire just sitting beneath King’s Landing. What if it were to fall into the wrong hands? If he only knew.
16. Daenerys sacks Astapor
Daenerys’ path to the Iron Throne starts off a bit rocky, especially when her dragons are too small to pose much of a threat. After she loses most of Drogo’s Dothraki followers, she faces challenge after challenge, many of which she meets with threats and promises she isn’t quite ready to fulfill. There’s plenty of heart behind Daenerys’ words during the second season, but she’s still learning how to be a queen and a conquerer.
Things change when Dany sacks Astapor in season 3. It suddenly becomes clear that she must be taken seriously, and if you don’t, she may burn you alive. With three growing dragons and an army of Unsullied at her back, she is finally in a place where she can make good on her threats, and to learn what being a conqueror really means.
The scene is full of great moments, from Daenerys revealing to the slaver’s horror that she speaks his language to has understood all the horrible things he’s been saying about her to her commanding the Unsullied for the first time to her tossing the whip in the sand on her way out of the city, rejecting the notion of slavery and foreshadowing her takeover of Slaver’s Bay. When people root for Dany to conquer Westeros, scenes like this are a big part of the reason why.
15. Hodor dies
“The Door” is unquestionably one of the most heartbreaking episodes of Game of Thrones. It gives us Hodor’s backstory before ripping him away from us permanently. Throughout the series, viewers’ took Hodor’s presence for granted. He was always there to protect Bran, and it seemed like he always would be.
But Game of Thrones has a way of defying our expectations, and the series does just that when it kills off Bran’s lovable companion. When the Night King and his forces attack the home of the Three-Eyed Raven, only Bran and Meera make it out alive, thanks to Hodor’s sacrifice.
During Hodor’s final scene, the audience is shown a flashback of sorts courtesy of Bran’s ability to see into the past. Bran appears to be stuck between past and present, and as he watches a young Hodor — then known as Wylis — go about his business at Winterfell, Meera’s command from the present to “Hold the door” somehow reverberates back through time, and gets stuck in Wylis’ head. He seizes up and repeats “Hold the door” over and over, until all he can say is “Hodor.”
It’s a harrowing discovery, and one that could have major implications for the show’s plot. If Bran can accidentally alter the course of Hodor’s life by going back in time, what can he do if he’s trying?
Of course, this might be exactly what the Three-Eyed Raven kept warning Bran about during their training together. But it seems Hodor’s death could serve a greater purpose beyond that of devastating Game of Thrones fans everywhere.
14. The Night King raises the army of the dead at Hardhome
Prior to the fifth season of Game of Thrones, the White Walkers are a menacing but seemingly far-off threat. Only the wildlings truly acknowledge and fear them, plus a few members of the Night’s Watch. The rest of the realm doesn’t concern itself with them, and it’s easy for even the viewer to forget about them during their long absences.
In “Hardhome,” it becomes evident to both the Night’s Watch and the audience that the White Walkers are a far more pressing problem than anyone thought. The final moments of the episode are incredibly potent. Jon has escaped from the jaws of death, and is rowing back to a ship that can spirit him and the people he’s saved away to the right side of the Wall. But the Night King, undaunted, walks to the edge of the pier, lifts his arms, and raises thousands of undead followers from among those who fell in the preceding battle. Jon wanted to save wildlings and technically his mission was a success, but in the long run, it was a failure, and he both he and the Night King know it.
When the Night King marches his army of the dead on Westeros, many will die, and those fallen soldiers will swell the Night King’s forces all the more. This is the moment we understand that.
13. Cersei takes her walk of atonement
Cersei’s walk of shame is a moment she’ll never forget, and it’s unlikely that Game of Thrones viewers will forget about it any time soon either. It’s one of the most iconic scenes in both George R.R. Martin’s book series and the television adaptation, and it’s one of the few times that fans are actually able to feel for Cersei.
Until the High Sparrow arrests her in season 5, Cersei had become a uniquely unlikable character. There are a few moments in the first few seasons that allow her some humanity, but as she loses her family members and gains power, she becomes more and more vile. Her motives are understandable, but it’s still hard to truly sympathize with her.
When the High Sparrow strips Cersei of her power, however, it becomes clear why she’s desperately clung to it for so long. The High Sparrow forces her to come face to face to complete powerlessness, and to do it in front of a city that doesn’t think terribly kindly of her. The scene is stark, and drags on for long painful minutes without musical accompaniment to distract us from the horror of what Cersei is experiencing. No what matter what she’s done, no one deserves that.
Cersei’s walk of atonement is also a demonstration of the High Sparrow’s political acumen, and of the double standards that plague the women of Westeros. The High Sparrow himself admits to having to atone for his sins, though we certainly don’t see him walking naked through the streets.
This scene also begins the countdown to Cersei’s revenge, as fans know she won’t allow the High Sparrow to get away with humiliating her. If Cersei’s walk hadn’t occurred, there’s a good chance she wouldn’t have blown up the Sept of Baelor, and figures like Margaery could have lived on. But the High Sparrow’s choices trigger her own, leading her to become the “Mad Queen.”
12. Cersei blows up the Sept of Baelor
Even after Cersei’s walk of shame, the High Sparrow refuses to let her return to the life she led before her imprisonment. He maintains a hold on the power he’s gained in King’s Landing, and he insists on giving Cersei and Loras Tyrell a trial, as though the torment he put them through earlier wasn’t enough punishment for their sins.
Cersei is not someone who takes well to feeling powerless, so it’s not surprising that she finds a way to turn the High Sparrow’s plans against him. The scene where she uses wildfire to blow up the Sept of Baelor—with all of her enemies inside of it—is striking, and not just because of the glorious score that accompanies it.
Blowing up the Sept of Baelor puts Cersei back in a place of power, albeit one she may not have fully wanted; Plan A would have been to continue to rule through her son Tommen, but that became possible after he jumped out his window when he saw what his mother had done. With nothing standing in her way, Cersei becomes a queen with nothing to lose. And she may yet become a “Mad Queen.” After all, blowing up part of King’s Landing in revenge sounds a lot like something Aerys Targaryen would do.
Cersei’s actions also bring an abrupt end to the Tyrell family line. Mace, Margaery, and Loras are in the Sept when Cersei destroys it, something she obviously planned for. But with the three of them gone, there’s no one left to continue House Tyrell, making it the second major house to to fall during the series. This sad fact leads Olenna to turn against the crown and seek allies in Dorne, setting the stage for season 7.
11. The Night King kills Viserion
Anyone who believed Daenerys’ dragons would easily overpower the Night King and his army was in for a surprise when the Night King acquired a dragon of his own. Viserion’s death in season 7 is a tragic one, but the fact that the Night King raises the dragon from the dead in order to use him against Westeros makes it so much worse.
Judging by the ease with which Viserion took down the Wall during the seventh season finale, the Night King will be capable of bringing devastation to the Seven Kingdoms with his new companion. The only characters who will be able to stop him are Daenerys and her two other dragons, all of whom likely won’t be thrilled by the prospect of bringing down one of their own.
It was heart-wrenching enough when Daenerys saw one of her children die at the Night King’s hand, but it’s almost unimaginable to consider that she’ll be forced to bring Viserion down all over again.
Viserion is one of the first major characters we’ve seen turned into one of the undead, and it’s a difficult moment to watch…although it’s pretty exciting, too, because what’s cooler than an undead dragon? It’ll be just as hard to see the other characters’ reactions to Viserion’s transformation, and we also have to wonder if he’ll be the last well-known character to be turned into one of the Night King’s lackeys. Honestly, probably not.
10. The Night King brings down the Wall
The Wall has stood strong and tall since the start of Game of Thrones, and for several thousand years before. If the members of the Night’s Watch aren’t enough to protect the realm from the horrors that lie beyond, the magic build into the foundations would. Sure, over the seasons, some characters made their way under or over it, but the thought of anyone destroying it was laughable.
That’s why the Wall collapsing at the end of season 7 is such a huge moment for the show. It marks a new era for Westeros, and underlines the fact that no one is safe. I mean, they weren’t safe before, but adding an undead dragon and tens of thousands of zombies rather takes things to a new level. After all, if the Night King can rip down an ancient and powerful edifice like the Wall, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to leave Winterfell—and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms—in ruins.
9. Daenerys arrives at Dragonstone
After watching Daenerys plan and prepare to return to Westeros for six seasons, there’s no better feeling than actually seeing her walk onto its shores. When she finally reaches Dragonstone, it’s not as a spoiled girl with her name as the only reason she has a claim to the throne. It’s as a woman who has fought for everything she’s achieved. It’s a moment well earned.
Not only does this scene make everything Daenerys has gone through seem worth it, but it sets the tone for the entire season to come. This is the last scene of the season premiere, and underscores how far Dany has come but also how much farther she has to go. Her returning to Dragonstone, her birthplace, is fitting. She and her court need to restore it, as they need to restore Westeros.
The moment Daenerys walks into the war room is particularly powerful. Her final words before the episode ends are “Shall we begin?” Once again, this emphasizes that the real fight is to come. It’s a fight we’re going to see continue in season 8.
8. The Night’s Watch murders Jon Snow
The fifth season finale of Game of Thrones leaves fans with a cliffhanger unrivaled by anything else in modern television, save maybe the season 7 finale where the Night King knocks down the Wall. In “Mother’s Mercy,” Jon Snow is stabbed to death by members of the Night’s Watch, a retaliation for letting the wildlings cross into Westeros.
Prior to this scene, fans of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series had a general idea of where the story was going—and even those who hadn’t read the books could Google characters’ fates. Jon Snow’s death, however, is one of the last scenes taken from Martin’s novels. Not knowing what would happen next left every Game of Thrones fan on edge, wondering whether Jon was really gone. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time the series killed off an important character. Book-readers and show-watchers, we all held our month for months.
The murder also opened many doors for the characters. Given that they’d betrayed their Lord Commander, the Night’s Watch members who murdered Jon are sentenced to death. This paves the way for the wildlings and the Night’s Watch to form a more genuine peace, something that will be much needed during the fight against the Night King.
Jon’s death also frees Jon from his obligations to the Night’s Watch, as his vows state that he must serve until his death…well, check that box. Only after he’s been betrayed, killed, and brought back to life can Jon return to his family and his former home in good conscience. And given that Sansa turns up right after Jon’s resurrection, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
7. Jon is resurrected
Apart from Beric Dondarrion, Jon is the only character on Game of Thrones who successfully cheats death. Though Daenerys attempts to bring Khal Drogo back from the dead, and the Night King raises many of his victims, none of these characters are ever truly who they were prior to their “resurrections.” From what we’ve seen so far, Jon hasn’t been forced to pay a price for coming back. He returns with the same morals and mannerisms he had before being stabbed, and other than some nasty scarring, there don’t seem to be any side effects.
Beric and Jon have this in common, which raises some interesting questions about the Lord of Light, the deity through whom Thoros of Myr and then Melisandre work to achieve these miracles. The exact mechanics remain unclear.
Still, being resurrected puts Jon in rather exclusive company. Could it mean that he could be the prophesied messiah known as Azor Ahai, aka the Prince That Was Promised? Melisandre, who previously gave this marker to Stannis, seems to think so.
And if Jon does have some grand destiny, what is it? Why was he allowed to come back from the dead? Is he destined to save Westeros from the Night King, or to doom it forever? Is he destined to rule, or to die again?
But apart from its importance to the story, Jon’s resurrection is an iconic moment because it was the culmination of a year of speculation about whether Jon, seen being killed at the end of season 5, would come back. This was a cultural touchstone parodied everywhere, and all Kit Harington had to do was open his eyes and breathe.
6. Joffrey chokes to death at his own wedding
Joffrey Baratheon is easily one of the most despised characters on television, and his death left Game of Thrones fans everywhere exclaiming “finally.” His antics throughout the first four seasons of the series left fans understandably infuriated, his casual cruelty matched only by of Ramsay Bolton. Joffrey’s death is a satisfying moment, and one most viewers felt was very deserved.
Outside of the satisfaction of watching this stain choke to death, Joffrey’s death marked the beginning of the Lannister family’s downfall. In the chaos of his disastrous wedding feast, Sansa escapes, leaving Cersei without any leverage over the North. Joffrey’s death also puts distance between Cersei and Jaime, and they were already on shaky ground.
But the worst thing Joffrey’s death does for the Lannisters is alienating Tyrion. Persistent in her hatred and mistrust of her youngest brother, Cersei immediately blames Tyrion for her son’s poisoning. Tywin, also not a fan of the littlest Lannister, allows the charade to play out, and even Jaime can’t do much to save his brother from prosecution. Tyrion is put on trial for Joffrey’s murder and is almost executed for it. After such a spectacle, it’s no surprise that Tyrion turns on his family, causing for trouble for them later on when Daenerys arrives back in Westeros.
Joffrey’s death sets all of this into motion. When Tyrion escapes and kills Tywin, he weakens Jaime and Cersei considerably. The lords of Westeros feared Tywin, but his twin children they feel they can handle. Losing Joffrey was good for the realm in the long run, and certainly great for the audience, but it was a disaster for his surviving family members.
5. The Battle of the Bastards
The Battle of the Bastards is the best action sequence the show has yet produced. Right from the start, the stakes are high. Ramsay and Jon are bastards who have risen high, and only one of them will come out of this alive. Sansa is putting everything on the line. Davos and Melisandre know that this could be their last stand. From the moment the two sides meet for a parley, the atmosphere is electric.
There are too many iconic moments from the Battle of the Bastards to narrow it down to just one, so we’re going to cheat and name a bunch of them, starting with the tragic death of Rickon Stark. Sansa warns Jon that Rickon is a goner, but we’re still with him as he tries to save his little brother, and our hearts break with his with Ramsay shoots an arrow through Rickon’s back. Even the fans who knew Sansa was right were shocked.
After that, the action is nonstop. It’s hard to single out any one moment as the best in show. Maybe it’s the slow-motion shot where Jon faces the oncoming calvary with nothing but his sword, or the long unbroken shot of him stumbling through the chaos of battle, or the suffocating moment when Jon is trampled underfoot by his own men, or the elated exhale when Sansa appears on the hilltop with Littlefinger and the Knights of the Vale, arrived just in time to save the day.
And no recount of the Battle of the Bastards would be complete without mentioning Ramsay’s long-awaited death, which was about as satisfying as Joffrey’s. This time, Sansa actually gets to take revenge on her abuser, something that many fans cheered. Ramsay’s comeuppance was especially sweet since it came from his own dogs, the ones he used to inspire terror in Theon and so many others. It’s a brutal, twisted, perfect end to a breathlessly exciting episode.
4. The Red Wedding
When discussing Game of Thrones, it’s inevitable that the Red Wedding will come up sooner or later. With the possible exception of Ned’s beheading, the unexpected slaughter of Robb’s army is the most shocking moments from the first few seasons of the series. While Ned’s death proved that no one in the series is safe, Robb’s and Catelyn’s deaths drove that point home.
What really makes the Red Wedding shocking is that the majority of the episode is full of cheerful interactions between the characters. While Walder Frey is hardly hospitable to the Starks, we don’t sense that he’s more than merely grumpy, which is his usual speed. After making Robb eat some crow for breaking his marriage vow, he moves on and it seems that the whole affair will be forgotten.
In some ways, Walder Frey even seem magnanimous, presenting Edmure Tully with one of his more kind and beautiful descendants to take to bride. There’s excitement during the bedding ceremony, and Robb and Talisa share a sweet moment about their child to come. Nothing seems awry until the “Rains of Castamere” begins playing and Catelyn lifts Roose Bolton’s sleeve to find armor under his clothing.
From there, things get very bad very fast. Walder Frey’s betrayal is calculated and brutal, and Robb watches as his men are killed and his pregnant wife stabbed to death. Catelyn tries to save Robb’s life, but must also watch her son die. Her final, hopeless scream at the end of the episode says it all. The Red Wedding will go down in history as one of the most savage acts of war in Westeros, and one of the most unexpected plot twists in TV history.
3. Daenerys’ dragons are born
The first season finale of Game of Thrones is powerful in large part because of Daenerys Targaryen and her newborn dragons. Throughout the season, it’s hinted that the dragon eggs she receives on her wedding day may be more than just decorative. During the final episode, Daenerys climbs on Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre and proves that to be true. She births three dragons, the likes of which haven’t been seen in over a hundred years.
The birth of Daenerys’ dragons is crucial to the show for three reasons. The first is that it brings magic and the supernatural to the forefront. Whereas dragons, White Walkers, and other supernatural elements are hinted at early in the show, Daenerys’ dragons prove that they’re more than just legends. The series would continuously introduce more supernatural elements to the point where they post more of a threat than the political machinations of the human characters, and it all started here.
The second reason this scene is so important is that the existence of the dragons brings Daenerys one step closer to claiming the Iron Throne. Yes, she’s far from becoming queen here, but whether she would have been able to pursue the throne at all without her children is debatable at best. Her dragons not only gain her support and followers in the earlier seasons, but they allow her to do things — conquer regions, destroy enemies — she may not have been able to do on her own.
And finally, the dragons will likely be crucial to battling the Night King and his army in season 8. This is a stirring, magnificent moment that ushers in a new era for the show.
2. Ned Stark is executed
It’s difficult not to give Ned Stark’s death first place on this list, since it’s a major turning point for the show, as well as the moment that permanently hooked many viewers. Beheading Ned confirmed that every character on Game of Thrones was expendable, and the series has thrived on that reputation.
Beyond preparing viewers for what’s to come, Ned’s death kicks several storylines into gear. It places the Lannisters firmly in control of King’s Landing, a position they’ve held even to this day. Ned’s death also points the surviving Starks in different directions. Robb and Catelyn declare war on the Lannisters, and Robb is crowned King in the North. This path will lead to their deaths, but it will also leave the title of King in the North available for another Stark child down the road.
As for Sansa and Arya, Ned’s death gives them a harsh lesson in the brutality of their world. This is the beginning of Sansa’s disillusionment with her lofty ideas of pageantry and honor. She’s follow that path until she emerges as the hardened leader she is now. Similarly, Arya will come to know death intimately, becoming a skilled assassin. Losing Ned forces the younger Starks to grow up quickly, and it makes returning home an arduous task for them, though one they finally do manage in the end.
Also, it was just a punch in the gut for viewers. Ned’s death will be hard to top.
Honorable mentions
Before we get to the most iconic moment from the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones, let’s take a breather and point out some moments that fell just short of this list. After all, with such a well-written and well-developed series, it’s difficult to narrow pick just 30 great scenes.
The Battle of Castle Black is one contender; that hour-long action sequence is nearly on par with the Battle of the Blackwater and Battle of the Bastards. The fights are well-constructed, and the battle ratchets up the tension between the Night’s Watch and the wildlings, making it far more difficult for them to form a truce later in the series. It’s part of the reason a lot of them thought killing Jon Snow was a good idea. Ygritte’s death is also a hard-hitting moment that makes Jon realize that there might not be a “right” or “wrong” side in this fight.
The Stark siblings’ reunions throughout the series are also crucial moments. The scene where Sansa and Jon reunite at Castle Black is a ray of sunshine in a dark and gloomy series; finally, after seasons of nonstop hardship, the Stark kids catch a break. Bran’s return to Winterfell is a telling moment for his character; his lack of excitement at seeing his own siblings highlights just how much becoming the Three-Eyed Raven has changed him. And of course, the Stark sisters’ reunion is long-anticipated and satisfying.
Samwell Tarly’s first encounter with a White Walker beyond the wall is a turning point for the conflict with the Night King and for Sam. Fearful and blundering, Sam comes off as a coward prior to his attempt to save Gilly and her baby from a White Walker. But when Sam jumps into action, he proves he’s braver than anyone expected, including him. It also reveals that dragonglass can kill White Walkers, info that will surely come in handy in season 8.
Finally, Theon Greyjoy seizing Winterfell led to a host of complications for Theon and the Stark family. Unable to hold the castle, Theon is soon captured by Ramsay and forced to endure trauma that permanently changes his character. The most iconic moment from this plotline is probably Theon’s botched beheading of Rodrik Cassel. It underlines how out of his depth he really is, and foreshadows the tragedies to come.
1. Jaime pushes Bran out a window
Jaime Lannister pushing young Bran Stark out a window in the broken tower at Winterfell is the most shocking moments from the Game of Thrones pilot. In fact, it’s among the shocking in the series. Not only does this scene set the tone for all of the carnage to come, but it acts as a catalyst for the friction between the Starks and Lannisters that drives so much of the first few seasons.
Before this scene, Game of Thrones appeared to be just another fantasy series. It had a unique world and interesting characters, but it ultimately stuck pretty close to the rules laid out by its forebears. But after a main character pushes a child out a window, it becomes clear to the audience that this series won’t be following any guidelines. The showrunners run with that throughout the series, killing off important characters and pushing the boundaries of what’s deemed acceptable.
Bran’s fall also sets off a chain events that will lead to the Starks going to war with the Lannisters. Catelyn’s suspicion that Jaime and Cersei are behind Bran’s fall is part of what leads her to take Tyrion hostage. Then Jaime attacks Ned, Ned goes for Cersei, Joffrey kills Ned, and soon the world from we knew from the beginning of the season is turned upside down. It all started with that shove.
So Game of Thrones as a story doesn’t happen without this key moment. But it’s also the moment that convinced many of us that this was a show worth watching. We’ve been with it ever since, and soon enough, we’ll finally get to see how it all ends.
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