Is Game of Thrones scary?

Game of Thrones is dramatic, funny, epic, shocking and thought-provoking. But is it scary? Sometimes. Let us count the ways.

It’s October, which means everyone is searching for creepy-crawly entertainment to chill them to the soul as the nights get longer and the shadows come to dance, my lord. And while there are more terrifying shows out there than Game of Thrones, the HBO epic has a few spine-tingling moments sprinkled throughout, mostly having to do with the villainous White Walkers. They’re basically zombie lords, after all; they’re a hop, skip and a jump from terrorizing the folks on The Walking Dead.

The White Walkers have several chilling set pieces over the series. Watching one take away Craster’s son in season 2 is memorably macabre, as is the moment where poor Samwell Tarly stumbles on an army of them crossing the frigid north. And who can forget the moment when Jon Snow escapes the clutches of the Night King only for the creature to raise his arms and bring thousands of felled wildlings back from the dead, letting Jon see just how outmatched he’ll be should it ever come to battle between their forces?

Arya Stark has some creepy adventures, as well, particularly when she’s working with the Faceless Men in Braavos. And the most pure horror movie scene of the entire scene may be in “The Long Night,” when a wounded Arya tries to evade wights in the Winterfell library:

But it’s not all about the creepy crawlies. Remember Shireen Baratheon’s eerie song about shadows coming to dance and stay beneath the sea?

So while Game of Thrones wasn’t designed as a horror show, over the course of its eight seasons it serves up a few moments that you’ll want to watch with the light on.

Perhaps the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel show House of the Dragon will have its share of spooky moments too:

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