Game of Thrones is known for its iconic lines, from the profound to the vulgar, with plenty of them popping up on merchandise over the years. But while a line as good as, "Any man who must say, 'I am the king' is no true king" only appears once in the show, there are plenty of other lines that stand out precisely because of how often they are repeated.
Some of these catchphrases are only ever used by one character, while others are spoken by multiple characters over the years. But they all add weight to the story each time they are invoked, because we learn to appreciate their history. A line might be an insult in one instance and a heartbreaking plea the next. Others might carry the weight of an entire House's history, or tell the audience what to expect moving forward.
Here are the top 10 catchphrases in Game of Thrones, ranked by how memorable they are, what they add to the story, and how much they change throughout the series.
10. "What is dead may never die"
The Ironborn don’t get as many great lines as the Starks and the Lannisters, but their mantra that “what is dead may never die” definitely stands out among the show's best catchphrases. The phrase refers to a tradition of essentially drowning and resuscitating people to train them not to fear death, because they have already beaten it once. There are also elements of the phrase that play with the idea of living on after death, either in the afterlife or in the stories and memories of men.
Sadly, the show never went into enough detail for the phrase to develop a deeper meaning. But while the loss of that lore is unfortunate, it still has its eerie double-meaning, as the dead have risen in the North and cannot be easily defeated. The simple act of killing a person, which works fairly well for other opponents, is not an option here.
Like so many of the other catchphrases in this universe, it works both to impart culture and foreshadow the true threat. However, it never really has the impact that it does in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books. In part because of the lackluster use of Euron Greyjoy, the series doesn’t take make this phrase as important as it should be.
9. "I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls."
The vows for the Night’s Watch go far beyond these sentences, but these lines are the ones that are most often invoked in pop culture, a synecdoche of the full speech. Why? Well, in part because they’re incredibly badass. It’s exactly the kind of line that we would expect from a brooding main character, and exactly the kind of thing fans would wear on a t-shirt or get as a tattoo.
Within the story, it’s just such a great representation of Jon Snow’s arc. He took his vows incredibly seriously, and even when his commanding officers ordered him to betray the chastity and loyalty elements, he stood by his role as “the sword in the darkness” and “the watcher on the walls.” It goes even further when you allow for the theories that Jon (or the Night’s Watch as a whole) is considered a candidate to be the literal sword Lightbringer in the prophecy of Azor Ahai.
While not repeated nearly as often as some of the other phrases on this list, it’s hard to argue that the line is unimportant. It has a lot of significance both within and beyond the story, and it drives home the key themes of duty and honor. With luck, the books will make the vows stand out even more than they did in the TV show.
8. "You know nothing, Jon Snow"
Ygritte is a great character despite limited screentime, and her catchphrase only appears a few times. But each held so much meaning that they deserve a spot on this list. The line first appears after Jon tells Ygritte he knows how to have sex, but it has more meaning than just mocking his innocence. Ygritte is also telling him how little he knows about the world at large.
As they grow closer, the line continues to be used to highlight how naive Jon is, particularly when the world and systems he was raised to believe in come into conflict with the philosophies and strategies of the wildlings. But as their romance turns tragic, it carries additional meaning, telling him that she loves him despite their differences, even when there is no hope for them to be together.
It’s a memorable line that has earned its place as one of the most iconic catchphrases in the show’s history, representing both Jon’s character development as he changes from a boy to a man and one of the best relationships the show ever had.
7. "The night is dark and full of terrors"
Like so many of the phrases in Game of Thrones, the motto of the Red Priests and followers of the Lord of Light has multiple meanings; they're asking their god for protection from 'terrors' and invoking those same monstrosities against their enemies. It is most frequently repeated by Melisandre but also gets used by Thoros of Myr and others who have converted to that religion.
In addition to being incredibly ominous every time Melisandre invokes the slogan before killing someone, “the night is dark and full of terrors” is a good warning for the overall story. While men are distracted by the game of thrones, the Long Night is always approaching. If the White Walkers win, then all will be dark, and all will be winter, forever.
It 's a very effective line, short enough to be memorable and repeated often enough that every fan knows it by heart. Sadly, this slogan, while generally successful, has also become a mockery of the terrible lighting conditions of the final season, which were indeed so dark that fans couldn’t see the terrors.
6. "Winter is coming"
The most ubiquitous catchphrase in Game of Thrones is undoubtedly the Stark family motto, “Winter is coming.” It addresses the strength that the Northerners have developed (in contrast to the rest of Westeros), is a rallying cry when the Starks fight back against their enemies, and, of course, reminds the characters and audience not to forget the constant threat of the White Walkers.
The books and show make a point of differentiating between “summer” people, those who have never known hardship, and “winter” people, who have fought for what they have and are better equipped for the struggles ahead. The phrase warns people not to get lazy, but to stay on guard for the coming tribulations. Whether those struggles come in the form of a psychopathic king or an army of zombies, it can only help to be prepared.
These words are everywhere when it comes to the Game of Thrones fandom, from the title of the first episode to the most common merchandise (and yes, even our website’s name). For such a short phrase, its meaning is immediately clear, and even those who have never seen Game of Thrones will no doubt recognize it. But does it deserve the absolute top spot? Probably not. The meaning doesn’t change much over the course of the show, and it can sometimes feel like the radio hit on an album of subtler, more meaningful tracks.
5. "A Lannister always pays his debts"
While house words are incredibly important in Westeros, it’s sometimes their unofficial words that end up making the most impact. This is clearly the case with the Lannisters, whose official words — “Hear me roar” — are incredibly weak in comparison to the widely-known maxim, “A Lannister always pays his debts.”
This line works so well because it combines the historic wealth of the family with Tywin’s reputation for ruthlessness. Its first meaning is that a Lannister will pay their literal financial debts, because they are so rich they have no reason not to. Tyrion often uses this side of the phrase to get himself and his family out of sticky situations. But it also serves as a warning to those who cross the Lannisters that they will pay for their actions with blood.
While this phrase is useful within the narrative, it doesn’t have nearly as much power beyond it. Something like “the Lannisters send their regards” is much more memorable and likely to be referenced in real life. It's a bit too on the nose, so it can't rank any higher than fifth place.
4. "Not today"
When Arya Stark was still a child practicing with toy swords, she learns an important lesson from her dancing master Syrio Forel. Amidst the chaos of civil wars and religious clashes, he tells her that the only god is Death, and the only thing worth telling him is, “Not today.” The rest of the world tried to kill Arya, but she was dedicated to the endurance she learned from him.
While the words are not terribly impactful in their own right, they are a powerful reminder to characters and fans alike that the most important thing is to keep fighting. "Not today" appears throughout the series as one of Arya’s guiding principles but carries deeper meaning when other characters remind her of it, highlighting that the true battle of Game of Thrones is always to stay alive.
While other characters have a clear trajectory for their arcs, Arya changes names and plans many times over the course of the show. It's satisfying seeing her finally strike some names from her list, but she serves a more significant role through her changeability. Whether you believe she deserved to kill the Night King or not, her accomplishment is a powerful symbol in her ever-changing quest to live, showing that she can adapt however she must to keep death at bay.
3. "The North remembers"
While “Winter is coming” might be the most common slogan associated with the North, “the North remembers” has slightly more impact. Despite first appearing as the title of the season 2 premiere, the phrase isn't spoken until Season 5, where it's first said by Ramsay Bolton when welcoming Sansa back to the North, and then later when giving her the opportunity to see Theon punished.
Despite this less than savory introduction, the phrase continues to gain meaning as the show goes on. Yes, it can mean that brutality is needed, as when Arya says it to Walder Frey's wife after massacring her family, but it can also mean that the Northerners’ loyalty extends beyond the current struggles, as when Lyanna Mormont honors Jon Snow as King in the North. Even when it is not outright stated, the idea that the Northerners remember permeates all Stark-related plotlines.
Beyond its immediate implications, "the North remembers" has larger meanings about the White Walker threat. Those in the North are the only ones that even consider a supernatural threat possible, with their dedication to the Old Gods keeping them more open-minded. When Bran explores his own gifts, the most significant is not warging but his ability to see into the past, to literally remember for the North.
It’s only said in five episodes, yet there is a constant feeling that the Northerners do, in fact, remember more than Southerners, both through remembering the harms that have come to them (and paying them back) and remembering the old ways that will be needed to survive the White Walker threat.
2. "Dracarys"
The Valyrian command for a dragon to breathe fire has a complicated history in Game of Thrones, evolving along with Daenerys Targaryen. When Aegon the Conqueror first took over Westeros, he taught the people there that dragonfire could defeat almost any enemy. But Daenerys’ journey was never quite that simple. She was constantly struggling against people who wanted to claim her dragons or herself for their own ends. And in those cases, “Dracarys” was a secret weapon that kept her safe and helped her grow into a strong ruler.
But while it was initially empowering, a word that Daenerys could speak to take down oppressors, it eventually came to represent her worst actions. The complicated alliances and scheming of Westeros began to look petty when Daenerys raised three dragons and taught them to kill. By the time Missandei spoke the word in the final season, it became a symbol of destruction and death.
“Dracarys” is one of the best catchphrases in the show because it is simple enough linguistically to plaster all over merchandise and trailers yet incredibly complex in its usage. It might not have quite as much narrative weight as some of the others on this list, but it certainly has symbolic power. It encapsulates all of the life and death fire can bring, and will only become more impactful as it is used more in House of the Dragon.
1. "Valar morghulis" (All men must die)
There are so many ways to interpret the claim that "all men must die," which is part of what makes it such an impactful motto for Game of Thrones. It first appears as a sort of codeword for the Faceless Men, but the meanings go beyond that. In one setting, it reminds the players that there is no immortality in the game of thrones, and that they need to take advantage of their time while living. In another, perhaps it is a threat to those who feel invincible, or a reminder to be cautious. In the books, it could foreshadow that the story will end once all men die.
While it is frequently accompanied by its response phrase, "Valar Dohaeris" (all men must serve), there is something more visceral about the original. The complex politics of Westeros are intriguing philosophically, but the average fan can't relate to the fight for a throne. Likewise, we will never have to worry about dragons, direwolves, or Red Priests upending our worlds. But all readers and viewers know that one day, they too will die, fulfilling the words of a fantasy world.
This phrase has meaning both within the world of the story and outside of it, which gives it a weight that few others phrases from the show have. It is incredibly flexible, capable of meaning different things to different people (as when Daenerys emphasizes that she is not one of the ‘men’ who must die), and each time it is invoked, it adds depth to the world. While other catchphrases may be more uplifting or iconic, it’s hard to argue that any does more for the story than this.
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