Game of Thronesis one of the few shows to join the pop culture zeitgeist in its heyday, with the events of Westeros and Essos evoking a fantasy feel unparalleled in the entertainment space. ThroughoutGame of Thrones' eight seasons of utter madness and carnage, magic and White Walkers intersect withthe politicking between noble houses, crafting a show for the ages that lives up to HBO’s high bar for unfettered quality.
Among the show’s strengths,Game of Thronesdeveloped a habit of producing extraordinary pieces of television that evoke intenseemotions of despair and sadnessdue to sudden and devastating events, including character deaths or the pain and suffering of fan favorites.InGame of Thrones, these emotionally charged episodesestablished the show as an all-timer, while also eliciting audience sympathy to a whole new degree.
7The Children - Season 4, Episode 10
A Series Of Devastating Events Across The Seven Kingdoms
Season 4’s finale, “The Children,” delivers a haunting and visceral hour of television, with every corner of the Westeros seeing characters struggle and suffer dearly. Immediately after the end of the battle between the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings,Jon Snow burns Ygritte’s bodynorth of the Wall, honoring and bidding farewell to his first love, despite being a part of opposing forces. The loss of characters continued as Bran Stark and his party reached the Three-Eyed Raven and the Children of the Forest. However, Jojen Reed succumbs to a Wight stab wound, forcing his elder sister, Meera Reed, to slit his throat in a hurry. Meera didn’t even have time to give her brother a proper goodbye or burial.
At the episode’s climax, Tyrion Lannister discovers Shae in his father’s bed and strangles her to death, killing one of the few people that he truly loved. As revenge, Tyrion murders his father, Tywin Lannister, killing him with a crossbow. Tywin directed vitriol towards Tyrion with his dying breath, vehemently showing his genuine hatred for his son and again demonstrating a sense of loathing that has plagued Tyrion all his life.
6The Watchers On The Wall - Season 4, Episode 9
The War Between The Night’s Watch And Wildlings Sees Many Casualties
The fight between the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings intensified in “The Watchers on the Wall,” an episode that saw Jon lose loved ones in an epic battle between the two factions. As the Wildlings' forces attempt to penetrate Castle Black and bypass the Wall, Jon, slong with his brothers, fights to protect their fort by any means necessary. Casualties arise, with Grenn being flattened by a giant who attempts to break through the Wall, as Grenn and his brothers die heroically.
Meanwhile, along with Samwell Tarly,Pyp suddenly gets shot through the neckby an arrow from Ygritte, dying tragically in Sam’s arms. Pyp’s death was a distressing scene, considering his distaste for violence and fighting. In perhaps the episode’s most tragic moment, Jon’s beloved, Ygritte, falls victim to the young Olly’s arrow, dying in the arms of her lover. Jon, crestfallen at Ygritte’s death, completely checks out of the battle that he was heavily involved in just moments prior.
5The Dance Of Dragons - Season 5, Episode 9
Princess Shireen Is Burned To Death In The Name Of The Lord Of Light
Very few deaths inGoThave been as heartbreaking as the death of Princess Shireen Baratheon in “The Dance of Dragons.” While the episode has many table-turning moments, Stannis Baratheon’s sacrifice of his daughter, Shireen, reeks of desperation. The goal was help turn his fortunes as his army in the north started to crumble under the demands of winter, with Stannis once again being swayed byMelisandre and the Lord of Light.
After asking for Shireen’s permission, unbeknownst to her what would later occur, Shireen is burned at the stake. Her mother, Selyse Baratheon’s audible cries and Shireen’s calls for help make up one of the show’s most brutal scenes. It’s a gruesome death for one of the show’s very few pleasant and innocent characters, illustrating the horrors of following Melisandre and her corrupt methods.
4Mother’s Mercy - Season 5, Episode 10
Jon Snow Perishes While Cersei Endures A Walk Of Shame
Season 5’s finale, “Mother’s Mercy,” marked the end ofGoTfollowing the path set by George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firebook series, and packs an emotional punch. In the episode, the Lannisters, despite often being spiteful characters, garner some sympathy for the suffering endured by Cersei Lannister, whose naked walk of shame through King’s Landing was a particularly horrific moment, even for the evil queen. While Cersei’s mortifying walk was horrifying, the death of her daughter, Myrcella Baratheon, in the arms of her father, Jaime Lannister, was truly saddening. For such a sweet and kind character to be poisoned to death at the very moment she and Jaime recognized each other as father and daughter, it ends the Dorne storyline on a sour note.
In perhaps the episode’s most stunning revelation, the final scenessee Lord Commander Jon Snow stabbedto death by his brothers in the Night’s Watch, who are furious at his decision to let the Wildlings pass the Wall. This sudden death caught audiences off guard. Even Jon’s steward, Olly, joined his brothers to stab him, a child who Jon took under his wing just as Jeor Mormont had mentored him.
3Baelor - Season 1, Episode 9
A Beloved Protagonist Wiped Out In The First Season
Setting the stage for many ofGoT’sdevastating ninth episodes to come, “Baelor” truly established the show as a hit, doing the unthinkable by killing its honorable protagonist, Ned Stark. To kill off a protagonist was unheard of, considering the show was in its infancy, with many viewers refusing to believe Ned’s beheading occurred, or was permanent. To compound the earth-shattering loss,Sansa and Arya Stark werein attendance to see their father execution, a horrific sight for two innocent girls, with the event shaping them and their paths going forward.
On the other side of the world, in Essos, Daenerys Targaryen falls on hard times. The deterioration of her husband, Khal Drogo, leaves her in a precarious spot, forcing her to seek out the help of a witch while going into labor. This tragic affair only added to the array of emotions elicited by this episode.
2The Door - Season 6, Episode 5
Tragic Fate Of Hodor And His Origin
In the infamous episode “The Door,” the origin of Hodor, formerly known as Wylis, and the circumstances that led to his condition are revealed. Hodor sacrifices his lifeto aid Bran and Meera’sescape. While Bran is examining the past alongside the Three-Eyed Raven, looking at his father as a youngster in Winterfell alongside a young Hodor, Bran wanders too far into his visions, allowing himself to be marked by the Night King and enabling the undead to invade their hideout.
In a desperate panic, Bran wargs into Hodor, the gentle giant to have a seizure in the past. Meera’s uttering of “hold the door” as they escape made its way through Bran to a young Wylis, birthing what came to be Hodor’s only words from that point onward. Meanwhile, in the present, Hodor’s literal holding of the door for their escape sees him perish. The revelation and sheer tragedy of Hodor’s existence emerged as one of the most poignant and emotional endings to an episode in the entire series. Besides Hodor’s end, the mythical legends of Westeros, the Children of the Forest, see the last of their kind die at the hands of Wights and White Walkers, marking one of the show’s final forays into its magical elements.
1The Rains Of Castamere - Season 3, Episode 9
The Red Wedding Wipes Out House Stark
Very few episodes of television have been able to match the shock and heartbreak that"The Rains of Castamere"brought to audiences, withthe devastation of the Red Weddingcarrying significant implications for the landscape of the Seven Kingdoms. Attending the Twins for the marriage of Edmure Tully and one of Walder Frey’s daughters, Robb and Catelyn Stark, alongside Robb’s pregnant wife, Talisa, were brutally murdered and slaughtered by Frey’s men and the Boltons.
This sudden betrayal and heartrending sequence forever enshrined the show in television history, delivering a visceral and tragic end to many fans' favorite family, the Starks. Not only does Robb and Catelyn’s death sting, but Arya’s near reunion with her mother and brother is snatched from her as she and The Hound arrive at the Twins just in time to see the awful events transpire. Another overlooked factor in the episode is Jon’s betrayal of the Wildlings, leaving behind his lover, Ygritte, as their beautiful love affair comes to a close.
