The Battle of the Bastards
Previously, Game of Thrones shied away from showing battles due to budgetary constraints. This was not the case when Jon Snow fought Ramsay Bolton to retake Winterfell, with their armies’ clash being both epic and horrifying.
The battle is impressive from both a narrative and production standpoint, giving the Starks their overdue vengeance, ending House Bolton in a righteously brutal manner, and most importantly gifting Thrones fans with the massive war they’ve always dreamt of since Stannis the Mannis’ defeat at Blackwater Bay.
Olenna Tyrell’s Dying Words
Leave it Olenna Tyrell to snatch any semblance of triumph from the hands of the victorious Lannister army that conquered Highgarden. After Jamie offers the Queen of Thorns a quick-acting poison as a painless alternative to the torture that Cersei has in mind, Olenna shows her gratitude by revealing that it was she who orchestrated the public death of Joffery. Only Olenna could make a victory feel like a defeat with her choice of words.
Hold the Door
In a series fraught with deaths and last stands, Hodor’s sacrifice stands out as the most tragic and devastating. Hodor’s final moments reveal more than anyone expected, including the extent of Bran’s mysterious psychic abilities and the origins behind Hodor’s limited vocabulary.
While heartbreaking, Hodor’s sacrifice is recognized by fans as one of the most unforgettable and meaningful ones to occur in the entire series — even if it felt like a big cosmic joke played by the Old Gods at his expense.
Birth of the Dragon Queen
Daenerys Targaryen has a lot of epic moments to her name, but none come close to the one that started it all: her cremation. Instead of dying with Khal Drogo, Daenerys is left untouched by the fires of her late husband’s funeral pyre. And sitting with her among the ashes are three newborn dragons — ancient creatures long thought extinct. This moment not only solidified the return of magic into Westeros, but put Daenerys on her unstoppable conquest for the Iron Throne.
Cersei Strikes Back
After suffering some of the worst humiliations in the entire series, Cersei Lannister exacts vengeance on the sanctimonious High Sparrow and his fanatics, cripples House Tully, gives Septa Unella her comeuppance, and ascends to the Iron Throne all in one explosive maneuver.
Cersei’s revenge is shown and scored through a beautifully shot sequence of events that pays homage to The Godfather’s conclusive montage of assassinations, making this one of the few times that viewers legitimately cheered for the Lannister queen.
Tyrion’s Confession
Despite his sardonic sense of humor, Tyrion Lannister has known nothing but shame his whole life due to the resentment he received from society and his own family (sans Jamie). After years of disdain, Tyrion finally bites back during his trial for supposedly murdering King Joffrey Lannister during the Purple Wedding.
Peter Dinklage’s acting sells the powerful scene, channeling the Lannister imp’s long-repressed anger and anguish in an epic verbal takedown of every hypocrite present in the throne room.
F*** the King
One of the simple pleasures fans got from Game of Thrones was seeing certain characters interact, with a popular pairing being Ser Sandor Clegane aka The Hound and Arya Stark. Fans got a kick out of the pair’s misadventures which were filled with kills, emotions, and excessive cussing on Sandor’s part.
It’s worth noting that the conclusion of their interconnected arcs in season eight is regarded as one of the few highlights in a season that’s become controversial for the way it hastily and sloppily wrapped everything up.
Jenny of Oldstones
The episode A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is filled with many fan-favorite scenes, and the montage set to Podrick singing “Jenny of Oldstones” is a nice summation of all these intimate moments. Though the majority of the cast would survive the coming Long Night, this supposed farewell dedicated to many beloved characters — who are finally standing side by side after years of fighting or avoiding each other — is regarded by many as the series’ most touching moment.
Winter Comes for House Frey
The end of House Frey is arguably the show’s most cathartic death. In karmic fashion, Walder Frey is reminded why the Old Gods frown upon those who betray guest right. After slitting Walder’s throat, Arya Stark poisons the Frey sons but not before mocking them for bravely killing defenseless people during the Red Wedding.
Making the Frey’s collective deaths better is David Bradley’s acting, who slowly and convincingly transformed from Walder to Arya as the Freys choked on their own blood.
The (Second) King in the North
Despite successfully defending Castle Black, leading the Wildlings, and avenging the Red Wedding, Jon Snow never really got the respect he deserved due to being Ned Stark’s bastard. That all changed after winning the Battle of the Bastards, where the North lords declared him King in the North as they did for his brother Robb years ago.
None of this would’ve happened without Lady Lyanna Mormont, who shamed the Northmen into fulfilling and renewing their oaths to the Starks. Through her harsh yet true words, the Starks’ return to glory is cemented.