Summary
Game of Thronesis one of the biggest and most notable television shows of the 21st Century, if not of all time. Breaking all sorts of rules for what viewers were used to on television, the HBO series adapted the massive world and cast of Westeros and its many families into a cohesive show filled with shocking moments and intricate lore. It can be difficult to pick out the most significant moments from the huge tapestry created over the course of the show.
But, even in a show where every episode felt like a singular epic, there are some moments that had so much built towards them that the moments themselves and the episodes they are contained within make for some of the greatest episodes, not just ofGame of Thrones, but of any television ever seen.
Updated on February 12th, 2025, by Chris Harkin:Although Game of Thrones has been finished now for quite some time, nothing will stop fans from hunting back through the series while House of the Dragon is on a break. Reliving personal favorite moments from a show as great and storied as this isn’t just about a comfort rewatch of something beloved, it is about remembering so many great moments that were all but forgotten due to the sheer volume of cinematic television contained within one show. This makes it even more important to remember the very best episodes, which can be counted among the best episodes of television ever, and to keep rewatching amazing shows like this to spur on the creators for further spin-offs in Westeros and beyond.
21A Golden Crown
IMDB Score: 9.1
There are many great and memorable deaths inGame of Thrones. Some were sad and heart-wrenching, while others received almost universal applause from lovers of the show. Viserys Targaryen wasn’t in the show for a long time, or a particularly good time, as he only managed to sell his sister as a wife for Khal Drogo and then complained for a few episodes before demanding his crown and receiving it in molten gold.
This sudden ending to a story that felt like it would last longer surprised and pleased viewers. Meanwhile, Tyrion Lannister fought for his life for the first, but certainly not the last time in the series. Elsewhere, Eddard Stark was left in charge of King’s Landing during Robert’s hunting trip and made the discovery that Cersei’s children were by Jaime, not Robert, unraveling the seemingly peaceful story of the first season.
20Mhysa
The final episodes of each season ofGame of Thronesfeatured fallout from the previous episode and the setting up of new situations and scenarios. This was exemplified in the season 3 finale, which featured Daenerys finally taking true control of her own destiny and freeing a mass of slaves, who proclaimed her “mother” in their language and gave her the feeling that she was in the right, which eventually led her down a darker path.
Elsewhere, the aftermath of the Red Wedding saw the Frey clan parading Robb Stark’s corpse around, and many other events made this episode feel like the true ending of the first act of the series. Everything that had been the focus up to that point, the central conflict of Stark vs Lannister, ended here, and the Lannister control was near-complete across Westeros in this dark moment.
19You Win Or You Die
There were few moments inGame of Throneswhen everything shifted quite so suddenly as it did when the Lannisters gained control. Cersei’s foreboding speech about winning or dying to Ned Stark proved all so accurate so quickly after Robert Baratheon’s death when Ned was immediately betrayed by everyone in King’s Landing and imprisoned for demanding that the Lannisters give up their deception of Joffrey’s birthright.
The political intrigue ofGame of Thrones’first season reached a height as the machinations of the Lannisters were unveiled, Cersei’s cunning nature came to the forefront, where it would stay for most of the rest of the series, and the true colors of her family were shown through this weaving, tense episode.
18Valar Morghulis
IMDb Score: 9.3
The second season ofGame of Thronesfelt like it meandered at times, as it continued many of the stories without quite the same sense of direction or major shifting. This was mostly due to the loss of the central figure, Eddard Stark, at the conclusion of the first season. However, Valar Morghulis ended the second season with aplomb. Not only did it show that Stannis Baratheon was still kicking after his defeat in the Battle of the Blackwater, but it also showed Daenerys finally taking control of her destiny.
While Tywin Lannister returned to King’s Landing to take control as the King’s Hand from Tyrion, and Robb Stark, against the wishes of everyone, married Talisa, Daenerys used her dragons to kill Pyat Pree and take her destiny back into her own hands after an extended period where her character felt lost in the mix. Beyond the wall, Jon Snow joined the Wildlings after being goaded into killing a fellow Night’s Watch member, changing his destiny significantly as well and setting the show up for the next truly epic season.
17Home
The sixth season ofGame of Thronesis arguably the best season in the history of the entire show. Every episode felt like it contained huge stakes and massive moments. Home saw Bran continue training with the Three-Eyed Raven, Ramsay finally killing his father and taking control of the North, and Myrcella’s body being brought back to King’s Landing by Jaime.
As events moved towards the concluding seasons, many characters were dying, but one managed the impressive feat of doing the opposite. Jon Snow, after being betrayed and killed at the end of the fifth season, was brought back by Melisandre to end the episode, producing one of the most significant moments in the entire show. This helped elevate this episode, as many in season six were beyond the regular and turned it into one of the greats.
16The Queen’s Justice
Daenerys Targaryen’s return to Westeros at last marked the beginning of the end of the series and of the dominance of the Lannisters. But her glorious return was hampered by early strategic defeats in The Queen’s Justice. Daenerys, working from Dragonstone, sent the Unsullied to take Casterly Rock and got them stranded there, finding that Cersei had abandoned the strategically useless location in favor of sending Jaime to take Highgarden. She also sent the Iron Fleet to destroy Daenerys' ships at Casterly Rock, leaving the Unsullied stuck in place.
Meanwhile, Daenerys met with Jon Snow, who had traveled to Dragonstone to seek her help and mine the dragonglass. He reunited along the way with Tyrion and started forming the alliances he would need to fight the White Walkers and the Long Night. Events spiraled quickly in this episode, moving quickly as they did throughout the seventh season. Sansa also got to reunite with someone as Bran Stark returned to Winterfell, and Cersei finally got revenge for her daughter’s death when Davos Seaworth brought her the Sands.
15Fire & Blood
IMDb Score: 9.4
The finale of the first season is a memorable time forGame of Thrones, though it seems so long ago now to think about. Eddard Stark had just been killed at the behest of Joffrey Baratheon, and Khal Drogo had fallen into a catatonic state across the sea. This led to many major events happening in quick succession, as the stage was set for the look of the show after the man many fans had thought of as the main character in Ned Stark was unceremoniously killed off.
The Stark family reactions made up much of the episode, seeing Sansa, a tortured prisoner of Joffrey, and Arya escaping King’s Landing, while Catelyn and Robb banded together and Robb was proclaimed King in the North. Meanwhile, Daenerys killed a catatonic Khal Drogo, found out her unborn child was dead, and walked into the fire with her dragon eggs. The episode and season ended in momentous fashion, with the dragon eggs hatching.
14And Now His Watch Is Ended
IMDb Score: 9.5
Daenerys had a slow stretch inGame of Thrones. Shedidn’t get much done in the second season despite having hatched three dragons. But she kicked her story into another gear in the middle of season three, as she “sold” one of her dragons to slave masters in exchange for the Unsullied Army, and then had the Unsullied set free and ordered them to kill the slave masters.
Meanwhile, north of the wall, Jon Snow witnessed the leader of the Night’s Watch, Jeor Mormont, killed in a fight with Wildlings, leading to much of the unrest between the sides that would take over The Wall throughout the third and fourth seasons of the show. This loss was a hard one, as the Night’s Watch was already in serious danger of toppling, and it set the stage for Jon Snow to eventually lead them.
13The Children
IMDb Score: 9.6
The finale of season four was another massive episode that changed a lot about the landscape ofGame of Thrones. After spending most of the fourth season in chains, Tyrion was finally set free by Jaime. However, before leaving Westeros for an extended period, he decided to get revenge, which was a long time coming, by killing Shae and his father, Tywin Lannister.
The death of Tywin signaled the true beginning of the Lannisters losing control in Westeros. He was the face that everyone feared in the family. Elsewhere, Arya ended her elongated and beloved time with the Hound, setting out to fulfill her own desires and destiny, while Jon Snow captured Mance Rayder with help from Stannis Baratheon, and Bran finally reached the Three-Eyed Raven. Big changes were happening everywhere, making for an incredibly memorable episode.
12Baelor
This major episode was one that shook the foundations of a show that had been fairly focused on the mysteries being unraveled by Ned Stark throughout season 1. Since the beginning, Sean Bean’s character had appeared as the real face of the show above all others, but this episode was the moment when he was executed by Joffrey Baratheon, leading to massive changes.
Meanwhile, Jon Snow dealt with the consequences of having to choose whether to help his family or remain with the Night’s Watch, Daenerys Targaryen dealt with her sick husband and went into labor, and Robb Stark scored a major victory with his army, defeating and capturing Jaime Lannister’s forces. Baelor was a significant moment when everything about the nature ofGame of Throneschanged forever.
