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For 8 long seasons, Game of Thrones has been responsible for delivering some of the most brutal showdowns, soul-crushing betrayals, and unthinkable plot twists to its fans. Such scenes not only add to the emotional quotient of the series but also enrich the characters’ journeys.
The showmakers must've been cold-hearted to pack so much bitterness and pathos into a single series. And yet, despite the pain and sorrow, it kept fans hooked. In fact, they kept coming back for more, eager to see what would happen next! It was emotional manipulation at its finest.
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Here are top 10 times Game of Thrones said “screw your feelings” but we came back for more!
Warning: The writer's personal views are expressed here.
The Red Wedding (Season 3, Episode 9)
This was not just another Game of Thrones episode, it was a heart-rending plot twist that fans did not see coming at all! Let's face it: Nobody was prepared for the epic massacre and bloodshed that unfolded before us in the penultimate episode of Season 3.
In an effort to restore his relationship with House Frey, which had been strained by his decision to marry Talisa Maegyr and dishonor the marriage pact between their families, King Robb Stark proposed a union between his uncle, Edmure Tully, and Lord Walder Frey’s daughter, Roslin Frey.
As the Freys host the wedding at their ancestral property known as the Twins, they ambush Robb and his family and brutally murder them all. First, Lothar Frey mercilessly stabs Queen Talisa in the abdomen as she was pregnant with Robb’s child. Parallelly, Robb and his men are attacked by the crossbowmen, and a wounded Robb watches his wife die before his eyes. When Robb’s mother, Catelyn Stark begs for her son's life, the Freys slit her throat after they kill Robb as well. Even his dire wolf, Grey Wind, is slaughtered by the crossbowmen. The Red Wedding was an episode that left the fans gasping and grieving.
Daenerys’ death (Season 8, Episode 6)
One of the most emotionally shattering moments in Game of Thrones is when Jon Snow ultimately makes the painful decision of ending Daenerys’s life. The havoc Daenerys caused in the town of King's Landing made Jon realize that the woman he once adored has turned into a tyrant who would only bring about more ruin in the name of freedom. Torn between love and duty, Jon finally drives a knife through Daenerys after they share a tender embrace.
The scene is so heart-wrenching that it renders viewers speechless. To add more to the agony, we see Drogon, one of Daenerys's mighty dragons, mourn before her still, lifeless body. As the dragon gently nudges her body, hoping she will wake up, he realises that his mother is gone forever. In a fit of rage and heartbreak, Drogon releases a roar, melting the Iron Throne, which leads to Daenerys's downfall. It was a profoundly compelling moment in the history of television.
A betrayed Tyrion (Season 4, Episode 10)
While betrayals are integral to the plot of Game of Thrones, Shae’s treachery against Tyrion remains one of the most surprising ones. The dwarf son of Lord Tywin Lannister, Tyrion, falls madly in love with a prostitute named Shae, but their relationship takes a devastating turn in Season 4 of the series. In a helpless attempt to protect Shae from his family’s wrath, Tyrion ends his relationship with her, coldly asking her to leave King's Landing.
Shae misunderstands him and, thus, consumed by anger and heartbreak, she is driven to falsely testify against Tyrion, disclosing intimate and humiliating details of their affair in the trial for King Joffrey’s murder. Her dishonesty not only shocks Tyrion but also leads to his death sentence. However, this is not where Shae’s betrayal ends. In a horrifying turn of events, Tyrion finds Shae in a compromised state in his father's bed, and unable to contain the rage, he stangulates her on the spot.
Daenerys' alternate reality (Season 2, Episode 10)
When the warlock, Pyat Pree, abducted Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons and held them captive at the House of the Undying, Daenerys had to overcome relentless hardships before rescuing her dragons. As she steps inside the magical tower, she finds herself surrounded by snow or perhaps ashes in the desolate throne room of the Red Keep. It was a prophetic image for the devastation that was awaiting King’s Landing.
She then walks past the Wall into a blizzard and eventually arrives before a tent where she is reunited with her late husband, Khal Drogo, and their son Rhaego. It was a bittersweet moment for Daenerys Targaryen that lasted only for a brief period as she realised that a long future lay ahead of her. She went on to save her dragons. The vision was everything Daenerys had secretly wished for, but life deprived her of the joys of having a happy, loving family. So she chose reality over a dream of a different life where things had not been so harsh for her.
Jon Snow getting ambushed by the Night's Watch (Season 5, Episode 10)
Jon Snow, the noble and formidable Lord Commander, had done a lot for the Night's Watch. Thus, it felt like the ultimate betrayal when he met his tragic end at the hands of his brothers of the Night’s Watch in the final episode of Season 5. Although Jon thought that allowing the Wildlings to pass through the Wall would be a strategic move in strengthening their position against the White Walkers, many were disappointed with this decision and started conspiring against Jon.
He is lured to the courtyard with a piece of false news about his uncle Benjen, and there, each assailant individually stabs him, uttering the words “For the Watch” as they do. In a more heartbreaking sequence, it is Olly, the kid Jon mentored, who delivers the final blow, a nd the audience is left dumbfounded as they watch the blood turn the white snow red. Little did they know that our hero would be back again in the next season, and honestly, it is for these reasons the fans keep coming back to this show!
Ygritte's death (Season 4, Episode 9)
The bold, brave woman did not just steal Jon Snow's heart but ours too, and therefore, when she was killed off in Season 4, fans felt the sting of her absence. In a time torn by war and treachery, Ygritte and Jon’s love story was powerful, sure, but also doomed from the start. During the Battle of Castle Black, where the Night's Watch fought against the Wildlings, Ygritte stood before her former partner, Jon, with an arrow aimed at him.
As her emotions come in the way and she finds it rather difficult to kill the man she once loved, Olly, a younger member of the Night's Watch, shoots her from behind. Ygritte collapses on the ground. She took her last breath in Jon’s arms, making it the end of an epic yet tragic romance. Fans were particularly swept away by the last conversation that they had, where Ygritte reminds Jon of the precious time they spent in the cave. She says, "We should have stayed in that cave,” to which Jon assures her that they could go back, but Ygritte tragically whispers to him, "You know nothing, Jon Snow.”
Shireen Baratheon gets sacrificed by her father (Season 5, Episode 9)
Shireen Baratheon, daughter of Stannis and Selyse Baratheon, was known for her sweet, gentle nature and compassionate heart. She survived Greyscale at an infant age and was kind enough to tutor Davos Seaworth to teach him how to read while he was held captive in the dungeons. However, when Stannis’s army faced daunting obstacles due to a relentless snowstorm on their way to Winterfell, Melisandre, aka the Red Witch, suggested to Stannis that the only path to victory was sacrificing his blood.
Heavily influenced by her, the Baratheons commit the horrifying act of taking their one and only daughter's life. Shireen was tied up to a stake and burned alive. The most gut-wrenching moment was when she cried and screamed for her parents’ help, but they quietly watched her die. In the aftermath of the harrowing event, Stannis’s army abandoned him, his wife Selyse committed suicide, and Melisandre ran away, fearing that the sacrifice was in vain. This truly was one of the most shocking and cruel episodes in the entire series.
Ned's Beheading (Season 1, Episode 9)
The valiant and righteous ruler of Winterfell, Ned Stark, was one of the most wronged souls in Game of Thrones. He was too good for a world teeming with lies and deception. Ned’s death was one of the earliest shocks fans received to understand that anything could happen at any point in this show. When Ned first found out that Queen Cersei’s children were born of her incestuous relationship with her brother, Jamie, he thought it would be prudent to inform King Robert about the truth, but before he could, Robert dies in a hunting accident.
However, after the surprising turn of events, especially Littlefinger’s betrayal, Ned is unfairly arrested for treason. To ensure the safety of his children, Ned accepts the blame, hoping to be spared and sent to the Night's Watch. But new to the throne, King Jeoffrey, in a desperate attempt to showcase his powers, ordered Ned’s execution, turning a deaf ear to his mother, Cersei, and others' requests. Thus, Ned was brutally beheaded with his own sword in front of a large crowd, and his daughters, Sansa and Arya, were forced to watch.
Sansa’s traumatic wedding night (Season 5, Episode 6)
Sansa Stark grew up from a naive little girl into a resilient, intelligent woman, enduring several shattering events throughout her journey in Game of Thrones. But her marriage to Ramsay Bolton remains one of the most harrowing episodes in the series. The cunning Littlefinger arranged Sansa's marriage into the Bolton family, the new rulers of the North, as a calculated move to expand his political influence. He convinced Sansa that by doing this, she could win back her ancestral home, Winterfell, and avenge the death of her family.
However, the marriage turned out to be drastically different from what Sansa had imagined. After the ceremony on their wedding night, Ramsay revealed his true colours when he aggressively forced himself upon Sansa and raped her. As further proof of his sadistic nature, he made Theon Greyjoy, whom he had tortured into slavery, watch the brutal act. This remained one of the most traumatic moments in the entire series.
Daenerys and Khal Drogo part ways forever (Season 1, Episode 10)
Khal Drogo’s death was one of the most poignant scenes in Game of Thrones, and his love story with Daenerys Targaryen was an epic but short-lived one. From a meek girl forced into marriage to the powerful Mother of Dragons, Daenerys' journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. During a fight with another khalasar, Drogo incurred a wound that became infectious.
To save him from dying, Mirri Maz Duur, at Daenerys' request, performed a ritual that required Daenerys to sacrifice her unborn child. But, alas, although the spell might've saved Drogo's life, he descended into a catatonic state. Unable to see her husband in such a plaintive condition, combined with the loss of their child, Daenerys decides to end Drogo's life by suffocating him with a pillow and putting him out of his misery. It is an emotionally haunting scene and is bound to bring tears to your eyes.
These raw and heartbreaking moments made Game of Thrones so unforgettable for the viewers.
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