The 101 Greatest Moments of Game of Thrones! #60 – 41

This week, we’re getting fired up for the new season of Game of Thrones by looking back on the previous six, and counting down the best of the best moments. For five days we’ll be at this, kicking it off on Monday when we also reopened our brand-spanking-new forums! Yesterday we kept the party going, reaching all the way to number 61.

With today’s terrific twenty, we’re finally reaching the top 50 portion of our countdown! As always, don’t be shy about sharing your faves and your own picks along the way. Enjoy!

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60. Melisandre’s True Form Is Unveiled. Episode 601, “The Red Woman”

There’s obviously shock value in seeing the lovely Carice van Houten transformed into a withered old hag. It’s also nice to see glamour magic being featured on the show. But it’s the questions this scene raises that make it stick in the memory long after the credits have rolled.  How old is Melisandre? What role is she going to play in the war against winter? And what does one have to do to get magical de-aging powers like those? – Geoffery

59. Daenerys Visits the House of the Undying. Episode 210, “Valar Morghulis”

The original House of the Undying scene in A Clash of Kings is very different, with much more ammunition for crazy theory-crafting and imagery about the past and the future, which would be either inscrutable or too obvious a spoiler in the show. Game of Thrones opted instead to focus on where Dany’s choices may lead her. In the vision, she’s led away from queenship to the Wall, where the real threat awaits, and she rejects the lure of Drogo and their unborn child. The focus on character makes it a key scene for Dany’s arc, and the deeper question it raises is clear: will Dany set aside love and power to defeat the White Walkers?  Now that we are finally approaching the endgame, this has become one of the key moments we will be look back on for years to come.  – Luka Nieto

58. After Killing the Waif, Arya Reclaims Her Identity. Episode 608, “No One”  

One of the most defining moments in Arya’s story was when she prominently displayed the maimed Waif’s face on the wall of the House of Black and White. Suspense builds as we follow Jaqen through the blood-soaked hall that makes us believe, even for a split second, that Arya was fatally bested by the Waif. The sight of her freshly cut flesh floods us with relief as Arya victoriously confronts Jaqen about the botched assassination attempt. The image of Maisie Williams brandishing Needle again as the irrepressible Arya Stark (instead of No One) is striking and a monumental joy, especially after witnessing the young wolf suffer while losing herself. The victory continues as Arya remains as wild and defiant as her house sigil by declaring her return to Winterfell. With a reunion with her pack on the horizon, Arya’s proud realization of identity serves as a milestone for how far she’s come since she first left home.  – Nate

57.  When You Play the Game of Thrones… Episode 107, “You Win or You Die”

Not just an endlessly quotable scene, this is the beginning of the end for poor Ned, whose insistence on always doing the honorable thing will end in his untimely decapitation.  It’s a great power-play between the two characters, as Cersei refuses to apologize for something the viewer might have presumed she was ashamed to admit. The Targaryens thought twincest was wincest and so does she. Plus, you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for her when she talks about the way Robert acted toward her on their wedding night.  – Geoffery

56. Sam Sees the Library of the Citadel. Episode 610, “The Winds of Winter”

It’s rare for Game of Thrones characters to get what they truly deserve (and when they do it’s usually in the context of villains suffering). But in this gorgeously scored scene, our beloved bookworm Samwell Tarly steps into the Citadel’s library, which is every bit as awe-inspiring as anyone could have hoped it to be, and complete with the astrolabe from the GoT opening sequence! Sam looks at the endless stacks of books around him and smiles. He’s found his place in the world at last.  – Petra

55. Tyrion Rallies the Troops. Episode 209, “Blackwater”

“Those are brave men knocking at our door…let’s go kill them!” In the hands of a lesser actor, this monologue could be corny. With Peter Dinklage at the helm, we need never fear. I’ve always felt that Tyrion’s best two seasons are season 2 and 4…so naturally Dinklage has won Emmys for seasons 1 and 5 – go figure! It’s incredible to remember that Tyrion is rallying a bunch of men that largely do not like him, but his quick wit spins a web of loyalty and inspires the soldiers to confront Stannis’ army head on. The start of his monologue begins with him muttering “I’ll lead the attack,” under his breath, before more loudly saying it again to the group at large. I remember Dinklage saying that he ad-libbed this and the producers decided to leave it in the final edit. Chills.  – SirSquinty

54. Grenn Holds the Gate Against a Giant. Episode 409, “The Watchers on the Wall”

This is a stand-out moment in an already brilliant episode, providing a chance for a minor character like Grenn to have a brief moment of glory before being smashed apart by a giant. It’s a lovely reminder of what the camaraderie and brotherhood of the Night’s Watch is really all about, and it’s touching to see Grenn’s loyalty to Jon, unfailingly following his orders even though at this point Jon’s not even Lord Commander. And now their watch has ended.  – Geoffery  

53. The Starks and Davos Face an Unimpressed Lyanna Mormont. Episode 607, “The Broken Man”

“Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark.” That badass, uncompromising refrain presaged the arrival of a badass, uncompromising young woman; seldom had any character so thoroughly endeared themselves to the audience before she even appeared on screen. When Lyanna Mormont debuted in “The Broken Man” (portrayed by an extraordinary young actress in Bella Ramsey), she quickly proved that her reputation for sharp words and a strong will was well-earned, and the audience’s adoration for her was sealed. But the Lady of Bear Island also made it clear that her past declaration of loyalty to the Starks did not necessarily mean she would follow them blindly into war now. It would take Davos, another person who had never expected to inherit such responsibility, to appeal to her hard-won sense of practicality and bring House Mormont’s fierce warriors – all 62 of them, each one worth ten from the mainland – to Jon and Sansa’s cause. With such steel in her spine, it’s safe to say that Lady Lyanna is worth even more.  – Jared Kozal

52. Chaos is a Ladder. Episode 306, “The Climb”

It’s not a secret how Varys and Baelish are among the few original cast members to survive through the first six seasons of the show so far. In a way, each is putting on a performance, changing to whomever they need to be at a given moment to keep themselves alive. Here, in their best, and last, verbal battle, both show off those performance capabilities, Varys dropping the mannered, simpering affectations in his tone to grumble at Littlefinger, the other utilizing that comes-and-goes brogue that has marked Baelish’s chameleon-like nature throughout the show’s run. They also clearly show their school of thought; Varys the strict institutionalist, sacrificing for the greater cause of the government’s existence; Baelish the anarchist, who wants to upturn the chess board to see where the pieces land. How great is Littlefinger’s monologue that closes this out? It formed the basis of the season’s ad campaign, to great relish.  – Greatjon of Slumber

51. Sansa Has Her Just Revenge on Ramsay. Episode 609, “Battle of the Bastards”

I never thought I’d cheer at the sight of a man being eaten alive by his own dogs. But that was before Ramsay Bolton. In an act of poetic vengeance that would make Lisbeth Salander proud, Sansa has her husband torn to shreds by the very dogs he sicced on his stepmother, his half brother and on countless innocent women. It may be sadistic… but it is satisfying.  – Petra

50. Janos Slynt Refuses To Do His Duty. Episode 503, “High Sparrow”

Just one episode after being elected Lord Commander, Jon faces a test of his new authority. When assigning men to new positions in the Watch, he gives Janos Slynt command of Greyguard. Slynt refuses, telling Jon to “stick your order up your bastard ass.” Not cool, Slynt, not cool. Jon channels his inner Ned, telling his men to take Slynt outside and to bring him his sword. As Slynt spinelessly begs for his life, Jon swings the sword – putting an end to the backstabbing, bootlicking, baby murderer. And now his watch is… Oh who cares. Good riddance.  – Vanessa Cole

49. Jon and Ygritte Go For a Bath. Episode 305, “Kissed By Fire”

I’d long been a fan of Rose Leslie, since the early days of Downton Abbey, so the raging hormones of a (once) teenage boy in me were very excited for this scene. I’m sure it broke the hearts of many a teenage girl to learn that Kit Harington used a #buttdouble as his ankle was broken at the time of filming. Regardless, the scene was touching, with Jon Snow firmly breaking his vows, and Ygritte letting her guard down for the briefest of moments. “You know nothin’, Jon SnoooooOoOoOoOWWWWWWW” remains one for the history books. If only they had stayed in that cave for eternity! But then, Game of Thrones doesn’t do happy endings, now does it?  – SirSquinty

48. Cersei Tells a Tale of Lions as the Battle Ends. Episode 209, “Blackwater”

“You are a lion, my son. You mustn’t be afraid, for one day all the beasts will bow to you. You will be king.”  Cersei’s fanciful story, with the Great Houses as beasts of the forest bowing to her son, is intended to comfort Tommen in what may be the last moments of their lives, but it takes on a prophetic tinge when viewed through the lens of six seasons.  Her promise to keep him safe from the chaos and carnage we see raging outside, even as she brings poison to his lips, is similarly prophetic when one considers Tommen’s fate. Tywin’s arrival feels only like a temporary reprieve, knowing how things turned out. The richness of “Blackwater”‘s dark fairy-tale ending has only grown with subsequent viewings, and I find it more haunting every time. – Sue the Fury

47. The Burning of Shireen. Episode 509, “The Dance of Dragons”

Poor sweet Shireen, you were far too good for this world! After her touching daddy-daughter conversation with Stannis, it hardly seems believable that something so brutal is about to occur. Her heart-wrenching screams, Selyse’s change of heart, the foresight that in the end Stannis ends up dead anyway: all serve to make the scene powerful. And Kerry Ingram acts her little socks off.   – Geoffery

46. Arya Tangles with Tywin in Harrenhal. Episode 207, “A Man Without Honor”

Aside from giving us a good laugh (“M’lord, not My Lord”) and a history lesson (“Aegon AND his sisters!”), this scene solves the conundrum of how to learn of a character’s innermost thoughts if he isn’t the kind of man who would ever express them aloud: by airing them to someone he doesn’t see as a threat; a mere cupbearer. Putting Arya and Tywin together was a wonderful idea from the writers, and Charles Dance and Maisie Williams make the best of it, so much so that I regret we didn’t get more of them together… and now we’ll never will! This brief, strange pairing and the insight into Tywin’s mind are the reason this scene deserves to be on this list.  – Luka Nieto

45. Robb is Declared King in the North. Episode 110, “Fire and Blood

The Young Wolf cuts a dashing and heroic figure even when circumstances are dire; fresh off his victory over the Lannisters and burning with righteous vengeance for his murdered father, he looks positively royal. And so when the Greatjon’s bellicose declaration of Robb as “The King in the North!” echoed through the summer night, it deservingly became a thrilling call to arms and a bold statement of defiance. In a more conventional tale, this scene would mark the arrival of the story’s new hero – for those blessed with knowledge and burdened with hindsight, it’s a harbinger of a fall to come. But even with the specter of fate looming on the horizon, Robb’s ascension remains a blood-tingling moment, as the mythic weight and ancient cares of the Kings of Winter descend onto this prodigious young warrior. Everyone watching – from the Northern Lords roaring approval to the apprehensive soldiers looking on from a distance to the audience glued to their screens at home – is acutely aware that they are bearing witness to something monumental.  – Jared Kozal

44. The Resurrection of Jon Snow. Episode 602, “Home”

The death of Jon Snow was a shock to book readers and show watchers alike, but by the time season 6 rolled around most us knew he had to be coming back. Between dropped hints like Sam’s “I’ve been worrying about Jon for years; he always comes back” and production spoilers putting Kit Harington conspicuously close to the Game of Thrones filming action, it was only a matter of time before Lord Snow rose from the dead. Most of us felt that Melisandre would be instrumental to his resurrection, and we were proven right. There is a big difference between believing and seeing, though, and the fandom collectively held its breath in the final moments of the episode. When Jon gasped, so did we…or jumped up cheering and crying, in some cases. No? Just me? – Vanessa Cole

43. The Burning of the Khals. Episode 604, “Book of the Stranger”

Fire cannot kill a dragon, but it can kill men – be they small men with their petty concerns, or the great Khals who cause the Free Cities of Essos to tremble with fear (here, they’re one in the same). Dany’s intrinsic resistance to heat and flame was established in her very first scene, and cemented when she walked into Drogo’s pyre to bring dragons back into the world. The Dragon Queen had made such liberal use of her children’s power in the past that one could be forgiven for believing that Drogon would arrive on cue to release her from her captivity. But ultimately, Dany didn’t need her dragon to save her – she proves to be a dragon herself, and reduces her enemies to ash and bone using nothing more than her own supernatural certainty, a few burning braziers, and a strategically barred door. The Dothraki follow strength, not blood, and as Dany proves her strength here, she provides irrefutable support for the idea that she, not Rhaego, is the Stallion Who Mounts the World. – Jared Kozal

42. Tyrion Unchains the Dragons. Episode 602, “Home”

Just because the show is beyond the books doesn’t mean they can’t incorporate George R.R. Martin’s prose, and this scene is a perfect example. As Tyrion (and the viewing audience) waited to see if he would become dragon chow, he recounted a story from A Dance with Dragons. As a young boy he had begged his uncle for a dragon for his birthday, but he was devastated when his father (Tywin being Tywin) told him dragons had been dead for a century. Tyrion overcomes his fear to free the dragons from their chains, and you can see his awe and wonder at being in the presence of creatures that have held a lifelong fascination. Of course – in typical Tyrion fashion – he has to cut the tension with a joke in the end, telling Varys, “Next time I have an idea like that, punch me in the face.” – Vanessa Cole

41. Arya Avenges the Red Wedding. Episode 610, “The Winds of Winter”

Properly justified comeuppance for the Red Wedding finally came in season 6, in the form of cannibalistic nightmare fuel. More often than not it’s the good guys that get offed in Thrones, so it’s truly satisfying to see a character as loathsome as Walder Frey get their just desserts.  Or pie, in this case. Not only did this confirm a fabulous fan theory that’s been floating around for years, Arya got to cross another name off her list.   – Geoffery

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We’ve crossed the halfway mark in our countdown! Where will the remaining days take us? We’ll find out soon enough…

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