Game Of Thrones' 15 Best Episodes, Ranked

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If you're a fan of George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" franchise, chances are you've hopped back into Westeros for the new spin-off series, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," following the adventures of hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Aegon Targaryen. "Game of Thrones" ended nearly seven years ago, but the saga holds strong on HBO with the prequel series "House of the Dragon," which has seen its own success across its first two seasons. Now, so far removed from the original series, it's possible some fans have never watched a single episode of "GoT"!

You don't need us to tell you how divisive reactions to the later seasons of "GoT" were. What started as must-watch TV slowly became rife with storylines the show never fully explained, but among those eight seasons was some of the best TV that's ever aired, including these fifteen memorable episodes from throughout its run. From high-octane battles to quieter episodes, these are our picks for the best "Game of Thrones" had to offer. 

Though "Game of Thrones" Season 7 had many fans growing tired of plot holes and convenient narratives, the finale seemed like it was getting ready to fulfill all the characters arcs we'd come to know. The episode follows Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen bringing their captured Wight to the Dragonpit in King's Landing in order to convince Queen Cersei Lannister to join the fight against the dead. Cersei is, surprisingly, convinced, only to later reveal to Jaime that she doesn't plan on keeping her word, causing him to (finally!) abandon her and head north to lend his sword for the living. 

So much of the episode is a culmination of everything the show's been building towards, from the Hound's rivalry with his brother, to Sansa and Arya teaming up to betray Littlefinger. However, the episode's best moment comes when it lives up to its title, "The Dragon and the Wolf," with Bran and Samwell discovering Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark and true heir to the Iron Throne... at the same time Jon is naively consummating his flirtation with Daenerys. 

Season 2 of "Game of Thrones" still saw the show in its infancy, prioritizing slower storytelling rather than big-budget spectacle. However, this resulted in some of the finest hours of television the show had to offer, including episode six, "The Old Gods and the New." 

By this point, all our beloved characters in Westeros were scattered to the winds, but stakes still felt incredibly high and the groundwork was being laid for big moments to come. That being said, the episode wasn't without its intense moments, such as a riot starting in King's Landing after King Joffrey is pelted by manure.

Beyond the wall, this episode is also where Jon Snow first meets Ygritte, the wildling woman he captures, and their dynamic provides some well-needed comedic relief to this rather slow episode. Meanwhile, Arya is undercover at Harrenhal serving as Tywin Lannister's cup-bearer, a welcome deviation from George R. R. Martin's contributions to the series. The highlights of the episode, however, are the theft of Daenerys' baby dragons in Qarth, as well as Theon's execution of Ser Rodrik Cassel in Winterfell, another step in his transformation from hero to villain during this season. 

Season 8 of "Game of Thrones" is, for the most part, a mess, but there's one diamond in the rough: the second episode, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (which funnily enough, shares its name with the latest HBO series). 

Preparing for the incoming Army of the Dead, the bulk of the show's remaining cast gather under one roof in Winterfell, not knowing if they'll have survived by the time the sun comes up. It's a much-needed opportunity for the show, at this stage, to reflect on the characters' journeys and put aside their petty squabbles.

In addition to the long-awaited reunions of Arya Stark and the Hound, Sansa and Theon, and even Jorah and Lyanna Mormont, and there's even a meaningful drinking session with Tyrion, Jaime, Podrick, Davos, Brienne, and Tormund. Jaime even takes the opportunity to officially knight Brienne, a moment that might've been a lot more meaningful if either of them were to have died in the ensuing battle. Though the subsequent episode was way too poorly-lit and badly written, that's mainly because the episode before had already set the stage for a heart-wrenching climax. 

Season 5 of "Game of Thrones" was where the show finally caught up to George R. R. Martin's books (for the most part), but there'd already been a lot of straying from the source material throughout. The finale episode, "Mother's Mercy," lived up to many fans' expectations of the final book's biggest jaw-drops, including Cersei's walk of shame, Arya's blinding by the Faceless Men, and the mutiny against Jon Snow at Castle Black, which ends the episode on the most grueling of cliffhangers. 

However, where the episode really excels are in moments that haven't happened yet in the books. Stannis' prior sacrifice of his daughter Shireen to the Lord of Light doesn't save his crushing defeat by the Boltons, and he's justifiably executed on the battlefield by Brienne of Tarth. Sansa and Theon also finally escape the clutches of Ramsay in Winterfell, with Theon's slaying of Ramsay's mistress Myranda being one of the show's best fist-pump moments after he had spent so many seasons as the subservient "Reek." 

One of the most shocking moments in Season 6 of "Game of Thrones" came in episode 7's "The Broken Man," which features a cold open of a small, pacifist community in the Riverlands led by the affable Brother Ray, played by guest star Ian McShane, revealing that the Hound survived his near-death at the end of Season 4. Though it's no bottle episode, the Hound's journey in this episode is a beautiful one, as he learns to accept his new life from Ray, only for his entire village to be slaughtered by the rogue Brotherhood Without Banners, sending the Hound on a revenge quest like John Wick.

Elsewhere, "The Broken Man" quietly sets the stage of Season 6's final episodes. Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, and Davos Seaworth scour the North for allies in their fight against the Boltons, which is where TV audiences were first introduced to the young Bella Ramsay as the fiery lady Lyanna of House Mormont. The episode even shocks with an assassination attempt against Arya by the Faceless Men, a strong note for the pensive and tension-filled episode to go out on. 

Season 4 of "Game of Thrones" is arguably the show's best, comprising the last third of "A Storm of Swords" into a season of back-to-back bangers, especially the finale, "The Children." There's so many memorable scenes in this episode, from Brienne of Tarth's brutal fight against the Hound, Jon Snow's meeting with Stannis Baratheon, and Daenerys' chaining of her dragons in an underground dungeon to appease the citizens of Meereen. 

However, the storyline that puts this episode among the best of "Game of Thrones" is the conclusion of Tyrion's season-long storyline of being accused of killing Joffrey. Jaime frees Tyrion from capture, having arranged with Varys to have him shipped overseas, but before he leaves the Red Keep, Tyrion goes to see his father, only to find his former lover Shae in his bed. After brutally killing her, Tyrion confronts his father in the toilet and fires two crossbow bolts in his chest, killing him before escaping King's Landing, now the kinslayer he claimed not to be only episodes earlier. You simply cannot watch these scenes play out without sitting on the edge of your seat. 

Season 1 of "Game of Thrones" is pretty sparse on action, but the second ups the ante with its penultimate episode, "Blackwater." The first of the series' episodes centering on only one storyline, it takes place entirely in King's Landing during Stannis Baratheon's attempted invasion of the city, in which his naval forces are taken out with a strategic use of wildfire courtesy of Tyrion Lannister, who commands the armies in lieu of King Joffrey's presence. Though "Blackwater" is obviously a visually stunning episode, the most memorable parts of it are the quiet moments that feel true to what it's like to be helpless in times of war.

Namely, there are a number of scenes in "Blackwater" featuring Cersei Lannister and Sansa Stark, who are both holed up in the Red Keep with the rest of the women and children whilst men are fighting, and Cersei, drunk on wine, mocks Sansa's innocence and naïveté, in a display of incredible acting from both Lena Headey and Sophie Turner. Ahead of the eventful Season 2 finale, "Blackwater" does both the big and small moments with expertise nary found in later "GoT" seasons. 

It may seem sacrilege to some to put an episode like "Kissed By Fire," a fairly typical "Game of Thrones" episode midway through Season 3, above episodes as grand as "Blackwater" or "Mother's Mercy." Then again, "Kissed By Fire" has some of the greatest moments in the show's entire run, from the Hound's trial-by-combat against the flaming sword-wielding Beric Dondarrion, to the introduction of Stannis' daughter Shireen, who begins teaching the lovable Davos Seaworth to read. 

However, two moments put this episode over the top: first, there's Ygritte's seduction of Jon Snow, both testing his loyalty to the Wildlings as well as cementing her as his first love. Second, there's the now one-handed Jaime Lannister's monologue in the bathhouse with Brienne, in which he tells his side of the "Kingslayer" story, how the Mad King ordered him to slay his own father, and how Jaime's heroic act was looked down upon by the honorable Ned Stark, a moment that completed the character's transformation from detestable, incestuous villain to an empathetic anti-hero. 

You should never trust a wedding when it comes to "Game of Thrones." Viewers should've known that after season 3, but still, the celebrations in Season 4's second episode, "The Lion and the Rose," come to a swift halt nonetheless. King Joffrey's marriage to the beautiful and cunning Margaery Tyrell is the centerpiece of the episode, written by George R. R. Martin himself, which is an already-tense affair given the presence of the vengeful Oberyn Martell, who does not hide his distaste for the Lannisters. 

However, Oberyn's revenge will have to wait (or will it?) when, just after publicly humiliating Tyrion, newly-wed King Joffrey begins choking on his drink, with his face quickly turning a ghastly purple. The dying Joffrey, in Cersei's arms, points to Tyrion in his dying moments, and Tyrion is arrested on suspected regicide. As much as fans despised Joffrey, seeing him die to helplessly is still a tough watch, and the drama that will surely ensue from Tyrion's supposed guilt will drive what's easily the strongest season of the show's entire run. 

Season 1 of "Game of Thrones" is slow, yes, but you can't say the ending isn't strong enough to earn its place in the zeitgeist. Hot off the tragic ending of "Baelor," "Fire & Blood" sees Westeros thrown into chaos, setting the stage for the War of the Five Kings that will occupy subsequent seasons. Among the most satisfying (and tragic in hindsight) moments is Robb being declared King in the North by his bannermen.

However, the rest of the series is truly set into motion by the final events of the episode. As Khal Drogo remains in a vegetative state, Daenerys burns the witch responsible along with her husband's pyre and her dragon eggs. After stepping into the flames herself, the ash clears in the morning to reveal a naked Daenerys holding three baby dragons, the first in centuries, setting her up to be a major threat against the now-warring Westerosi houses. For a show that's largely been magic-free throughout its first season, "Fire & Blood" is the episode that made every viewer sit up in their seats and say "Holy s–t." 

From the moment Jon Snow rises from the dead in Season 6, his destiny becomes clear even to those who weren't theorizing his true parentage. His reunion with Sansa sees the two estranged siblings, along with Davos Seaworth, ready an army against Ramsay Bolton's forces in Winterfell, especially once the stakes are raised when Ramsay captures their little brother Rickon (who, sadly, doesn't make it out alive). The episode "Battle of the Bastards" centers mainly on this action-packed brawl, one of the show's most brutal extended sequences.

While we also get some cutaways to Daenerys' retaliation against slavers in Meereen and her alliance with Yara and Theon Greyjoy, it's hard to not consider the piling of bodies outside of Winterfell as one of the most gripping images in the entire series. Of course, it's also incredibly satisfying to see Jon Snow not only beat the crap out of Ramsay, but Sansa sic his own dogs on him and reclaim her family home for the Starks. It really made rooting for the Starks for six seasons all the more worth it. 

Sometimes, the most impactful "Game of Thrones" episodes are the ones that catch you off-guard. That's certainly how it felt watching Season 5's "Hardhome" for the first time, an episode that strays from the books by depicting on-screen a conflict book readers only hear about second-hand. Jon Snow, the Lord Commander himself, makes the journey north of the Wall to a Wildling stronghold, Hardhome, in order to broker an alliance and invite them into Westeros as refugees. However, this peacemaking is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the Army of the Dead.

Aside from the events at Hardhome, where Jon Snow kills his first White Walker, this episode also features Daenerys' iconic "break the wheel" speech, easily one of her best moments in the whole season. However, the intense action north of the Wall is the closest "Thrones" comes to a full-on zombie movie, as dozens of Wildlings and Night's Watchmen are killed and quickly revived by the Night King, who has a stand-off with Jon that makes you excited for the one-on-one fight they'll definitely, definitely have ... right?

In hindsight, how could Robb Stark's story possibly have ended any other way? In the first season, the curmudgeon-y Walder Frey makes him promise to marry one of his daughters in exchange for an alliance, and by the end of Season 2, Robb naïvely betrayed that promise to wed Talisa, a nurse, for love. He has to return to Frey with his tail between his legs in Season 3, only to not realize the entire Stark army has walked right into a trap. 

Maybe it's the haunting music cue of "The Rains of Castamere," or the fact that Arya is literally inches away from reuniting with her family, but the now infamous Red Wedding will go down in history as one of the most shocking moments in TV. The brutal murders of Talisa, Robb, and Catelyn are some of the hardest scenes to watch, but years after it's aired, we can appreciate the masterful writing and directing on display throughout this episode. At least, it's better than cursing George R. R. Martin for making it happen. 

If you weren't sold on "Game of Thrones" before "Baelor," then Season 1's penultimate episode is probably what turned you. It's the one that proved to every viewer that truly no character is safe from the grim reaper that is George R. R. Martin, when our protagonist Ned Stark is shockingly executed by King Joffrey for treason in front of his daughters Sansa and Arya, setting off a chain of events that will last eight seasons of varying quality. 

There's a reason why, out of every Stark in "Game of Thrones," Ned remains our favorite even though his screen time is limited to nine episodes in the first season (not including those Season 6 flashbacks played by a younger actor). It's because this one episode of television, where Ned forsakes his own honor and is killed anyways, tells audience members what "Game of Thrones" really is. It's not a story where heroes win and villains lose, it's a story where power wins, no matter what. But ... which episode of "Game of Thrones" could possibly top this?

Is "The Watchers on the Wall" an unlikely pick for the best "Game of Thrones" episode? Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact it's one of the most masterful hours of television in the entire eight season run of the show. Like Season 2's "Blackwater," the entire episode is focused on Castle Black, where the Night's Watch must defend the Wall from an incoming Wildling army. Jon Snow shines as the leader he was always meant to be, even if his allegiances to the Wildlings are more complicated than they were in the series' beginning.

If any episode could've justified a Jon Snow spin-off, it's this one. The episode combines all the aspects "Game of Thrones" was best at: it has the action and spectacle of an intense battle, the loss of beloved characters Pyp and Grenn, an incredible and deserved heroic arc for Samwell Tarly, but most of all? It's a tragic love story as, in the midst of a war, Jon gets one last moment with Ygritte before she's struck by an arrow (thanks Olly) and dies in his arms, after telling him he knows nothing one last time.