Game Of Thrones has finally run its course and fans all across the globe are still reeling, in one form or another, from the final season. Whether fans are signing pointless petitions or just trying to get over a broken heart, there’s plenty of pain going around. In a show known specifically for hurting its fans and its characters, it seems fitting to cap off this truly death-filled series with a countdown of some the most bloody and costly battles fought throughout the series. From a naval battle involving the rival Greyjoys to the Battle of the Bastards, the many-faced god is sure to be pleased.
The Mother Of Dragons Vs. The Slave Masters
Having finally returned to Meereen after a brief stint reaffirming her power as the great Khaleesi, Daenerys finds that once again the slave masters of Slaver’s Bay are acting up. As their ships sit in the bay attacking the city and the great pyramid where Daenerys is said to reside, the slave masters, much like the slave master in Astapor, have underestimated just one thing, dragons. Daenerys “The Mother of Dragons” Targaryen and her children quickly dispatch of the ships and the men one the before killing the remaining masters, taking their ships and finally setting sail for Westeros. Not bad.
The Greyjoy Naval Battle
While Euron certainly didn’t manage to play the game for nearly as long as any of the other key players, he certainly had fun while he did. As the Greyjoys and the Sands make their way west Euron and the rest of the Iron fleet appear seemingly out of nowhere. Much like the Kraken on their banner, the many arms of Euron’s fleet overpower and devour any and all ships in sight. While Yara and the Sands struggle to fight off Euron and his forces, they are left bloodied and unable to fight off the mad kraken. Many casualties occur on both sides as expected from a clash between Greyjoys. Theon, however, manages to escape with his life. Leaving Yara to the mercy of their uncle Euron.
The Attack At Daznak’s Pit
Having freed the city of Meereen from the rule of the oppressive masters, a vastly unprepared Daenerys steps into to rule. While she is not aware of their customs nor fit to deal with the consequences of her grab for power, Daenerys tries nonetheless to keep the people of Meereen happy. However, as she opens up the fighting pits for the beginning of the great games the angry, (and master-funded) Sons of the Harpy make their presence known. The games immediately descend into carnage as the Sons of the Harpy slaughter everyone in sight not wearing a mask. The swift attack leaves Daenerys vulnerable and scared before Drogon manages to come to her rescue and let her hop aboard the SS Drogon. Next stop, anywhere but Meereen.
Beyond The Wall
When Jon Snow, The Hound, Gendry, and the rest of their company make their way north of the wall in order to capture a living (or undead, rather) wight, things go from good to bad rather quickly. After incapacitating a white walker and securing it safely enough to transport to King’s Landing, the group finds themselves surrounded on all sides by an army of wights.
With only a thin moat of ice cold water briefly separating them, they wait for either backup or death to reach them. Daenerys, however, seems to emerge on the horizon just in time to save the day. While most of the casualties belong to the side of the dead, it is here where, perhaps, the most important death on Game Of Thrones takes place, that of Viserion.
The Siege On Castle Black
While it may seem like small potatoes compared to some of the larger and more complex battles that occur later in the series, the Seige on Castle Black was truly awe-inspiring when it first aired. It remains one of the bloodiest and most devastating battles throughout the entirety of the series. With several key deaths from Ygritte to Pyp, a giant wielding a massive bow and arrow, along with all the carnage that one might expect. The battle for castle black serves up all the free folk on crow violence fans could’ve possibly needed from the long-awaited battle.
The Loot Trail
As they’re making their way to King’s Landing after having stolen all the resources Lady Olenna had tucked safely away at Highgarden, the last thing Jaime, Bronn, and the Lannister army expect to see is a Dothraki horde and a very angry dragon. While a clean getaway seemed almost assured, leave it to Daenerys, the waster of resources, to set fire to any plans the Lannisters may have had for their newly-acquired gold and the men that helped acquire it. Everyone from Dothraki riders and Lannister soldiers to the Kingslayer himself either loses their lives or suffer great losses at the hands of Daenerys. As Jaime rushes off to attack Drogon and Daenerys himself, he sinks into the water, weighed down by his family armor. As the episode ends, fans are left uncertain as to the fate of the gold-handed Lannister.
Hardhome
For Jon, as well as audience members across the globe, Hardhome marked a very distinct turning point in the series. For starters, his decision to head north of the wall in order to save the lives of countless free folk would ultimately lead to his betrayal and death by his brothers in the black. Even more important than that, however, this is where Jon, and audiences, first get a taste of the kind of destruction the Night King is truly capable of. As his army rips through the forces of the living, the Night King silently displays his power by resurrecting all of the fallen free folk, using them to further expand the numbers of his undead army. Chaos, blood, violence, and a terrifying new look at the Night King’s power, it’s hard to get better than that.
The Battle For Winterfell (The Long Night)
After being built up for nearly a decade the battle between the armies of the living and the army of the dead has finally arrived. Just like the Starks have warned for centuries, ‘Winter is coming’. In fact, winter is here.
As the Night King and his armies make their way towards Bran the Broken, the combined forces of the northerners, the Dothraki horde, the Unsullied, and two dragons just don’t see to be enough. By the end of the battle, thousands have been killed or injured and while the Night King seems to have almost gotten his way, Arya Stark is left standing after an upset victory many didn’t see coming.
The Battle Of The Bastards
Even after the series has aired its final episode there are very few battle scenes that have ever been recorded that are as absolutely stunning, encompassing, and outright devasting to watch as The Battle Of The Bastards. As Jon Snow and his collected forces struggle to make their way to Winterfell to oust the despicable Ramsey Bolton, there seems to be very little hope left for (or in) our hero. Having fallen victim to his emotions and Ramsey’s cruelty Jon gives up hopes of following through with any plan that had been previously laid out in favor of saving his little brother, Rickon. And while Jon doesn’t quite manage to save Rickon from becoming a human kebab, with Sansa’s help Jon manages to turn a literal bloody mess into a bloody victory.
The Battle Of The Bells
Regardless of whether fans found Daenerys’ fall from grace warranted or not, something all fans can agree on was how truly devasting Daenerys’ siege on King’s Landing was. As Daenerys and Drogon soar high above the carnage, the camera, much like in Battle Of The Bastards, stays focused on what’s going on at the ground level. Viewers, like Arya, look on in a combination of sorrow, anger, and disbelief as the once fairly virtuous and noble Daenerys decimates King’s Landing without any regard for the innocent lives on the streets. As the characters make their way in and out of King’s Landing it’s impossible to not catch eyefuls of burnt bodies, men, women, and children lying in pieces in the streets. As viewers follow Arya through the rubble, they’re greeted with even more death and destruction. Daenerys wasn’t playing around when she said that she’d take what was hers with fire and blood.
