15 Mind-Blowing Moments in Game of Thrones

Warning: the night is dark and full of spoilers.  

Let’s be honest, Game of Thrones had more surprises than a troupe of Jack-in-the-boxes holding Kinder Joy eggs. So, trying to isolate just a few of those surprises is about as easy as trying to get the sugar out of a hot cup of coffee after you’ve stirred it in.

That being said, we’re as keen for a challenge as Oberyn taking on the Mountain. So, read on the for some of the moments that, in our opinion, blew our minds harder than the plot twist in The Sixth Sense.

15 times Game of Thrones shocked and delighted us

1. Ned Stark is executed

There are some things that you just believe in this world. The sky is blue, doughnuts are acceptable breakfast food, and good guys played by famous actors won’t be killed off. Yeah, Game of Thrones pointed at us… and laughed.

Not only did this scene let us know that this show wasn’t scared to kill off its major characters, it also set us up for the double-crossing, underhanded tactics that would go on to be a part of GOT’s DNA. Plus, the fact that Joffrey made Sansa watch it happen set him up to be more hated than tax returns.

2. Jaime pushes Bran from a tower… for love

Immoral sister-lover vs cute, shaggy-headed kid. Surely this one was going to go Brandon’s way? Nope, wrong again. As Bran hovered in the window after just discovering Jaime and Cersei ‘together’, Jaime tossed him out like an empty crisp packet. He didn’t even look at the little dude as he did it. And he did it all ‘for love’…. Must. Fight. Gag. Reflex.

3. Daenerys survives the fire… and births 3 dragons

We had seen Daenerys walk into a hot bath and touch a hot egg before this scene. But, that wasn’t any more magical than a typical person’s Sunday morning. So, when she walked into the fire of that funeral pyre and lived, that was pretty astonishing.

But then, to put sprinkles on top of the cherry that we had already been served, she managed to hatch her dragon eggs with her stunt. Did she know this would happen or was it just by accident? She’ll never tell. But, that scene did end Season 1 in dramatic fashion. 

4. The Night King wakes the dead at Hardhome

A dead army was always a scary thought, and the threat had been looming since the very beginning of Season 1. But, when the Night King raised his arms and brought the dead at Hardhome back to life, it gave us more chills than an open window in the middle of January.

This was the point where the series really showed us the extent of the threat of the Night King and the White Walkers. They were like, ‘Fight us all you want, we’ll just kill your soldiers and turn them into our soldiers.’ How do you match a threat like that? Even if Jon Snow didn’t show it, he must have been as nervous as learner driver in rush hour traffic. 

5. Jon Snow is killed… and then returns

Even though this show loves killing its main characters more than Lost, Dexter, and The Walking Dead combined, we always thought that Jon Snow was too good and pure to fall prey to it. Wrong again. And, again, the show pointed at us… and laughed.

Jon Snow’s Caesar-style stabbing was brutal, and then GOT casually left us mourning him for almost a year before delivering him back to us without so much as an apology. 

6. Viserion is killed… and then returns

Daenerys’ dragons were supposed to be the equivalent of F-14 fighter jets flown by Tom Cruise. They were supposed to be absolutely untouchable to any and all medieval weapons and were supposed to swoop in and save Jon and the others from the difficult spot they were in beyond the Wall. They definitely weren’t supposed to be able to die.

That’s why we stared, open mouthed, as Viserion dropped from the sky with the Night King’s spear sticking out of it. But wait, there’s more. Our jaws dropped harder than a clickbait headline writer’s when we saw Viserion’s blue eye open after the Night King performed his magical CPR on the stricken dragon. 

7. The Red Wedding

Like, at this point, main characters dying should be no shock. But, the sheer brutality of the Red Wedding makes cage fighting look like a pre-school pillow fight. The pregnant-belly-stabbing, throat-slitting madness left us feeling ickier than a too-sweet chocolate pudding. Plus, it still caught us by surprise.

8. Cersei kills, like, everyone

They should take the word ‘gullible’ out of the dictionary and replace it with a picture of the people of King’s Landing. Did they really think that she was going to get home from her little walk of shame, grab a quick shower and a cuppa, and call it even? Yeah, no.

Cersei pulled off such a good double-cross that she should write Martin Scorsese films. And, as the Tyrells went up in green smoke, so did Cersei’s stock as one of the most villainous baddies in the show.  

9. Oberyn takes on the Mountain

This scene was crazy. We knew Oberyn had a secret vendetta against the Mountain. But, justice isn’t exactly served like breakfast in Westeros. And, it’s the Mountain. You don’t give that name to someone who can be bested by dance-fighting.

But, then, the unthinkable happened. Oberyn started winning. He had the Mountain on his back. He was about to avenge his family. Our spirits soared. Our hopes inflated… and then went pop, like Oberyn’s head. Darn.   

10. Littlefinger meets his end

All we can say about Petyr Baelish is that the dude had the bad luck of being born in the wrong time… and the wrong realm. If he existed on planet Earth in the present day, he’d probably be Prime Minister or an agent or something. He was exceptional at getting his way using only his words. Too bad that his constant manipulation led to him making a lot of enemies… in the show and out of it.

The collective sighs of relief from GOT viewers after he was condemned to death probably started a gale over the Atlantic. 

11. Jon Snow turns out to be the true heir to the Iron Throne (as he ‘visits’ Daenerys)

Jon went from illegitimate child to the true heir of the Iron Throne in one vision. It was like the ultimate showbiz story. And, since we hadn’t been putting the pieces together like some clever fans, it absolutely blew us away.

But, then, knowing that he and Daenerys were family when they started, well, ‘getting acquainted’… How do we describe how awkward that made us feel? Have you ever been talking about someone and they’re standing right behind you? Yeah, that.

12. The Battle of the Bastards

Things were looking bleaker than a rainy Monday morning for Jon Snow and the Free Folk. We were on baited breath wondering if we were about to lose Jon again. Would the detestable Ramsay Bolton win the battle and keep Winterfell as his own personal pad for doing some casual flaying and dog training?

But, then, the Knights of the Vale came to the rescue, Wun Wun crashed through the gates of Winterfell, and Ramsay became a giant can of Pedigree for his own hounds. Instant classic.

13. Arya is the one to kill the Night King

Throughout the show, Arya proved herself to be smart, stealthy, extremely tough, and better at survival than Bear Grylls. So, she was a fitting end to the Night King. But, she was an unexpected end, too. With Daenerys flying around on a fire-breathing dragon and the endlessly heroic Jon Snow making his way over to the fight, we though it would have been one of them. But, then, BOOM! Arya popped up faster than a subscribe-now button on a website. What a legend.

Plus, we hate knife crime… but we would totally high five Arya for her classic knife-drop move. We’ll say that knives are OK to use for stabbing undead tyrants and buttering hot cross buns. But, other than that, BOOOOOO! 

14. Daenerys destroys King’s Landing

The bell was ringing like the end of a boxing round and the Golden Company was ready to hit the showers, crack open a few cold ones, and begrudgingly tell Dany’s forces, ‘Well played.’ But, then Dany snapped like a terrier catching sight of the postman and went on a fire-laying rampage that makes the Fire of London look like a backyard barbecue. 

We knew she was a little unstable. But, whoa.

15. Jon kills Dany

He maintained his love for her even when he found out they were related, and he constantly defended her to her harshest critics. So, when Daenerys started trying to convince Jon to help her ‘free’ the world, it looked like he was actually buying into it. But, then, surprise! Jon skewered Dany like a kebab, invoking the wrath of an already ticked-off Grey Worm.

And, as if Jon’s move hadn’t already lost him a chance at the Iron Throne, he also ticked off Drogon, who used some burning morning breath to obliterate the throne… along with our minds!

Remember these amazing moments with amazing merch

Now that Game of Thrones is over, we find ourselves clinging to it… trying to clutch at every last bit of it like it’s the melty remnants of a bowl of ice cream. If only there was a way to preserve and even display its awesomeness. Oh, wait, there is. Game of Thrones merch!

On the MenKind website and in our stores, you’ll find an entire range of Game of Thrones products, which are perfect for continuing your fandom. You’ll find everything from realistic action figures to Game of Thrones Pop! Vinyls to homeware. There are cushions, doormats, wall hangings, tankards, and loads, loads more!

So, if the 15 mind-blowing Game of Thrones moments we mentioned have reinvigorated your need for the magic and mayhem of Westeros, indulge your hunger for merch like it’s the stew that Arya and the Hound guzzled down in that cabin that one time!