Game of Thrones is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed TV shows of the past few decades. The series helped to introduce a ‘Golden Age of TV’, as well as introduce a whole new audience to the high fantasy genre with its unique blend of intense, action, political scheming, and compelling mysteries.
While the series built a reputation from its use of sex and violence, the series had an abundance of heartbreaking and emotionally scarring moments across the eight seasons between 2011 and 2019.
8 Season One: Ned Stark’s Death
The first season of Game of Thrones perfectly tore down any audience expectations, showing that this series wasn’t going to be a conventional fantasy series; instead, it was going to be a tense, political affair in which no character was safe from the chopping block.
It was the death of Ned Stark that ultimately revealed this to the audience. The casting of Sean Bean, coupled with the heroic qualities of Ned Stark probably led many to believe that Ned Stark would be a central character moving forward.
7 Season Two: Everything Joffrey Does To Sansa
While the first season of Game of Thrones was more based around political scheming, the second season tried to go far bigger, with the season leaning into its magical elements with Stannis’ murder of Renly, the White Walkers, and the Dragons all getting more screen time. However, the show did also lean heavily into human evil.
Joffrey Baratheon was the central villain of the piece until he was usurped by the wretched Ramsay Bolton. Sansa Stark was kept in King’s Landing as a hostage after the murder of Ned Stark and Joffrey mentally and physically abused Sansa during her time in King’s Landing.
6 Season Three: Red Wedding
Could anything else have possibly finished above the Red Wedding? If Ned Stark’s death in season one was shocking, the Red Wedding in season three was heart attack-inducing in its shock factor.
Many saw Robb Stark as the hero of the piece and to see the King in the North, his wife, his unborn child, and his mother slaughtered in one of the most diabolical acts of treachery was such a shock that the event made headlines around the real world.
5 Season Four: Oberyn’s Death
Season four of Game of Thrones finally gave fans what they had been clamoring for since the first season, the death of Joffrey Baratheon. The cruel and sadistic boy-king met his end at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, in an even that would ultimately be known as the Purple Wedding, named for the color of Joffrey’s face as he suffocated to death.
However, season four was a mixed bag, as the season also introduced fans to the incredible Oberyn Martell, only to take him away at the end of the season with a shocking death at the hands Gregor ‘the Mountain’ Clegane in Tyrion’s trial by combat.
4 Season Five: Sansa’s Marriage
While Joffrey Baratheon finally met his end in season four, he was quickly replaced as the show’s most heinous villain by the even crueler and even more sadistic Ramsay Bolton. The Bastard of the Dreadfort showed his sadistic nature in his treatment of Theon Greyjoy, physically and mentally torturing him, crushing his spirit, and making the once-proud Ironborn go by the name, Reek.
However, in season five, the most heartbreaking moment came with Sansa Stark’s wedding to Ramsay Bolton. In addition to the disgusting rape of Sansa, Ramsay would make Theon watch the act, in what would be one of the most difficult to watch scenes in the series.
3 Seaosn Six: Hold The Door
Season six was the beginning of the end for Game of Thrones. It was this season that started bringing characters back to Westeros, allowing for the story to focus on the endgame, focusing on the threat of the White Walkers and the eventually quest for the Iron Throne of Westeros.
However, in trimming down the plot points and bringing characters back together, some had to die and one of the most heartbreaking deaths was Hodor. It was revealed in season six that Hodor’s life had been entirely built around his death, with Bran destroying the young Hodor’s mind by warning into Hodor in the past. As a result, Hodor died ‘holding the door’ so that Bran and Meera could escape the wights in Bloodraven’s cave.
2 Season Seven: Viserion’s Death
Season seven was criticised by fans, with many believing that the show was rushing far too quickly towards a conclusion, skipping over important and necessary character development that would’ve made certain actions far more believable.
One of the most criticised episodes was called ‘Beyond the Wall’, which focussed on Jon and a select group going beyond the Wall to capture a wight to prove the threat of the White Walkers to Cersei Lannister. The group would ultimately become trapped on an icy lake and Daenerys brought her three dragons to save the group, but this would ultimately cost her a dragon, with the Night King killing the dragon and resurrecting it for his undead army.
1 Season Eight: Daenerys And Jon
Season eight was the most polarising in the Game of Thrones series. Many fans believed that the showrunners skipped over necessary character development in order to rush to a conclusion and finish the series.
This was most obviously seen in Daenerys’ sudden switch from hero to villain in the infamous episode entitled ‘the Bells’. Despite this rushed character development, the powerful acting from Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke helped make their final scene together a heartbreaking one indeed.
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