Celebrating a year of Game of Thrones Season 8: Let’s cherish these 10 moments from the series

Game of Thrones was one of the most loved TV series ever made. The epic TV series had a number of much-loved characters, fabulous storylines, and much more based on George R. R. Martin’s book series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. The show also had a number of twists and turns at unexpected moments, we didn’t realise were coming. But, overall the series was loved by all and we can’t believe that it has already been a year since the last season of the series — Season 8 — aired, back in 2019.

The last episode of the series was named ‘The Iron Throne’, bringing the storyline to a full circle –  beginning from the conflicts and scheming on who gets to be the ultimate ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and unexpectedly ending with Bran Stark becoming the King. The last season of the Game of Thrones also received some negative reviews from some fans, calling it rushed, especially with the sudden change of the character arc of their all-time favourite ‘Mother of Dragons’ –  Daenerys Targaryen. Though it seemed difficult for the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss to end the series with eight seasons with a book series that is still in progress if they would have stuck to George’s plan the series could have lasted for 13 seasons.

Despite many fans didn’t like the last season of Game of Thrones, the series still remains an epic saga with brilliant characters like Cersei Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Arya Stark and many more. Remembering this epic fantasy series, let’s talk about 10 best moments from it which will forever stay with us:

1. Ned Stark’s execution

Ned Stark’s execution was perhaps one of the most heartbreaking moments of the series during the early episodes of Game of Thrones. Many of us who have read the book, already saw it coming but some didn’t know that such a character of pure goodness could be killed off so early in the series. It all started when much-like Jon Arryn, Ned too learnt the secret of Cersei’s three children and refused to call Joffrey the next in line to sit on the Iron Throne, succeeding Robert Baratheon. Though for a moment it felt like Littlefinger would support his cause of seating Stannis Baratheon on the throne but he was soon betrayed and imprisoned.

This was next followed by the trial of Ned Stark near the Sept of Baelor, where he was forced to accept Joffrey as the true heir to the throne in order to save his head and his daughters. For a moment we felt that Joffrey would really forgive him and ask him to take the black yet all our hopes were shattered when we heard him saying “Ser Illyn, bring me his head!”

2. Tyrion Lannister’s trial

There were both the feelings of happiness and shock among many fans upon witnessing the ‘Purple Wedding’ where Joffrey was poisoned at his own wedding. Not to mention who orchestrated it but the events that unfolded later weren’t any less unexpected. Where on one hand Sansa fled King’s Landing, Tyrion was imprisoned on false charges of Joffrey’s murder.

Soon, we got to see the trial of Tyrion which was preplanned with Jaime asking Tyrion to ask mercy and to take the black instead. But Shae so confidently giving a false testament against him broke Tyrion and he confronted not only his father but also the entire city which he had saved at the Battle of Blackwater Bay. The speech that he gave was then so awesome that won many hearts and hats off to Peter Dinklage for portraying it so accurately!

3. The birth of the Dragons

The end of Season 1 had many shocking twists and turns. The first obviously was the brutal execution of Ned Stark but another happened at the same time, miles away in another continent of Essos. Though there seemed no hope for Daenerys Targaryen after the death of her husband Khal Drogo and her brother Viserys, she rose to power in the last episode of Season 1. The source of her power being the three dragons born after a long time since the death of the last dragons nearly hundreds of years ago.

We assumed that there is nothing interesting left in the series after the death of Ned Stark but then the dragons were born. Daenerys emerging unburnt from the funeral pyre of Drogo with her three newly dragons shrieking, was the most perfect ending for the first season of the series that gave us the idea of what to expect from the next seven seasons of Game of Thrones.

4. The execution of Littlefinger

Petyr Baelish along with Olenna Tyrell and Lord Varys were the only three players in the series who could easily manipulate any character. Talking about Littlefinger here, he only had one plan in his mind since the very first season of Game of Thrones – to see himself on the Iron Throne one day. His speech to Varys with the lines “chaos is a ladder” in the ending scene of Season 3 still seems to be fresh for the ears. We have seen him being rat out by characters such as Cersei Lannister and Ned Stark, especially the scene where Cersei tells him that “power is power”. Yet he seemed to be going all well when compared to all the main characters in the series even though he was the one who had betrayed Ned Stark and had even orchestrated the murder of Joffrey along with Olenna Tyrell.

Even when the Starks had taken back the North after the Battle of Bastards in the sixth season, he still was manipulating Sansa until the other Stark siblings returned back home in Season 7. He still seemed to playing Sansa well for most of Season 7 by turning her against Arya but soon the tables turned against him. In the last episode of Season 7 while we thought “Why are we seeing the trial of Arya of the crimes she did not commit?”, Sansa played Littlefinger well and caught him in his own game. “Thank you for your many lessons Lord Baelish. I will never forget them” were the last words that Sansa uttered before Arya slit his throat with his own dagger.

5. The destruction of the Sept of Baelor

The last episode of Season 6 was one of the best episodes of Game of Thrones ever with the fantastic music and a slow-paced beginning. But we knew that it was building up to something which soon got revealed within the first ten minutes of the episode. While we saw the trial of Loras Tyrell go on calmly in the Sept of Baelor and understood what Margaery had been planning all along, the second trial of Cersei was awaited. But when it was too long and Cersei didn’t go the funeral at all, it was confirmed that Cersei actually had something already planned.

Soon we saw Lancel discover a cache of Wildfire under the Sept and not being able to reach towards it. Margaery soon realized what was going on and asked everyone to evacuate, much to her dismay and soon there was a huge explosion and all the High Septons, Septas, Loras, Margaery, their father, Kevan Lannister and thousands other turned to ashes in front of our eyes. Though we hated to see Cersei drinking to her victory with a smile, yet her scheming worked and all her problems seemed to be gone within the few minutes of the episode.

6. When Ser Barristan quit like a boss

Ser Barristan Selmy was one of the good people in all of the Seven Kingdoms who had been loyal to the Throne but him being mocked and being released of his duties by Joffrey and Littlefinger seemed hard enough to watch. But the way he quit and stood for himself and threw his sword and armour in front of the King was totally badass. We definitely loved this two-minute-long scene in the series.

He soon joined Daenerys in her conquest of the Slaver’s Bay, freeing the slaves from their chains.

7. The Red Wedding

Though Ned Stark’s death was heartbreaking for all to watch, much more was still lined up. Yet we still saw hope for the Starks when we saw Robb Stark avenging his father and winning battle after battle. The next in line was King’s Landing after Walder Frey would have allowed him to cross the Twins but we were soon introduced to the most gruesome wedding in the history of any television series ‘The Red Wedding’ where thousands of Northerners died along with Catelyn, Robb, his wife Talisa, their unborn child and the direwolf Greywind.

The most heartbreaking was Arya arrive to the Twins and witnessing chaos all around but soon she avenged their deaths in the opening scene of Season 7, saying “Tell them, Winter came for House Frey.”

8. Hodor’s Death

Though he didn’t have a big part to play in the series, Hodor was one of the most loved characters in Game of Thrones who had been a friend to Bran Stark during his journeys. While Bran’s mind was still in the past, as he warged we soon learned why Hodor was simple-minded and could only speak a single word of ‘Hodor’, what came next was even harder to watch. Hodor held the door long enough for Bran and Meera to escape from the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave as the Wights stabbed him to death. It was one of the most shocking incidents in the series and still seems harder to watch.

9. The destruction of King’s Landing

We all had loved Daenerys Targaryen since the very first episode of Game of Thrones and even loved how she rose to power in the east and freed slaves from chains. We even loved her being a total badass with her dragons and how nobody could stand chance against her. Till Season 6, she seemed to be the best character in the series and we all dearly wanted to see her sit on the Iron Throne but in the last two seasons of the series she seemed to be a bit deviated from a forward going character arc. But who knew that the death of second dragon Rhaegal, knowing that Jon Snow had a better claim on the Iron Throne, and watching her closest friend Missandei die in front of her eyes could push her to become like her father.

When King’s Landing surrendered to her in the penultimate episode of the series, she could have stopped the wreckage she had brought with her dragon. But she instead chose to deal with it and destroyed the entire King’s Landing and even killed thousands of innocents. It was a jaw-dropping moment for all of us and even felt pity for Cersei as she died in Jaime’s arms, whom we had hated for so long. What else remains to be said now!

10. When Arya Stark kills the Night King

The Battle of Winterfell in the third episode began with the White Walkers heading for Winterfell. The longest episode of Game of Thrones showed a fabulous battle between the living and the dead. Arya Stark whom we had waited for seasons to take a part in the battle too fought like a total badass but when she ran for her life being chased by the wights, we closed our eyes and prayed for her. But she was saved by Beric and the Hound. We saw her second meeting with Melisandre who told her what ‘blue eyes’ in her prophecy truly meant. As she told her to leave with a nod and with a familiar line from the first season “What do we say to the God of Death?” we still didn’t know what she meant.

What came next was a surprise as well. When all seemed lost and we saw Jon Snow unable to get to Bran to save him in time, we assumed that the winter would never end. Then, Arya Stark snuck in and stabbed the Night King with her Valyrian Steel dagger, killing him and ending the Winter once and for all. We all cheered to this moment as all our predictions and theories were put aside.

Other best moments from Game of Thrones include the birth of Jon Snow, the death of Ramsey Bolton, Daenerys re-taking Mereen, Arya killing the Freys, the reunion of the Starks, and many others.

Game of Thrones Season 8, the last season aired today in 2019 and now all we have are good memories from the series to cherish. We absolutely have no idea when we will get to see such an awesome series with such a beautiful storyline and strong characters we got to know. The upcoming prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’ seems a long way till we see it air on our TV screens. Why not re-watch these best moments from Game of Thrones and cherish them till then?

What was your best moment from Game of Thrones? Tell us in the comments.