10 ‘Game of Thrones’ Episodes That Are Bangers From Start to Finish

No fantasy show has had quite the cultural impact as HBO’s Game of Thrones, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin. Primarily set within the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the show followed various noble houses as they competed with one another for political power, which blinded them to the greater threats from the north and east. Sadly, the show took a massive nosedive in quality once the writers surpassed Martin’s most recent book, A Dance with Dragons, before concluding with one of the most infamous final episodes in TV history.

Game of Thrones captivated audiences due to the strength of its writing and acting, which brought to life a world dominated by political intrigue and populated with morally complex characters that kept audiences guessing who to root for and why. Naturally, this resulted in many phenomenal episodes that had viewers hooked from beginning to end. For this list, we’ll be excluding episodes that are widely considered the best, like “Baelor” or “The Rains of Castamere,” to demonstrate that the show’s writing was great even in less plot-crucial episodes.

10. “The Queen’s Justice”

Season 7, Episode 3, 2017

Newly crowned King in the North, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), sails to Dragonstone to meet with Queen Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in the hopes of allying against the army of the dead, or at the very least letting him mine dragonglass. Unfortunately, Daenerys’ war against Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Heady) is not going well, and she demands that Jon pledge himself to her cause. Meanwhile, the Lannisters continue to eliminate Daenerys’ Westerosi allies, and Brandon Stark (Isaac Hempstead Write) returns to Winterfell, reuniting with his sister, Sansa (Sophie Turner).

Season 7 is full of poor-quality episodes, but “The Queen’s Justice” is one of the few that work. There are a few hiccups, such as Bran’s creepy statement that he saw Sansa during her controversial wedding to Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), but the interaction between Daenerys and Jon is just as gripping as the setup sounds. The two play a complicated political dance, sizing one another up and trying not to completely burn their bridge without giving in to the other’s demands. The ending sees Olenna Tyrell (Dame Diana Rigg) go out in one final blaze of glory as she tells Ser Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) that she was the one who killed his son, King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), after swallowing poison.

9. “Garden of Bones”

Season 2, Episode 4, 2012

King Robb Stark (Richard Madden) scores a decisive victory against the Lannister army and meets Lady Talisa (Oona Chaplin), a noblewoman from Volantis who now works as a battlefield medic. In King’s Landing, Joffrey punishes Sansa for her brother’s victory, while south in the Stormlands, King Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) attempts to parley with his younger brother, King Renly (Gethin Anthony), before battle. In the far east, Daenerys and her followers plead for shelter in the city of Qarth, lest they join the garden of bones made up of rejected souls.

“Garden of Bones” opens strong on a brutal Stark victory and keeps that momentum alive through strong character interactions that set up future events. Robb and Daenerys’ storylines introduce new important characters like Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton), Talisa, and the political leaders of Qarth, while King’s Landing sees Joffrey’s cruelty sink to new lows while Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) continues to steal power from his sister. The Stormland scenes are the best: the negotiations between the Baratheon brothers highlight their contrasting personalities while showing how pride and ambition have made them willing to kill each other, while Catelyn Stark (Mitchelle Fairley​​​​​​) has an emotional confrontation with Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen). It ends with Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) witnessing Melisandre (Carice van Houten) birthing a creature of shadows, leading to a terrific cliffhanger.

8. “Second Sons”

Season 3, Episode 8, 2013

The Lannisters go ahead with their plan to marry Sansa Stark to Tyrion despite their objections, so Tyrion does what he can to spare Sansa further shame. Elsewhere in Westeros, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) make their way to the Twins, while on Dragonstone, Melisandre collects king’s blood from Gendry (Joe Dempsie) while Stannis lets Davos out of the dungeon. Outside the city of Yunkai, Daenerys makes plans to deal with a dangerous band of mercenaries, while beyond the wall, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) and Gilly (Hannah Murray) come face to face with a White Walker.

“Second Sons” is full of interesting twists, revelations, and engaging character moments. All of this can be seen in the Lannister Wedding, where Tyrion once again demonstrates his noble soul by not only refusing to sleep with Sansa against her will, but threatening to castrate Joffrey if he does anything to harm or humiliate her. The Yunkai and Dragonstone scenes are also good: Daenerys gains a new ally in Daario Naharis (Ed Skrein and Michiel Huisman), while Stannis and Davos’ conversation is a highlight of their relationship by demonstrating their mutual respect while reinforcing Davos’ moral principles. The climax between Sam and the White Walker is an excellent conclusion, with Sam valiantly defending Gilly from a superior foe, revealing a secret to defeating the White Walkers and starting Sam down the road of self-improvement.

7. “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

Season 3, Episode 7, 2013

Daenerys arrives at the city of Yunkai and rejects their offer of gold and ships, demanding they release all of their slaves. Back in Westeros, Joffrey and Tywin (Charles Dance) talk about Daenerys and her dragons, Arya abandons the Brotherhood Without Banners for selling out Gendry, and Jon Snow tries in vain to convince Ygritte (Rose Leslie) that the Wildling invasion will fail. At Harrenhal, Roose Bolton releases Jaime back to the Lannisters, but he decides to save Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), whom Bolton’s men have tossed into a pit with an angry bear (Bart the Bear 2).

“The Bear and the Maiden Fair” is the third episode Martin wrote for the show, and while not as impactful as episodes like “Blackwater” or “The Lion and the Rose,” it still contains outstanding character progression and sharp dialogue. Both Daenerys’ negotiations with Yunkai and Tywin’s talk with Joffrey show two different kinds of power: Daenerys cowed the Yunkai ambassador with her dragons, while Tywin needed only to walk up the steps of the Iron Throne to remind Joffrey who the real power in Westeros is. Jon’s story sees the Wildling raiders get closer to Castle Black, and his talk with Ygritte is a tragic reminder of the differences between their cultures, foreshadowing their doomed romance. Yet Jaime’s storyline is the highlight, both because of his selfless bravery in rescuing Brienne, and for the amazing effects that combined two different sets to make it seem like the actors and the bear were actually within a few feet of one another.

6. “The Climb”

Season 3, Episode 6, 2013

In King’s Landing, Tywin and Olenna meet to discuss a marriage between Cersei and Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), while Petyr Baelish and Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) have one last talk before the Iron Throne before Baelish sails for the Vale of Arryn to marry Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie). At the same time, Robb arranges a marriage between his uncle, Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), and Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling), to regain House Frey’s support, and Melisandre meets Lord Beric Dondarrion (David Michael Scott and Richard Dormer), who has come back to life six times. Beyond the Wall, Jon joins Wildling raiders under the command of Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) in a deadly climb up the Wall to sneak into Westeros.

“The Climb” is a brilliant example of a setup episode: it might be low on action, but it puts the pieces where they need to be to kick off the final stretch of the season. The titular climb is a brutal and suspenseful trek fraught with danger, especially when a section of the Wall breaks off. Littlefinger also delivers his iconic “Chaos is a ladder” speech, which offers great insight into his thought process and sets up later twists in Season 4. Olenna and Tywin’s meeting is another standout scene, as these two characters are on equal footing in terms of intelligence and guile, and Dance and Rigg do a wonderful job playing off one another.

5. “And Now His Watch Is Ended”

Season 3, Episode 4, 2013

As Petyr Baelish makes plans to sail to the Vale of Arryn, Varys learns that he intends to take Sansa with him, and so passes this information along to the Tyrells. Elsewhere in Westeros, Arya, Gendry, and Sandor Clegane are brought before Lord Berric Dondarrion, leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, and the remnants of the Night’s Watch stage a mutiny against Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo). In Astapor, Daenerys trades Drogo for an army of Unsullied, but then turns the tables on the slaves.

“And Now His Watch Is Ended” is permeated with themes of revenge and the dangers of arrogance. Each major scene contains this in some form, be it Varys revealing his origins to Tyrion before claiming revenge on the man who emasculated him, or Daenerys burning down Astapor because the slavers underestimated her. This not only gives the episode a strong unifying theme, but it also ensures that events build on one another, keeping the momentum going up to the fiery finish.

4. “You Win or You Die”

Season 1, Episode 7, 2011

As Tywin and Jaime make war upon the Riverlands, Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) confronts Cersei about the true parentage of her children, and tells her to flee before he tells King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy). Unfortunately, Robert returns from a boar hunt mortally wounded, and though everyone tells Eddard to strike against the Lannisters and claim power for himself or Renly, Eddard intends to secure the throne for Stannis. Meanwhile, the Night’s Watch recruits swear their vows, and Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) vows to invade Westeros after Daenerys is almost poisoned by one of Robert’s assassins.

“You Win or You Die” is an excellent “the clouds burst” type of episode, where the building tension is finally unleashed. Things just keep going from bad to worse, from Eddard, who loses his best friend before being betrayed by his supposed allies, to Drogo’s invasion plans threatening a destabilized Westeros. It also gives one of the best character introductions in the series with Tywin skinning a deer, symbolizing the fall of House Baratheon and showing that Tywin is a man who isn’t afraid to do his own dirty work. The episode also contains several of the show’s best quotes, such as “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die,” and “I did warn you not to trust me.”

3. “Mockingbird”

Season 4, Episode 7, 2014

Tyrion tries to find a champion for his upcoming trial by combat, but finds that all of his allies are abandoning him. In the Riverlands, Arya and Sandor continue to fight their way through he war-torn land, while Brienne of Tarth is close by, trying to fulfil her oath to Catelyn to save her daughters. As for the elder Stark girl, she is in the Vale and nearly gets killed by her aunt, Lysa, after she caught Petyr, her only love, kissing her.

“Mockingbird” is draped in a shadow of dread that grows with every scene. You feel the growing despair inside Tyrion as he loses his friends one by one, while Arya’s storyline sees her have a brief but profound dialogue with a dying man, further showcasing Martin’s anti-war themes. The scenes in the Vale are the standout ones, both for the strong performances from the cast, especially Dickie as a completely unhinged Lysa, but also for leading to one of the show’s most shocking betrayals.

2. “The Old Gods and the New”

Season 2, Episode 6, 2012

Theon Greyjoy, now fighting for his father as he declares independence and ownership of the North, takes Winterfell with only a handful of men. In the south, Arya works with an assassin named Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) to survive Harrenhal, while a food shortage in King’s Landing leads to a deadly riot. Beyond the Wall, Jon is separated from the rest of the Night’s Watch and must try to get back to them with his prisoner, Ygritte.

“The Old Gods and the New” is the rising action of a story, where things begin to escalate as they race towards the climax. The riots help establish the collapse in morale in the city while Stannis’ army is on its way, and Jon meeting Ygritte is the first step towards humanizing the Wildlings. The best moments though come from Winterfell, where Allen delivers a wonderfully tormented performance as Theon, in the name of pride and self worth, murders those he called friend and truly damns himself.

1. “Kissed by Fire”

Season 3, Episode 5, 2013

To stop the Tyrells from acquiring too much political power, Tywin plans to use Tyrion and Cersei to acquire Winterfell and Highgarden through marriage. In the Riverlands, Brienne and Jaime arrive at Harrenhal, Robb must deal with a traitorous vessel, and Sandor duels with Beric Dondarrion for his right to live. North of the Wall, Jon is lured into a cave by Ygritte, who decides to test his loyalty by making him break his vow of celibacy.

“Kissed By Fire” is probably the best example of a great episode from start to finish, as it provides a bit of everything that made Game of Thrones great. Action comes in the form of Sandor and Beric’s duel, a close-quarters brawl that lets McCann flex his talent by tapping into Sandor’s fear and rage, especially when Beric lights his sword on fire. Robb and Jon’s storylines provide the drama in the form of testing their honor and how much they are willing to bend it for the given circumstance. Then there is Jaime and Brienne’s talk in the bath, which is nothing short of a masterpiece in character writing that completely recontextualizes everything we knew about Jaime up to this point.