10 Scenes That Made Game of Thrones Fans Quit the Show (& Never Look Back)

Game of Thrones is known for being one of the greatest shows of the 2010s, but despite its achievements, it was not a stranger to controversy. The show had one of the worst series finales of all time, devastating millions of fans who tuned in to see who would win the Game of Thrones. The series also gained a reputation for being unnecessarily violent and exploitative. There are dozens of Reddit threads and dedicated lists to Game of Thrones moments that went too far.

Plenty of dark episodes throughout the showare designed to make the audience feel uncomfortable or angry. Game of Thrones wasn’t supposed to be a joyride, so plenty of episodes featured heavy emotional impact that would leave fans reeling. That said, some moments throughout the show were too much, even for the most avid fans. Some of these scenes were bad enough that they made fans stop watching the series completely.

10. Bran Becomes the King of Westeros

Season 8, Episode 6 – “The Iron Throne”

• Isaac Hempstead Wright plays Bran Stark
• Sophie Turner portrays Sansa Stark

In the final few episodes of Game of Thrones, a lot of mistakes happen that left fans feeling like they’d been cheated out of a proper ending. One of the most perplexing decisions that the series made was in the series finale. For some reason, Bran Stark becomes the King of Westeros. Why? Well… that’s a good question, one that many fans have been asking since the series ended in 2019. Bran becomes Bran the Broken, King of the Six Kingdoms. Sansa Stark, Bran’s older sister, is in charge of the North and demands that the North remains independent of the rest of Westeros, hence why Bran is only the king of six kingdoms.

Many fans found this to be extremely unsatisfying. The entire series focused so heavily on an epic battle between Daenerys, Cersei Lannister, and a few other major players, like Stannis Baratheon, that randomly appointing Bran as the king after everyone else was already dead didn’t feel like much of a win. Bran might have become the Three-Eyed Raven in Season 6, but that doesn’t automatically deem him worthy of the Iron Throne. This happened in the final episode of the entire series, so it didn’t necessarily make fans “stop watching,” but it did help shatter their views of the show in its entirety.

9. Many Viewers Found Theon’s Torture Hard to Stomach

Various Episodes During Theon’s Imprisonment

• Alfie Allen plays Theon Greyjoy/Reek.
• Iwan Rheon portrays the sadistic Ramsey Snow/Bolton.

After Theon betrayed Winterfell and the Starks, many fans wanted to see him get his just deserts. They got exactly what they asked for when Ramsey Snow (later Ramsey Bolton) took Theon prisoner. Theon was held captive for a large portion of the series, with some of the worst torment he faced happening in Season 3. Fans get numerous scenes of Theon hung on a rack, where men tortured him by peeling off his fingernails and driving screws into his feet.

The worst part about Theon’s extensive torture is that Ramsey tricks Theon into believing that he’s a friend who wants to help him escape. Ramsey loves playing with his food, so to speak, so giving Theon that brief period of hope only to rip it away and continue the torture is difficult to watch. Theon is flayed and castrated while in Ramsey’s custody. Eventually, Ramsey breaks him down so badly, that he becomes a quiet and attentive servant that Ramsey renames “Reek.” Theon has lost all sense of who he once was. There are several scenes just like this and many fans couldn’t stomach the ongoing and needlessly graphic torture.

8. The Viper’s Death Started a Disappointing Chain Reaction

Season 4, Episode 8 – “The Mountain and the Viper”

• Pedro Pascal plays Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne.
• After Pascal’s appearance on Game of Thrones, he went on to star in one of the most successful Disney+ series of all time, The Mandalorian.
• He also plays Joel in HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last of Us.

Oberyn Martell, also known as the Red Viper of Dorne, was introduced in Season 4 as a prince of House Martell, Dorne’s ruling family. Fans immediately fell in love with Oberyn due to his charisma and openness. He wasn’t afraid to show the world who he was or what he enjoyed and people loved him for it. That made his death all the more difficult to swallow. Eventually, the Viper engages in a trial by combat with the Mountain to fight for Tyrion Lannister’s innocence.

Oberyn agrees to be Tyrion’s champion because he wants revenge on the Mountain for raping and murdering his sister and killing his sister’s children. The trial by combat is the perfect way to get justice for his fallen family. Unfortunately, in Oberyn’s rage, he gives the Mountain the perfect opening to strike. The Mountain kills Oberyn in graphic detail by crushing his head in his hands. If Oberyn’s gory demise wasn’t enough to make fans stop watching, the following Dorne-related plot would. Oberyn’s family attempts to seek revenge for his death. The Dorne warriors ultimately fell flat, which was a shame, since they seemed like such an awesome group.

7. Arya Kills the Night King

Season 8, Episode 3 – “The Long Night”

• Maisie Williams portrays Arya Stark
• Vladimir Furdik played the Night King in Season 8 (Seasons 6 to 8)
• Before Furdik took over the role, the Night King was temporarily played by Richard Brake in Seasons 4 and 5

At the time of the episode’s release, fans cheered for Arya Stark as she attacked the Night King with her trusty dagger. Arya transformed herself into a weapon throughout Game of Thrones, making her way through a list of people she swore to get revenge on. The Night King, however, didn’t seem to be her fight to pick. Jon Snow, the Night’s Watch, and the Free Folk were much more engaged with the horrors that lurked North of the Wall. Daenerys lost one of her dragons to the Night King trying to stop the White Walker invasion.

In the grand scheme of things, Arya being the one to take down the Night King wasn’t as satisfying as it should have been. Many fans cheered for her victory, but others questioned why her. She also didn’t struggle to take the Night King down, which immediately ended a seasons-long threat without much explanation or understanding as to what the White Walkers were or why they were such a threat at all. A teenager took them out without much effort, so how bad could they be? The entire show threatened that winter was coming, but it came and went in the blink of an eye.

6. The Red Wedding Set a Game of Thrones Standard

Season 3, Episode 9 – “The Rains of Castamere”

“The Rains of Castamere,” more commonly referred to as “The Red Wedding,” was a shocking and brutal episode that changed the trajectory of the show forever. After Robb Stark broke a marriage pact between House Stark and House Frey, a bloody massacre took place at the hands of Walder Frey and House Lannister. Robb Stark became King of the North after Joffrey Baratheon had his father, Ned Stark, executed in Season 1. The Lannisters wanted to put an end to Robb’s rebellion swiftly and quickly, and they did it through Walder Frey.

“Your Grace, I feel I’ve been remiss in my duties. I’ve given you meat and wine and music, but I haven’t shown you the hospitality you deserve. My King has married, and I owe my new Queen a wedding gift.”

―Lord Walder signals for the massacre to begin

Robb Stark, his pregnant wife, Talisa, his mother, and his dire wolf are all slaughtered during the massacre. At the time, Robb’s rebellion seemed like the largest threat to King’s Landing, but the Red Wedding wiped that out in a matter of moments. It took several major players out of the game in one fell swoop, and many fans never recovered from the brutality demonstrated at the hands of Walder Frey. Seeing Robb’s corpse with Grey Wind’s head over his own paraded around on horseback was a breaking point for a lot of viewers. The Red Wedding might have been hard to digest, but it cemented the idea that no character was safe in Game of Thrones.

5. Daenerys’ First Time With Khal Drogo wasn’t Consensual

Season 1, Episode 1 – “Winter is Coming”

In the very first episode of Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen is sold to Khal Drogo by her brother, Prince Viserys Targaryen. The agreement basically comes down to Viserys getting a bunch of Dothraki warriors to help take back the Iron Throne and, in exchange, Khal Drogo gets a beautiful wife. The problem is that on their wedding night, Drogo seeks to consummate the marriage and Daenerys isn’t quite so willing. She’s afraid of him and is clearly uncomfortable with his advances. Drogo does take note of this and attempts to console her, but it doesn’t stop him.

“Do you see how long his hair is? When Dothraki are defeated in combat they cut off their braid so the whole world can see their shame. Khal Drogo has never been defeated. He’s a savage of course, but he’s one of the finest killers alive. And you will be his queen.”

―Viserys talking about Drogo to Daenerys.

There are a lot of layers to this particular instance. There’s a serious language barrier between Drogo and Daenerys, so they can’t really communicate. Daenerys was promised to Drogo with the expectation that she would bear children for him. There are huge cultural differences between them. At the end of the day, though, Daenerys’ first time with Drogo isn’t consensual, which isn’t the case in the book. It’s hard to watch as Daenerys cries while Drogo undresses her. She looks absolutely horrified. Despite her relationship with Drogo improving drastically afterward, it doesn’t change the fact that he raped her. For many viewers, that was enough to pull away from the show altogether.

4. Jaime Does the Unthinkable Next to His Dead Son’s Corpse

Season 4, Episode 3 – “Breaker of Chains”

• Lena Headey plays Cersei Lannister.
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays Cersei’s twin brother and secret lover, Jaime.

After Joffrey’s death, Jaime finds Cersei grieving for their son. The ensuing scene is one of the most messed up things the show has ever done, as it features Jaime forcing himself on Cersei next to Joffrey’s dead body. The exchange feels completely out of character, as Jaime has never acted in such a crude and volatile way towards Cersei. Sure, they’ve argued, but Jaime has never forced himself on her before. Since this episode, he’s never acted in such a way again, so it really left fans feeling appalled.

Both actors involved in the scene, as well as the writers, insist that Jaime wasn’t forcing himself on his sister. Allegedly, this was a consensual act that framed just how messed up both Cersei and Jaime were in the aftermath of their son’s death. Even with the knowledge that the scene was supposed to be consensual, it’s still hard to watch. Many fans couldn’t help but feel that the writers lost their minds watching this scene. Others still think this was an example of sexual assault, even with the writers confirming that it wasn’t.

3. Stannis Baratheon Burns His Own Daughter Alive

Season 5, Episode 9, “The Dance of Dragons”

• Kerry Ingram plays Princess Shireen Baratheon
• Stephen Dillane portrays her father, King Stannis I Baratheon

One of the most horrific deaths to happen on Game of Thrones was Shireen Baratheon’s. Not only was this death awful to watch, but the circumstances leading up to it were absolutely abysmal. The red priestess Melisandre tells Stannis that if he wants to gain the Lord of Light’s favor, he needs to do the unthinkable and sacrifice his daughter. At first, Stannis refuses to do this, but when push comes to shove, Stannis loses all sense of being a good father.

When a blizzard threatens to destroy Stannis’ army, he finally allows Melisandre to go through with her plans. Shireen is tied to a pole and burned alive, like a witch being burned at the stake. What’s worse is that Shireen was one of the only purely good souls on the show. She was nothing short of a bright and kind child who deserved the world. Instead, her father murdered her in one of the worst ways possible. Many fans checked out after this particular death.

2. Daenerys Snaps & Destroys Years of Incredible Character Development

Season 8, Episode 5 – “The Bells”

• Emilia Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen
• Kit Harrington portrays Jon Snow

Season 8 was full of disappointment, from Arya killing the Night King to Bran becoming King of Westeros. Perhaps the worst thing that happened in the entire final season was Daenerys burning down King’s Landing. After everything Daenerys endured to get to Westeros and put herself in a position where she could fight for her rightful seat on the throne, she threw it all away in the blink of an eye. Almost every fan was rooting for Daenerys’ victory, so this was an odd direction to go.

Fans were furious about this decision. When Daenerys snapped, she went against everything she said she wanted to prove and do. She wasn’t going to be another mad Targaryen. She wasn’t going to be a cruel ruler. She was going to make Westeros a better place. Instead, she killed hundreds of innocent people without a second thought. This ultimately led to her death at the hands of Jon Snow, which enraged fans almost as much as Daenerys changing her mind at the last second. Some fans were so angry, they didn’t even tune in the following week to see the final episode.

1. Ramsey Bolton Assaulting Sansa Crosses a Line, Even for Game of Thrones

Season 5, Episode 6 – “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”

• Aidan Gillen plays Lord Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger.
• The nickname “Littlefinger” comes from the location of Petyr’s family in The Fingers. His family comes from the smallest peninsula. The nickname has a second meaning as well; to poke fun at Petyr’s small stature.

One of the most controversial scenes in all of Game of Thrones happens in Season 5, Episode 6. Littlefinger arranges for Sansa to marry Ramsey Bolton, the same man who tortured Theon for seasons. Littlefinger planned to undermine House Bolton with this marriage, but Sansa suffered greatly at the hands of Ramsey. Fans already had a hard time stomaching what he did to Theon, so when he raped Sansa on their wedding night and forced Theon to watch, many fans recoiled.

Out of all the acts of violence, both sexual and non-sexual, that exist on the show, Sansa’s wedding night is one of the most hated. Many fans felt like the scene went too far, not just for Sansa, but for Theon, who had already suffered so much because of Ramsey. This scene was exploitative and horrific in all the worst ways, and it caused many fans to leave. Sansa’s wedding night might not have been the first example of sexual assault on the show, but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back for a lot of fans.