Top 20 Satisfying Moments in Game of Thrones

“The Kingsroad”

“Game of Thrones” made sure that we hated Joffrey from the beginning, and hate him we did. But the show also made sure we got some gratifying moments of comeuppance to go along with it. In the second episode, Joffrey is characteristically unfeeling when Bran falls from the high tower and into a coma. Tyrion, already establishing himself as one of the best characters on the show, corrects him with three slaps for the price of one. If you thought three more seasons of Tyrion dealing with his petulant nephew would go slapless, though, think again. After Joffrey is rightfully slung with cow dung, Tyrion has to curb the King’s temper tantrum the only way he knows how.

“The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

Easily one of the best and unexpected friendships on “Game of Thrones” is that of Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. Granted, Jaime’s going through a tough time in Season 3 due to the loss of his hand, but Brienne is surprisingly there to help him through his dark period as he deals with the loss of his hand. It looks like Jaime and Brienne are going to part ways for good, but when the former learns the latter’s been put in danger, he races back to rescue her. In a twisted recreation of “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” folk song, Brienne’s been callously placed in a pit with the creature. A one-handed Jaime jumps in after her, buying time for both to escape.

“Mother’s Mercy”

Ramsay Bolton is easily one of the most despicable characters on the show. And while his servant / lover Myranda doesn’t get as many opportunities for evil, their relationship is proof that crazy attracts crazy. During her time on the show, Myranda abets Ramsay in his many sadistic exploits, including turning Theon into the meek and submissive Reek. Theon may not have been the most likable character beforehand, but no one deserves his treatment, so even we were happy to see him get some retribution. During a battle at Winterfell, Myranda and Theon corner Sansa with the former intending to cause serious pain. Finally, Theon stands up for both of them and throws Myranda off the rampart to her doom. Sweet, sweet justice.

“Kissed by Fire”

Jon Snow has been through quite a lot since leaving Winterfell, but fate finally gave him a break when he met the Wildling Ygritte. Despite their opposing backgrounds, the two eventually fall for each other. The kiss they share atop the Wall is definitely a sweet moment, but it just doesn’t compare to when Jon breaks his vow and makes love to her in a cave. There’s definitely an abundance of sex in “Game of Thrones,” but few of those scenes has been as sweet and emotional as this moment in the cave. The intensity of the scene and genuine chemistry between Jon and Ygritte makes the whole affair not only steamy but also quite beautiful.

“Mockingbird”

Littlefinger is a pretty horrendous person, but at least we enjoy watching his scheming ways. Lysa Arryn on the other hand, not so much. Lysa has always been a vindictive and jealous woman, especially when it comes to her sister Catelyn and eventual husband Littlefinger. So when Lysa witnesses Littlefinger creepily kiss Catelyn’s daughter Sansa, you know she’s gonna throw a hissy fit. Blaming the completely wrong person, Lysa threatens to throw Sansa out of the Eyrie’s Moon Door to her death hundreds of feet below, but Littlefinger talks her down. In a savagely satisfying moment, Littlefinger outright rejects Lysa’s affections before giving her a taste of her own medicine. We love wondering what went through her head on the way down.

“The Winds of Winter” & “The Dragon and the Wolf”

A longstanding fan theory was that R + L = J, meaning that the supposed coupling of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark resulted in the birth of Jon Snow. This of course would have major implications on the world at large, so imagine our satisfaction when it turned out to be true. In the Season 6 finale, Bran has a vision that takes him to Jon’s birth, confirming Lyanna’s motherhood. Of course, that was just half of the equation, and it wouldn’t be until the next season that Rhaegar’s involvement was confirmed, which made us even more giddy. Still, it was a bit of a double-edged sword, as with it came the knowledge that Dany is Jon’s aunt, which makes the same episode very complicated.

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

Season 8 was and remains very polarizing, but one moment fans can agree works completely is Brienne being knighted. As a woman, Brienne’s dream of knighthood was consistently scoffed at, despite her being worthier and more capable than most men. After Brienne vouches for Jaime’s character to the Queen of Dragons herself, Jaime later returns the favor and rights a wrong that’s much overdue. In the lead-up to the Battle of Winterfell, the subject of Brienne’s knighthood is brought up. Realizing he has the authority to change her status, Jaime has Brienne kneel and knights her himself. It’s an emotional moment, and seeing the pure joy in Brienne’s eyes is everything we could’ve wanted.

“The Children”

Tywin Lannister is both a ruthless tyrant and a complete badass. We certainly respect him for his ability to command and his unrelenting devotion to the legacy of his House. However, fans will likely never forgive him for his treatment of his son, Tyrion. Humiliated and verbally abused his whole life, Tyrion’s breaking point comes when he realizes that his own father has not only sentenced him to death, but also turned the love of his life, Shea, against him and slept with her. As expected, Tyrion is both enraged and heartbroken by this revelation, and this ultimately leads to the father-son confrontation in a privy that would be their last. A Lannister always pays his debts.

“The Dance of Dragons”

We knew it was only a matter of time before Dany got on the back of one of her dragons, but “Game of Thrones” definitely made us wait for it. Still, when it finally happened in Season 5, no one was complaining. Here, Dany is watching battles in Meereen’s fighting pit when the Sons of the Harpy suddenly attack. Outnumbered, it looks like some of our favorite characters will perish when they hear the fortuitous sound of a dragon. In swoops Drogon, who begins decimating the nascent threat. As if the moment wasn’t badass enough, Dany finally manages to tame Drogon into letting her ride him out of the pit. This is “Game of Thrones” fan service done right.

“Home”

Jon Snow’s murder practically broke the Internet, as fans were forced to wait until Season 6 to find out if their favorite bastard would eventually be brought back to life. Resurrection was always a possibility in the minds of eager fans, especially after we saw what the Red Priests could do thanks to the power of the Lord of Light. At the urging of Sir Davos, Melisandre attempts to bring the fallen Lord Commander back from the dead. Alas, the Red Woman seems to have failed, and as the episode draws to a close, we’re treated to a lingering shot of Jon’s corpse… which ends when he draws his first breath of new life. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Jon’s eyes finally re-opened.

“The Queen’s Justice”

Probably more than any other character, Olenna Tyrell is one we could’ve used more from, even though she makes it all the way to Season 7. But while several “Game of Thrones” favorites meet their ends, no one goes out like an absolute boss quite like Olenna. After Jaime leads the Lannister forces in easily taking Highgarden, Olenna knows her time has come. Despite being critical of Jaime and Cersei, Olenna gets the former to give her a painless poison. After taking it, Olenna proudly reveals that she was the one who killed Joffrey and set in motion so much suffering for the Lannisters. Before dying, she tells Jaime to make sure Cersei knows it was her. Mic dropped.

“The Winds of Winter”

The breakout character from the sixth season was by far the young ruler of Bear Island. Yes, she may be a small child, but we soon learn that Lyanna Mormont has more guts than most of the Northern Lords combined, and does not take crap from anyone! She’s one of the first to pledge her loyalty to Jon, but her crowning moment comes after the reclaiming of Winterfell, where she calls out all those that failed to align themselves with the Starks, only to then inspire them by proclaiming Jon Snow to be the true King in the North. For such a little girl she sure makes one hell of an impact!

“A Golden Crown”

Viserys Targaryen is not a good brother by any stretch of the imagination. Hiding behind his name and selling his own sister in exchange for an army, he believes that he’s owed the Iron Throne as a birthright. Unfortunately, his plans come undone when Daenerys and her Dothraki husband Khal Drogo end up actually falling in love. In a drunken rage, Viserys threatens her unborn child during a celebration. This proves to be a fatal mistake, as Khal Drogo doesn’t take too kindly to this. He has his Bloodriders break Viserys’s arm before they hold him down and give him the crown he’s always wanted… in the form of burning-hot molten gold. That’s gotta hurt.

“The Winds of Winter”

Cersei became the real villain of “Game of Thrones” in the later seasons, and seeing her reap what she sewed at the hands of the High Sparrow does lead to some satisfying moments here and there. However, Cersei’s inevitable rise back to power leads to one of the show’s most shocking moments, so much so that we can’t not be satisfied by it. With Cersei set to be put on trial, virtually everyone is gathered in the Great Sept. However, with Cersei’s absence, it becomes evident something else is brewing. Indeed, a cache of wildfire is ignited, obliterating the Sept and taking out all of Cersei’s enemies in King’s Landing in one fell swoop. Honestly, we’ve never seen such an awesome power play.

“The Lion and the Rose”

Joffrey Baratheon will go down in history as one of television’s most hated villains. Despite being so young, his sadistic nature, murderous habits, cowardice, and the abuse he inflicts on Tyrion and Sansa makes him an utterly detestable king. Season after season, fans cried out for this little bastard to bite the dust, and the creators answered in spectacular fashion. On the day of his wedding, during one of his normal tirades, the boy king succumbs to a poison known as the Strangler. While he was deserving of a much harsher death, watching the tyrant struggle to breathe as his body is left as nothing more than a grotesque husk is wholly satisfying.

“The Laws of Gods and Men”

Few would argue that Tyrion Lannister is the best character on “Game of Thrones.” And while almost every episode is filled with his profound musings and witty dialogue, nothing will ever top his appearance in court. With Tyrion erroneously on trial for the murder of Joffrey Baratheon, several characters give baseless testimonies against him. Incensed, Tyrion demands a platform to confess. Instead, he confesses to not being the monster everyone thinks he is, laying out some hard truths about the way people see him. As baleful as Tyrion’s remarks are, we’re absolutely in his corner as Peter Dinklage gives the performance of his career. Seriously, you’d be hard-pressed to find a “Game of Thrones” moment as dramatically compelling as this.

“The Winds of Winter”

Walder Frey quickly established himself as one of “Game of Thrones’” most detestable characters after he hosted and helped organize the deaths of Robb and Catelyn Stark – not to mention Robb’s pregnant wife. Vengeance for the Starks comes unexpectedly, however, as a nameless servant reveals to Frey that she’s killed and baked his sons into a pie. This revelation is quickly followed by another, when the servant girl exposes herself as none other than Arya Stark, who then proceeds to avenge her mother and brother. Her killing of Trant and reclaiming of her name may be worthy of praise, but this death is particularly satisfying.

“The Dragon and the Wolf”

Littlefinger spent his whole life conspiring against and manipulating people into getting what he wants, using chaos to climb the ladder that is power. So it was only a matter of time before that chaos came back to bite him for good. During his time at Winterfell, Littlefinger tries to pit Sansa and Arya against each other, sewing distrust in each. Eventually, Sansa seems to confront Arya in the Great Hall, only to turn the spotlight on Littlefinger. Turns out the Stark sisters have been wise to Littlefinger’s ways, and promptly put him on trial for seven seasons of betrayals. Littlefinger can only blubber and beg for his life before Arya swiftly ends him in one of the show’s most satisfying moments.

“And Now His Watch Is Ended”

During Daenerys’s visit to the city of Astapor, she’s greeted by a slave master whose vocabulary mostly consists of slurs, slander and insults towards her. And to this point, as viewers, we’re all under the impression that Dany has no idea what he’s talking about, and that trading one of her dragons, even for an army like the Unsullied, is a huge mistake. Turns out that Daenerys Stormborn is no fool, and is able to understand the slaver the whole time due to her fluency in High Valyrian. She rewards his malicious words by letting Drogon rain fiery hell down upon him and all his cohorts. With the masters finally dead, Dany and her new army of Unsullied march on.

“Battle of the Bastards”

You have to give credit to Ramsay; he faces some stiff competition on his way to becoming the most sadistic antagonist in Westeros. Nevertheless, we have to bestow that honor upon the bastard. He tortures Theon, abuses Sansa, has his stepmother and newborn brother fed to the hounds - the list of atrocities he’s perpetrated goes on and on. Watching Jon beat his face bloody is definitely worth celebrating, as is the taking back of Winterfell, but Ramsay’s ultimate fate is the cherry on top of it all. As revenge for all the pain he put her through, Sansa unleashes Ramsay’s own starving hounds upon him. We all share Sansa’s smile as we hear his screams of pain.