Top 10 Jon Snow Moments

After being murdered by a handful of his own men for being a traitor, Jon rises from the dead and seeks revenge on those that killed him. And who wouldn't? Making an example of his executioners, he lines them up, gives a quick word or two and then lets them hang until they are dead. It’s dirty work, especially as one of them is a boy who used to worship Jon and be his personal steward. But it’s something he must do as a leader.

There’s a lot of ego, flirting and pride flying about with King of the North Jon and Dragon Queen Daenerys. They know they need each other to fight the army of the dead, yet neither wants to be the other's subordinate. However, following a dramatic spear-hurling, dragon-slaying encounter beyond the wall, Jon realises that it’s time to finally “bend the knee” and call Daenerys his queen. It’s a subtle scene, but one that brings the two leaders closer together - and shows us that Jon is clearly looking at the bigger picture.

Some of us are fighters, while others have book smarts. Samwell Tarly is definitely one of the latter. Although he later becomes an integral part of key plot lines, our introduction to Sam sees him anxiously waddle into the training arena of The Night’s Watch, only to be beaten to the ground in a matter of seconds. Although everyone’s quick to ridicule Sam, Jon sticks up for him, proving that even early on he showed the paternal signs of a leader. And that he can fight like a boss.

Nobody has ever disputed Jon Snow’s bravery and leadership qualities. But whether he should be Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch is a different matter. With all of its members sat around wondering who to appoint as their leader, Sam steps up and throws Jon’s hat into the ring, somewhat to Jon’s dismay. And it’s Sam’s speech that sells it, with everyone soon realising that he is the one to lead them forward. Well, almost everyone. Some people have greatness thrust upon them.

There’s giants stomping, arrows flying and bodies burning aplenty during the Wildling siege on Castle Black, but the highlight has got to be Jon’s showdown with the cannibalistic Styr. After killing numerous enemy footsoldiers, Jon and Styr set their sights on each other. What follows is a nail biting battle where we’re never sure which way it’s going to go. And after face planting an anvil, we think yep, Jon is done for. Then this happens… headache much.

Janos Slynt and Jon Snow never really saw eye-to-eye, with Janos always quick to throw in a cheap dig. But with Jon now Lord Commander, he can’t afford to be seen as weak, especially in front of his men. So, when Janos insults Jon by refusing to follow an order, Jon decides that enough is enough - and sends him to the chopping block. Convinced it’s just scare tactics, Janos soon realises that Jon’s not bluffing, and begins to beg for mercy. But it’s too late.

Eliminating a member of the army of the dead is no easy task. No weapon can hurt them, they have superhuman strength, and they just keep going and going. Valyrian steel however, will do the job. Although Jon’s sword Longclaw is made of the super-rare metal, in this scene, he’s still unaware of its effectiveness against them. Tussling tirelessly in a fiery wreckage, he manages to escape, grab his sword - and then the rest is history. The look on the White Walkers face before he’s shattered to pieces - priceless.

The relationship between Jon and Wildling Ygritte is one of the best, and most complicated of the series. And with both of them being from opposing armies, it’s naturally frowned upon by others. But that doesn't stop them from pursuing, flirting with and eventually making love to each other. It’s something all fans wished for, but were never quite sure they’d see - especially considering Jon’s Night's Watch vows. Thankfully though, Jon let’s love prevail - and in a cave of all places.

As mentioned, Jon is betrayed and murdered by some of his men at Castle Black, but it’s not your bog standard execution. Branded a traitor, many of his men line-up to take turns stabbing him, each of them stating it’s “for the watch”. Confused, shocked and bleeding out, Jon falls to his knees, looking around for salvation, only to be confronted by his young friend and admirer Olly, who finishes the job. The “Game of Thrones” community was up in arms - but not for long.

In many ways, the Battle of the Bastards is a culmination of everything Jon Snow has worked towards and overcome. WIlling to sacrifice his life - again - for his people, and heading fearlessly towards a wall of enemies, Jon fights Ramsay Bolton’s army in one of the series’ bloodiest battles. Jon wins, with a little help from The Knights of the Vale, leaving Ramsey to flee to Winterfell. But Jon’s not finished there. He chases Ramsey down and gloriously beats him to a pulp.