Game of Thrones launched in 2011 on HBO as a fantasy-drama TV series based on George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novels.
After it’s release, the show’s high-stakes and unpredictable moments made it one of the most popular series’ of all time, with the final season drawing in a staggering 44 million viewers.
Following the success of ‘House of the Dragon’, a prequel of the show revolving around the silver-haired dragon-riding Targaryen family, another spin-off of GOT began production.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ was scheduled for a 2025 release, but was unfortunately pushed back to 2026, causing uncertainty for fans who were ready for new GOT related content.
Fans flooded X (formerly Twitter), to express their frustrations with the delay with one fan saying: “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being delayed has really done a number on me, because wtf do you mean I have to wait until 2026”.
The final season of GOT faced controversy for demonstrating a remarkable drop in quality compared to its earlier seasons, which has fans wondering if the new spin off will live up to the glory of its predecessor in its prime.
It’s hard to say whether the new spin-off will compare to the show on which it is based, and with this delay, we aren’t going to find out any time soon.
As we wait for a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, lets review the top 5 moments from Game of Thrones which had fans falling in love with the world of Westeros.
5. Oberyn Martell vs The Mountain, Season 4 Episode 8
The Season Four episode ‘The Mountain and the Viper’ saw Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) battle The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) in a trial by combat to determine the innocence of Tyrion Lannister, who was accused of killing the King earlier in the season.
However, for Oberyn the fight had a deeper meaning, with him using the battle as a means to extract a confession of guilt from his enemy about raping and killing his sister and her children.
In one of the most shocking moments of the show, Oberyn’s apparent victory is squandered as he gets too confident, resulting in his head being crushed by The Mountain and Tyrion receiving a guilty verdict.
4. Ned Stark Execution, Season 1 Episode 9
In the penultimate episode of season 1, the apparent main character of the show – Ned Stark (Sean Bean) – is beheaded in a surprise twist.
This death, despite taking place early in the show, left a lasting mark on audiences, and really let viewers know that no one is safe.
The execution was ordered by the evil King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), despite pleas from his mother, the Queen.
Prior to the execution, he had promised to show mercy for Ned to his daughter, cementing himself as being one of the most hated characters in television.
3. Battle of Blackwater Bay, Season 2 Episode 9
The ninth episode of season 2 featured a unique episode revolving around Stannis Baratheon’s (Stephen Dillane) siege on Kings Landing, the capital of Westeros.
Unlike usual episodes, which fluctuate between the different storylines across Westeros and Essos, ‘Blackwater’ follows the storylines in Kings Landing exclusively, including the defence of the city against Stannis’ forces.
This episode is the first time a battle of such magnitude is seen in the show, and the demolition of Stannis’ fleet with wildfire cements it as a legendary and unforgettable moment.
2. Cersei blows up the Great Sept, Season 6 Episode 10.
Episode 10 of the sixth season opens with a bang (literally) as we see many major characters gather in the Great Sept of Baelor for the trial of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey).
The intense score builds continuously as Cersei’s plan is slowly revealed to the audience, resulting in a jaw dropping moment as the sept is completely eviscerated along with all the characters inside.
This moment solidified Cersei as an amazing antagonist, as audiences can’t help but share her satisfaction as she sips her wine and watches all who opposed her burn from the safety of the Red Keep.
The intensity of this moment is only amplified by the following scene, which shows King Tommen throw himself from his window – unable to live without his queen who perished in the explosion.
1. The Red Wedding, Season 3 Episode 9
The penultimate episodes of each season of Game of thrones find themselves as representing the show at its best, and the ninth episode of season three is no different.
This episode saw Robb Stark (Richard Madden) visit The Twins for his uncle’s wedding to one of Walder Frey’s daughters alongside his pregnant wife, mother and armies.
Previously, Robb himself was supposed to be the one to marry a Frey, but he broke his oath for love, and married Lady Talisa (Oona Chaplin) instead.
As the wedding begins, we see events unfold from the point of view of Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley), whose suspicions are initially raised when ‘The Rains of Castamere’ begins playing, (the theme of house Lannister, who Robb is currently at war with).
Tension slowly builds as audiences begin to realise that something is wrong, and before long, chaos breaks out and several characters fall.
The scene is equal parts shocking and heart-breaking, with several beloved characters meeting their untimely end at the hands of the Freys, including Robb – who gets stabbed in the heart after being told “The Lannisters send their regards”, and his wife and unborn child.
Michelle Fairley’s acting performance is breath-taking, with Catelyn’s scream of complete agony before having her throat slit being the last thing we hear before the credits roll in silence, allowing audiences to stop and process what they have just seen.
From wedding massacres to violent and shocking deaths of main characters, Game of Thrones has a surplus of moments which made viewers fall in love with the world and characters of Westeros.
As we reminisce on these moments, we can look to the future and hope that future spin-offs such as ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ can give us moments such as these and live up to the greatness of its predecessor.
