10 Best Plot Twists In Game Of Thrones, Ranked

Even though it maybe didn’t stick the landing, Game of Thrones was one of the biggest phenomena in television history. While the epic scale of the series and the fantasy adventure certainly drew many viewers in, it was the consistently shocking and unpredictable storyline that kept people coming back for more.

The show delighted in throwing audiences a curveball and playing against their expectations for the plotlines and the characters. While not all of the twists worked, some were so brilliant it helped make the show one of the most talked-about things in pop culture. Here are the best plot twists in Game of Thrones.

10 Arya Kills The Night King

The threat of the White Walkers was introduced in the very first scene in the series. Since then, fans were eagerly anticipating what their invasion of Westeros would mean for the heroes. In the end, it was a bit of an anti-climax, but the moment they are defeated is an underrated moment in the series.

While many fans anticipated that Jon Snow would be the one to kill the Night King and win the war, he proved to be pretty useless in the battle. The final blow came down to Arya who, after years of training and being armed with the Valyrian steel dagger, was really the perfect choice.

9 Daenerys Is The Mad Queen

From that moment in Season 1 when she emerges from the fire with three baby dragons, Daenerys Targaryen was a hero who was easy to root for. As the series went on, she proved herself to be a true badass that many fans wanted to see on the Iron Throne.

However, once she arrived in Westeros, Daenerys changed. She grew darker and darker until that shocking moment when she burned King’s Landing and killed countless innocent people. It was certainly a fascinating conclusion for the character. It’s just a shame that arc was so rushed.

8 Jon Snow’s Death And Resurrection

Game of Thrones had made a reputation for itself as a show that was willing to kill off anyone. But it still came as a massive shock when Jon Snow was betrayed by his Night’s Watch brothers and stabbed to death.

Though there was plenty of speculation among the fandom, the show did an admirable job convincing us that one of the main characters had really been killed off. That helped make his eventual resurrection one of the most suspenseful moments on the show. Though it received a mixed reaction, it remains unforgettable.

7 Oberyn Martell’s Death

Oberyn Martell was an instantly entertaining character when he was introduced in Season 4 of the show. The Red Viper of Dorne was said to be one of the most skilled fighters in Westeros, and he hated the Lannisters more than anyone.

When Tyrion demands trial by combat after he is accused of killing Joffrey, Oberyn volunteers to fight for him, taking the opportunity for revenge against The Mountain. While Oberyn proves to be the more skilled fighter, The Mountain manages to get his hands on him and crush his skull in one of the show’s most gruesome deaths.

6 Cersei Burns Them All

Cersei Lannister had proven herself to be one of the evilest and most powerful people in Westeros. However, in Season 6, she found herself in a vulnerable situation. The High Sparrow had taken control of the throne, Tommen had all but disowned her, and she had few allies in King’s Landing.

However, she still had some tricks up her sleeve. As all her enemies were gathered in the Sept of Baelor, Cersei executed a plot to ignite the wildfire cache hidden under the sept, enveloping her foes in the brutal green flames.

5 Joffrey’s Death

Few characters on the show were as despised as Joffrey Baratheon and fans could not wait to see him get the death he deserved. But with Robb Stark dead and the Lannisters seemingly victorious in the War of the Five Kings, it didn’t look like he’d be killed anytime soon.

But in a bit of poetic justice, as Joffrey celebrates his own wedding with pie and wine, he is poisoned and painfully chokes to death in a gloriously drawn-out fashion.

4 Truth About The Kingslayer

For the first couple of seasons, Jaime Lannister was another character that was easy to hate. When he pushed Bran out the window in the first episode it proved he wasn’t a very good guy. And then there is the story of how he murdered the Mad King who he was sworn to protect with a cowardly stab in the back, earning him the nickname The Kingslayer.

Season 3 finds Jaime humbled after losing his hand, so he has a rare vulnerable moment with Brienne. He explains that the Mad King planned to burn all of King’s Landing with wildfire and Jaime killed him to save the city. It is a revelation that changes the audience’s view of Jaime.

3 Jon Snow Is A Targaryen

Fans of the book had been speculating about Jon Snow’s true parentage for years, and some even correctly predicted the truth. However, it still made the reveal within the show a powerful moment.

Though he was long thought to be the bastard son of Ned Stark, a flashback reveals Jon Snow is actually the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, making him the true heir to the Iron Throne. Even though it didn’t come as a surprise to everyone, it was an epic reveal that cemented Jon as the central character of the story.

2 Ned’s Execution

Though the show had always been a massive ensemble, the first season of the show seemed to set up Ned Stark as the true hero of the story. He was an honorable family man who sought only to do what is right while surrounded by evil people.

However, that outlook proved to be his downfall as Ned was arrested for treason. Though he was convinced to ask for mercy, King Joffrey instead orders his head to be cut off. From that moment on, fans knew no character was truly safe.

1 The Red Wedding

After the death of Ned Stark, many of the hopes of the fans passed on to Robb Stark. The young King in the North had proven to be an effective commander who had won every battle and seemed like the person who could avenge his father.

But Robb made many of the same mistakes Ned did and found himself surrounded by enemies without knowing it. While at a wedding hosted by Walder Frey, Robb and his army are ambushed resulting in his death, the death of his mother, his pregnant wife, and most of his army in one brutal moment.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2045 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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