Game of Thrones: 10 Episodes With The Best Battles

With HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, set to come out sometime in 2022, many fans are excited to meet the new characters and see what storylines will unfold. Since Game of Thrones did a great job in increasing the political tensions between the Houses and produced some amazing fight sequences, fans are hoping that House of the Dragon will continue to keep up with this legacy.

They will certainly have their work cut out for them when it comes to battle sequences too since Game of Thrones had quite a few memorable ones that are still talked about to this day. In fact, there was even one episode that broke an Emmy record (via The Guardian). If the showrunners want to produce something just as iconic as those, they might be best looking at some of Game of Thrones’ greatest battle sequences.

The Door (S6 Ep5)

Season 6’s “The Door” was a monumental episode in which viewers learned the backstory of Hodor and why he can only say his name. This is also when Bran really took over as the Three-Eyed Raven and developed a psychic link with the Night King.

While the battle portions of this episode are quite violent, a great loss is felt by the House of Stark as they lost one of their most beloved allies. Although the death of Hodor and two wolves is devastating, the fans were intrigued to see how the other Houses would fair against The White Walkers since they were proving that they meant business and weren’t going to be beat easily.

The Mountain and the Viper (S4 Ep8)

After Tyrion is found guilty of murder, he requests a trial by combat (which then takes place in “The Mountain and the Viper”). Prince Oberyn of Dorn fights as Tyrion’s champion against The Mountain.

The battle is so intense, as Tyrion’s fate is reliant on beating someone never defeated in combat before. The fight had the audience at the edge of their seats the entire time and had them shouting at their screens for Oberyn to kill The Mountain when he looked to have bested him. However, due to Oberyn making a bad decision, Game of Thrones fans had to watch as another fan-favorite character.

The Spoils of War (S7 Ep4)

The first battle between the Lannister army and Daenerys’ can be seen in “The Spoils of War.” As Lannister forces make their way back to King’s Landing after they attacked High Garden, Daenerys’ Dothraki hoard charge at the army.

In this battle, Jaime realizes that the Lannister armies are going to be no match for Daenerys’ dragons. The battle itself is entertaining to watch as the fighting choreography between the soldiers as well as the visual effects of Drogon’s fire blasts are exactly what viewers wanted. This episode just serves to show how much stronger Daenerys is than any other army in Westeros and how close she is in achieving her main goal.

The Dance of Dragons (S5 Ep9)

Season 5’s “The Dance of Dragons” is the first time that Daenerys realizes that the greatest weapons in her arsenal are her dragons.  The Sons of Harpy launch a surprise attack, catching Daenerys and her army off guard as they are greatly outnumbered. However, just as it seems that this might be the end for The Mother of Dragons, Drogon swoops down and torches many of the enemies in an arena where bloodshed is commonplace.

This is the episode in which Daenerys fully embraces her lineage and truly becomes The Mother of Dragons. Not only did it show one of Daenerys’ most iconic GoT scenes when she climbed onto the back of Drogon and flies out of the fighting pits but the battle was also one that had the viewers on the edge of their seats too. It was the first time the viewers genuinely felt that Daenerys life was on the line, which just proved that maybe she wasn’t as invincible as she believed herself to be.

Beyond the Wall (S7 Ep6)

One of the best battles with the White Walkers occurred in “Beyond the Wall.” Jon Snow, along with some of the best fighters, head North of the Wall to capture one of the undead soldiers in the Night King’s army to prove to Cersei that the White Walkers are the real threat.

This is such a suspenseful and dramatic episode, making that audience think some of the most beloved characters might die multiple times during the battle with the undead army. Dany and her dragons come to the rescue although not without a cost (as the Night King became GoT’s most feared villain when he killed one of the dragons).

Battle of Blackwater (S2 Ep9)

The first major battle in the series was in “Blackwater.” The battle that the first two seasons had been building up towards had some serious ramifications afterward. Stannis’ attempt to claim the throne was essentially squashed, Joffery was exposed as the coward the audience always knew him to be, Tyrion became a hero and the Tyrell family saved King’s Landing, (forging one of the most important alliances for seasons to come).

The actual fighting scenes are chaotic and brutal, making the audience feel like they are right in the middle of the battle. This was also the episode that really showed what Game of Thrones as a series was capable of.

The Watchers on the Wall (S4 Ep9)

“The Watchers on the Wall” was an extremely emotional episode as many members of the Knight’s Watch perish in battle with the wildlings. Jon Snow emerges from this episode as a true leader and one of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms.

Although he would never be the same as he watched the woman he loved die before his eyes, The fight sequences and choreography were extremely impressive (something that Game of Thrones did so well time and time again).

Hardhome (S5 Ep8)

“Hardhome” was an episode that really showed the White Walkers true might and why they were the ultimate villain in the series. As Jon makes the voyage to a wildling camp in an attempt to bring them to the South of the Wall, they are attacked by the White Walkers and their army.

This is the first time Jon faces off against the army of the dead and fights and kills a White Walker.  The battle scenes are both entertaining and intense. By also getting a glimpse of the Night King’s awesome power, the viewers wanted to see what else the villain was capable of since they proved they wouldn’t be an ordinary foe. It just made fans excited for the episodes to come.

The Long Night (S8 Ep3)

“The Long Night,” was the single, most expensive battle ever filmed on television or film (via The Washington Post). This was the ultimate battle between the White Walkers and humankind that writers had been building up to since the very first episode of the series.

From the fighting, the incredible visual and special effects, to the music, this episode was amazing. Arya Stark exemplified unparalleled bravery in her first real battle and ended up saving all of Westeros, as the unlikely hero to kill the Night King.

Battle of the Bastards (S6 Ep9)

One of the best battles in television history, “Battle of the Bastards,” was arguably Jon Snow’s greatest display of bravery. Viewers were left speechless at the scale of this episode. It was so brilliantly shot, it could easily be a contender for the greatest battle in cinematic history.

The entire battle seemed as if evil was going to triumph over good despite the incredible heroics of Jon Snow’s skills as a swordsman until the Knights of the Vale come to the rescue and defeat the Bolton army in one of the most welcome surprises in Game of Thrones.