Few shows get to air for nine seasons, especially when they are targeted towards teens. One Tree Hill was able to maintain its quality and ratings for longer than most CW dramas that were on at a similar time frame. The series starts off with Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (James Lafferty), two boys who share the same father, having to learn to set their differences aside when they join the Tree Hill Ravens.

The series does follow the main characters beyond their time on the river court playing basketball, with Lucas, Nathan, and others enduring losses and having their dreams come true throughout the seasons. With over 187 episodes in total, the following list narrows down to the 10 best of the entire series.

10 'Danny Boy'

Season 9, Episode 11

Dan (Paul Johansson) starts off as the villain, but somewhere along the way, he begins to redeem himself by always showing up to save Nathan from danger and establishing a close connection with his grandson, Jamie (Jackson Brundage). Although Season 9 felt a bit off due to Nathan's kidnapping storyline, it did give the show's antihero a proper resolution.

In Episode 11, Dan's life hangs by a thread after he gets shot while trying to help Nathan escape. As he lies in a hospital bed, the character has the chance to have an emotional farewell with his son, Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz), his grandchildren, and even his dead brother, Keith (Craig Sheffer). Throughout the seasons, Dan's urge to do good after killing Keith in Season 3 allows him to reconnect with his brother in the afterlife. The scene they share in the high school hall where everything went down between them is an instant tearjerker, and allows the series' villain to be forgiven for all the wrong he did in the past.

9 'Pilot'

Season 1, Episode 1

Nothing beats a good introduction to the main characters and the world they live in. The One Tree Hill pilot is easily one of the best episodes of the entire series, and sets the stage for the rift between Lucas and Nathan, half-brothers who despise each other and end up in the same basketball team.

From Lucas and Peyton (Hilarie Burton) having their first conversation to the two brothers having an epic face-off on the river court, there are many moments in this episode that stand out and are referenced later in the series. Peyton driving a Comet when the traffic light is red, the show's theme song, and Lucas wearing a gray hoodie while dribbling a ball across the bridge, have all become core symbols of the OTH world because of the pilot.

8 'Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly'

Season 6, Episode 3

Grief is a prevalent feeling in this CW drama, since various characters have died throughout the course of the show. Yet, one of the most heart-wrenching deaths depicted in the series was Quentin's (Robbie Jones). The character was introduced in Season 5 as a troublesome basketball player with an attitude that mirrored Nathan's rebelliousness in Season 1. As the two begin to train together and become friends, Quentin's life and dream to become an NBA player is cut short when fans least expected.

Not only was he a close friend to Nathan, but he also became a figure that Jamie looked up to. Seeing a child navigate grief is truly devastating, thus why this episode is so touching. It's title, "Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly", is a direct reference to the scene in which Jamie puts a superhero cape over Quentin's coffin and holds Brooke's (Sophia Bush) hand (an emotional moment for any viewer).

7 'The Game That Plays Us'

Season 1, Episode 22

Season 1 ended with a bang, and really set the precedent for the other season finales of the show. Not only did Nathan and Haley tell Lucas that they got married after the Ravens lost their game, but Dan ends up having a stroke as he is signing the papers to get divorced from Deb (Barbara Allyn Woods). It really is one chaotic moment after the next, which makes for an engaging watch from start to finish.

This is also a pivotal moment for the brothers at the heart of the series. After all, despite losing their basketball game, Lucas and Nathan are just happy to be on good terms. Although the two draw closer by the end of the season, the opposite is true for Dan and Keith, whose rivalry reaches a new high when the latter sleeps with his brother's wife.

6 'All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone'

Season 4, Episode 21

OTH is notorious for its season finales and the last episode of Season 4 offered the closure needed before the time jump that happens in Season 5. With the lead characters leaving high school behind, everyone is excited about their future endeavors. The episode is a roller coaster ride, with Haley going into labor and Karen (Moira Kelly) being taken to the hospital for an emergency procedure at the same time. Although everything ends well for both characters, viewers can't help but get tense about Karen dying before giving birth to her and Keith's daughter.

The Season 4 finale also ends in celebration, with the main characters reuniting for a graduation party where everyone makes amends and enjoys their last moments alongside their high school colleagues. The group dances to the Spice Girls and even sign their names on the river court, saying goodbye to their go-to spot. When they play ball for the last time all together, it feels like the perfect way to end their teenage years.

5 'Remember Me as a Time of Day'

Season 6, Episode 24

Another memorable season finale, "Remember Me as a Time of Day", also begins at the hospital with Peyton in critical condition. Once again, nothing tragic happens as she gets better and is able to finally live out her dream of being a mother. Other exciting moments take place in this episode, including Nathan getting the news that he got into the NBA. After his complicated journey to get back in shape since the accident at the beginning of Season 5, it is heartwarming to see the main character achieve his long-term goal.

Love is on the air by the end of the episode, with Brooke finally admitting her love for Julian (Austin Nichols) after seeing each other at Lucas and Peyton's wedding. After their slow burn start, it is nice to see them finally become a couple. This is also the send-off for Lucas and Peyton, who move to L.A. with their newborn and say goodbye to Tree Hill. It is bittersweet to see the two characters leave the show for good, but at least they get a happy ending.

4 'Pictures of You'

Season 4, Episode 13

Time and time again, YA TV shows give an ode to The Breakfast Club. Although One Tree Hill does have a John Hughes-themed episode in Season 7, "Pictures of You" channels the director's beloved film perfectly. This episode challenges the main characters to get to know their peers at a deeper level before graduation.

In an hour, everyone is paired up with someone they aren't as close to, and they share with one another some of their greatest insecurities. Brooke's iconic moment in front of a projector with words scribbled over her really captures the challenges of being a teenager with an urge to fit in.

3 'The Show Must Go On'

Season 3, Episode 22

Season 3 is arguably one of the show's best when it comes to Naley. After all, the couple starts the season with separate lives and are able to progressively get back together, renewing their wedding vows. Nathan and Haley's dream wedding is an important moment for them and for other characters in the show. Brooke finds out that Lucas and Peyton kissed again and the ill-fated couple parts ways during the wedding reception.

Rachel (Daneel Harris), who is still not over Cooper (Michael Trucco), puts him on blast at the party, leading to dramatic repercussions. Like any great finale, the episode ends on a cliffhanger, with a car crash that leaves Haley in her wedding gown in the middle of a bridge crying for help. It's a crazy turn of events, from a beautiful ceremony to a life and death accident.

2 'With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Sleep'

Season 3, Episode 16

One Tree Hill was forever changed after the school shooting episode. When the outcast, Jimmy Edwards (Colin Fickes), arrives at school with a gun in hand, he threatens to hurt his classmates if they decide to react. Everyone is terrified of not making out of campus alive.

Things take a drastic turn when Keith gets into the school and tries to convince Jimmy to drop the firearm. Instead of killing Keith, the teen takes his own life in the middle of the hallway. When it seemed like the situation couldn't get any worse, Dan shows up and shoots his brother in cold blood, a decision that changes the character forever (as previously mentioned).

1 'Some You Give Away'

Season 4, Episode 9

Last but not least, "Some You Give Away" marks the Ravens' big championship win. As the team is finally able to honor their coach with a trophy, there is joy coming from all directions. Haley tells Nathan that she is expecting a son and Lucas finally professes his feelings for Peyton, with the two sharing an epic kiss in the middle of the basketball court.

Although the episode does end with Haley getting into an accident, the events prior to it make for a memorable moment for the main siblings. After all, they argue leading up to the game, but towards the end, they decide to work as a team and their victory marks a sweet payoff.

All nine seasons of One Tree Hill are streaming on Max.

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