Season 1: "Winter is Coming"
The first sighting of The Wall is a breathtaking introduction to the world of Game of Thrones, where impossibly massive defensive structures created entirely out of ice can exist. It's the most iconic location in the story, and one that's seen its fair share of strife ever since season one — with no signs of slowing down.
Season 1: "Winter is Coming"
Minutes into the first episode, viewers catch their first look at the White Walkers, the snow-dwelling creatures who speak with a language that sounds like crackling ice, and turn all their murder victims into mindless zombies. The first wight we see, a cold little girl with frozen blue jewels for eyes, remains one of the most unsettling images of the series.
Season 1: "Winter is Coming"
Who knew that Eddard Stark and his sons discovering a litter of dire wolf puppies would change their lives forever? Just as importantly as the introduction of Ghost and his siblings, is the symbolism of House Stark's animal avatar gorged with an antler, representing House Baratheon — which, potentially, represents said house's corruption by the Lannisters. It's the conflict between Ned's family and Cersei's family in one beautifully bloody nutshell.
Season 1: "A Golden Crown"
It does not take long before Daenerys Targaryen graduates from frightened subordinate to a woman who takes charge of her own destiny, and that undeniable strength is on full display as the newly minted Khaleesi feasts on a horse's heart, as part of Dothraki custom. It's a visceral way of conveying Dany's long-in-the-making transformation from child to conquerer.
Season 1: "Baelor"
For anyone who thought they knew how a story like Thrones would unfold, in comes executioner Ilyn Payne's swinging sword to prove them wrong. The sudden death of the show's definitive main character in the penultimate episode of the first season proved that this was no ordinary fantasy series. Subsequent deaths only further that notion, but Ned's beheading remains the moment that changed the game forever.
Season 1: "Fire and Blood"
Daenerys Targaryen not only walked into a burning structure and emerged from the smoking ruins unscathed, she also emerged as the proud mother of three new babies. Baby dragons, that is. Introducing dragons into the world of Thrones was the first major step in bringing magic into the proceedings, and it was presented with an unforgettable look at a naked, unafraid, and positively regal Daenerys.
Season 2: "Blackwater"
It's a veritable fireworks show as only Game of Thrones could ever muster, the explosive culmination of the Battle of the Blackwater. There are countless images one could conjure up in thinking about the penultimate season two episode, one of the show's very best hours, but the neon green wildfire torching Stannis Baratheon's fleet takes the cake.
Season 2: "Valar Morghulis"
"You can never go home again." The old adage acts as one of the key themes in Thrones, and it's epitomized in the image of the smoking ruins of House Stark's castle, a casualty of war owing thanks to the combined stupidity of Theon Greyjoy and the opportunistic nature of House Bolton.
Season 3: "The Climb"
In what's easily the most simultaneously romantic and epic moment in all of Thrones, Jon Snow and his wildling lover Ygritte reach the top of The Wall after a brutally treacherous climb. Their first instinct is to look out to the south at the Seven Kingdoms, a completely foreign world for Ygritte. Their second act? Passionately making out at the highest point in the world. Even Thrones sometimes lets its characters have moments of pure bliss.
Season 3: "Mhyssa"
The exact opposite of "pure bliss," the Red Wedding was an act of cruelty so horrific that the death of Ned Stark looks like child's play in comparison. As with "Blackwater," there are so many images to choose from in this unbearable act of betrayal against the Starks, from Talisa's murder to Catelyn's crying anguish. But it's actually the season three finale, which sees Robb Stark's decapitated body affixed with his direwolf's severed head, that acts as pure nightmare fuel.
Season 3: "Mhyssa"
Ramsay Snow stands revealed, after spending season three physically and psychologically torturing Theon Greyjoy. Episodes after neutering Theon, Ramsay taunts his prisoner by waving a pork sausage in his face. It's dark comedy in its own way, but it's even more a testament to the fact that there is someone even more needlessly cruel than Joffrey Baratheon in Westeros.
Season 4: "Breaker of Chains"
Wicked King Joffrey chokes to death at the end of his wedding ceremony in "The Lion and the Rose," and the subsequent episode immediately begins with an outstandingly prolonged look at the cruel villain's twisted face. It's a swollen purple and poisonous reminder that even the bad guys get what's coming to them on Thrones.
Season 4: "The Laws of Gods and Men"
"I've been on trial for being a dwarf all my life." At long last, Peter Dinklage's Emmy-winning character spits out the words he had been chewing on his entire life, no longer concerned about the consequences of his bitter honesty. It's one of the single best Tyrion moments in the series, and the way he spews venom at everyone around him, after tirelessly working to protect these commoners and his own family, is visually unforgettable.
Season 4: "The Mountain and the Viper"
Yes, bad things happen to bad people in Westeros. Sadly, more often than not, bad things happen to good people. Case in point: Oberyn Martel, whose head is popped like a pimple by his sworn enemy Gregor Clegane after nearly defeating The Mountain in battle. It's easily the most graphic, gruesome death in the show, and one that's haunted viewers ever since — assuming they can get to sleep at all.
Season 4: "The Watchers on the Wall"
Jon Snow cradling the lifeless body of his forbidden lover is the perfect antithesis of his kiss with Ygritte in "The Climb," a sorrowful reminder that all good things come to an end eventually in this journey.
Season 4: "The Children"
The most powerful man in Westeros died not with a roar, but with a plop. Tyrion finally unleashed his lifelong vengeance against his father in the season four finale, unloading multiple crossbow bolts into Tywin during a bathroom break. Fans will never forget the final image of the mighty Tywin Lannister, last seen sitting not on the Iron Throne, but the porcelain one.
Season 4: "The Children"
You can't go home, but you can leave your sordid past behind. After seasons on the run, forced to fend for herself with a rotating cast of captors and protectors, Arya Stark finally leaves Westeros behind, setting forth for new adventures in a new world. Seeing one of the Starks boldly go where no Stark has ever gone before, the wind of the sea blowing through her hair, is a powerful testament to the enduring nature of Arya's family.
Season 5: "Hardhome"
The Night's King stepping out to the water's edge, staring down a departing Jon Snow, arms outstretched and menace in his eyes, raising an army of the undead with casual calm… really, there are no words that can better describe the horror of the moment than the sight itself.
Season 5: "The Dance of Dragons"
Daenerys Targaryen taking flight on the back of her massive dragon Drogon was an astonishing moment five seasons in the making. After seeing her soar through the air above Meereen, the possibilities of Dany and her companion creature are truly endless.
Season 5: "Mother's Mercy"
It's the death that spawned a thousand theories and one, the moment that left fans breathless and hanging onto the edge of a cliff ever since: Jon Snow, flat on his back, bleeding out and staring lifelessly up at the stars. Is he dead? Probably. Is he dead for good? Almost certainly not. But no matter how it shakes out, Jon's cold, bleeding body is one of the most chilling images in all of Thrones.
Season 6: "The Red Woman"
The haunting final image of the season six premiere has less to do with the still-deceased Jon Snow, instead focusing on the woman who will bring him back to life: Melisandre, seen here in her true form for the very first time, revealing the scope of her power as a sorceress and her broken humanity in a single revealing frame.
Season 6: "Home"
"Please, don't eat the help." Tyrion Lannister does his best Quentyn Martell impression (for all you book readers out there), and lives to tell the tale. The visual of Peter Dinklage's witty hero standing next to dragons, realizing a childhood dream, is one of the show's rare images of hopeful wonder — with a bit of fiery will-they-or-won't-they tension to boot.
Season 6: "Home"
While Euron Greyjoy didn't make quite the splash some book-reading fans were hoping in season six, his entrance was nonetheless riveting, filled with dark wings, dark words, and dark actions in the thick of a dark and stormy night.
Season 6: "Home"
As if there was any doubt about his eventual return, Jon Snow's lurching back to life at the end of season six's second episode nonetheless provided a jolt through fandom, and offered an acceleration point on the story as a whole. With Jon back from the dead, what else is possible in the world of Westeros?
Season 6: "Oathbreaker"
One of the most famous passages in George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones involves Ned Stark and fellow soldiers battling it out against Targaryen Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy, a Dornish stronghold where Ned's sister Lyanna was being held captive. The fact that this scene came to life at all on the show was a shock, and an unforgettable image due to the return of young Ned.
Season 6: "Book of the Stranger"
When it comes to the Game of Thrones, you win or you die — and since the Starks lose more often than they don't, it tends to go down in death. But early on in season six, the show defied expectations by putting two Starks back together: Jon and Sansa, reunited at Castle Black, in one of the most genuinely happy moments of the series, and a rare instance of victory for House Stark.
Season 6: "Book of the Stranger"
Daenerys has pulled the "walk into fire, emerge unscathed" routine before, but never as a weapon. In season six, she uses her fireproof powers to incinerate Khal Moro and his blood-riders, subsequently stepping up as the new leader of the Dothraki people in the process, in one glorious blaze of an image.
Season 6: "The Door"
Bran Stark's powers are great, but if misused, can cause a great deal of trouble. Look no further than Bran going AWOL during his training sessions, wading through an army of wights and making contact with the White Walkers on the other side — a mesmerizing image due to the sight of Bran on his two feet, juxtaposed against the great frozen menace of the entire series.
Season 6: "The Door"
The moment speaks for itself. No one will ever forget where they were the night Hodor died, forced to look into the gentle giant's eyes as wights stabbed and clawed at his body and face.
Season 6: "The Door"
Watching Hodor's creation is almost worse than the actual death, as the Jack Bender-directed episode ends with the camera pushing down from above onto young Wylis' face, his three repeated words — "Hold the door! Hold the door!" — quickly merging into one… the word that Thrones fans have used as a rallying call ever since the beginning.
Season 6: "Blood of my Blood"
Few figures in Westeros lore have had a greater impact on current events than Aerys Targaryen, the insane ruler of the Seven Kingdoms before Robert's Rebellion ousted him from the throne. He appears briefly in season six, mania present in his eyes as he shouts commands on his final night of earth — all seen in a quick but deeply unsettling flash.
Season 6: "The Broken Man"
"I'm a tough [expletive] to kill," is Sandor Clegane's reason for why he's still alive after his epic season four fight scene against Brienne of Tarth. Whatever the reason, the first shot of Clegane back in action ranks as one of the most exciting moments in recent Thrones memory, enhanced by the uniqueness of the cold open reveal.
Season 6: "Battle of the Bastards"
Jon Snow knows nothing, and that includes self-control. After Ramsay kills Rickon, Jon gives into the Bastard of Bolton's plans and charges into the battlefield completely on his own, resulting in the first iconic image of the Battle of the Bastards.
Season 6: "Battle of the Bastards"
Things go from bad to worse for Jon and his army, as they're surrounded and trapped by House Bolton's forces in an ever tightening circle of soldiers, shields and spears. The aerial view just as the carnage is set to ensue stands out as one of the epic episode's most epic images.
Season 6: "Battle of the Bastards"
Already resurrected earlier in the season, Jon Snow undergoes another rebirth of sorts, climbing out from under a pile of dead and dying soldiers. Perhaps even more so than the actual resurrection, this image is the one that best represents Jon's journey, always surrounded in death but somehow able to emerge on the other side.
Season 6: "Battle of the Bastards"
The heroes lose much more often than the villains on Game of Thrones, especially where House Bolton is concerned. Consider Ramsay's death a decisive loss, then, as Sansa Stark feeds him to his own hounds. The final shot of Ramsay staring down his beloved dog, salivating with hunger, won't go away from fans' minds any time soon.
Season 6: "The Winds of Winter"
Cersei Lannister eviscerating her enemies in a single burst of wildfire stands out as one of the single most destructive images in Thrones history, eliminating countless characters in one swoop: High Sparrow, Margaery Tyrell, and Lancel Lannister, just to name a few.
Season 6: "The Winds of Winter"
In the aftermath of the wildfire explosion, King Tommen Baratheon ends it all. His final sequence involves the young king decisively walking away from a window, removing his crown off-screen, then power walking right up to the ledge and leaping off without any hesitation. There's almost something rhythmic to the scene, despite being scored by nothing but silence.
Season 6: "The Winds of Winter"
With her enemies vanquished and her son tragically deceased, nothing stands between Cersei and the Iron Throne, at least not immediately. The eldest Lannister sibling wanted nothing more than power for her family throughout Thrones, and here she is, marinating in it after an awful lot of awful effort.
Season 6: "The Winds of Winter"
Who is Jon Snow's mother? The answer comes in during the final moments of "The Winds of Winter," with Jon revealed as the secret son of Lyanna Stark — and therefore also the secret son of Rhaegar Targaryen — during a flashback to the Tower of Joy. The cut from infant Jon to modern Jon in the halls of Winterfell marks one of the show's most quietly triumphant moments, as beautifully scored by Ramin Djawadi.
Season 6: "The Winds of Winter"
After years of weathering cruel nicknames due to being Ned Stark's "bastard," Jon Snow sees the tables turned, as everyone who's anyone in the North bows before him, naming Jon their new king. If the reveal of Jon's origin was a quiet triumph, this victory is as loud and uproarious as it gets, rivaling even the first crowning of Robb as King in the North.
Season 6: "The Winds of Winter"
At long last, Daenerys Targaryen finally embraces her destiny and sets sail for Westeros, accompanied by the Unsullied, the Dothraki, the Iron Islanders, the Dornish, the remnants of Highgarden, and the power combo of Tyrion Lannister and Varys — not to mention three dragons, of course. It's a terrific final image for season six, one that fans have been waiting for since the very first episode of the series.