Game of Thrones Season 3 Recap

Updated March 14, 2019 103.8K views 10 items

Game of Thrones season 3 brought the action, political intrigue, and bizarre fantasy elements of the series to the next level. The Game of Thrones third season aired on HBO in 2013, and with all the plot twists and new characters, families, and locations GoT throws at viewers with each new season, it's always good to refresh your memory with a quick summary, and that's exactly what you'll find in this Game of Thrones season 3 recap.

Now that Robb Stark has fully risen to his height of power as the King of the North, Tywin Lannister has to plan his next move. Meanwhile, the two Stark girls survive every way they can, in very different and equally harrowing circumstances. Jon Snow falls in love with a wildling, Theon Greyjoy loses a very important body part, and Dany's dragons get all kinds of awesome.

Each of the Game of Thrones season 3 episodes seemed to be more epic than anything previously seen on the show. Refresh your memory with this Game of Thrones season 3 episode list and summary and don't forget to check out these recaps of season one and season two.

Episode 1 "Valar Dohaeris"
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In King's Landing, Tyrion gets no respect for his victory in the battle of Blackwater, and instead is relinquished of his role of The Hand of the King, which is given to his father, Tywin. Davos Seaworth is rescued after the battle of Blackwater and tries to kill Melisandre in order to stop the hold she has over Stannis.

Daenerys travels to the city of Astapor to purchase an army of highly skilled warriors called the "Unsullied." While there, she is almost served poison wine, but is saved by Ser Barriston Selmy, who served in the King's Guard under her father, the Mad King.
Episode 2 "Dark Wings, Dark Words"
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In King's Landing, Joffrey plans for his upcoming wedding to Margaery Tyrell. He shows her his new crossbow and says that he would love to see her kill something with it.
Bran has a dream in which he can walk and is trying to kill a three-eyed crow. A boy he has never met before appears and tells him he cannot kill the crow. The boy turns out to be Jojen Reed, a clairvoyant who believes Bran is very special.
Theon, meanwhile, has been captured and tortured by unnamed men. One of them promises to help him when the others are sleeping.
Arya Stark and her two friends are captured by men claiming to be of the "Brotherhood without Banners."
Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister, who are bound for King's Landing, are captured by Roose Bolton's bannermen and taken prisoner.
Episode 3 "Walk of Punishment"
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In King's Landing, Tywin Lannister makes plans to wed Petyr Baelish to Lysa Arryn in order to prevent the Starks from gaining more followers. He also appoints Tyrion to the position of Master of Coin to replace Baelish.
Theon Greyjoy escapes from his captors and is saved by the cleaning boy who had previously offered to help him.
Daenerys offers to pay for the Unsullied army with one of her dragons, also taking Missandei, translator for the Ktaznys mo Nakloz, owner of the Unsullied, as a token of faith.
Beyond the wall, Jon Snow and his group of wildlings plan to climb the wall and attack the Night's Watch.
Locke and the rest of Roose Bolton's men take Brienne and Jaime back to their camp. They threaten to rape Brienne but Jaime convinces them no to. He then presses his luck by offering to pay Locke for his freedom; Locke responds by chopping off Jaime's right hand.
Episode 4 "And Now His Watch Is Ended"
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Theon escapes with the cleaning boy who saved him only to realize it was all a cruel joke and he is back where he started to be tortured again.
Meanwhile, the men of the Night's Watch grow weary of living in Craster's Keep where they are treated poorly while Craster eats well. They begin a mutiny against Craster and their own leader. Sam escapes along with one of Craster's daughter wives, Gilly, and her newborn child.
Arya and Gendry are taken to the secret cave of the Brotherhood without Banners where they meet their leader, Beric Dondarrion, who later sentences the Hound to trial by combat.
Daenerys trades her dragon for the army of Unsullied soldiers, only to immediately order her dragon to burn their leader alive. She then has the Unsullied murder their masters, and frees them to fight for her, if they are willing.
Episode 5 "Kissed by Fire"
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In King's Landing, Tywin Lannister plans to wed Tyrion to Sansa Stark and Cersei to Loras Tyrell, despite their protests against both pairings.

The Hound kills Beric Dondarrion in trial by combat and wins his freedom. However, Beric is brought back to life by a prayer to the Lord of Light.

After being delivered to Roose Bolton, Jaime confesses to Brienne why he killed the Mad King.

Robb Stark plans to make amends with Walder Frey despite the fact that he disobeyed his promise to marry one of Frey's daughters.
Episode 6 "The Climb"
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In King's Landing, Littlefinger reveals to Lord Varys that he knows the prostitute Roz is working as a spy for him. He also reveals that he has given Roz over to Joffrey, who murders her with a crossbow.

Robb Stark tries to make up for his marriage to Talisa by offering his uncle Edmure to Walder Frey's daughter in his stead.

Jon, Ygritte, and the wildlings climb the wall successfully, but lose many men in the process due to an avalanche.
Episode 7 "The Bear and the Maiden Fair"
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Theon's mysterious torturer has him castrated and Arya runs away from the Brotherhood without Banners but is captured by The Hound, who was hiding outside. Melisandre reveals to Gendry that he has king's blood, and he agrees to go with her back to Dragonstone.
Jaime leaves to return to King's Landing but after hearing that Brienne is still trapped, he returns to his captors. There, he finds that she has been put in a pit and made to fight a bear. He jumps down to protect her and the two escape safely.
Episode 8 "Second Sons"
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King's Landing sees the wedding of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark. During the ceremony, Joffrey is very cruel to the both of them, and Tyrion gets very drunk and makes a scene.
In Dragonstone, Melisandre seduces Gendry and uses leeches to take his blood, which she uses for another spell.
Daenerys visits a city called Yunkai where she gains a new follower named Daario Naharis.
On the wall, Sam and Gilly are attacked by a white walker, which Sam unexpectedly kills with a dragonglass dagger he found.
Episode 9 "The Rains of Castamere"
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Sam and Gilly arrive at the wall, where Bran and friends are hiding. During a thunderstorm, Bran tries to calm down Hodor and accidentally enters his mind. Jon Snow is found out to be a spy for the Night's Watch, and has to escape after killing some of the wildling men.
Daario Naharis, the leader of the Unsullied "Grey Worm," and Jorah Mormont infiltrate Yunkai and take over the city for Daenerys.
Edmure marries Walder Frey's daughter, but during what would become known as the Red Wedding, the Starks are betrayed. Talisa (who was pregnant), Robb, and Catelyn are brutally murdered.
Episode 10 "Mhysa"
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After witnessing part of what happened to her mother and brother at the Red Wedding, Arya is taken by The Hound to safety. On the way, she overhears a man making fun of her deceased brother and she kills him.
Yara, Theon's sister takes a fleet of ships to go recapture Theon from his torturer who has turned him into the pitiful slave "Reek."
Sam arrives at Castle Black and warns the Watch about the white walkers and the mutiny at Craster's Keep. Ygritte finds Jon Snow and fills him full of arrows for betraying her, but is unable to kill him due to her love for him.
Across the Narrow Sea, the freed slaves of Yunkai show their loyalty to Daenerys.