In all my experiences watching TV, and can’t even think of
another series that’s felt grander or more cinematic then the HBO series “Game of Thrones”. Despite some
controversial content, this is honestly one of my all time favorite shows,
largely thanks to its compelling characters, captivating story, complex themes and
a large scope that rivals any other network program. Seriously, just about
every episode looks and feels like something grand that belongs on the big
screen, and no-where is that more obvious then with this shows epic battle
scenes. With season seven over and one final season on the way, this feels like
the right time to count down my personal top 10 favorite battle scenes thus far
from the acclaimed “Game of Thrones”
series.
#10 Young Ned Stark vs. Arthur Dayne from “Oathbreaker” (Season 6 – Ep.3)
Season
6 featured many flashbacks that helped provide us fans with some much needed answers.
A personal highlight of mine is seeing a young Ned Stark (before he was played
by Sean Bean) in one heck of a cool sword fight. Most of the battles on my
countdown are fairly large in scale, but this is a special exception in which it's a
small scale fight with only a hand full of people. The
sword fighting choreography on display is great, and when the match concludes
it puts a new light on Ned Stark’s character. It's intense, and it also works as a prelude for the
surprises to come.
#9 Surprise attack from Euron’s fleet from “Stormborn” (Season 7 – Ep. 2)
In what
was intent to be a good move of strategic planning, Yara’s fleet of boats have
set sail, but are suddenly attacked by her evil uncle Euron. This is perhaps the
most exciting action scene to be featured in the second episode of a season, and it just closed things with a bang. It’s also a rare treat to see a ship-to-ship confrontation in this show, and while it definitely brings to mind
“Pirates of the Caribbean”, it
features just enough cracking action without being as over the top as those
movies always got.
#8 Brienne of Tarth vs The Hound from “The Children” (Season 4 – Ep. 10)
There’s plenty memorable one on
one duals in “Game of Thrones”, but the
one I always found the most memorable and brutal is in the season four finally
when Brienne of Tarth fights The Hound for custody of Princess Arya Stark. Not
only are both skilled warriors, they’re also both two towering giants with
almost matched strength and mass. Kind of the show in a nutshell is how it
gets us to cheer for both sides, and it’s especially challenging to decide who
to root for between these two fan favorite characters. I also love the fighting
variety on display during this dual, as it starts off almost playful with strait
up sword fighting, and then things take a sudden left turn with brutally tense fist
fighting. It’s a satisfying clash between two great characters, and it ends on
a nail biting note.
#7 Nightwalkers attack Hardhome from “Hardhome” (Season 5 – Ep. 8)
The malevolent army of frozen
zombies called Nightwalkers had been built up big time for the first four
seasons of the show. Now at last in this deeply thrilling attack near the tail
end of the fifth season, we see just how lethal, frightening and unstoppable
this army of the dead truly is. As these magic zombies launch their surprise
attack on the base camp of Hardhome, we get a perfect blend of horror movie
thrills and spectacular blockbuster action. John Snow is personal one of my
favorite characters in the show, and it's here we see both his heroism and skill
at work as he fights off the invading beasts. He even manages to slay one of
the zombies, which is no small accomplishment. This was one of the more
terrifying battles of the show, but it also delivered a powerful, game-changing
payoff as John Snow meets the Night King and for the first time realizes who
his real adversary is in this war.
#6 The Battle of the Bastards from “Battle of the Bastards” (Season 6 – Ep. 9)
The penultimate episode
of every season usually delivers the best action, and here’s the one that’s
described by fans as the greatest battle sequence in the shows history. John
Snow makes it on my list again, this time he’s leading an army to liberate his
home from the clutches of the Bolton’s and their wicked ruler Ramsay. The
set-up for this confrontation couldn’t be better as two half-sons fight for
what they believe to be their rightful homes. Not only is the fight itself
stunning to behold, but it’s also one of the shows most intense and brutal
battles. We have piles of bodies relentlessly being built up, claustrophobic
battle field atmosphere, white knuckled fist fighting, and our hero’s are
constantly at tense odds. We also have one of the shows best hero’s fighting
against one of the most despised villains, and it all ends with some savagely
satisfying vengeance to boot.
#5 The Battle of Blackwater Bay from “Blackwater” (Season 2 – Ep. 9)
While the show had featured some
decent action, this was the epic battle that established once and for all the
sheer scope, cinematic quality and thrilling tour de force that is “Game of Thrones”. When a massive fleet
invades Kings Landing, our favorite dwarf Tyrion Lannister finally shows what
he’s made of and rallies the men to defend his home Kingdome. We see a
magical weapon called “Wildfire” used to even the odds, sinking several ships,
and that’s just the beginning. What follows is one of the most spectacular
battle sequences ever featured on television, but it’s also boasted with an
equal amount of powerful drama. Seeing Tyrion bravely defend his home and get
nothing for it in return made me respect his character all the more, and
highlights just how cruel this world can be.
#4 The Fighting Pit Massacre of Meereen from “The Dance of the Dragons” (Season 5 –
Ep.9)
When Queen Daenerys Stormborn frees the slaves of Meereen, she finds
that her actions make dangerous new enemies. The most terrifying of her foes being the
mysterious masked killers called the Sons of the Harpy. While viewing a tournament,
her coliseum is suddenly invaded by a small army of Harpies, who are intent on
slaying her and all her allies. This is a deeply thrilling seen that puts our
hero’s at odds, and had me biting my nails wondering how they’d escape. Fortunately,
just when all seemed lost, the queens loyal Dragon named Drogon returns and
battles the Sons of the Harpy in a fiery spectacle. While we’d seen her dragons many
times throughout the show, this was the first full on battle in which we see a dragon in action against lethal foes. Despite being a fire breathing dragon, it’s
still an intense battle as the Harpies manage to wound Drogon. Thankfully both Drogon and our favorite heroine escape the coliseum, marking this the first
time we see Danny flying on the back of her dragon and just a plain unforgettable
moment.
#3 The Night’s Watch vs. The Wildlings from “The Watchers on the Wall” (Season 4 –
Ep.9)
This really is one of the shows most sensational battles because the
whole episode is an hour long action packed siege. Castle black is invaded by
the free folk from the other side of the wall, who’ve come in greater numbers
than anticipated and have freaking giants and mammoths on their side. After four
seasons, it was a real treat to finally see a battle featuring actual fantasy
creatures like Giants and so forth. Now obviously I’ve praised this show for
feeling more cinematic then most other programs, and this battle truly features
some of the shows most cinema-worthy visuals. Despite all that, this all-night castle
siege ranks higher for me because it’s the first to feature John Snow as the
main focus. As he fights to protect his castle he finds himself on opposing
sides with his lover Ygritte, who’s leading the rebellion of free folk. When the
dust clears, the battle ends on one of the shows most tragic notes as John
Snows secret lover dies in his arms. It’s a powerful ending and makes this
battle one of the most hollow victories in the shows run.
#2 Fire versus Ice from “Beyond the Wall” (Season 7 – Ep. 6)
Once again John Snow finds
himself battling the Nightwalkers, and while he and his alies try to capture
a corpse to show to the Kingdome, they find themselves trapped on a frozen
lake. As the situation gets more intense, Daenerys Stormborn comes flying in on
her dragon to rescue her friends, and it leads into a very exciting clash between
fiery dragons and icy zombies. Holly cow, not only was this a thrilling rescue
scene, it was also a dream come true as we finally see a battle between two
different fantasy creatures. I also like the novelty of seeing two polar
opposite creatures fighting. We also have soldiers with magic fire swords slashing
through these icy monsters, which is nothing short of awesome. While the rescue
is successful, it all ends in tragedy as one of our dragons is killed by the
army of the dead, who then revive the beast as one of their own. This
eventually leads to one of the shows greatest cliff hangers as we see the
Nightwalkers bring down the wall with a zombie dragon on their side. It may be
over the top, and looses the realism the show began with, but for me, a battle
between dragons and zombies is just too cool to glance over.
Before I reveal my favorite battle, here are some other
action scenes that deserve an Honorable
Mention ... Arya vs. the Waif (Season 6 – Ep.8)
Jaime and Bronn vs. The
Sand Snakes (Season 5 – Ep.6)
Barristan & Grey Worm vs. The Sons of the
Harpy (Season 5 – Ep.4)
Ned Stark vs. Jaime Lannister (Season 1 – Ep.5)
and
and
The
Hound vs. Beric Dondarrion (Season 3 – Ep.4)
#1 Dragons attack Lannister convoy from “The Spoils of War” (Season 7 – Ep. 4)
After a humiliating defeat, Daenerys Stormborn is riding on her dragon and leads
an assault on what remains of the Lannister army. Even though this wasn’t a
battle from a penultimate season episode, no other battle thus far from this show left
me feeling more breathless then this epic surprise attack. We have Dragons in
full force setting flames on a powerful army, there’s great tension as new
dragon killing weapons are unveiled, and best of all is the thrilling final
charge of Jamie Lannister against Daenerys Stormborn. It’s a rare case in which
we see two of the shows most iconic characters on the battle field against one
another, and naturally we can’t help but cheer for both sides. This is simply “Game of Thrones” at its most pulse
pounding and stunning to behold, as this battle is nothing short of an
exciting, epic, fiery spectacle.
The End
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