The 20 Best Scenes From The First Five Seasons Of 'Game Of Thrones'

It's been a while since the last episode of Game of Thrones aired and withdrawal is at its peak. A throwback to some of the brilliant moments from the last five seasons to remind us why we love this show as much as we do. MAJOR SPOILERS for all seasons of Game of Thrones.

20. Dream (Season 2, Episode 7: 'A Man Without Honor')

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Throwback to the Jaime Lannister of past, who was devious, ruthless and so very likeable at the same time. As he kills his cousin and attempts to escape from the Stark battle camp, we are reminded of how passionate and impulsive of a man Jaime used to be, a passion that seems to have seeped out of his character lately. Beautifully written by D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, and acted out by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

19. Mhysa (Season 3, Episode 10: 'Mhysa')

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Daenerys has her army and this scene gives her her people too. A powerful end to an otherwise disappointing season finale. Also, the best piece of music from the OSTs of all seasons. Period.

18. Chaos (Season 3, Episode 6: 'The Climb')

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Scenes like this one, which the show used to be so good at doing, have unfortunately become few and far between in the last two seasons. Littlefinger and Varys always zone us back into what the show is really about: politics and power play. Lord Baelish's comparison of chaos to a ladder that can be used to his own advantage is ingeniously acted out by Aiden Gillen. And let's try and figure out how many rungs of the ladder he's already managed to ascend since then. Could it be possible that Littlefinger will be the one to sit on The Iron Throne as Westeros descends into chaos around him? Does a bear shit in the woods? Is butter a carb? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

17. Needle (Season 1, Episode 2: 'The Kingsroad')

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Siblings on Game of Thrones seem to share special relationships (if you know what I mean) and Jon and Arya seem to share a bond that the other Stark children are oblivious to. As they are together on screen for a span of only two episodes before they are forced to go their separate ways, the sword Jon gifts Arya in this scene has become a symbol of all the love and friendship they shared. Arya's given up everything that belonged to the youngest daughter of House Stark, except for Needle, as the memory of Jon is all she has left. I've reached a stage where I can't watch this scene without tearing up as I consider the fact that they might never see each other again.

16. King In The North (Season 1, Episode 10: 'Fire And Blood')

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After the disastrous event that took place in the previous episode (scroll down to Scene 4), this scene provided a much needed uplifting moment, staunch Stark supporters that we were. To see Robb rise as 'King in the North' is what truly made me accept Ned's death and realise that it was going to be a long and bloody struggle before we got to the end. And one of the things I love about the content of this show is how it makes sure that there's always some kind of balance of power. Death doesn't end the lives of those affected. Life goes on and so does the game of thrones.

15. The Night King (Season 5, Episode 8: 'Hardhome')

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This scene is a reminder that when the show does decide to deviate from George R. R. Martin's material, it isn't always a bad idea. Hardhome was only mentioned in the books and I knew that it wasn't going to be an epic battle sequence, and I had been bracing myself for a large scale massacre. All that preparation flew out the window during the last shot where the Night King stares into Jon's eyes and is basically like 'Come at me, bro'. I think I peed a little. Best closing shot of any episode ever. Spine chilling. Nightmarish. Scream worthy. GAH!!!

14. Valahd (Season 5, Episode 9: 'The Dance Of Dragons')

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The moment we've all been waiting for since Dany stepped into Drogo's pyre at the end of Season 1 and exited with her baby dragons. As Daenerys finally flies away on Drogon's back and basically pulls an Elsa, one can't help but feel inspired and awed by the possibility of the return of the Targaryens. Also, this is such an important moment for Tyrion who has been fascinated with dragons his entire life, and as he watches Daenerys and her dragon fly away, "you can see all his cynicism" and hatred slipping away leaving instead a burning desire to see Daenerys on the Iron Throne. Or was that just me?

13. Your Sister (Season 4, Episode 7: 'Mockingbird')

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Littlefinger has always been a backstabbing little twat, but it is in Season 4 that he really starts getting his hands dirty. First, he murders a king with the help of Lady Olenna, and then he pushes his wife through the Moon Door. Lysa Arryn had it coming though, and let's be real, we were all glad to see her fly.

12. Wildfire (Season 2, Episode 9: 'Blackwater')

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Apart from the scenes that contain dragons or direwolves, Game of Thrones has pretty much been a CGI-free production. Even the beautiful backdrops of the Northlands, the Wall and Pyke are all either constructed sets or real locations. The episode 'Blackwater' shakes things up literally and figuratively with its brilliant use of visual effects to show the wildfire explosion and the subsequent damage. 'Tis a splendid sight to behold as Stannis's fleet explodes like a pack of fireworks over Blackwater Bay.

11. The One (Season 4, Episode 9: 'The Watchers On The Wall')

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"Love is the death of duty", said Maester Aemon and rightfully so. Love in Game of Thrones always seems to come at a cost, and more often than not, at the cost of death. Ygritte and Jon were doomed to begin with, but that did not make this scene any easier to watch. The subtle use of slow-motion on the battle raging in the background, as the camera pans out from a dying Ygritte in Jon's arms, creates the beautiful impression that nothing matters in that moment except the fact that they are with each other.

10. Naked (Season 5, Episode 7: 'The Gift')

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Jonathan Pryce was the best new addition to the Game of Thrones cast in Season 5, and I sure do hope this scene will garner him the Guest Actor Emmy nomination. The scene is so simple, and yet so masterful in its execution. The High Sparrow talks about stripping away one's finery and embellishments and coming to terms with what one finds underneath, before accusing Cersei of her numerous crimes and locking her up in a cell. Brilliantly acted, superbly written and the perfect end to what was the best episode of the season thus far.

9. Dracarys (Season 3, Episode 4: 'And Now His Watch Is Ended')

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So many epic things happen in this scene and I don't know where to begin. It deals with Daenerys's acquisition of the army with which she intends to invade and rule Westeros. Daenerys has always been concerned with the slavery rampant in Essos, and the first chains she ever breaks happen right here as she frees the Unsullied of Astapor and gives them the choice to fight for her as freedmen. As she commands Drogon to breathe fire (YASSS, DROGON, YASSS!!!) onto the oppressive slavers of the city, we see that the Khaleesi has transformed into a ruler. A queen fit for Westeros, though? We are yet to find out.

8. Walk Of Atonement (Season 5, Episode 10: 'Mother's Mercy')

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Having read all the released books of the series, this scene is one I awaited with great anticipation and a sense of mild trepidation. The reason it works so well in the written form is probably because it's from Cersei's point of view and readers get an insight into her feelings and thoughts as she is being publicly shamed. As this would have been impossible to accomplish on the screen, Weiss and Benioff decide to flip the perspective and shoot the entire sequence from the point of view of a bystander in the mob, which makes for an equally interesting sequence. It is known that pride comes before a fall, and what a fall does Cersei Lannister suffer. The outrageous and abusive acts of the commoners, coupled with the ringing bell of the septa calling 'Shame', accompanied by a melancholy version of the Lannister theme in the background create something that is truly humbling to watch. The fall of Cersei and the destruction of everything she holds dear only serve to remind us that no one is truly safe in the brutal world of Game Of Thrones.

7. Golden Crown (Season 1, Episode 6: 'A Golden Crown')

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Madness seems to run deep in the veins of the Targaryen family, and as Viserys Targaryen descends into delirium over the course of Season 1, his ties with his sister get more and more tenuous. And when he points his sword at Daenerys's belly and threatens to end her child's life, something snaps within her and we get to see the first glimpse of the Daenerys we know so well today - the woman who takes what is hers with fire and blood. The death of her brother leads her to consider for the first time the possibility of her ruling Westeros and the rest, as they say, is history. Also, such an ingenious way of killing someone off. Oh, the memes!

6. No Justice (Season 4, Episode 6: 'The Laws Of Gods And Men')

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First things first, I personally feel that Peter Dinklage's performance in just this one scene deserved several Emmys (no offense to the Breaking Bad fandom). It isn't hard to figure out why this scene had the impact it did after having discussed Daenerys's turning point in the previous scene. It was such a pivotal moment for Tyrion's character, and for Peter Dinklage as an actor. Finally, Tyrion realizes that he has suffered enough and more at the hands of his father and sister, and he doesn't want anything to do with his family any more. The series of emotions Dinklage portrays range from the anger of a neglected son to the shock of a betrayed lover, and seeing him break free from the Lannister chains and give the citizens of King's Landing a piece of his mind, gave me more relief than a thousand lying wh*^es. And let's not forget the death stare Tyrion throws his dad's way just before the end credits start to roll.

5. Champion (Season 4, Episode 7: 'Mockingbird')

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Game of Thrones hasn't ever suffered from a dearth of interesting characters, and the introduction of Oberyn Martell was interesting, to say the least. Part of his appeal was rooted in the fact that we didn't really know what his agenda was, and part in his unpredictability and brave recklessness. It is in this scene when The Viper offers to be Tyrion's champion that we truly understand his thirst for avenging his sister's murder, and a lot of pieces fall into place all of a sudden. As Oberyn narrates the story of his first meeting with the dwarf, it turns into a commentary on the injustice of societal conventions - an injustice that Tyrion has had to face his entire life - and hope begins to grow in Tyrion's heart, and in ours. The fact that the scene was shot on Pedro Pascal's first day on set makes it even more impressive in retrospect.

4. Baelor (Season 1, Episode 9: 'Baelor')

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Ned Stark's beheading is arguably still the most shocking moment of Game of Thrones, and rightly so for a variety of reasons. Ned was literally the cornerstone of the entire first season, and while viewers did fear for his life, no one expected it to end the way it did. It was this event that really set the tone of the show ("Welcome to Westeros. You're gonna love it here"), and marked the series' departure from the rules of the traditional fantasy, where good always vanquishes evil. Apart from just pure shock value though, this scene on the steps of The Great Sept Of Baelor, while being a highly complex one to shoot due to the shear number of characters involved, is brilliantly executed. Sean Bean's performance as always is riveting and emotional, and if one rewatches the scene a couple of times, one will notice tiny details such as the manner in which Varys reacts to Joffrey's order, and the look shared by Littlefinger and Varys as the sentence is being carried out - a look that seems to imply that they are both completely blameless of the horror unfolding before their eyes.

3. The Strangler (Season 4, Episode 2: 'The Lion And The Rose')

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Excluding the pilot of the show, 'The Lion and The Rose' is the only other episode of Game of Thrones that has assembled almost half of the original cast together on a single set. Director Alex Graves has made excellent use of this opportunity and crafted a very suspenseful and intricately woven series of scenes filled with character encounters we would otherwise never get to witness. The climax of the episode, which starts taking on the tone of a murder mystery, shows the poisoning of King Joffrey Baratheon, causing him to choke and die. Not only is the actual death beautifully shot and acted out by Jack Gleeson and Lena Headey, but the several tense minutes leading up to it involving the verbal and physical humiliation of Tyrion by his nephew, are ingeniously written and directed and work to create the impression that something enormous is about to happen.

2. Say Her Name (Season 4, Episode 8: 'The Mountain And The Viper')

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Oberyn Martell's explosive combat with Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, followed two weeks of rather fervent speculation by show viewers, and I was almost certain that it would fail to live up to the hype. I could not have been more wrong. The scene has everything going for it from start to finish. With fan favorite Tyrion Lannister's life on the line, not to mention the immensely popular Dornishman's fate in question as well, the stakes cannot be much higher. The way the scene plays out is a classic example of what this show has always been so good at doing - lulling viewers into a false sense of security. For a second there, it does seem as though a happy ending is inevitable; Tyrion will live to see another day and Elia Martell's terrible death will be avenged by her heroic brother, and these fleeting hopes make The Viper's sudden and complete defeat so much more unbearable to watch (We feel you, Ellaria). I am glad the showmakers did not shy away from making Oberyn's death as gruesome as it was in the books, but then again, when have they ever? Also, kudos to Pedro Pascal and Hafthor Julius Bjornsson for their incredible mastery of the spear and the sword. I doubt if we will get to see a more intense fight sequence in the remaining seasons, unless Cleganebowl does end up happening. GET HYPE!

1. The Rains Of Castamere (Season 3, Episode 9: 'The Rains Of Castamere')

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And this is where it all falls apart. There are very few scenes in popular television that I can think of that have dealt with an event as devastating as the one portrayed in the finale of the penultimate episode of Season 3. Weiss and Benioff have often cited 'The Red Wedding' as a key motivation behind their desire to adapt Martin's books in the format of a TV series. And what a job they did. Ramin Djawadi's bloodchillingly beautiful composition titled 'A Lannister Always Pays His Debts' that injects the lively mood of the wedding with a dark undertone, the overhead shots of the unarmed and unaware Northerners being attacked and murdered by the Freys and Boltons and Catelyn Stark's heart wrenching scream of agony as she watches her eldest son dying a most gruesome death (Take a bow, Michelle Fairley) all contribute to create something that we aren't likely to ever forget. The North Remembers and it always will (even if remembering is all it's been doing for a while now).