Addicting television series usually have strong cliffhangers. This was certainly true for Game of Thrones, a show that almost always left its fans wanting more when the credits rolled. The episodes often ended with shocking revelations, tragic losses, or game-changing scenarios, all of which made audiences eager for the next episode.
Some of the cliffhangers came directly from the most iconic moments of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series while others were from moments that went beyond the existing source material. All of these cliffhangers were effective, though the most compelling were sometimes those that hadn't been answered in the books yet.
The Night King Raises The Dead At Hardhome
Fans had known for a long time that the White Walkers could raise the dead. Knowing is different than seeing, though, which made it truly chilling to see the Night King raise the scores of people slaughtered at Hardhome.
Jon Snow, Tormund Giantsbane, and the handful of other survivors at Hardhome watched their fallen comrades join the Army of the Dead, a feeling of doom settling over them and the audience in the face of an enemy that seemed impossible to defeat.
Cersei Accuses Tyrion Of Killing Joffrey
Everything changed in "The Lion and the Rose" as King Joffrey died at his own wedding. As Joffrey suffocated to death in his mother's arms, he pointed at Tyrion in his final moments. A shocked. angered, and grief-stricken Cersei accused Tyrion of her son's murder and ordered that he be arrested.
Fans had gotten used to the Lannisters being in control and Joffrey terrorizing his subjects. After his unexpected death, fans were left to grapple with many fascinating implications and questions. Who had poisoned Joffrey? How could Tyrion escape such a dire situation? Given Joffrey's death and Cersei's accusation against Tyrion, how would this change the longheld power of the Lannisters and their control over the Seven Kingdoms?
Hold The Door
"Hold the door" was one of the show's most devastating and tragic moments. Hodor's sacrifice was unexpectedly profound as fans lost a truly innocent, loyal character in a moment that had reverberations on the past, present, and future.
While fans were still reeling from this loss, they were also left with the question of how Bran and Meera could possibly outrun the army of wights pursuing them as Meera dragged Bran's sled through the snow. Hodor's fate was already sealed, but fans were left with the cliffhanger of how Bran and Meera could escape, along with how Bran's abilities could intentionally or unintentionally shape the past and the future moving forward.
Jaime Loses His Hand
Much of Jaime Lannister's identity revolved around him being a legendary warrior. He'd been in some tight spots before, but his swordsmanship, wealthy family, and his ability to be ruthless had already saved him on numerous occasions.
Just as he'd done in the past, many fans assumed Jaime would find a way out of his latest predicament as he and Brienne of Tarth were captives of the ruthless Locke. The exact opposite happened as Locke severed Jaime's hand. Not only did Jaime fail to save himself and Brienne, but he lost the hand that allowed him to be a renowned warrior, an episode-ending moment that was shocking and forever changed Jaime's identity and character development.
Daenerys' Fleet Sails For Westeros
After years of building toward Daenerys Targaryen sailing for Westeros, it finally happened in the closing moments of the season 6 finale. Daenerys was at long last on her way to Westeros to claim the Iron Throne and fulfill what she saw as her destiny.
She was surrounded by influential characters like Tyrion and Varys while her mighty fleet consisted of the Unsullied, the Dothraki, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the new allies of Highgarden and Dorne, and most importantly the three fully-grown dragons circling overhead. With Daenerys sailing for Westeros, it was clear that all of the show's separate storylines were going to come together as the series headed into its endgame.
The Red Wedding
The Red Wedding was arguably the strongest scene in the entire series. The unthinkable betrayal was swiftly executed and led to fans brutally losing some of their favorite characters in a matter of moments.
Ever since Ned's imprisonment and particularly after his death, the show had been following Robb and Catelyn working to get justice and to avenge Ned. With these characters murdered and the Northern forces in shambles, fans were left wondering what kind of future--if any--the remaining Starks had and what the fallout would be from this ultimate betrayal. The only reason this unparalleled event wasn't the show's strongest cliffhanger was that fans got to see the most important parts of the Red Wedding unfold before the episode ended.
Ned's Execution
While Game of Thrones already featured a large cast in its first season, Ned Stark was clearly the show's leading protagonist. Audiences are conditioned to believe that the protagonist will always find a way to save themselves and save the day.
When "Baelor" ended with Ilyn Payne executing Ned on Joffrey's command, the audience was forced to wrestle with this enormous loss and wonder what the story could possibly look like without Ned moving forward.
The Army Of The Dead Breaks Through The Wall
This was another moment the show had been building toward since the very beginning. The undead Viserion blasted through a section of the Wall and allowed the Night King and the Army of the Dead to cross over into the Seven Kingdoms.
There was nowhere to hide as the Army of the Dead entered Westeros in full-force, ready to slaughter countless more and add each deceased person to their legion of the dead. What Jon Snow had been warning everyone about for years was here and the people of Westeros now had no choice but to confront it or die trying.
Jaime Pushes Bran
The show's first cliffhanger was one of its strongest as the pilot episode ended with Jaime Lannister saying "The things I do for love" as he pushed Bran Stark out of a window. The first episode framed the young Bran as a likable, central character, and it ended with Bran falling helplessly through the air.
This cliffhanger cemented no one--not even children--were safe in this story. The tension had already been bubbling between the Stark and Lannister families and it would reach a boiling point if the truth of what Bran saw and who pushed him was ever discovered.
The Assassination Of Jon Snow
The best cliffhanger came at the end of the fifth season with the assassination of Jon Snow. Jon had always been one of the show's most important and likable characters, which became even more so the case after the losses of Ned, Robb, and Catelyn Stark. With so much left unresolved in his story--particularly regarding his parentage and the looming threat of the Army of the Dead--it seemed Jon's journey was unfinished.
As he bled out in the snow, the show caught up with Jon's story in the books, and fans of the books and of the show were left debating whether or not Jon was actually dead for good. No other cliffhanger generated quite so much constant conversation and buzz in between seasons of the show.