Deadliest Battles In The Game Of Thrones Universe, Ranked

The Game of Thrones universe is action-packed and a storehouse for some of the best battle sequences in television history. The opposing sides have either fought the most dangerous battles after months of preparation or very little. The show’s heroic character, Jon Snow, wins the Battle of the Bastards against the odds and later, rallies the North and the rest of Westeros against the Dead.

Since the Game of Thrones universe comprises the original show as well as the prequel, House of the Dragon, it is imperative to go into the latter’s battles as well. The Siege of Bloodstone, for example, is the final engagement between the forces of the Triarchy and House Velaryon’s armies and Daemon Targaryen. They’re often just as impressive as these battles from the original show.

7 The Battle Of The Blackwater

Under Tyrion Lannister, King’s Landing Conducts A Deadly Wildfire Explosion

• Game of Thrones Season 2, Episode 9: “Blackwater”

King’s Landing strengthens its defenses against Stannis Baratheon by commissioning the use of Wildfire. Through cousin Lancel Lannister, Tyrion finds out about Cersei’s wildfire plot and visits the Guildhall of the Alchemists, where he is convinced Wildfire is their solution to defend the city. He plays his little trick with the highly volatile substance and has one of the royal ships dripping Wildfire into the bay. He has Bronn shoot a flaming arrow at this uncrewed ship and thus destroys most of Stannis’ fleet in Blackwater Bay to buy more time.

The Lannister army is weak, and King Joffrey deserts the battlefield, in fear of Stannis’ troops that manage to land. The city is still saved because of the timely arrival of the Tyrell and Lannister reinforcements under the command of Ser Loras Tyrell. Soldiers die on each side, and Stannis’ weaker army is routed.

6 The Siege Of Bloodstone

Climactic Engagement That Sees Daemon Targaryen Slay Craghas Drahar

• House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 3: “Second of His Name”

King Viserys’ Master of Ships, Corlys Velaryon, brings to his and the Small Council’s attention the dangers of the alliance between the Free Cities on Bloodstone, and the possibility of his shipping lanes falling to their Prince-Admiral Craghas Drahar’s forces. Viserys and his councilors fob Corlys off, but when things worsen, the Sea Snake knows he has to do something. He invites Daemon Targaryen to Driftmark and seeks his help in securing the Narrow Sea. While the crown doesn’t go to war, Daemon and House Velaryon are directly involved in stabilizing the Stepstones.

In this final engagement, Daemon raises a white flag and surrenders Dark Sister to the enemy on approach. Drahar’s men find a reason to leave the caves, following which Laenor and Seasmoke, Corlys, and Vaemond’s armies engage with the enemy from the skies and the ground. Daemon slays Drahar in two and drags his butchered torso out of the cave. He is named “King of the Narrow Sea” and the Sea Snake and Velaryon armies sail home. At the end of his deadly engagement, Daemon leaves nothing but dead Triarchy corsairs on the Stepstones as a warning to anyone wanting to plot war.

5 The Massacre At Hardhome

The Night King Raises An Army At Hardhome

• Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 8: “Hardhome”

The showdown at Hardhome is between a few men of the Night’s Watch under Jon Snow’s command and the Night King’s army of the Dead. Jon arrives at the Free Folk settlement of Hardhome accompanied by one of their leaders, Tormund Giantsbane, to parley with them. He aims to get them to the other side of the Wall and to prevent them from becoming numbers in the Army of the Dead.

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Just as Jon is discussing terms of peace, the area is rattled by the Wights’ invasion. The White Walkers witness their army in action from the top of a cliff overlooking Hardhome. Jon manages to save a handful of Free Folk and kills a White Walker with his Valyrian steel sword, Longclaw. Jon makes eye contact with the Night King as they sail, and watches him bring thousands of dead people to life with an upward motion of his arms. Jon lets the surviving Free Folk walk through the gates of Castle Black, which ultimately has Alliser Thorne and co. stage a mutiny and assassinate him. Aside from saving a few Free Folk, the only good thing that comes out of Jon’s rescue mission is the discovery that Valyrian steel is lethal to the White Walkers.

4 The Battle Of The Goldroad

Daenerys Targaryen’s First Battle On Westerosi Soil

• Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 4: “The Spoils of War”

The Battle of the Goldroad is the first time Daenerys’ Dothraki demonstrate their fighting prowess in a Westerosi open field. They ambush the Lannister-Tarly field army as the latter are returning from the Sack of Highgarden. Queen Daenerys has lost the Tyrells of Highgarden as allies, and the Goldroad ambush is her befitting reply.

Also known as the Loot Train Attack, this particular battle witnesses the destruction of the most well-trained and well-equipped infantry. Daenerys destroys the grain shipment that’s being transported to King’s Landing, burns the Lannister and Tarly soldiers, and sentences Lord Randyll and Dickon Tarly to death by dragonfire for refusing to bend the knee. The Dothraki cut through scores of infantrymen in the name of their Queen.

3 The Battle Of The Bastards

Jon Snow Secures Winterfell For House Stark

• Game of Thrones Season 6, Episode 9: “The Battle of the Bastards”

The Battle of the Bastards is a bloody engagement between the opposing Houses of the North to gain control of Winterfell. Jon, Sansa, and their handful of allies want to restore the status quo of House Stark as the ruling House of the North, while the Boltons, the Umbers, and the Karstarks support Roose Bolton’s traitor son, Ramsay, as Lord of Winterfell.

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The two armies face each other outside Winterfell. Ramsay baits Jon by freeing Rickon Stark and asking him to run to his brother. He kills Rickon just when Jon is about to catch him, and his cavalry charges. Jon finds himself alone on the battlefield, and the Stark cavalry follows their commander. Jon doesn’t have the numbers, and countless people are killed in the melee. The Bolton army encircles what’s left of the Starks and the Free Folk with a phalanx, but the timely arrival of the Knights of the Vale changes the course of the battle. Ramsay runs to Winterfell but the Free Folk giant Wun Wun breaks down the castle’s main gate, and the rest is history.

2 The Battle Of King’s Landing

Daenerys Unleashes Drogon On King’s Landing

• Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5: “The Bells”

The Battle of King’s Landing is the last major engagement in Game of Thrones. The battle takes place shortly after the Great War, with Euron killing one of Daenerys’ dragons – Rhaegal, and Missandei’s capture and beheading.

After Cersei refuses to surrender, Daenerys attacks the Iron Fleet deployed in Blackwater Bay. Following the destruction of the fleet, Euron jumps into the water, and Daenerys and Drogon blast through the gate and assault the Golden Company that’s deployed outside the city gates. The city falls within the first few minutes, and the bells of surrender are rung, but Daenerys’ fury knows no bounds. She flies off on Drogon, massacring those on the ground. Jon advises restraint but Grey Worm and the Unsullied follow Daenerys’ command. King’s Landing and the Red Keep are in ruins by the time the assault is finished.

1 The Battle Of Winterfell

The Living Defeat The Dead At Winterfell

• Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”

The Battle of Winterfell is unlike any other on Game of Thrones, in that, the living set their differences aside and cooperate against the Night King and the Army of the Dead. An elaborate battle sequence, it lies in Game of Thrones Season 8, and it sees many of the show’s heroes band together to preserve life itself.

While a few key characters, namely, Jon, Arya, Jorah, Jaime, and Brienne are armed with Valyrian steel, the rest are given dragonglass weapons to defend themselves. Valyrian steel and dragonglass are lethal to White Walkers and their ilk. Daenerys, Jon, and the battle-hardened warriors engage with the Dead, while Bran, or the Three-Eyed Raven, is in the Godswood near the Weirwood tree as bait to lure the Night King and his comrades. Theon dies protecting Bran, but Arya manages to sneak up on the Night King and stab him with the Valyrian steel dagger. He shatters, and so do his henchmen and the Wights. The alliance of the living wins the war but suffers a heavy loss of lives.

Game of Thrones

First Episode Air Date

April 17, 2011

Where to watch

HBO Max