For much of its run, Game Of Thrones was a beloved piece of television, making a permanent mark on pop culture and becoming a global sensation. It was by no means perfect and did make plenty of mistakes, but for many, its quality was enough to outweigh its flaws.
This balance shifted in the final seasons, particularly the very last. In the final season, audiences and critics began to turn on the show. With character and plot decisions disappointing audiences left and right, it is clear that there were some major mistakes made in the show's final season, some worse than others.
10 It Undid Jaime's Character Development
Ever since Game Of Thrones' third season, Jaime Lannister was a fan favorite, beloved for his slow redemption arc, hidden depths, and for simply being entertaining to watch. After spending two seasons as an outright villain, Jaime began to develop sympathetic and positive traits, reveal more of his backstory, and start to question his loyalty to his family.
Going from a sympathetic member of the villainous Lannisters to an outright defector after Cersei pushed him too far, Jaime seemed set to be a masterpiece of redemption. Then, after a romantic moment with Brienne, he left her and returned to Cersei out of love. Ultimately, he undid all of his positive development as he chose his love for his sister over everything else.
9 The White Walkers Lost In A Single Episode
One of the longest-running storylines in Game Of Thrones was the inexorable and unstoppable threat of the inhuman White Walkers. From the very first scene, they proved to be terrifying monsters with ill intentions for humanity. Much of the show was dedicated to characters learning about and preparing to stop them.
The fight against them was the focus of season's 8 first half, but the battle lasted only one episode and was promptly set aside for the struggle against Cersei. Many fans thought this was a massive anticlimax, and wanted to see a far more epic struggle against an apocalyptic menace.
8 It Had A Deliberate Focus On Subverting Expectations
One of the things that always set Game Of Thrones apart from other shows was its ability to constantly surprise and devastate the audience. The series dropped plot twist after plot twist in a way that still felt natural and respectful to its audience. In season 8, however, some people noticed a shift to a deliberate attempt to shock people at any cost.
The most notorious case of this was from Jon not even fighting the Night King, instead being tangential to the Battle for Winterfell as Arya slew the monster instead. The showrunners admitted this was to avoid the 'obvious option', and many fans viewed it as flying in the face of years of foreshadowing.
7 It Strained Suspension Of Disbelief
There is always suspension of disbelief needed in fiction, particularly in a fantasy setting with magic and monsters. Part of why early Game Of Thrones was so beloved was how easy it made suspension of disbelief. For the most part, it didn't take obvious shortcuts, and it addressed the practicalities of war, politics, and relationships in a way that felt realistic.
This diligence fading was a criticism before the final season but in season 8, many thought it became too much to bear. Characters happened to do just the right thing to propel the plot, logistics were no longer a factor, previously-weak weapons butchered a dragon in seconds, and other moments of convenience and teleportation made fans unable to suspend their disbelief any longer.
6 Jon Snow Had Nothing To Do
Jon Snow was always a fan-favorite in Game Of Thrones, being one of its most straightforward heroes and a protagonist from the very start. For most of the show, he was an active driver in his plot, leading efforts against and with the Free Folk and White Walkers, and being at the heart of the beloved Bolton-Stark conflict.
Once Jon joined Daenerys' side, however, many thought he became redundant as a character. He simply followed her lead and parroted the same few lines again, even refusing attempts to make him more involved - until he killed Daenerys in the final episode. Seeing a beloved protagonist matter very little for most of the season annoyed many fans.
5 Technical Issues On An Unpredecented Level
Another part of Game Of Thrones that audiences loved was how technically tight it was. Its CGI looked good, its costumes and props looked realistic, and its shots were beautiful and well-lit. Occasional hiccups were seen as anomalies and forgiven, such as a sword that was visibly made of rubber, blood spray coming from the wrong side of the screen, or poorly-choreographed fight scenes.
These became far more common in season 8. The third episode, a crucial and important battle, was rendered almost impossible to see due to its dark setting being almost unwatchable on many televisions. In later episodes, fans were astonished to see things like water bottles and even coffee cups left out in shots - something that apparently slipped past actors, directors, and editors.
4 The Least Interesting Character Became King
The question of who would sit on the Iron Throne was always a driving one in Game Of Thrones, and a great number of potential kings and queens battled it out to decide. With fans supporting characters like Jon or Daenerys to take the throne, they were surprised to see the end result: Bran Stark.
Compounding things, Bran Stark was a character who had decreased in popularity. Many viewed him as a much worse character ever since he became the Three-Eyed Raven. Tyrion had him made King by asking who had a better story, and many fans thought that several people in that very room qualified.
3 Several Characters Became Shadows Of Their Former Selves
The heart of Game Of Thrones was always its characters, morally-ambiguous and clever schemers who rubbed shoulders with more traditional and straight-laced heroes. By the final season, however, many in the audience felt like characters were wasted and far worse than they had once been.
The two most notorious are Tyrion and Varys, once some of the smartest in Westeros. Varys' plotting against Daenerys was infinitely more obvious and incompetent than his many-years scheme under the Lannisters. Tyrion went from one of the wittiest characters in fiction to a man who was constantly wrong and made jokes about genitals.
2 Daenerys Turned Evil Very Rapidly
After the final villains of the show looked to be the Night King and Cersei, Game Of Thrones pulled a reversal and had Daenerys, long a beloved protagonist, turn murderous. She massacred the inhabitants of King's Landing, surrendered soldiers, and announced a crusade of conquest across the entire world.
For many fans, this was one of the most disappointing parts of the entire season. Daenerys had long been a hero and a popular character, and her turn to evil was very sudden. Although fans found some foreshadowing in earlier episodes, audiences were still expected to go from cheering for her in one episode to condemning her two episodes later.
1 Jon Being A Targaryen Meant Nothing
By far the biggest and most-enduring of all theories for both Game Of Thrones and A Song Of Ice And Fire was that Jon Snow was actually a Targaryen and, by blood, the heir to the Iron Throne. The letters 'R+L = J', meaning the union of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark produced Jon, were a popular calling card by believers. Many were overjoyed when it was revealed to be true.
However, after the shock reveal, nothing was done with it. Jon being a Targaryen had no impact on the plot other than giving Daenerys another reason to start murdering people. Nothing was done with one of the show's biggest plot twists, and many fans considered their excitement about it to be utterly wasted.