From the moment Illyn Payne chopped Ned Stark's head off, fans knew Game of Thrones wasn't going to be like any other show. With deaths, betrayals, and goodbyes, any moment could potentially break fans' hearts. Sometimes, fans saw the tears coming from a mile away, but other times, sad moments came as a total shock.
Week after week, Game of Thrones' writers brought captivating plots through emotional storylines. Even all these years later, those heartbreaking scenes still haunt fans and can still make them cry. It's one of the things that made Game of Thrones the phenomenon that it was.
10 Ned Stark's Death Was Surprising And Emotional
Ned Stark's death was the moment that really started it all. House Stark was already having a rough time in season one. Bran had been pushed out of a window, and Sansa's direwolf, Lady, was wrongfully killed. However, Ned's death pushed fans over the edge.
The presumption that Ned was the show's main character had many fans growing attached to him, and for good reason. His honorable nature was sharply contrasted against the conniving ways of nearly everyone else in King's Landing. He was very clearly 'the good guy,' and his brutal death not only broke fans' hearts, but it also taught them an important lesson about the death toll of Game of Thrones. Because of this, Ned's death is still upsetting.
9 Robb's Grief Upset Many Fans
News about Ned's death reached the Northern army and his family quickly enough. When Catelyn Stark left the camp for a moment alone in the woods to cry, she found her son Robb already in the woods. Robb was growing to be a fan favorite, so watching him hack a tree with his sword in sorrowful rage was hard for many fans.
When Robb dropped his sword and broke down in his mother's arms, it was an incredibly upsetting moment. Fans were still mourning Ned's death, and watching the grief his family went through simply exacerbated the lingering sadness. It doesn't get any easier to see someone struggle with their grief.
8 Nymeria Finds Arya, Then Leaves Her Again
After five long seasons of loss and danger, fans saw members of House Stark finally reunite. Arya forced Nymeria to run away in season one to protect her direwolf from royal retribution. This was the first incident in the unfortunate pattern of the Stark children being separated from their direwolves.
It was with teary eyes the fans witnessed Arya gently speaking to Nymeria, asking the direwolf to go home with her. In a bittersweet moment, Nymeria turns and leaves Arya behind. Arya's line, "It's not you," was meant to show the parallel between her and her direwolf. Just as Arya had no desire to be a proper lady, Nymeria had no desire to be a pet. They both had their own paths to follow, alone.
7 Ygritte's Death And Iconic Line Were Tragic
During the battle between the Night's Watch and the Wildlings, fans watched with bated breath as Ygritte aimed an arrow at Jon Snow. Despite her earlier promise to kill Jon for betraying her for the Night's Watch, Ygritte couldn't go through with it. Instead, she and Jon simply stared at each other from across the battlefield, very clearly still in love with each other.
When an arrow pierced Ygritte's chest from behind, fans were shocked and enraged. Jon caught her in his arms, holding her as she slowly died, having little care for the battle raging on around them. With her dying breath, Ygritte uttered her famous words one last time. Fans still cry when seeing Jon hold her corpse, heartbroken.
6 Jon And Sansa Reunite After Five Seasons
Another House Stark reunion that left fans crying was also in season six. Jon and Sansa were never particularly close growing up. In fact, they did not share a single scene before season six. Regardless, fans couldn't help but cry happy tears when the two came face-to-face at Castle Black.
Fans witnessed both Sansa's abuse and near-failed escape from Winterfell, along with Jon's murder and subsequent resurrection. The combination of the half-sibling's shock at the other's presence and their relief as they hugged each other left fans smiling through their sobs. The musical orchestration of Ramin Djawadi added to the high emotions of the scene, making it one of Game of Thrones' best and most tearful reunions.
5 Tyrion Finding Jamie And Cersei's Corpses
Despite the varying opinions about the series finale, no one can deny Peter Dinklage's incredible acting. After the sacking and burning of King's Landing, Tyrion made his way through the destroyed Red Keep. He dug through the rubble until he found his older siblings' bodies.
The scene proved just how much Tyrion loved his siblings. While he never really got along with Cersei, family still meant something to him. He freed Jamie from Daenerys' captivity, knowing he could be executed for treason. Yet, his best efforts to spare his family's lives were all for nothing. Despite the somewhat ridiculousness of Jamie and Cersei's deaths, Tyrion's reaction is upsetting and well-performed.
4 Hodor's Backstory Is Tragic
Many fans sobbed when they learned the horrifying truth of why Hodor only ever says the word "Hodor." In a sacrificial last stand, Hodor stalled the White Walkers long enough for Meera Reed and Bran Stark to escape death.
As Meera screamed the words "hold the door" over and over again, Bran unintentionally warged into Hodor's younger self. The connection between the past and present Hodors caused the young boy to seize, repeating the words "hold the door," until it was the only thing he could say. This tragic reveal is still upsetting, especially because Hodor is a beloved character.
3 Drogon Mourns His Mother
Some of the best scenes in season 8 arguably came from the CGI dragon, Drogon. Daenerys' death upset many fans, but what really brought on the tears was Drogon's reaction. His soft cries as he nudged his mother's lifeless form were nothing sort of heart-wrenching.
Watching the giant fire-breathing dragon, usually associated with strength and destruction, mourn and experience a very human emotion turned out to be too much for many fans. It was an excellent portrayal of Daenerys' relationship with the dragons. She truly was their mother and Drogon mourned her like any child would mourn their mother.
2 Shireen's Death Hasn't Lost Its Impact
As one of Game of Thrones' most shocking scenes, Shireen Baratheon's death still haunts fans. While her actual death is never shown on screen, the sounds provide more than enough imagery to bring fans to tears. From her realization that she was about to be sacrificed to her off-screen screams, the entire sequence left fans horrified and upset.
Shireen was a sweet and innocent character, which is rare in Westeros. Hearing her beg and plead for her parents to help her was even more upsetting for fans, who knew both her parents were fairly absent and dismissive of her to begin with. Even after multiple rewatches, this scene doesn't lose its impact.
1 The Red Wedding Is Still Sad
The Red Wedding is still the biggest tear-inducing moment of the entire series. A pivotal moment in pop culture, the penultimate episode of season three saw the death of several important characters. Robb Stark watches his pregnant wife Talisa die after she's brutally stabbed in the abdomen. Greywind, Robb's loyal direwolf, is shot in his cage. Catelyn Stark pleads for her son's life, only to watch him be stabbed. The broken scream she lets out as watches her eldest son die is cut off only by her own throat being sliced.
If that wasn't bad enough, Arya was so close to finally being reunited with her family. That, combined with the absolute slaughter they just witnessed, had fans sobbing like never before.