Throughout its entirety, Game Of Thrones gave its fans plenty of powerful characters, intriguing storylines, and shocking moments. For all the one-sided or visually stunning fights, there were also plenty of gritty and generally brutal fight scenes.
Certain characters, such as the Hound, were portrayed in a way that saw almost every single one of their fights descend into chaos and brutality. Such brutality would generally be measured by the actual threat posed in the given situations, or by how much extreme violence was on show. To that end, there would be numerous honorable mentions, in a show rooted in shocking moments and conflicts, with Daenerys' demolition of King's Landing being one of many.
10 Brienne And The Hound Fought Ferociously For Custody Of Arya Stark
There are several iconic scenes throughout Game Of Thrones that saw multiple characters collide in highly-anticipated situations. One such moment occurred in the final episode of the show's fourth season when Brienne and Pod stumbled across the Hound and Arya and a tense exchange ensued.
Brienne wanted Arya to come with her so that she could fulfill her debt to Catelyn Stark, but Arya refused. As Pod tried to catch up with Arya, the Hound and Brienne fought fiercely. It was a huge clash between two fan-favorites, with neither party pulling their punches. After a bloody affair, Brienne sent the Hound tumbling down a hill, with Arya later leaving him there to die.
9 The Battle Of Hardhome Was A Devastating Loss For The Wildlings
The Night's Watch had to endure many brutal battles in their campaigns against the undead. However, Hardhome was the first to feel a full invasion of terror with alarmingly high stakes. With Jon, Tormund, and the Night's Watch there to improve relations with the Wildlings, a horde of wights and White Walkers quickly burst onto the scene.
Many of their potential allies were lost, but Jon discovered that Valyrian steel swords could prove useful in the fights to come. Fleeing Wildlings and panicking soldiers showcased how dangerous a place Hardhome could be when under attack.
8 The Mission To Retrieve A Wight Almost Ended In Catastrophic Failure
The bizarre alliance of random fan-favorite characters venturing north on a suicide mission was exciting to fans of Game Of Thrones. The goal was to capture a single wight to convince Cersei and the others of the real threat that the White Walkers posed. The group was trapped in the middle of a lake, and as soon as the water froze over, they were in serious trouble.
They had already lost Thoros of Myr to his injuries and the cold, and the remaining few had to fight for their lives in a chaotic close-quarters sequence. Daenerys eventually turned up to save the day, but she lost a dragon in the process, with the Night King killing it from afar. Jon Snow was even dragged underwater and presumed dead before Uncle Benjen's late intervention.
7 Arya Crossed Another Name Off Her List While The Hound Just Wanted Chickens
Arya and the Hound formed quite the unlikely partnership, even if it did take them a while to get on the same page. At the beginning of the fourth season, Arya and the Hound stopped off at a tavern for a break from their travels, but found themselves in an awkward situation.
In a room full of Lannister soldiers, the Hound was confronted over his betrayal of the king and things turned nasty. The Hound fought off many of the soldiers, some by brutal means, but the numbers almost got the best of him. Arya also launched into action, pulling off some devastating kills of her own, including crossing a name off her list. She stabbed Polliver through his neck in a brutal ending to a gritty close-quarters fight.
6 The Night's Watch Barely Survived The First Wave Of Wildling Attacks
The Battle of Castle Black was the culmination of the Wildling resurgence under Mance Rayder. Jon was with Tormund, Ygritte, and the others for most of the journey, but ultimately ended up back at Castle Black, awaiting their arrival.
The ultimate showdown saw multiple notable characters die, from Pyp and Grenn, to Ygritte. Ser Alliser Thorne took a battering from the rampant Tormund and required treatment as the battle raged on. Jon even buried a hammer in the skull of Styr, a foul-mouthed fearsome Thenn. This entire battle was brutal and showcased how the Night's Watch wouldn't survive another wave, prompting Jon to meet with Mance Rayder.
5 Euron's Night Ambush On Yara And Ellaria's Alliance Was A Shocking Twist
The introduction of Euron Greyjoy in Season 6 helped to move the Iron Islands into a place of prominence within the show. He immediately killed his brother, Balon, and chased off Theon and Yara, claiming the Salt Throne for himself. He even established himself as Cersei's most valued ally in the war against Daenerys.
One of Euron's crowning moments came as his fleet ambushed an alliance of Yara's ironborn and Ellaria Sand's Dornish. In the dark of night, Euron's crew dismantled Daenerys' allies and brutally killed off two of the Sand Snakes, taking Ellaria, Tyene, and Yara as prisoners, while forcing Theon to flee.
4 The Dothraki And Drogon Were Unleashed On The Lannister Army
In the Season 7 episode "The Spoils of War," Daenerys Targaryen retaliated in her war with Cersei Lannister by unleashing the Drogon and her mighty Dothraki army on a supply train heading back to King's Landing.
Jaime, Bronn, and their army fought for their lives against the ferocious onslaught, but they were no match for Daenerys's forces. Both barely escaped with their lives as the battlefield was littered with bodies and ash everywhere. Daenerys then added insult to ugly injury by executing Tarlys and any other prisoners who defied her.
3 The Living Fending Off The Dead One Last Time Was Brutal, Albeit Dark
Despite the backlash that the final season of Game Of Thrones received, the Battle of Winterfell from "The Long Night" was a brutal affair. With numerous characters thrust into a gritty situation, the stakes felt high in the moment.
The episode has received plenty of criticism for its dark lighting, but it really captured how bleak the fighting conditions and general situation were. Several notable characters were killed during this huge fight, with many others being lucky to survive the night. The sheer spectacle of undead soldiers swarming the living was brutal enough by itself without the added horrors of jump scares, dragons, and the Night King.
2 Jon Snow Versus The Boltons Was A Brutal Slog Of A Battle
The "Battle of the Bastards" is still remembered as being one of the most iconic Game Of Thrones episodes and battles for a number of reasons. It saw Jon Snow and his makeshift army march to take back his home, Winterfell, from the despicable Ramsay Bolton. True to form, Ramsay killed Rickon Stark in front of Jon, baiting him into making a mistake and charging in.
This battle was brutal in its delivery, with mounds of bodies trapping Jon and his men, leaving them at the mercy of Ramsay's superior numbers. Tormund's kill of Smalljon Umber summed up the fight perfectly. Jon ultimately prevailed, but only thanks to Sansa turning up with Littlefinger and his men.
1 The Conclusion Of The Mountain Versus Oberyn Is Not Easily Erased From The Mind
Arguably one of the most infamous fights of the entire show, the Mountain fighting Oberyn Martell was a multi-layered sequence of entertainment gold. "The Mountain And The Viper" covered the trial by combat for Tyrion Lannister's future, with Oberyn representing him against the Mountain, Gregor Clegane.
With Oberyn having an ulterior motive in fighting Clegane, the fight became complicated when Oberyn refused to finish the battle without hearing a confession from his opponent. Clegane eventually confessed to the brutal murder of Oberyn's sister and her children, but only as he crushed the Red Viper's skull. The moment was so shocking and disturbing that it will always be one of the most iconic Game Of Thrones scenes.