Much of Game of Thrones' initial success was founded on its dialogue. Although its early seasons were praised for their storylines, pacing, action, and visuals, they received acclaim for their humor, characterization, and profound dialogue. Fans enjoyed scenes of characters trading words as much as they enjoyed them clashing swords.
With so much of its time devoted to dialogue, it is no surprise that a fair few of the quotes from Game of Thrones are somewhat odd. Whether they lack in logic, seem somewhat inconsistent with characterization, or just sound plain weird out-of-context, sometimes characters say things that garner a double-take.
10 "I Don't Really Want Anymore."
Bran Stark has one of the more epic and wide-ranging storylines in Game of Thrones. It sees him rendered paraplegic, before going North of the Wall and transcending to something more than human. Bran became the Three-Eyed Raven, a seer who can view the past and present at will.
As the forces of the North celebrate the victory against the White Walkers, Tyrion has a brief conversation with Bran, asking if he wants to be Lord of Winterfell. Having been fundamentally changed by his experiences, Bran says the above quote. Aside from being simply awkwardly-phrased and suggesting a popular character has been rendered somewhat devoid of personality, it also proves awkward when he positions himself to become King shortly after.
9 "Shame! Shame! Shame!"
Cersei Lannister's Walk of Penance through King's Landing has become one of the show's most significant scenes and a major factor in her subsequent storylines. While a lot of focus is paid on the trauma she faces and the sexism and harassment in her punishment, some also remember the scene more comedically for a single reason.
While on the Walk, Cersei is followed by Septa Unella, a Faith of the Seven member who has been her personal tormentor during her imprisonment. During the walk, her job is to follow Cersei with a bell, repeating the word "Shame." Her slightly bizarre presence, and saying nothing else, actually earned the character some popularity.
8 "Nothing's Just Nothing."
In Arya Stark's storyline with Sandor Clegage, a profound scene sees the two of them give a quick death to a farmer wounded by soldiers in the War of the Five Kings. Initially, the farmer is reluctant to the idea, leading to an argument between him and Arya that nothing could be worse than an agonizing death.
When the farmer suggests that "nothing" itself could be worse than dying, Arya disagrees. Although "nothing's just nothing" is clearly meant to sound profound, many fans found it an odd choice of words that says very little. It was one line that stuck out in an otherwise well-written scene.
7 "No. Now It Ends."
Many fans agree that the flashback to the fight at the Tower of Joy is one of Game of Thrones' best scenes. It is the final battle of Robert's Rebellion, and the scene features Ned Stark conversing with Arthur Dayne before a skirmish breaks out. Immediately before hostilities begin, Dayne says, "Now it begins," causing Ned to disagree and utter the quote.
Although the line is considered excellent, it is out-of-place with Ned's character. Throughout the show, including the flashback appearances, he is straightforward, to the point, and not much of a fan of violence. Even when facing Jaime Lannister in a much more personal vendetta, he didn't utter a one-liner. Instead, he begins the fight in complete silence.
6 "I Have Been Watching You With A Thousand Eyes And One."
For the most part, Game of Thrones is pragmatic when it comes to lifting dialogue directly from A Song of Ice and Fire, preferring to adapt the feel of scenes than take them outright, except for truly important moments from the books.
When Bran first meets the Three-Eyed Raven beyond the Wall, the ancient wizard greets him with the above line. In the books, this line has a meaning, as in addition to the thousands of trees the Raven can watch from, his human form has one eye. In the series, he very clearly has both of his eyes, making it a strange choice of words.
5 "Smash The Beetles. Kuh. Kuh. Kuh."
A somewhat notorious scene in the episode 'The Mountain and the Viper' devotes four minutes to a conversation between Tyrion Lannister and his brother Jaime before the former's trial by combat. Their conversation takes a strange turn to their intellectually-disabled cousin, Orson Lannister, who used to spend hours killing beetles with a rock.
Despite the high tension of the episode, they spend a long time discussing their cousin, including doing impressions of him. Aside from accusations of being insensitive to the disabled, the scene is also considered to be an exceptionally strange one, particularly the moments in which they impersonate Orson.
4 "His Name Is Aegon Targaryen."
One of the most anticipated reveals of Game of Thrones was the revelation that Jon Snow is actually the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, and not Ned Stark's son. However, the show later followed it up with another reveal — that Jon was not a bastard but a trueborn son of the Targaryen prince, and his real name is Aegon.
This is all well and good, and many fans were thrilled with the reveal. However, the weirdness of the line kicked in when viewers remembered that Rhaegar already had a son named Aegon. With the lack of middle names in the setting, and Rhaegar believing his other children to be alive, the prince apparently planned to have two children with the exact same name.
3 "Where Are My Niece And Nephew? Let's Go Murder Them."
Euron Greyjoy has one of the most dramatically-transformed portrayals between his incarnations in the book and show. In the books, he is a terrifying sorcerer who has sailed the entire world and acquired arcane artifacts from every land. In the show, he is instead a rambunctious pirate who is nonetheless one of the world's most capable commanders and sailors.
After he wins the Kingsmoot in 'The Door', Euron's first command is a simple one. Although well within his character, it is contrary to much of what the viewer knows about Westeros. Kinslaying is one of the fiercest taboos on the continent, and it is one the Ironborn share as well. Even when Euron murdered his brother, he did so in secret, with nobody else around.
2 "Just Twenty Good Men."
A storyline that many considered rushed in the show's fifth season was Stannis Baratheon's war against the Boltons. Between a military advantage, the weather, and Stannis's own actions, he is easily bested by the Boltons.
One of the most significant moves is when Ramsay Bolton proposes a strike against Stannis. His father tells him he'd need an army, and Ramsay instead suggests he can cripple the war effort with just twenty soldiers. That this would work against one of the most experienced commanders in Westeros struck many fans as absurd — especially when it succeeded.
1 "I Know A Killer When I See One."
Much of Daenerys Targaryen's storyline in Season 8 sees her struggling with rejection from her allies in Westeros, which coupled with her traumas across the years, sees her snap and massacre King's Landing. After the city is decimated, Arya warns Jon to be careful around Daenerys, with the above quote.
Many fans found it to be such an understatement after Daenerys's actions in the episode 'The Bells' that they couldn't help but laugh. Earlier in the season, Arya's distrust could have made excellent foreshadowing, but many found it simply weird in the context it was given in.