The Most Disturbing Moments On 'Game Of Thrones'
Game of Thrones is known for its high body count, especially in terms of beloved main characters. When the stakes are as high as the right to the Iron Throne, there's no telling whose betrayal is right around the corner. But the stomach churning isn't always a result of gory death scenes. GoT also dishes out squirm-inducing "romance" scenes, often between family members and not necessarily willing participants. That said, this list of the show's most disturbing moments is not for the squeamish, and is definitely full of spoilers.
The Mountain Doesn't Take Losing Well
After losing in a joust to Ser Loras Tyrell, Ser Gregor "The Mountain That Rides" Clegane becomes enraged and cuts his own horse's head off with one mighty swing. Granted, Tyrell is known as "The Knight of Flowers," which is not exactly the name of guy you'd want to lose to, but that reaction seems extreme. It also occurs in front of young children and is basically handled not as a horrifying act of cruelty, but as more of a nuisance holding up the remainder of the tournament.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed & At Least Three Deaths
After her arranged marriage to the terrifying Dothraki leader and horselord Khal Drogo, Daenerys Targaryen watches in horror as the traditional tribal wedding ceremonies play out. These include brutalization of women and fighting that leads to multiple bloody deaths, with one character remarking, "A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair." The consummation of the marriage is no treat either, as Khal Drogo seems to take his lovemaking cues from the horses.
Brotherly Shove
While climbing the steep walls of Winterfell, Bran Stark accidentally finds himself outside the window of a guest chamber occupied by Jaime and Cersei Lannister. Though they are brother and sister, they're engaged in some disturbingly inappropriate relations. But the horror doesn't end there: after the Lannisters discover him, Jaime pushes Bran out the window, presumably with the intention of shoving him to his death. This scene alone belongs in 'Awful Humans: A How-To Guidebook.'
Robin Arryn Is A Momma's Boy
When Catelyn Stark arrives in the Eyrie to enlist help from her sister Lysa, she interrupts a family meal. That wouldn't be so bad if the entirety of the menu weren't fresh breast milk and if her nephew, Robin Arryn, weren't old enough to play Little League. Gross.
Theon Greyjoy's Swordsmanship Needs Work
Theon Greyjoy's men capture Rodrik Cassel, Ned Stark's loyal master-at-arms, and drag him back to Winterfell while he gallantly attempts to reclaim and defend nearby areas of the north. Cassel spits in Greyjoy's traitorous face, sealing his unjust death sentence, which turns out to be particularly gruesome. A beheading in one stroke would have been brutal yet merciful. The half dozen wild, hacking blows he receives are as cringe-worthy as they are unwarranted.
The Red Wedding
The murder of Robb Stark and his pregnant wife at his uncle's wedding marks a turning point for the show's narrative, but also answers the question, "What would a mother do if she witnessed that sort of thing happen to her own child?" And the answer is, "go crazy and cut someone's throat." While that makes some sense, it also makes for arguably the most gut-wrenching moment in recent TV history.
The Joffrey Moment Everyone Was Waiting For
Since his first scene, Joffrey was the sniveling, pompous embodiment of Lannister evil. By the time they got around to killing him off, the otherwise horrific sight of him gagging, turning reddish-purple, and clawing bloody streaks into his neck while dying from poison probably had more viewers cheering than gasping. RIP, Joff. Or don't. We're all just glad you're dead.
The Red Viper Vs. The Mountain
At this point, if the The Mountain is on the screen, viewers know something awful is probably going to happen. This scene doesn't disappoint. After a dazzling display of fighting agility, Oberyn "The Red Viper" Martell lets his guard down for a moment to gloat after thinking he's mortally injured his massive foe. This brief moment is all The Mountain needs to grab Martell and deliver arguably the worst death of the series—and possibly the network's history. HBO's new motto: "Yep, That Guy's Head Exploded. Your Move, Showtime."
Ramsay Bolton Will Never Get A "World's Greatest Husband" Mug
Sansa Stark marries Ramsay Bolton after being convinced by Littlefinger that she'll be able to use her position to exact revenge on the Boltons for their betrayal of her family. Unfortunately, Ramsay is the worst person imaginable. On their wedding night, Bolton forces his human pet, Theon Greyjoy—now named Reek—to watch as he consummates the marriage. Can we go back to exploding heads, please?
Crossing Arya Stark Does Not End Well
Arya uses magic she learned at The House of Black and White to disguise her face and gain access to one of her most hated enemies, Ser Meryn Trant. Wanting to kill him for years to avenge the death of her friend and teacher, Syrio Forel, Arya seems to take great pleasure in stabbing out both of Trant's eyes, then waiting several brutal moments to finally finish him off.
Shireen Baratheon Has The Worst Parents
Both of Shireen Baratheon's parents agree that burning their preteen daughter at the stake in a sacrifice to the Lord of Light is a reasonable thing to do. They go through with this in a scene that even the show runners were like "Whoa, there's no way she's on-screen for this. How about she just shrieks in terror for a really long time off-camera?" Even watching this on mute could give you a nightmare. Truly awful.
No! Not Jon Snow!!
Jon Snow's stabbing comes at the very end of the last episode of season five. It's also a cliffhanger for the yet-to-be written next novel, so nobody can say for sure what his fate is. But he seems pretty dead. His brothers in the Night's Watch stab him, one-by-one, as they morosely utter, "For the watch," having deemed him a detriment to their survival. The violence of the scene is matched only by the intense disappointment of fans, as Snow is one of the most beloved characters of the series.