HBOAs recently confirmed by HBO, Game of Thrones is one of the most riveting, enthralling and absorbing shows ever made for television. It's very rare that a show has such in-depth, complicated and intricate plots, nor has any other show has been capable of providing those shocking moments that change the entire landscape of the series within an instant. For each of these moments which irreparably alter the course of Game of Thrones, there's always the question of what if things had gone the other way? In celebration of those tense, nail-biting moments, we bring you the 17 biggest 'What If' moments of Game of Thrones, so far. The premise is simple; pick an event or happening and question what the result would have been had things not gone that way. The range differs from huge events, such as choosing to execute a traitor instead of sparing him, as well a series of smaller, seemingly irrelevant moments such as where a character stops for lunch, or what if they'd gone left instead of right. The ranking represents the impact and consequences of each 'what-if', but also the subtlety of each scenario against how much a small difference it would initially seem to make.
17. What If Kahl Drogo Hadn't Showboated Against Mago?
HBOWith the title of Khal comes a reputation, the kind of reputation that the holder is expected to live up to through certain behaviours. Khal Drogo's authority was challenged by Mago, who doubted the Khal after he appeared to take orders from a 'foreign whore', that whore in question happened to be his Khaleesi, Daenerys Targeryen. Drogo fights Mago and dispatches him easily, though he mistakenly allows Mago to cut his flesh with his arakh in order to mock his opponent's combat skills, therefore the wound subsequently becomes infected and festers, eventually leading to Drogo's death. So what if he hadn't showboated against Mago? If Drogo had not suffered an infectious wound, he'd have lived on and attempted to make good on his claim to conquer the Iron Throne for his Khaleesi and son. Thing is, if Drogo and the Dothraki horde are still with Daenerys, then it's unlikely she's ever let into Qarth or Xaro's vault. In addition, if she never wanders into Drogo's funeral pyre, then the dragons don't hatch from their eggs, which she can no longer use as payment for an army of Unsullied. However, it's likely cities would surrender to Drogo and would be willing to give him the ships they would need, but the general quality of her army would be much lower, not to mention they'd most likely betray or flee if Drogo died at a later date. All in all, If Drogo had lived, it's likely Daenerys would be in a worse position than she was in originally.