Game Of Thrones: Ranking Every Major Battle From Worst To Best

7. Battle Of Castle Black

Game of Thrones Watchers on the Wall — HBO

Game of Thrones second attempt at turning an entire episode over to a battlefield, once again under the direction of Neil Marshall, wasn't quite as strong as its first. A big reason for that is Season 4 doesn't build up to the conflict at the Wall in the same way Season 2 does Blackwater, but in terms of scale and spectacle, the Battle of Castle Black is nonetheless an incredible feat.

Indeed, it's not so much a battle as it is an ever-escalating series of ridiculous cool moments: a giant(!) rides a mammoth(!) into battle, a massive scythe is sprung from the Wall, there's a 360 shot of nothing but carnage, you root for Tormund even though he's on the 'wrong' side, and even Ghost gets in on the killing action.

It's a dizzying, breathless, seemingly never-ending clash that sees both sides suffer losses, but the only one that REALLY matters is that of Ygritte, shot down and dying in the arms of Jon Snow. Just for a moment, everything stands still, and you take in the heartbreaking emotion of the moment, before chaos reigns supreme again.

[JH]

James Hunt

Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.