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

3. Blackwater

Blackwater, the first attempt to do a huge battle in Game of Thrones, set the bar of the series that's never quite been topped, at least not as a battle episode. There's so much going on here on and off the battlefield that makes it one of Thrones' greatest, and even if it isn't the outright best battle, it's right up there.

What makes this particular battle so great is that it completely divides our loyalties: the Lannisters are the 'bad guys', but we can't root against Tyrion. Is Stannis a better or worse leader? Do we favour Davos or Bronn?

It's almost impossible to choose, which is, of course, part of what made the series so appealing in the first place, and no battle has better realised that. On top of that we have Neil Marshall's stunning direction, with destruction at sea followed by slaughter on land, and some stirring character moments, including one of Tyrion's finest speeches. It's a raw, visceral sequence of events that showcases the horrors of warfare, but all of this is the preamble to an argument that can be settled more with a gif than words:

[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.