Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss faced an impossible task: bringing one of the greatest dark fantasy epics ever written — George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire — to television. We all have opinions on how well they succeeded, especially with the ending, but there’s no denying Benioff and Weiss produced some masterful episodes along the way.
If you want to revisit the best of Benioff and Weiss’s fantasy TV work, there’s an easy way: check out the 10 highest-rated Game of Thrones episodes on IMDb. Though everyone has their own favorites — I’m still partial to the very first episode, “Winter is Coming,” and its shocking ending — these episodes are widely regarded as the pinnacle of the series.
10 Blackwater (Season 2, Episode 9)
IMDb score: 9.7
If you thought “The Battle of the Bastards” went the extra mile with a stellar episode packed with masterful combat, you won’t be surprised to find “Blackwater” just as phenomenal. This time, the focus is on Tyrion and the Lannisters, who must fight off Stannis Baratheon’s (Stephen Dillane) fleet as it assaults King’s Landing.
Before season 6 of Game of Thrones sent production costs soaring, “Blackwater” was one of the show's most expensive episodes, largely because of its intense naval combat and enthralling visuals. Even all these years later, few battles in Game of Thrones are as mesmerizing as the wildfire explosion at Blackwater Bay.
9 The Lion and the Rose (Season 4, Episode 2)
IMDb score: 9.7
Some Game of Thrones deaths leave you weeping in despair — like Catelyn and Robb’s at the Red Wedding — while others bring tears of pure joy. That’s how most audiences felt during “The Lion and the Rose,” an episode centered on Joffrey Baratheon's (Jack Gleeson) wedding to Margaery Tyrell.
For four seasons, viewers had quietly waited for Joffrey to get what was coming to him. That finally arrived with this episode, delivering an assassination and a “whodunit” both in one masterful stroke.
8 The Mountain and the Viper (Season 4, Episode 8)
IMDb score: 9.7
Oberyn Martell's introduction (Pedro Pascal) is one of the most fascinating and iconic moments in Thrones history. Pascal’s portrayal of Oberyn as a fierce, determined warrior seeking justice for his sister, Elia Martell, instantly made him a fan favorite. After Ned Stark's (Sean Bean) death in the first season, it seemed we wouldn’t have another honorable character to follow anytime soon. Enter Oberyn, a very different type of noble hero.
Unfortunately, audiences’ time with Oberyn wasn’t meant to last. In one of the bloodiest one-on-one fights we’ve ever seen, Oberyn clashes with the Mountain. Though he initially seems victorious, Oberyn’s demand for a confession gives the Mountain an opening to catch him off guard — bringing a sad, swift end to one of Game of Thrones’ most memorable, short-lived characters. But hey, at least it helped kick-start Pascal’s eventual domination of the acting world.
7 The Laws of Gods and Men (Season 4, Episode 6)
IMDb score: 9.7
Considering what some Game of Thrones characters have been through, they deserve to crash out as much as they damn well please. Unfortunately, it’s rare to see that happen — except for during Tyrion Lannister’s trial in “The Laws of Gods and Men.”
Accused of murdering his nephew, King Joffrey Baratheon, Tyrion is forced to watch everyone he thought he could trust turn against him — including his lover, Shae (Sibel Kekilli). What follows is a masterclass performance by Dinklage. The heartache and ferocity he brings to Tyrion’s confession that his only crime was 'being a dwarf' make for a show-stopping scene from start to finish.
6 The Door (Season 6, Episode 5)
IMDb score: 9.7
For most of Game of Thrones, Hodor (Kristian Nairn) was seen as a sweet, bumbling giant who would stop at nothing to protect Bran Stark, his charge. But by the end of “The Door,” many viewers’ perceptions of Hodor had changed forever.
“The Door” was such a surprising episode because it had so many reveals — from Sansa and Jon’s plans to take on the Lannisters to Jorah’s (Iain Glen) confession of love to Daenerys. The biggest reveal, however, was Hodor’s origins, which came directly from George R.R. Martin himself and earned seemingly universal praise.
5 The Spoils of War (Season 7, Episode 4)
IMDb score: 9.7
For as much as Game of Thrones love a dynamic and hard-fought battle, “The Spoils of War” is just as much about Arya Stark’s (Maisie Williams) return to Winterfell and reuniting with her siblings Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) as it is about Daenerys turning her dragons on the Lannister and Tarly armies.
After seasons apart, the Starks' reunion is one of the series’ most heartfelt moments, even as tension lingers between the siblings. We get to see fan favorites like Arya and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) interact, and the Starks’ unification spells trouble for the dastardly forces hoping to exploit the siblings’ individual weaknesses.
4 Hardhome (Season 5, Episode 8)
IMDb score: 9.8
Game of Thrones has mostly presented itself as a dark, nitty-gritty, politically focused fantasy — and it certainly lives up to that reputation. This is especially felt in “Hardhome”, where Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) proves himself an essential ally to Daenerys and her rule in Meereen.
However, the big event in “Hardhome” is undoubtedly Jon Snow’s encounter with the Night King (Vladimír Furdík), which quickly turns this dark fantasy into something resembling a zombie movie in the best way possible.
3 The Rains of Castamere (Season 3, Episode 9)
IMDb score: 9.9
Game of Thrones has plenty of devastating moments, but none has put dread in a viewer quite like “The Rains of Castamere.” In this episode, Robb Stark (Richard Madden) attends the wedding of Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling) and Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), alongside his family and closest allies. There, he apologizes to Walder Frey (David Bradley) for breaking his oath — ignorant to the fact that his broken promise will lead to the bloodiest wedding in Thrones history, The Red Wedding.
When “The Rains of Castamere” first aired, it quickly became one of pop culture's most tragic moments. For book fans, it marked the beginning of a new act. But viewers who hadn’t read the books felt the loss of Robb Stark, one of the show’s more empathetic and noble characters, all the more. What could possibly come next?
Years later, that all-important Lannister theme song still makes viewers feel like a pit has opened in their stomachs when the first melancholic notes begin to play.
2 The Winds of Winter (Season 6, Episode 10)
IMDb score: 9.9
Bloodshed and trickery run amok in “The Winds of Winter.” Instead of attending her trial before the Faith alongside the Tyrells, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) schemes to eliminate her enemies and secure her place as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms — with disastrous consequences.
“The Winds of Winter” is an epic episode from start to finish, with several well-loved characters, such as Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and Olenna (Diana Rigg) Tyrell, being snuffed out of existence in mere seconds. Headey, in particular, is a masterclass, and her powerful presence as Cersei proves why the Lannister heiress is a force to be reckoned with.
1 Battle of the Bastards (Season 6, Episode 9)
IMDb score: 9.9
Game of Thrones has two types of episodes: epic, show-stopping battles that make you wonder how much money went into making them look so good, and quiet but no less intense, scheming-fueled episodes where allies and enemies switch faster than you can blink.
The Battle of the Bastards is the former, with Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) finally facing down the truly despicable Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) on the snow-covered fields of Winterfell. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) faces her own battle in Meereen, with dragonfire and corpses piling up as the minutes tick by. Brutal and mesmerizing in equal measure, “Battle of the Bastards” is one of the most action-packed episodes in Thrones history.