16) Khal Drogo ‘Crowns’ Viserys
Viserys Targaryen was never long for this world. He always had it coming: arrogant and dismissive of his Dothraki hosts from day one, there wasn’t much chance he was going to see Game of Thrones through to the end. But, really, who suspected he was going to tap out the way he eventually did?
Wrongly assuming Khal Drogo was dumb was Viserys’ first mistake; thinking the Khal wouldn’t pay any mind to Viserys threatening to kill his and Daenerys’ baby was his last. Viserys, believing himself untouchable, rightly points out that blood cannot be spilled in Vaes Dothrak. Drogo gets around this little technicality by pouring a pot of steaming molten gold over Viserys’ head – shedding no blood, and giving Viserys his long-desired “crown” as a parting gift.
15) Melisandre’s Shadow Baby
Our first real clue that Melisandre was no mere charlatan came halfway through season two. The Red Woman starts the show sounding suspiciously like some crank playing Stannis Baratheon for a fool; it’s poor, skeptical Davos Seaworth that’s forced to witness the true, terrifying power of the Lord of Light for the first time.
Melisandre, alone with Davos, reveals a heavily pregnant belly underneath her robe, where only moments before she was very noticeably more un-pregnant. It’s Stannis’ child, born of their earlier tryst, but no ordinary baby: the Priestess moans, and out pops a snarling shadowy figure, clawing its way from Melisandre and into the world.
A rare glimpse of magic in a fantasy show that tends to keep it gritty, Davos’ quivering reaction says it all.
