The 20 Most Shocking Game Of Thrones Moments

8) Jon Targaryen

This one may have been a bigger shock if a widely-circulated theory hadn’t already correctly predicted the outcome years in advance. For those who’d never heard of R+L=J, however, the revelation of what really went down in the Tower of Joy was still a major turning point.

In a moment that has the potential to alter the series in a profound way, it’s revealed that Jon Snow’s parents are not really Ned Stark and some “tavern slut.” Jon’s mommy and daddy are really Lyanna Stark and Raegar Targaryen, only Ned Stark took the boy and raised him as his own to ensure Robert Baratheon wouldn’t seek the child out and kill him. Now that we know Jon Snow is a Targaryen, things are about to get very interesting.

7) “Hold The Door!”

Is this the most emotional scene in Game of Thrones to date? Every fan, surely, had a soft spot for Hodor, the gentle giant who could only say one word – his own name – and who dutifully helped the escaping Stark children get as far on their journey north as they could. Unfortunately, as it turns out, even one as formidable as Hodor can be finished off by rampaging wights and the white walker threat.

His end comes in a moment of self-sacrifice, holding the door shut between Bran and Meera and the wights coming to kill them – until he can hold no more. What makes the scene extra heartbreaking is the discovery that ‘Hodor’ is short for “Hold the door,” a line the erstwhile Willis heard echo through time and was destined to forever repeat.