Gut-wrenching, disturbing, and heartbreaking: three words to describe “The Rains of Castamere,” Game of Thrones’ most famous episode. Unlike the Purple Wedding, which saw the despicable King Joffrey meet his end, the Red Wedding was the brutal slaying of two major fan favorites: Robb and Catelyn Stark.
To rewatch the 51-minute episode, check out season 3, episode 9, which originally aired on June 2, 2013, on HBO.
“The Rains of Castamere” was the third consecutive penultimate episode of Game of Thrones that delivered in a mighty way. Season 1’s ninth episode was when — up until that point — the series’ main protagonist, Ned Stark, had his head lobbed off in an execution at King’s Landing. Episode 2, season 9 featured the epic Battle of Blackwater Bay where the Lannisters defended the capital against Stannis Baratheon’s campaign to claim the Iron Throne.
And although those were two iconic Game of Thrones episodes, they still didn’t deliver the wildly jaw-dropping effect season 3, episode 9 had. “The Rains of Castamere” centers around the wedding between the Lord of Riverrun, Edmund Tully, and Roslin Frey.
Robb, who had been declared King in the North, attended the event at the Twins alongside Catelyn and a few hundred of Robb’s soldiers. However, the host of the ceremony, Lord Walder Frey, concocted a plan with Lord Roose Bolton to betray the Starks after Robb went back on a marriage pact that would’ve joined the Stark and Frey houses.
Although Robb was betrothed to one of the Lord of the Crossing’s daughters, he decided to marry Jeyne Westerling instead.
As Robb’s soldiers camped outside, Robb, Jeyne, Catelyn, some high-ranking officers, and notable allies all ate and drank in Lord Frey’s main hall to commemorate Lord Tully and Roslin’s joining. But, as the night came to a close, so did the Starks’ storyline. They were ambushed and murdered inside the hall while their soldiers were killed outside.
Robb’s death ushered in a new King of the North
Backed by the Lannisters, Lord Bolton took Winterfell and became its lord after the Red Wedding. He ruled alongside his bastard son, Ramsay Snow, until the maniacal torturer usurped his father — stabbing him the same way he murdered Robb.
This set up another massive penultimate episode. Season 6, episode 9 coined “Battle of the Bastards” featured the legendary encounter between Ramsay and Jon Snow — Robb’s half-brother. The latter ultimately retook his and his family’s old home after the blood-and-guts battle, dethroning Ramsay and ending his tyrannical northern reign.