Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is the first adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of high fantasy novels by , and the first in what would become the Game of Thrones franchise. The show premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019, with 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons.
Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, Game of Thrones has a large ensemble cast and follows several story arcs throughout the course of the show. The first major arc concerns the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros through a web of political conflicts among the noble families, either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence. The second major arc focuses on the last descendant of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty, who has been exiled to Essos and is plotting to return and reclaim the throne. The third follows the Night's Watch, a military order defending the realm against threats from beyond the Seven Kingdoms' northern border.
Game of Thrones attracted a record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, and international fan base. Many critics and publications have named the show one of the greatest television series of all time. Critics have praised the series for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity and violence (including sexual violence) generated controversy. The final season received significant criticism for its reduced length and creative decisions, with many considering it a disappointing conclusion. The series received 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most by a drama series, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Its other awards and nominations include three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, a Peabody Award, and five nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama.
Two prequel series, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, premiered on HBO in 2022 and 2026, respectively.
Premise
Game of Thrones is roughly based on the storylines of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by , set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos. The series follows several simultaneous plotlines. The first story arc follows a war of succession among competing claimants for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, with other noble families fighting for independence from the throne. The second concerns the actions of the exiled scion to reclaim the throne; the third chronicles the threat of the impending winter, as well as the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North.
Cast and characters
Game of Thrones has an ensemble cast which has been estimated to be the largest on television. In 2014, several actors' contracts were renegotiated to include a seventh-season option. By the final season, five of the main cast members made per episode, making them among the highest paid television performers of all time.
Eddard "Ned" Stark (Sean Bean) is the head of House Stark. With his wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), he has children Robb (Richard Madden), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson); he also has an illegitimate son, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), who, along with his scholarly friend Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), serves the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo). Wildlings living north of the Wall include Gilly (Hannah Murray), Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju), and Ygritte (Rose Leslie).
Others associated with House Stark include Ned's ward Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), Ned's vassal Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton), and Bolton's illegitimate son, Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon). Robb allies with healer Talisa Maegyr (Oona Chaplin), while elsewhere, Arya befriends blacksmith apprentice Gendry (Joe Dempsie) and assassin Jaqen H'ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) and Catelyn is introduced to Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie).
In King's Landing, King Robert I Baratheon (Mark Addy) shares a loveless political marriage with Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). Her twin brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) serves on the Kingsguard while younger brother Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is attended by mistress Shae (Sibel Kekilli) and mercenary Bronn (Jerome Flynn). Cersei's father, Tywin (Charles Dance), is the head of House Lannister and the richest man in Westeros. Among Cersei's children are sons Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman). Joffrey is guarded by the scar-faced warrior Sandor "The Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann).
The king's Small Council includes treasurer Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (Aidan Gillen) and spymaster Varys (Conleth Hill). On the island of Dragonstone, Robert's younger brother, Stannis (Stephen Dillane), is advised by foreign priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and former smuggler Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham). In court, House Tyrell is represented by Margaery (Natalie Dormer), her brother Loras (Finn Jones) and their grandmother Olenna (Diana Rigg). The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) is given power as a religious leader while the warrior Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) seeks vengeance against the Lannisters.
Across the Narrow Sea, siblings Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) (colloquially referred to as "Dany") are in exile. Daenerys is forced to marry Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), a leader of the nomadic Dothraki. Her retinue comes to include exiled Westerosi knight Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), aide Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), mercenary Daario Naharis (Ed Skrein and Michiel Huisman), and elite soldier Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson).
+ Main cast and characters
Themes
Both television critics and historians have praised the series for what was perceived as a sort of medieval realism. set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, placing less emphasis on magic and sorcery and focusing instead on battles, political intrigue, and character development. He believed that magic should be used sparingly in the epic fantasy genre to maintain its sense of mystery and impact. Martin said, "The true horrors of human history derive not from orcs and Dark Lords, but from ourselves". Academics have classified the series as neo-medieval, which focuses on overlapping medieval history and popular fantasy. A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle between good and evil, which Martin says does not mirror the real world. In the series, political leaders have mostly been portrayed negatively, as they usually disregard the well-being of the common people and are guided in their decisions by selfish reasons. Few possible exceptions include Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister, who have shown concern about the populace. Still, their methods or commitment to the cause have been criticized. Martin explores the relationship between good and evil through the questions of redemption and character change. Unlike in many other fantasies, the series allows the audience to view different characters from their perspective.
In early seasons, under the influence of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, main characters were regularly killed off, and this was credited with developing tension among viewers. Martin stated in an interview that he wanted to depict war and violence in a realistic way, which sometimes mean the hero or main characters could be injured or killed. In later seasons, critics pointed out that certain characters had developed "plot armor" to survive in unlikely circumstances and attributed this to Game of Thrones deviating from the novels to become more of a traditional television series. In a 2012 study, out of 40 recent television drama shows, Game of Thrones ranked second in deaths per episode, averaging 14. A scientific study conducted in 2018 stated that about 60% of the major characters died as a result of violence and war.
Inspirations and derivations Although the first season closely follows the events of the first novel, later seasons introduced more significant changes. According to Benioff, the television adaptation was "about adapting the series as a whole and following the map George laid out for us and hitting the major milestones, but not necessarily each of the stops along the way". Aspects of the novels' plots and their adaptations are based upon settings, characters, and events in European history. Most of Westeros is reminiscent of high medieval Europe, from its geography and castles to its cultures, the feudal system, palace intrigues, and the knights' tournaments. Like medieval Europe, most of the houses in the series use the patriarchal system of power. The series also includes elements of gothic fiction, including torture tropes.
A principal inspiration for the novels is the English Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) between the houses of Lancaster and York, reflected in Martin's houses of Lannister and Stark. The scheming Cersei Lannister evokes Isabella, the "She-Wolf of France" (1295–1358). She and her family, as portrayed in Maurice Druon's historical novel series, The Accursed Kings, were a main inspiration of Martin's. Other historical antecedents of series elements include: Hadrian's Wall (which becomes Martin's Wall), the Roman Empire and the legend of Atlantis (ancient Valyria and its Doom), Damascus steel (Valyrian Steel), Byzantine Greek fire ("wildfire"), the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, such as the Colossus of Rhodes (Titan of Braavos) and the Library of Alexandria (Hightower of Oldtown), Icelandic sagas of the Viking Age (the Ironborn), the Mongol hordes (the Dothraki), Ancient Egypt (Slaver's Bay), the Hundred Years' War, and the Italian Renaissance. The series's popularity has been attributed, in part, to Martin's skill at fusing these elements into a credible version of alternate history.
Episodes
Production Conception and development
The A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels was popular before Game of Thrones. The series has sold more than 90 million copies worldwide with the novels being translated into 45 different languages. received multiple fantasy writing awards and nominations, including a World Fantasy Award and multiple Locus Awards, for the series.A Song of Ice and Fire awards
Writing for Time magazine in 2005 after the release of A Feast for Crows, journalist Lev Grossman called Martin the "American Tolkien", stating he is a "major force for evolution in fantasy".
In January 2006, David Benioff had a telephone conversation with George R. R. Martin's literary agent about the books he represented. A fan of fantasy fiction in his younger years, Benioff became interested in A Song of Ice and Fire, despite not having read the series at the time. The literary agent subsequently sent him the first four novels in the series. Benioff read a few hundred pages of the first novel, A Game of Thrones, shared his enthusiasm with , and suggested that they adapt Martin's novels into a television series; Weiss finished the first novel in "maybe 36 hours". At about 2:50. They pitched the series to HBO after a five-hour meeting with Martin (himself a veteran screenwriter) in a restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard. According to Benioff, they won Martin over by knowing the answer to his question, "Who is Jon Snow's mother?"