All about Game of Thrones: summary by seasons, characters and analysis of the series

game of Thrones (Game of Thrones), also commonly known as GoT, is an American television series of dramatic genre and fantastic created by producers and screenwriters David Benioff and D.B. Weiss based on the novel saga Song of ice and fire (A Song of Ice and Fire) by author George R.R. Martin.

The fiction premiered in 2011 and ended in 2019 with a total of 8 seasons and 73 chapters broadcast on HBO, a channel through which it can be seen game of Thrones.

Fiction has become a reference series and a true phenomenon that, despite the passage of time, continues to arouse the interest of many people around the world.

From the comparison with the books, the admiration or repulsion for some of its characters, the aspects and themes of the series, until its unexpected end. Any element can be a reason to love or hate this series. But what is it about game of Thrones? What are their characters? What are the Seven Kingdoms? What topics does it cover?

Let's get to know the details of this very successful fiction.

Synopsis of game of Thrones

In a fantastic world and in a medieval context, several families, related to the nobility, dispute the power to dominate the fictional territory of Westeros (Westeros) and take control of the Seven Kingdoms from the Iron Throne, where the king exercises the power.

As a civil war rages for power, behind the Wall that divides the kingdom of Westeros and the north, the dead threaten to fight the living.

Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of the ancient king, returns to Westeros to claim her place and thus avenge the death of her ancestors in the previous civil war.

Attention, from here spoilers!

Seasonal summary

First season

In this season the Seven Kingdoms are ruled by House Baratheon, with King Robert sitting on the Iron Throne.

The Baratheon family visit the Starks in Winterfell. There Robert proposes to his friend Ned, father of the Starks, that he be his hand and his advisor.

During this journey, Bran Stark, one of the youngest sons, discovers Cersei and Jaime Lannister, siblings, having relationships. Later, Jaime decides to throw the boy out the window and leaves him paralyzed.

Ned accepts Robert's proposal and becomes Hand of the King. Therefore, he travels with his daughters, Sansa and Arya, to King's Landing. Once there, Ned promises Sansa to Joffrey, son of King Robert.

Likewise, Jon Snow, Ned's bastard son, decides to join the Night's Watch and heads to the Wall.

On his side, Vyserys Targaryen, son of the mad king, delivers her sister Daenerys to the leader of the Dothraki tribe. Although this act ends up costing him his life. Later, Daenerys is widowed and loses her baby but, in return, she becomes the mother of three dragons.

At the end of the season, King Robert dies and the Lannisters accuse Ned as the sole culprit. Joffrey becomes king and has Ned Stark executed.

Second season

In this season the brothers Renly and Stannis Baratheon fight for the throne after the death of their brother Robert.

Robb Stark declares war on the Lannister family and, with the support of his mother, proclaims himself "King in the North." He also captures Jaime Lannister as revenge.

In King's Landing, Joffrey subjects Sansa to different tortures while her little sister, Arya, manages to flee the city thanks to Gendry, the bastard son of King Robert. In her adventure, young Stark meets Jaqen H'ghar, a man who tells her about faceless men.

On her side, Daenerys travels with her advisor and her dragons to the city of Qarth.

In Winterfell, Theon Greyjoy betrays the Starks and orders the murder of Robb and Rickon, the minor children of the marriage, but is unsuccessful.

Finally, the "Battle of Blackwater" takes place, where Stannis attacks the city of King's Landing, although Tyrion manages to defeat his army.

Third season

In this season, Joffrey forces Tyrion Lannister, his uncle, to marry Sansa Stark and he is engaged to Margaery Tyrell.

For his part, Jon Snow travels beyond the Wall, meets the savages, and falls in love with a woman named Ygritte.

Daenerys heads to the city of Astapor, where she frees her masters' slaves and creates an army of the Unsullied. Then, the young woman becomes a "breaker of chains."

Finally, Robb Stark is betrayed and killed along with his mother and his fiancée during "The Red Wedding."

Fourth season

In this season the wedding of Joffrey and Margaery takes place, where the young king dies poisoned. Later, Cersei blames her brother Tyrion for what happened and sentences him to trial by combat.

On the other hand, Sansa manages to escape from King's Landing with the help of Littlefinger, who promises to take her to her family, and Arya travels to the city of Braavos. On his side Bran Stark goes to the Wall with his servant Hodor and also comes to the cave of the three-eyed ravens.

Meanwhile, the Wildlings attack the Night's Watch and Ygritte, Jon Snow's love interest, is killed in battle.

Finally, Tyrion manages to escape with the help of his brother Jaime from his and kills his father and his lover before he escapes.

Fifth season

In this season, Tommen, Cersei's youngest son, is the new king and Margaery Tyrell becomes his wife. Cersei is guilty of incest and is captured by a religious group, which provides her with a harsh punishment and she has to walk naked through the streets until she reaches the Red Fort.

On the other hand, Jaime goes to Dorne, where his daughter Myrcella is kidnapped. Sansa is handed over to Ramsay, the bastard of the Boltons, a ghoulish-minded young man who rapes the young woman on her wedding night.

Arya trains on the island of Braavos to become one of the Faceless Men. Jon Snow strikes a deal with the Savages, but his fellow Night's Watch disagrees and stabs him.

Season six

Melisandre manages to resurrect Jon Snow. After escaping from Ramsay, Sansa reunites with her brother Jon hers. Jon's priority now is to protect Westeros and prevent the White Walkers from breaking through the Wall.

To avenge the death of his brother Robb and his mother, Arya kills those guilty of the crime.

Bran is "the three-eyed raven" and his power to see the past, present and future makes him discover a secret related to his family: Jon Snow, in reality, is not the son of Ned Stark, but his sister Lyanna Stark and Raegar Targaryen.

In this season takes place "the battle of the bastards" where Ramsay loses his life at the hands of his dogs. Later, Jon is proclaimed King in the North.

Cersei decides to take revenge on those who tortured her and destroys the Sept of Baelor with all those who are inside her, among them is also Margaery Tyrell. When Tommen learns of the death of his lover, he throws himself into the void and dies.

Seventh season

In that season Daenerys travels to Dragonstone and continues with her plan to get the Iron Throne, something that Cersei is not willing to allow. But the Lannisters are practically without support.

The witch Melisandre visits Daenerys and invites her to ally with Jon Snow to achieve her goal. On his part, Jon Snow is concerned about the great war between the living and the dead. Therefore, he decides to meet with Daenerys to tell her about the White Walkers. Daenerys accepts the offer with conditions and finally both end up tied.

Afterward, Jon travels beyond the Wall to arrest a White Walker. However, the young man puts his life in danger and Daenerys comes to save him. Consequently, one of the dragons becomes the White Walker.

Arya arrives at her home in Winterfell, where she is reunited with her sister Sansa and her brother Bran hers. There the young woman kills Littlefinger, who insists on dividing his family.

Season eight

Jon and Daenerys arrive in Winterfell with their army. Meanwhile, the White Walkers have managed to cross the Wall and the King of the Night advances and murders many people in his path.

Later, Jon Snow learns that he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lianna Stark. The army of the night arrives in Winterfell and Daenerys learns of Jon Snow's true origin, a fact that disrupts all her plans.

Also, the battle takes place in Winterfell against the Army of the Dead. Daenerys and Jon Snow try to defeat the King of the Night with the dragons. In an attempt to defend Bran from the Night King, Arya manages to assassinate him with a Valyrian steel dagger.

Once the Army of the Dead is defeated, Arya and Sansa learn of their brother Jon's true lineage.

Daenerys' next plan is to reach King's Landing to seize power. Once there, the young woman asks Cersei to surrender.

Jon has more and more followers to take the Iron Throne but he does not want to betray Daenerys.

Faced with Cersei's refusal to surrender, Daenerys decides to attack King's Landing and destroy the city with her dragons, burning and devastating the entire population. Jaime and Cersei also die.

After what happened, Jon decides to stab Daenerys and remove her from the throne. Ultimately, the lords of Westeros name Bran as their king and Tyrion as their hand.

The North is independent of the Seven Kingdoms and Jon decides to go beyond the Wall to live with the Savages.

Game of Thrones analysis

At its premiere in 2011, game of Thrones It became a television phenomenon and one of the most successful series of recent times. What does GOT have to make it a really addictive show?

game of Thrones it has drama, action, betrayal, mystery, heroes and some of the best villains that are remembered on the small screen.

More than a television series, it is a visual spectacle worth seeing on the big screen. GoT is pure fantasy whose thematic background sometimes reminds us of the real world.

What are the issues being discussed? What about reality in this fantasy world? Why is it a series that has reached so many places and has transformed the way we watch television?

Series theme

The power

To what extent is the human being capable of reaching in order to have power?

Lies, corruption, politics, oppression, authoritarianism... Every day we participate of all the limits that people are capable of crossing in order to gain control, dominate or impose.

Political power is one of the most prominent issues in Game of Thrones. To a greater or lesser extent, almost all the characters in this fiction move through and to exert control over others until they even reach the ultimate consequences.

The family

Like on a chess board, the different houses are disputed to get the Iron Throne. However, there is nothing more important than family in this series and almost all decisions are made based on lineage. To defend the family, real atrocities, battles and the great war take place.

Characters like, for example, Arya fights to avenge the death of her father, her brother and her mother. Cersei decides to vindicate the death of her son with the murder order of her own brother. The following phrase sums up very well the importance of family in the series:

The surname is the one that prevails. It's the only thing left. Not your personal pride, not your honor... but family. Tywin Lannister.

Honor

Honor is also a prominent theme in game of Thrones, where the worst part is taken by the bastards. The extramarital children of some characters in the series have a very low social status. They do not even inherit the surname of their parents but another that is assigned to them depending on the area of ​​Poniente to which they belong. The bastards that appear in the series are: Jon Snow, Ramsay Snow, Ellia Sand and Gendry.

On the other hand, although Tyrion is not a bastard, his dwarfism makes him feel like one of them since he has always been excluded by his relatives.

All dwarves are bastards in the eyes of their father. Tyrion Lannister.

Betrayal and revenge

What is the good? What is wrong? Power is "the engine" of Game of Thrones. The consequences do not matter to dominate in Westeros. On the way to the throne, betrayal and revenge appear. Throughout the series, new alliances are generated, broken and new ones are created, regardless of the lives that are led.

Good and evil or life and death are separated by an almost imperceptible line. If at the beginning of the series the families seem united, as the fiction progresses, betrayals arise between members of the same lineage and the revenge becomes more and more cruel.

When you play the game of thrones, you live or die. There are no intermediate points.

Game of Thrones and the real world

The GOT series has often been hailed as "the greatest show on television." It has also been criticized for the explicit nature in which some issues are dealt with, such as violence.

However, this television fiction set in a time similar to the Middle Ages offers the opportunity to better understand our reality, ourselves and the scars of history that do not end heal.

It is not about accepting the situations that are presented in the series as valid, but, rather, about reflecting on how they actually manifest themselves. Metaphorically or symbolically, some comparisons between fiction and reality are:

Dragons and weapons

Dragons have been, and will always be, mythological beings that symbolize power and strength in the East. Although, in the West they are more associated with evil and danger. In any case, we must not fear these fabulous beasts.

Daenerys is a powerful character because she has the most dangerous “weapon” of destruction in Westeros. In today's world we do not have dragons but there are weapons and nuclear bombs. There is no Daenerys either, but there are politicians whose decisions continually threaten humanity.

The violence

It is intolerable to see a fiction in which feminism is questionable, in which violence against women is repeated. GOT captures the role of women in a medieval context, although it reinforces feminine power with characters such as Cersei, Arya or Daenerys. But, at present, there are also alarming data on gender-based violence, rape, forced marriage and other abuses against women.

Climate change

Game of Thones it is also a great metaphor for climate change. At least, so admits the author of the books George R.R. Martin.

"Winter is coming" is one of the most repeated phrases during the series. All the characters fight for power and wish to dominate Westeros from the Iron Throne. However, the great threat is the White Walkers. In this sense, climate change is, in our reality, like these fictitious and fearsome creatures. It is the great battle that we all have to face.

The Seven Kingdoms of Game of Thrones

There are a total of nine regions in present-day Westeros. However, in the series they refer to the division of Westeros before the irruption of Aegon I The Conqueror, when the territory was fragmented into seven kingdoms:

• The North: it is the territory that borders the Wall to the north. It is the kingdom in which the Stark family is based and where Winterfell is located.
• The kingdom of islands and rivers: It was ruled by House Hoare and included The Iron Islands and the Lands of the Rivers, later divided.
• The kingdom of the mountain and the valley: It is where the Arryn family is based, who rule from the Nido de Águilas.
• The kingdom of the rock: It is located in the West, its capital is Casterly Rock and it is the home of the Lannisters.
• The kingdom of the Stormlands: He was for the storm kings, then for the Targaryens, and finally for the Baratheon.
• The realm of Dominion: it is located to the south and its city is Altojardín. The Tyrell house is established in this territory.
• The kingdom of Dorne: it is the only territory that has never been conquered by anyone. It is controlled by the Martell house.

After Aegon's conquest, a total of nine regions: The North, The Iron Islands, The Western Lands, The Riverlands, The Valley of Arryn, The Dominion, Crown Lands, Stormlands, and Dorne.

Game of Thrones houses, characters and cast

Baratheon House

It is one of the youngest houses and one of the most important of the seven kingdoms. Its origin dates back to the war of conquest led by Aegon I Targaryen. Their place of settlement is Storm's End and his motto:"Ours is the Fury".

• Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy): is the King of the Seven Kingdoms since the victory in the War of the Usurper, also known as Robert's rebellion, after which he marries Cersei to unite the kingdoms with the house Lannister. Robert dies and unleashes a great war for the Iron Throne.
• Joffrey (Jack Gleeson): is the supposed first-born son of the marriage between Robert and Cersei, the heir to the Iron Throne. The reality is that the young man is the son of Cersei and Ser Jaime, his twin brother. Joffrey becomes the eighteenth king of the Seven Kingdoms, he is evil and his mismanagement causes the "War of the Five Kings". Finally, the young man is poisoned on his wedding day.
• Tommen and Myrcella (Dean-Charles Chapman and Nell Tiger Free): they are the brother and the younger sister of Joffrey, children of the same father. Tommen becomes the nineteenth king of the Seven Kingdoms after the death of his older brother. Although, in the end, both Tommen and Myrcella have a tragic death.
• Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane): He is the lord of Dragonstone and the younger brother of King Robert. When he dies he starts a campaign to get the throne.
• Selyse and Shireen (Tara Fitzgerald and Kerry Danielle Ingram): They are the wife and daughter of Stannis Baratheon. Selyse belongs to the Florent house and Shireen is the only descendant of the marriage. The young woman has a skin disease and for that reason she is rejected.
• Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony): He is Lord Storm's End and the younger brother of Robert and Stannis Baratheon. He was on the privy council during his brother's reign and after Robert's death he too seeks to dominate the Seven Kingdoms.

Stark House

The Starks have ruled the north for thousands of years. This bloodline originates from Brandon the Builder, who created Winterfell and the Wall. The motto from this house is "Winter is comingAnd his shield is a gray direwolf on a white background.

• Eddard Stark (Sean Bean): also named as Ned stark, he is the guardian of the North and lord of Winterfell. He is married to Lady Catelyn, of the Tully house, with whom he has five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. On the other hand, Ned raises Jon Snow, the son of his deceased sister Lyana, as his supposed bastard son. He is very close friend Robert Baratheon. Eventually, Eddard is executed and his death triggers his family's wishes for revenge.
• Robb (Richard Madden): is the first-born of the Stark marriage. When his father dies, Robb is proclaimed King in the North. However, his power ends soon after his execution during the Red Wedding.

• Sansa (Sophie Turner): She is the eldest of Ned and Catelyn's daughters. At the beginning of the series, the young woman is obsessed with Joffrey. However, when Ned is executed, she is left in King's Landing as a hostage, where she has to endure different humiliations.

• Arya (Maisie Williams): He is one of the most complete characters in the series. Arya is the youngest of Ned and Catelyn's daughters. Unlike her sister, the young woman does not wish to be queen. She is a brave and characterful girl who opposes the established rules. She has a very close relationship with her brother Jon Snow, who gives her a sword that she nicknames "needle."

• Bran (Isaac Hempstead- Wright): is the second son of the Stark marriage. She suffers an accident because of Jaime Lannister and is paralyzed.

• Rickon (Art Parkinson): is the young son of Ned and Catelyn.

• Jon Snow (Kit Harington): is one of the most popular characters in game of Thrones and one of its protagonists. He is the bastard son of Ned Stark and is a member of the Night's Watch. Eventually, Jon discovers that his parents are Lyana Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen.

• Benjen (Joseph Mawle): He is the younger brother of Ned Stark and the leader of the Night's Watch.

Lannister House

It is one of the great houses of game of Thrones whose home and fortress is Casterly Rock. The shield of this house is a golden lion on a red background and its motto: "Hear my Roar!".

• Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance): is the lord of Casterly Rock and the guardian of the West. He is the widower of Lady Joanna, with whom he had three children: Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion. It was the hand of King Aerys II Targaryen and after his grandson Joffrey.
• Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau): he is one of the children of Tywin and Joanna, Cersei's twin, with whom he practices incest and has three children. He is known as "the Kingslayer" for assassinating the Mad King.
• Cersei Lannister (Lana Headey): she is the only daughter of Tywin. She is married to Robert Baratheon and therefore is the queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She has three children with her brother Jaime hers: Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella. That is her biggest secret. She is narcissistic and ambitious. He is capable of anything to maintain his power.
• Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage): is the youngest of the Lannisters. He is a dwarf and has always been rejected by his family, except for Jaime. He serves as "hand of the king" for a time and also marries Sansa Stark.
• Kevan Lannister (Ian Gelder): he is the younger brother of Tywin Lannister and his right hand man.
• Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon): he is the eldest son of Tywin Lannister as a result of his marriage to Dorna Swyft.

House Targaryen

It is an ancient dynasty that ruled for more than 300 years. They are originally from Valyria, in the East. In the Usurper's War, Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne. During the war, the Targaryen family almost disappeared, whose only living members are Daenerys, Viserys Targaryen and Jon Snow. His banner is a three-headed red dragon on a black background and his motto: "Fire and Blood".

• Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke): She is known as Daenerys of the Storms and is the only daughter of the Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, and Rhaella Targaryen. She is one of the protagonists of the saga. At first, she draws her attention because of her kindness, however, her experiences transform her into an ambitious and ruthless woman.
• Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd): he is the ambitious brother of Daenerys. Her mission is to recover the reign of the Seven Kingdoms, for this she marries her sister with Khal Drogo.

Arryn House

It is one of the oldest families of the Andala nobility. His lineage comes from the kings of the Mountain and the Valley. They are settled in the Nest of the Eagles and their emblem is a crescent moon and a silver hawk. The motto of the house Arryn is: "As High as Honor".

• Jon arryn: is the lord of the Eagles Nest and hand of King Robert Baratheon who dies at the beginning of the series. He is married to Lady Lysa, a member of the Tully house, with whom he has a son named Robert.
• Robert Arryn (Lino Facioli): when he dies his father remains as the lord of the Eagles Nest. He is a spoiled child and overprotected by his mother because he suffers from a disease.

Tully House

No member of this family ever reigned, but House Tully dominates the Riverlands and is based in Aguasdulces. His coat of arms is a silver trout that leaps over an undulating field of azure and gules. His motto it is: "Family, Duty, Honor".

• Catelyn Tully (Michelle Fairley): She is the eldest daughter of Hoster Tully, the lord of Aguasdulces, although she is known as Catelyn Stark from her marriage to Ned. Catelyn is a strong woman who tries to protect her family, however, she does not accept Jon the bastard son of her husband.
• Lysa Tully (Kate Dickie): is the second daughter of the Tully marriage. She is the widow of Jon Arryn with whom she has a son to whom she consents everything.
• Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies): He is the youngest of the Tully family and the heir to Sweetwater after the death of his father, however, he lost his titles during the War of the Five Kings.

Greyjoy House

It is the house that dominates in the Iron Islands in Poniente. Her emblem is a gold Kraken on saber field and her motto: "We do not sow".

• Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide): he is the lord of the Iron Islands widower of Lady Alannys, with whom he had two children: Yara and Theon.
• Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek): He is the evil and ruthless brother of Balon Greyjoy.
• Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen): is the heir of Balon. He lives in Winterfell with the Starks as Ned's ward to demonstrate the loyalty of the Iron Men. Although, eventually, he ends up betraying the Stark family.
• Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan): she is the only child of the Greyjoys. She is a brave and independent woman who fights and leads to protect the Iron Islands.

Martell House

This family rules in Dorne. The emblem of this house is a gules sun pierced by a golden spear and its motto: "Never Bent, never Broken".

• Doran Martell (Alexander Sidding): is the prince of Dorne and maximum representative of the Martell house. She has a son named Trystane.
• Trystane Martell (Tobby Sebastian): is the son of Doran and Mellario. He becomes engaged to Myrcella Baratheon although, eventually, he is assassinated.
• Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal): is the younger brother of Dorne. Oberyn faces a trial by combat that costs him his life.
• Ellaria Sand (Idira Varma): is Oberyn's mistress.
• Tyene Sand, Obara Sand and Nymera Sand (Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Keisha Castle- Hughes and Jessica Henwick): They are the bastard daughters of Oberyn Martell, the result of his relationship with different women.

Tyrell House

She is based in Highgarden. Her coat of arms is a golden rose on a field of sinople and her motto: "Grow Strong".

• Mace Tyrell: (Roger Ashton-Griffiths): He is the lord of the Tyrell house. He has a son named Loras and a daughter named Margaery, whom he betrothed to Joffrey.
• Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer): she is the only daughter of Mace Tyrell. She first marries Joffrey and when she becomes his widow, she marries Tommen Baratheon, marriages that make her queen.
• Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones): is Margaery's brother and is in a relationship with Renly Baratheon. When he dies Loras tries to avenge his death.
• Olenna (Diana Rigg): She is the mother of Mace Tyrell and the grandmother of Margaery and Loras. She stands out for her intelligence and cunning in improving the position of her family. She is nicknamed as the Queen of Thorns.

Game of Thrones books

A Song of Ice and Fire (Song of ice and fire) is the title of a series consisting of seven novels written by author George R.R. Martin which led to the small screen adaptation entitled game of Thrones (Game of Thrones) produced by the American channel HBO. The Serie game of Thrones focuses on adapting the first five volumes of Song of ice and fire. However, the end of television fiction is not based on the novels. These are the titles of the books and the seasons of the corresponding series:

1. A Game of Thrones,1996 (Game of Thrones): It is the first book in the series of novels and the one that gives title to the HBO fiction. The first season of fiction is an adaptation of this book.
2. A Clash of Kings, 1998 (Clash of Kings): it is the second publication and corresponds to the second season of the series, somewhat less faithful than the previous one and with some significant changes in the script.
3. A Storm of Swords, 2000 (Storm of swords): is the third novel of Song of ice and fire. It is a longer book than the previous ones and therefore the third season only adapts a part of it in its 10 episodes. However, the rest is reflected throughout the fourth season.
4. A Feast of Crows, 2005 (Feast for Crows): This book is not adapted in its entirety, but the series rescues some plots in the fourth season.
5. A Dance with Dragons, 2011 (Dance of dragons): The fifth book is the last on which the series is based. But it does not appear in its entirety either, but a selection of plots is made for the fourth and fifth seasons of the series.
6. The Winds of Winter (pending publication).
7. A Dream of Spring (pending publication).

House of the Dragon: the prequel to game of Thrones

A series like game of Thrones that has fascinated, "hooked" and even disappointed many fans of the saga, needs to have a new opportunity.

Therefore, HBO plans its return under the title House of the Dragon, a prequel set 300 years before the series game of Thrones and that "explores the universe and the origin" of House Targaryen, one of the most important families in the series.