The television series Game of Thrones features a storyline centered around various kingdoms on a fantasy continent called Westeros. This continent is home to a union of seven kingdoms under the supreme leadership of King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy). King Robert rules from a throne known as the Iron Throne, located in King’s Landing, the capital of Westeros. The seven kingdoms of Westeros were originally independent realms. These kingdoms were united by Aegon Targaryen, who hailed from Valyria, a city on the continent of Essos. Aegon crossed the Narrow Sea to Westeros and conquered the seven kingdoms with his dragon army. He then unified the conquered kingdoms into one realm under his rule.
The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are as follows: the Kingdom of the North, currently led by Eddard Stark, or Ned Stark (Sean Bean); the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale, led by Jon Arryn (John Standing), who also serves as the prime minister of the main kingdom; the Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers, whose territories are divided between Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide) and Hoster Tully (Christopher Newman); the Kingdom of the Rock, led by Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance); the Kingdom of the Stormlands, led by Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony), King Robert’s younger brother; the Kingdom of the Reach, led by Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths); and the Principality of Dorne, led by Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig).
Among the minor kings of the Seven Kingdoms, Tywin Lannister arguably holds the most strategic position. This is because he became the king’s father-in-law after his daughter, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), married King Robert. Besides Cersei, who is now the queen of Westeros, Tywin has two other children: Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Cersei’s twin, and their youngest sibling, the dwarf Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). Tyrion is considered the most brilliant character in Game of Thrones and is a favorite among many fans of the series. Tywin also has three grandchildren: Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), King Robert’s heir; Myrcella Baratheon (Nell Tiger Free), his only granddaughter; and the youngest, Tommen Baratheon (Dean-Charles Chapman).
The first season of Game of Thrones begins with a scene featuring three members of the Night’s Watch on a mission to track Wildlings beyond the Wall. The Night’s Watch is a special force tasked with guarding the northern borders of the realm, an area marked by a massive structure called the Wall. Historically, the Night’s Watch protected the realm from the White Walkers, ice-bodied zombies believed to have gone extinct hundreds of years ago. In the present day, the Night’s Watch primarily defends the border against the Wildlings, a group of free people living north of the Wall. While tracking Wildlings beyond the Wall, the three members of the Night’s Watch unexpectedly encounter White Walkers.
Two of the Night’s Watch members are killed in the attack by the White Walkers, but one survives and escapes to Winterfell, the capital of the Kingdom of the North. The survivor recounts his encounter with the White Walkers, but no one believes him. Instead, he is branded a deserter, and Ned Stark sentences him to death. Ned Stark, a loyal friend of King Robert, is deeply committed to the realm. He is married to Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) of House Tully and has five children: Robb (Richard Madden), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Brandon (Isaac Hempstead Wright), and Rickon (Art Parkinson).
Ned also has an illegitimate son named Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and a ward, Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), the biological son of Balon Greyjoy. Ned receives news that Jon Arryn, whom he regarded as a father figure, has died of a fever. He also learns that King Robert is on his way to Winterfell to ask him to succeed Jon Arryn as Hand of the King and to arrange a betrothal between Joffrey and Sansa. King Robert arrives with his entourage, which includes Jaime and Tyrion Lannister. At the same time, Catelyn receives a letter from her sister, Lysa (Kate Dickie), who is Jon Arryn’s widow. The letter reveals that Jon Arryn did not die of illness but was poisoned by the Lannisters.
The next day, Bran, who enjoys climbing the walls and towers of Winterfell, accidentally discovers Cersei Lannister engaged in an illicit affair with her twin brother, Jaime. Bran is caught witnessing their act, prompting Jaime to push him from the tower to eliminate the only witness to their immoral and reprehensible behavior. Although Bran survives the fall, he ends up in a coma. Meanwhile, Ned, Bran’s father, accepts the position of Hand of the King, replacing Jon Arryn. This decision requires him to leave Winterfell for King’s Landing, accompanied by his two daughters, Sansa and Arya.
After his father left for King’s Landing to serve as the new Hand of the King, Jon Snow decided not to remain in Winterfell. He accepted an invitation from his uncle, Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle), Ned’s younger brother, to follow in his footsteps and join the Rangers of the Night’s Watch. Before departing, Jon gifted his beloved younger sister, Arya, a small sword, which she later named Needle. Tyrion Lannister also joined Jon Snow’s group traveling north, though his true purpose for going remained unclear. Meanwhile, Catelyn stayed at Winterfell to care for Bran, who was still unconscious. While Bran was in a coma, an assassin sent by Cersei attempted to kill him, but Bran’s direwolf managed to thwart the attack.
Catelyn then decided to secretly travel to King’s Landing to inform her husband about the assassination attempt on their son. She suspected the Lannisters’ involvement in the plot against Bran. When Bran eventually woke from his coma, he had no memory of the events that led to his fall. He could not recall what he had witnessed in the tower involving Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Meanwhile, Ned and the royal entourage arrived in King’s Landing, where Ned assumed leadership of the Small Council, which comprised Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover), the royal healer; Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), the royal treasurer; Lord Varys (Conleth Hill), the spymaster; and Renly Baratheon, the King’s brother from the Kingdom of the Stormlands, who oversaw legal affairs.
During his initial meetings with the council, Ned realized that the kingdom had been poorly managed, with the Small Council frequently disregarding the advice and orders of Jon Arryn during his tenure as Hand of the King. Catelyn eventually arrived in King’s Landing, where she was intercepted by Littlefinger, an old acquaintance. Littlefinger offered his assistance in uncovering the culprits behind Bran’s fall and the subsequent assassination attempt. He revealed that the weapon used in the attack on Bran belonged to Tyrion Lannister. Armed with this information, Catelyn met with Ned to share her findings. Unfortunately, they lacked solid evidence to take any decisive action against Tyrion.
Meanwhile, in Essos, Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd), the son of King Aerys II (David Rintoul), the former ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, plans to reclaim the throne he believes is his birthright by exploiting his younger sister, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). Viserys and Daenerys are the last surviving members of the Targaryen bloodline after their family was massacred during Robert’s Rebellion. To provide context, 15 years earlier, when he ruled as the King of the Stormlands, Robert Baratheon led a rebellion that resulted in the death of King Aerys II and the near-total eradication of the Targaryen family. Only Viserys and Daenerys were smuggled to safety in Essos. King Aerys II was overthrown due to his cruel and erratic reign, earning him the title “The Mad King.”
Now an adult, Viserys seeks the aid of a wealthy merchant in Essos, Illyrio Mopatis (Roger Allam), to broker an agreement with Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), a warlord of the Dothraki. The deal is that Drogo would marry Daenerys in exchange for providing Viserys with a Dothraki army to help him reclaim the Iron Throne of Westeros. The Dothraki are a nomadic race of horse-mounted warriors known for their ferocity and their belief in fighting to the death from the saddle. With no choice, Daenerys agrees to the marriage, fulfilling her brother’s ambitions. At her wedding, Daenerys receives a gift from Illyrio Mopatis: three fossilized dragon eggs, which were believed to be extinct for over a century.
Daenerys also encounters Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), a knight from Westeros who offers his services as her personal bodyguard. Jorah, the son of the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo), is now an outlaw accused of treason. Initially uneasy, Daenerys’s relationship with Khal Drogo begins to blossom, and she eventually becomes pregnant. Meanwhile, Viserys grows increasingly frustrated as Khal Drogo delays providing him with the promised army. In his desperation, Viserys threatens Daenerys and her unborn child, demanding that Drogo deliver on his end of the bargain. Enraged by the threat against his wife and future heir, Khal Drogo takes brutal action. He kills Viserys by pouring molten gold over his head, a fitting end for someone obsessed with the throne, leaving him to die as his ambitions literally consume him.
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At Castle Black, the headquarters of the Night’s Watch, Jon Snow joins a group composed of murderers, thieves, and other criminals from the Seven Kingdoms who have also been sent to serve in the Night’s Watch. Jon quickly proves himself to be the most skilled in one-on-one sword combat. He befriends Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), a recruit with no fighting ability at all. Shortly after, Jon is appointed as the personal steward to Jeor Mormont, a position he initially resents because he wants to follow in his uncle’s footsteps as a Ranger of the Night’s Watch. However, Jeor Mormont assigns Jon this role as a way to groom him for leadership as the potential future Lord Commander.
Tyrion Lannister, who had accompanied Jon Snow to the Wall, decides to return to King’s Landing. On his way back, he stops at Winterfell and designs a special saddle that will allow Bran to ride a horse despite his paralysis. Continuing his journey, Tyrion encounters Catelyn Stark at an inn. Recognizing him as the suspected culprit behind the attempted murder of her son Bran, Catelyn calls on the knights present at the inn to help her capture Tyrion. Armed with the additional accusation of conspiring to murder Jon Arryn, Catelyn takes Tyrion to the Vale to be judged by her sister, Lysa Arryn. At the Vale, Tyrion denies both accusations—plotting to kill Jon Arryn and attempting to murder Bran Stark.
To prove his innocence, Tyrion demands a trial by combat, where his fate would be determined in a one-on-one fight. In this process, the winner of the combat is declared innocent of all charges. Tyrion finds an ally in Bronn (Jerome Flynn), who volunteers to fight on his behalf. Bronn triumphs over the Vale’s chosen champion, securing Tyrion’s freedom. Following this ordeal, Bronn and Tyrion form a close friendship and travel together to King’s Landing. In King’s Landing, Sansa Stark eagerly anticipates her marriage to Joffrey Baratheon. She is infatuated with him and dreams of becoming queen someday. Meanwhile, Arya Stark, who aspires to become a warrior, receives a gift from her father, Ned—a swordsmanship instructor named Syrio Forel (Miltos Yerolemou), who begins training her in the art of combat.
Still seeking evidence in the murder of Jon Arryn, Ned Stark sends his guards to question a former servant of Jon Arryn who had recently been knighted. Ned hopes to learn details about Jon Arryn’s final days. However, before they can reach him, the former servant meets a gruesome end in a jousting tournament against Gregor Clegane, also known as The Mountain (Hafthor Bjornsson). Ned begins to suspect that Jon Arryn’s servant may have been poisoned at the behest of the Lannisters, especially given his sudden elevation to knighthood and wealth before his death. Back in King’s Landing, King Robert attends a council meeting and learns that Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen are gathering forces with the Dothraki to attack King’s Landing.
To preempt a potential coup, Robert orders Lord Varys to send an assassin to Essos to kill Daenerys, who is now pregnant with Khal Drogo’s child. Ned, a man of principle and humanity, strongly opposes this plan and even threatens to resign as Hand of the King if the assassination goes forward. After the council meeting, Jaime Lannister ambushes Ned and kills several of his guards upon learning that his brother Tyrion has been accused and put on trial for crimes he did not commit. Fortunately, King Robert intervenes to de-escalate the conflict between Jaime and Ned. Robert insists that Ned remain as Hand of the King and act in his stead during Robert’s upcoming hunting trip, which will last several weeks.
Reluctantly, Ned agrees to take over Robert’s duties during the hunt. While serving as acting king, he holds court and listens to the grievances of his people, many of whom report being victims of atrocities committed by a group of raiders led by The Mountain. In response, Ned sentences The Mountain to death and dispatches Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) to carry out the punishment. He also summons Tywin Lannister to court to answer for The Mountain’s crimes, as the Lannisters have long been associated with supporting such acts of brutality. Ned’s decisions deepen the animosity between House Stark and House Lannister. Aware of the escalating tensions and the dangers they pose, Ned makes plans to send Arya and Sansa back to Winterfell for their safety.
At the same time, Ned Stark discovers shocking information: Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are not the biological children of King Robert but are the offspring of Cersei and Jaime’s illicit relationship. This means that King Robert has no legitimate heir to succeed him as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Ned tries to relay this information to the king, but before he can, he learns that Robert has been gravely injured in a hunting accident. The king is critically wounded by a boar and is on the brink of death. As he approaches his final moments, King Robert asks Ned to draft his will, naming him as regent and protector of the realm until Joffrey comes of age.
However, knowing Joffrey is not the rightful heir, Ned writes “my lawful heir” in the will instead of explicitly naming Joffrey. When the will is read, Cersei and the council are enraged and declare the document invalid. Chaos erupts as Ned’s forces are betrayed and massacred, and Littlefinger reveals his allegiance to Cersei. Ned is arrested and branded a traitor for allegedly attempting to usurp the throne from Joffrey. While imprisoned, Ned is visited by Varys, who advises him to publicly acknowledge Joffrey as the rightful king to save his own life and the lives of his daughters, Sansa and Arya, who are also in King’s Landing.
Reluctantly, Ned agrees for the sake of his family. He is brought before the public to confess his “treason” and recognize Joffrey’s reign. However, instead of granting mercy, Joffrey orders Ned’s execution. In a devastating public display, Ned Stark is beheaded, with both Sansa and Arya witnessing the brutal act. After Ned’s death, Arya manages to escape King’s Landing with the help of Yoren (Francis Magee), a loyal member of the Night’s Watch. Sansa, however, is taken captive by Cersei, who plans to marry her to Joffrey as a way to maintain peace and suppress rebellion from House Stark and their allies. Meanwhile, back in the North, Robb Stark is declared the new King in the North by his followers and begins a campaign to secede from the Seven Kingdoms.
Robb marshals his forces to fight against the Lannister army, led directly by Tywin Lannister. Tywin, who also serves as Hand of the King to his grandson Joffrey, is forced to leave the capital to deal with Robb’s rebellion. In his absence, Tywin appoints Tyrion to serve as acting Hand of the King, a role that thrusts Tyrion into the dangerous political turmoil of King’s Landing. Elsewhere, Robert Baratheon’s two younger brothers, Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and Renly (Gethin Anthony), both lay claim to the throne of Westeros after learning the truth about Joffrey’s parentage. Each plans a rebellion against Joffrey’s rule, echoing the rebellion their elder brother Robert led against the Targaryens 15 years earlier.
At Castle Black, the Night’s Watch faces a brutal attack by the White Walkers, witnessing their terrifying power firsthand. Meanwhile, Benjen Stark, who had ventured beyond the Wall on a patrol, is reported missing and has not returned. With increasing activity among the Wildlings north of the Wall and the need to search for Benjen, the Night’s Watch decides to launch an expedition beyond the Wall to uncover the truth about what is happening. In Essos, Jorah Mormont receives a royal pardon from King Robert for serving as a spy on Daenerys Targaryen. Initially, Jorah’s intention in becoming Daenerys’s personal bodyguard was to secure amnesty from Westeros.
However, as time passes, Jorah falls in love with Daenerys and chooses to remain loyal to her, even at the cost of being branded a traitor. He thwarts an assassination attempt on Daenerys orchestrated by King Robert’s agents. Upon learning of the attempt on his wife’s life, Khal Drogo becomes enraged and vows to conquer the Iron Throne for Daenerys and their unborn child. The Dothraki quickly mobilize, raiding villages along their path to amass wealth for purchasing ships to cross to Westeros. Daenerys, however, disapproves of her husband’s barbaric methods. She intervenes to protect the women from being assaulted and takes them as her servants, including a cunning healer and sorceress named Mirri Maz Duur (Mia Soteriou).
During a skirmish, Khal Drogo is wounded in a fight with one of his rebellious men, Mago (Ivailo Dimitrov). Mirri Maz Duur takes advantage of his injury, offering a supposed healing remedy that turns out to be a false cure. The treatment leaves Khal Drogo gravely ill and weak, losing the respect of his warriors. The situation worsens when Mirri Maz Duur conducts a ritual that causes Daenerys to lose her unborn child. While the ritual keeps Drogo alive, he becomes a soulless shell of his former self, leaving him incapable of leading his people. Eventually, Daenerys discovers that Mirri Maz Duur intentionally caused these tragedies as revenge for the devastation wrought by the Dothraki on her village. Heartbroken and desperate to end her husband’s suffering, Daenerys smothers Khal Drogo, putting him to rest.
She then prepares a funeral pyre for him, placing his body atop it alongside the three dragon eggs she received as a wedding gift from Illyrio Mopatis. Daenerys also ties Mirri Maz Duur to the pyre, sentencing her to death for her treachery. As the flames engulf the pyre, Daenerys walks into the fire in an act reminiscent of the ancient Hindu tradition of Sati. By morning, as the fire dies down, onlookers expect to find Daenerys’s ashes alongside those of her husband. Instead, they are astonished to see Daenerys alive and unharmed, standing amidst the smoldering remains. Even more miraculous, the three dragon eggs have hatched, and three baby dragons cling to her, as if recognizing her as their mother. This awe-inspiring moment marks the conclusion of the first season of Game of Thrones, heralding Daenerys as the “Mother of Dragons” and setting the stage for her journey toward reclaiming the Iron Throne.
