10 Biggest Game Of Thrones Moments In 2024

With 2024 in the rearview mirror, it’s worth looking back at some of the biggest Game of Thrones moments from the past year — and the franchise had quite a few exciting developments. The premiere of House of the Dragon season 2 was chief among them, even if the Game of Thrones spinoff’s second outing proved more divisive than its predecessor. And House of the Dragon season 2 adapted several huge moments from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, some leading to praise and others resulting in backlash.

In addition to the major things that happened on-screen, the Game of Thrones franchise also saw exciting updates off-screen. Although there was no news on a potential release date for The Winds of Winter, there were updates on new TV and film projects. There were also a few less positive developments, but they generated plenty of attention, highlighting the popularity of the Game of Thrones franchise, years after the original show’s final episode.

10

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Premiered

The Targaryen Spinoff Returned After 2 Years

House of the Dragon season 2’s premiere was the biggest and most exciting development for the Game of Thrones franchise in 2024, as fans had been waiting for the return of the Targaryen prequel since its first season ended back in 2022. With the sophomore season promising to kick off the Dance of the Dragons after all of season 1’s setup, there was a lot to look forward to. And although House of the Dragon season 2 faced more criticism than the first outing, it still proved a strong addition to the series and the franchise overall.

House of the Dragon‘s new episodes delivered on the tensions established during season 1, and they featured some much-anticipated events from Martin’s Fire & Blood.

House of the Dragon‘s new episodes delivered on the tensions established during season 1, and they featured some much-anticipated events from Martin’s Fire & Blood. Even season 2’s smaller details helped maintain the spinoff’s reputation as one of the highest-quality and best ongoing fantasy shows. There were criticisms of HOTD season 2’s treatment of the source material and its finale. However, even with these complaints, House of the Dragon‘s viewership and positive Rotten Tomatoes scores left no room to deny the prequel’s continued success.

9

House Of The Dragon Was Renewed For Season 3

Another Outing Was Confirmed Before Season 2’s Premiere

House of the Dragon was officially renewed for season 3 just ahead of the show’s season 2 premiere, marking another win for the series in 2024. The creators have been vocal about a four-season plan, but it’s a relief to know that the Game of Thrones spinoff won’t leave us hanging, especially after House of the Dragon season 2’s ending. While House of the Dragon season 3 likely won’t arrive until 2026 at the earliest, its renewal gives Game of Thrones fans something to look forward to.

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It also proves that Warner Bros. and HBO still have high hopes for the franchise, as season 3 was green-lit before season 2 even debuted. Production on House of the Dragon season 3 is set to begin in early 2025, so it seems the Targaryen prequel is chugging full speed ahead. With any luck, the third outing will prove less controversial than the second one. Season 2’s quieter moments should pay off in the next chapter, which will break viewers’ hearts its inevitable battles and losses.

8

A Game Of Thrones Movie Was Announced

The Fantasy Franchise Is Making The Jump To The Big Screen

Reports of a Game of Thrones movie surfaced in October, and this was the most surprising turn of events for the franchise in 2024. Details about the upcoming project remain sparse, but the news that the fantasy franchise will make the leap to the big screen is a huge deal. After all, a three-part film was David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ original plan for Game of Thrones season 8. And HBO previously seemed reluctant to expand its fantasy franchise outside of television. However, a movie could be exactly what Game of Thrones needs to feel like an event again.

If the project replicates the epic battle sequences and stunning cinematography of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, it’s certain to draw crowds to movie theaters.

Although there’s no word on what the upcoming movie could be about, there are plenty of Game of Thrones stories that lend themselves well to this medium. If the project replicates the epic battle sequences and stunning cinematography of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, it’s certain to draw crowds to movie theaters. Doing so could mean big things for the franchise in the future, including even more films.

7

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Adapted Blood & Cheese

The Highly Anticipated Scene Proved Divisive

Ever since House of the Dragon debuted, those familiar with Martin’s Fire & Blood anticipated the book’s infamous Blood and Cheese scene being adapted. And House of the Dragon season 2 jumped right into it, bringing the tragic moment to life at the end of its very first episode. Blood and Cheese was always going to cause a stir after airing, as the murder of Helaena Targaryen’s child was bound to land among the spinoff’s most brutal and shocking moments. However, House of the Dragon season 2’s take on Blood and Cheese got even more attention than expected.

Even if House of the Dragon‘s Blood and Cheese adaptation didn’t impress every viewer, it certainly proved a major talking point in 2024.

This was because the changes that House of the Dragon made to the book’s Blood and Cheese scene didn’t go over so well with viewers. Maelor’s absence in HOTD complicated matters, and Helaena’s response to the incident — which saw her offering a necklace to the assassins instead of her own life — proved an odd choice. Perhaps the most unpopular decision was to remove Helaena’s tragic choice in the source material. But even if House of the Dragon‘s Blood and Cheese adaptation didn’t impress every viewer, it proved a major talking point in 2024.

6

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Brought The Battle Of Rook’s Rest To Life On-Screen

Rhaenys Targaryen Got A Proper Send-Off

The Battle of Rook’s Rest was another one of the most-anticipated moments of House of the Dragon season 2, and this conflict didn’t disappoint. Taking place in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, the Battle of Rook’s Rest gave Rhaenys Targaryen a proper send-off. Eve Best’s Queen Who Never Was quickly became a fan-favorite House of the Dragon character, and bidding farewell to her wasn’t easy. However, House of the Dragon made sure to give her a worthy ending.

The Battle of Rook’s Rest also gave viewers more dragon action, and it saw Aemond and Aegon shining. The cliffhanger regarding Aegon’s fate kept viewers talking, and the show’s take on the battle was generally well-received. It was among the biggest highlights of House of the Dragon season 2, rendering it one of Game of Thrones‘ best moments of the year as well.

5

House Of The Dragon Introduced The Dragonseeds

The New Dragonriders Make Season 3 More Exciting

The Dragonseeds are a crucial part of the Dance of the Dragons in Martin’s source material, and their introduction in House of the Dragon season 2 marked another huge moment for the Game of Thrones franchise. Although the sophomore season only marks the beginning of their character arcs, Addam of Hull, Hugh, and Ulf are already shaping up to be intriguing additions to the Game of Thrones spinoff. And episode 7’s brutal Dragonseeds sequence is another high point of season 2, sitting alongside the Battle of Rook’s Rest as one of its most memorable moments.

Jacaerys (Harry Collett) upset with his mother's decisions regarding the lowborn dragonriders.

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With the Dragonseeds being so important to House of the Dragon‘s story, and with all of them making strong first impressions, it’s no surprise that their introduction lands among Game of Thrones’ biggest 2024 moments. These new dragonriders make House of the Dragon season 3 even more exciting, leveling the playing field between the Blacks and the Greens.

4

George R.R. Martin Published A Blog Post Criticizing House Of The Dragon

Not every major Game of Thrones moment in 2024 was a positive one, as George R.R. Martin’s takedown of House of the Dragon warrants inclusion. The author shared his thoughts about the Game of Thrones prequel in a post on his Not a Blog — one he later took down. Martin’s feelings about the changes made to his source material validated many viewers who were dissatisfied with season 2’s interpretation of events. Martin stated that he thought Blood and Cheese was “stronger” in Fire & Blood, and he noted the negative impact cutting Maelor has had.

It will go down as one of the franchise’s most memorable and discussed events of 2024, even if it wasn’t as exciting as movie announcements and show renewals.

Martin’s post also suggested that he isn’t thrilled about the direction House of the Dragon season 3 is taking with certain events. Naturally, the author being so forward about his feelings stirred up plenty of conversations online, and it even got a response from HBO boss Casey Bloys. It will go down as one of the franchise’s most memorable and discussed events of 2024, even if it wasn’t as exciting as movie announcements and show renewals.

3

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Main Cast & Release Window Were Revealed

The Next Game Of Thrones Spinoff Took Big Steps Forward

Game of Thrones‘ next spinoff got exciting updates throughout 2024, with the main cast being announced earlier in the year and the show’s release window getting confirmation later on. Based on Martin’s book of the same name, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be very different from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. That’s an exciting prospect on its own, but the show taking massive strides forward in 2024 is also ramping up the anticipation for it. That’s for the best, as The Hedge Knight is set to debut sometime in 2025.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will follow the characters Dunk and Egg, and 2024 also brought news of who will play them: Peter Claffey (Dunk) and Sol Ansell (Egg). In addition to these exciting casting updates, George R.R. Martin also praised the upcoming spinoff. This bodes well for its success in 2025, and its overall progression in 2024 deserves recognition.

2

Kit Harington Revealed The Jon Snow Spinoff Was Shelved

This Was Another Disappointing Moment For The Game Of Thrones Franchise

While Game of Thrones’ movie news and 2025 show are both exciting, one of its spinoffs got a disappointing update in 2024: its Jon Snow sequel. The Jon Snow spinoff was supposed to see Kit Harington return as the iconic Game of Thrones character, revealing what became of him after Game of Thrones’ ending. Sadly, Harington revealed that the Jon Snow series was no longer in development in April. According to him, the spinoff was shelved because they “couldn’t find the right story to tell.”

Kit Harington as Jon Snow looking shocked in Game of Thrones season 7

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The news about Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow spinoff came as a blow to some fans, while others were relieved HBO wasn’t actively making a sequel. Either way, it conjured plenty of conversations about Game of Thrones and its franchise future. It was certainly one of the biggest developments to arise in 2024, even if it wasn’t necessarily a positive one. However, HBO’s Casey Bloys has since offered hope that a Jon Snow series could be revisited in the future.

1

George R.R. Martin Gave The Bleakest Update On The Winds Of Winter Yet

The Author Admitted Readers Might Be Right

George R.R. Martin and a White Walker

The Winds of Winter is taking a long time to come out, and the delays have caused plenty of frustration among A Song of Ice and Fire fans. Martin addressed the backlash he’s gotten because of them, and the author’s comments might be the bleakest update he’s given about the book. While he still seems generally positive, and he insists the sixth ASOIAF book is a priority, he also acknowledged that fans could be right about him never finishing The Winds of Winter:

“A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They’re saying] ‘Oh, he’ll never be finished.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive right now! I seem pretty vital!”

Of course, there’s no guarantee that any author will live to complete their story, and Martin’s comments suggest he’s still aiming to wrap things up. But his “maybe they’re right” has gotten plenty of attention online, cementing this particular Winds of Winter update as one of Game of Thrones‘ most notable moments of the last year.