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*** Although Tywin falls victim to this himself by discussing the events as if [[spoiler: only the principal characters died, stating they killed 'a dozen at dinner.' In reality, a massacre of the armies of Northmen stationed outside The Twins occurred as well.]] While this is arguably still many less deaths than a prolonged war would have caused, the act was not as bloodless as Tywin implied.
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* MusclesAreMeaningless: Although Loras does possess a slender build in the books, Finn Jones' skinny physique and his lack of muscles on the show make it difficult for some viewers to believe that his character is one of the best knights in Westeros.
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* MusclesAreMeaningless: Although Loras does possess a slender build in the books, Finn Jones' skinny physique and his lack of muscles on the show make it difficult for some viewers to believe that his character is considered one of the best knights swordsmen in Westeros.the Seven Kingdoms, yet his shirtless scene shows that he's slender and not particularly muscular.
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** Somewhere between this and LoveMakesYouDumb, Ser Jorah explains that the reason for his exile was selling poachers into slavery because his wife was accustomed to a lavish lifestyle and Jorah wanted to provide that for her.
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* LadyLooksLikeADude: Jaime thinks Brienne is far too masculine-looking for a woman.
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* LadyLooksLikeADude: Jaime thinks Brienne is far too masculine-looking for a woman. She wears short hair and masculine clothing, and she even bows rather than curtsies.
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** It initially appears to be a gender inversion of this trope when Ser Loras gives Sansa a rose before his joust, but it's quickly subverted when it turns out to be an empty gesture. Lord Renly is his true sweetheart, but Loras obviously cannot offer his favour to another man in a homophobic society, so he simply hands the rose to the young lady who happens to be seated the closest to Renly in the stands.
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** It initially appears to be a gender inversion of this trope when Ser Loras gives Sansa a rose before his joust, but it's quickly subverted when it turns out to be an empty gesture. Lord Renly Sansa is his true sweetheart, but sitting next to Renly, and Loras obviously cannot offer his favour to another man in a homophobic society, only choose her so he simply hands the rose to the young lady who happens to be seated the closest to Renly in the stands.could make eyes at his secret lover.
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* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: There are multiple blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments in "The Lion and the Rose" that basically [[spoiler:confirm Olenna Tyrell poisoned Joffrey. First, the necklace Dontos gives to Sansa has seven crystals. However, right before the wedding ceremony, you can see Olenna inspecting the necklace as she talks to Sansa. After Olenna leaves, there are only six crystals on the necklace. Finally, when Tyrion gives Joffrey his goblet, the camera lingers on Olenna as she watches events unfold.]]
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** This happens in the first episode, where Khal Drogo rapes Daenerys on their wedding night -- it's made all the worse when he reveals that despite not having spoken the Common Tongue all episode, he knows full-well what "no" means. Drogo continues to rape Daenerys in the second episode until she finally has a servant girl (a former prostitute) teach her how to enjoy sex (and teach Drogo that there are positions other than doggie-style). She also learns a few words in Dothraki in order to convince Drogo that she's not refusing sex but merely wants to show him something else. This trope wasn't present in [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire the book]]'s depiction of this event, in which Drogo doesn't force her but instead they have some intimate moments involving [[ItMakesSenseInContext hair-braiding]], and he gets her consent before having sex, in a scene that was surprisingly tender given his reputation and the language barrier.
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** This happens in In the first episode, where Daenerys's [[ArrangedMarriage involuntary wedding]] ends with Khal Drogo rapes Daenerys exercising his marital privileges in spite of her meek protests. The arrangement gets better for her once she gets some tips on their wedding night -- it's made all the worse when he reveals that despite not having spoken the Common Tongue all episode, he knows full-well what "no" means. Drogo continues lovemaking from Doreah, allowing her to rape Daenerys exercise more power in the second episode until she finally has a servant girl (a former prostitute) teach her how to enjoy sex (and teach Drogo that there are positions other than doggie-style). She also learns a few words in Dothraki in order to convince Drogo that she's not refusing sex but merely wants to show him something else. This trope wasn't present in [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire the book]]'s depiction of this event, in which Drogo doesn't force her but instead they have some intimate moments involving [[ItMakesSenseInContext hair-braiding]], bedroom and he gets her consent before having sex, in a scene that was surprisingly tender given his reputation and the language barrier.their relationship.
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* NamedWeapons: Common with Valyrian steel swords, such as House Stark's greatsword Ice. Arya names her rapier Needle, as an ironic jab at her hatred of [[AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits girly pursuits like needlework]].
-->'''The Hound:''' "Needle"? Of ''course'' you named your sword.\\
'''Arya:''' Lots of people name their swords!\\
'''The Hound:''' Lots of cunts.
-->'''The Hound:''' "Needle"? Of ''course'' you named your sword.\\
'''Arya:''' Lots of people name their swords!\\
'''The Hound:''' Lots of cunts.
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* NoodleIncident: In Tyrion's list of "confessions" in "A Golden Crown," he's cut off before he can describe what he did that involved bringing [[NoodleImplements a jackass and a honeycomb]] into a brothel.
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* NoodleIncident: NoodleIncident:
** In Tyrion's list of "confessions" in "A Golden Crown," he's cut off before he can describe what he did that involved bringing [[NoodleImplements a jackass and a honeycomb]] into a brothel.
** In Tyrion's list of "confessions" in "A Golden Crown," he's cut off before he can describe what he did that involved bringing [[NoodleImplements a jackass and a honeycomb]] into a brothel.
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** What Podrick did with/to the prostitutes that they liked so much they refused to accept payment. This one borders on RunningGag in Season 4.
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-->'''Robert:''' You never hear about how [the slain] shit themselves. They don't include that part in the songs and stories.
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-->'''Robert:''' You never hear about how [the slain] shit themselves. They don't include put that part in the songs and stories.songs.
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* NoDeadBodyPoops: Robert discusses this one when he's reminiscing on old war experiences and how everything gets romanticized.
-->'''Robert:''' You never hear about how [the slain] shit themselves. They don't include that part in the songs and stories.
-->'''Robert:''' You never hear about how [the slain] shit themselves. They don't include that part in the songs and stories.
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** They exchange another look when Brienne asks to become one of Renly's Kingsguard. As Renly considers her request, Loras' expression basically reads, "Tell her no." Renly decides to disregard this silent plea, much to Loras' irritation.
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** They exchange another look when Brienne asks to become one of Renly's Kingsguard.Kingsguards. As Renly considers her request, Loras' expression basically reads, "Tell her no." Renly decides to disregard this silent plea, much to Loras' irritation.irritation.
** After Brienne is appointed to his Kingsguard, [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/8196f4796977a6baa70b9ba96b12e121/tumblr_mvzef6GdpK1rg028zo3_500.gif Renly winks at her]] as he applauds to further communicate his warmth and reassurance that he's on her side, regardless of his followers' unfavourable opinion.
** After Brienne is appointed to his Kingsguard, [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/8196f4796977a6baa70b9ba96b12e121/tumblr_mvzef6GdpK1rg028zo3_500.gif Renly winks at her]] as he applauds to further communicate his warmth and reassurance that he's on her side, regardless of his followers' unfavourable opinion.
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This trope is about feeling that everyone else is crazy or a weirdo. Dany is just disgusted by the slavers\' cruelty. Also check out Example Indentation
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*** Near the end of season 2, Dany and Jorah share this feeling when they [[spoiler: find themselves in a city filled with slaves and watches a slaveholder cut the nipple off a soldier without the soldier so much as flinching.]]
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** At several points early in her relationship with Khal Drogo and the Dothraki, and with her brother becoming more insane by the day, Daenerys gives the impression she feels this way, until her friendship with Jorah solidifies.
*** Near the end of season 2, Dany and Jorah share this feeling when they [[spoiler: find themselves in a city filled with slaves and watches a slaveholder cut the nipple off a soldier without the soldier so much as flinching.]]
*** Near the end of season 2, Dany and Jorah share this feeling when they [[spoiler: find themselves in a city filled with slaves and watches a slaveholder cut the nipple off a soldier without the soldier so much as flinching.]]
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* ALighterShadeOfBlack: Due to the overwhelming presence of BlackAndGrayMorality throughout the series, there are no real "good guys" or "bad guys" (with Joffrey perhaps an exception on the bad side). Nonetheless, at least as of the end of Season 3 efforts have been made to depict the Starks, Tyrion and Daenerys as the lesser evils, bordering on series heroes. Whether this remains the case come Season 6 remains to be seen.
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Not friends. Tywin lets his guard down a bit, but Arya hates him and is always on eggshells around him.
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** Arya Stark and Tywin Lannister, of all people.
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**Arya Stark and Tywin Lannister, of all people.
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* TheMagicComesBack: Magic is considered a folk tale by most of the people and wisemen of Westeros, but fantastical elements are gradually introduced into the story. It's implied or discussed that there's more than a correlation between the reborn of magic and the reappearance of White Walkers and dragons.
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* TheMagicComesBack: Magic is considered a folk tale by most of the people and wisemen of Westeros, but fantastical elements are gradually introduced into the story. It's implied or discussed that there's more than a correlation between the reborn return of magic and the reappearance of White Walkers and dragons.
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* The incident of marital rape in the 1967 BBC adaptation of ''Literature/TheForsyteSaga'' was made reasonably explicit (for the time) and caused some controversy.
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Sp.
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** Occurs again in the season 3 episode "Mhysa" in a more subdued way after [[PuppetKing King Joffrey]] mouths off to his grandfather [[EvilChancellor Twyin]] and tries to assert his authority. The entire Small Council, the Queen, and even Joffrey himself have a different variation of an "oh shit" expression.
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** Occurs again in the season 3 episode "Mhysa" in a more subdued way after [[PuppetKing King Joffrey]] mouths off to his grandfather [[EvilChancellor Twyin]] Tywin]] and tries to assert his authority. The entire Small Council, the Queen, and even Joffrey himself have a different variation of an "oh shit" expression.
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Link rot.
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** Occurs again in the season 3 episode "Mhysa" in a more subdued way after [[PuppetKing King Joffrey]] mouths off to his grandfather [[EvilChancellor Twyin]] and tries to assert his authority. The entire Small Council, the Queen, and even Joffrey himself [[http://gameofskins.tumblr.com/post/52605993412/a-game-of-oh-shits have a different variation of an "oh shit" expression]].
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** Occurs again in the season 3 episode "Mhysa" in a more subdued way after [[PuppetKing King Joffrey]] mouths off to his grandfather [[EvilChancellor Twyin]] and tries to assert his authority. The entire Small Council, the Queen, and even Joffrey himself [[http://gameofskins.tumblr.com/post/52605993412/a-game-of-oh-shits have a different variation of an "oh shit" expression]].expression.
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Crosswicking.
* MaritalRapeLicense:
** This happens in the first episode, where Khal Drogo rapes Daenerys on their wedding night -- it's made all the worse when he reveals that despite not having spoken the Common Tongue all episode, he knows full-well what "no" means. Drogo continues to rape Daenerys in the second episode until she finally has a servant girl (a former prostitute) teach her how to enjoy sex (and teach Drogo that there are positions other than doggie-style). She also learns a few words in Dothraki in order to convince Drogo that she's not refusing sex but merely wants to show him something else. This trope wasn't present in [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire the book]]'s depiction of this event, in which Drogo doesn't force her but instead they have some intimate moments involving [[ItMakesSenseInContext hair-braiding]], and he gets her consent before having sex, in a scene that was surprisingly tender given his reputation and the language barrier.
** Later averted with Sansa and Tyrion. Sansa fully expects to have to consummate her marriage with Tyrion even though she REALLY doesn't want to, but Tyrion decides that he won't share her bed until she wants him to, even if that never happens.
* The incident of marital rape in the 1967 BBC adaptation of ''Literature/TheForsyteSaga'' was made reasonably explicit (for the time) and caused some controversy.
** This happens in the first episode, where Khal Drogo rapes Daenerys on their wedding night -- it's made all the worse when he reveals that despite not having spoken the Common Tongue all episode, he knows full-well what "no" means. Drogo continues to rape Daenerys in the second episode until she finally has a servant girl (a former prostitute) teach her how to enjoy sex (and teach Drogo that there are positions other than doggie-style). She also learns a few words in Dothraki in order to convince Drogo that she's not refusing sex but merely wants to show him something else. This trope wasn't present in [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire the book]]'s depiction of this event, in which Drogo doesn't force her but instead they have some intimate moments involving [[ItMakesSenseInContext hair-braiding]], and he gets her consent before having sex, in a scene that was surprisingly tender given his reputation and the language barrier.
** Later averted with Sansa and Tyrion. Sansa fully expects to have to consummate her marriage with Tyrion even though she REALLY doesn't want to, but Tyrion decides that he won't share her bed until she wants him to, even if that never happens.
* The incident of marital rape in the 1967 BBC adaptation of ''Literature/TheForsyteSaga'' was made reasonably explicit (for the time) and caused some controversy.
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* MassOhCrap: Almost everyone present at the Sept of Baelor's reaction the moment that Joffrey decides to [[spoiler:execute Ned Stark]].
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* MassOhCrap: Almost MassOhCrap:
** In the first season episode "The Pointy End" when Barristan Selmy, known colloquially as "Ser Barristan the Bold" is forcibly retired from the Kingsguard by Cersei despite them holding their position for life, he strips off his armor and declares he will "die a knight" to which Littlefinger jokes, "A naked knight" eliciting a laugh from the assembled court. Barristan then draws his sword in anger and everyonepresent stops laughing at once. More to the Sept of Baelor's reaction the moment point, they stop laughing and all look positively terrified. It's only when Barristan throws his sword at Joffrey's feet and storms out that Joffrey everyone finally starts breathing again.
** In the episode "Baelor", the majority of the nobles and counselors attending the [[spoiler:judgement of Ned Stark]] suffer one when [[spoiler:Joffrey decides to[[spoiler:execute Ned Stark]].execute him, something that wasn't in the plan]]. Also, you can notice one person who isn't surprised, and who is actually ''smiling'': [[spoiler:Littlefinger]].
** Occurs again in the season 3 episode "Mhysa" in a more subdued way after [[PuppetKing King Joffrey]] mouths off to his grandfather [[EvilChancellor Twyin]] and tries to assert his authority. The entire Small Council, the Queen, and even Joffrey himself [[http://gameofskins.tumblr.com/post/52605993412/a-game-of-oh-shits have a different variation of an "oh shit" expression]].
** In the first season episode "The Pointy End" when Barristan Selmy, known colloquially as "Ser Barristan the Bold" is forcibly retired from the Kingsguard by Cersei despite them holding their position for life, he strips off his armor and declares he will "die a knight" to which Littlefinger jokes, "A naked knight" eliciting a laugh from the assembled court. Barristan then draws his sword in anger and everyone
** In the episode "Baelor", the majority of the nobles and counselors attending the [[spoiler:judgement of Ned Stark]] suffer one when [[spoiler:Joffrey decides to
** Occurs again in the season 3 episode "Mhysa" in a more subdued way after [[PuppetKing King Joffrey]] mouths off to his grandfather [[EvilChancellor Twyin]] and tries to assert his authority. The entire Small Council, the Queen, and even Joffrey himself [[http://gameofskins.tumblr.com/post/52605993412/a-game-of-oh-shits have a different variation of an "oh shit" expression]].
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Added collapsible folders.
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** Renly is the only man who has treated Brienne with kindness and respect, and he's probably the only king who has accepted a woman into his Kingsguard. He did this despite knowing full well that it would shock his bannermen, annoy his wife, and piss off his lover. Renly praises Brienne's martial skills and her devotion when Loras confronts him about it. Margaery describes Renly as "brave and gentle" in "Dark Wings, Dark Words."
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** Renly is the only man who has treated Brienne with kindness and respect, and he's probably the only king who has accepted a woman into his Kingsguard. He did this despite knowing full well that it would shock his bannermen, annoy his wife, and piss off his lover. He himself understands how painful it is to be frequently mocked for not adhering to rigid gender roles (Robert and Stannis have bullied Renly for his lack of combat experience), so his empathy towards Brienne's situation allows him to be accepting of her masculinity. Renly praises Brienne's martial skills and her devotion when Loras confronts him about it. Margaery describes Renly as "brave and gentle" in "Dark Wings, Dark Words."
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%%* MaleFrontalNudity
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* LadyLooksLikeADude: Jaime thinks Brienne is far too masculine-looking for a woman.
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* TheLadysFavor:
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* TheLadysFavor: TheLadysFavour:
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** Tyrion upon seeing Stannis' charging forces at the Battle of Blackwater.
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** Melisandre and the Lord of Light's theme can be heard in "Warrior of Light", while Stannis' comes from later in the track, when a grander, more percussive sound kicks in. In Season 3, Davos gets his own theme with "The Night is Dark".
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[[Series/GameOfThrones Back to the main article]]
----
* LadyAndKnight
** This dynamic exists between the beautiful Daenerys Targaryen and the valiant Ser Jorah Mormont. [[spoiler:And later Ser Barristan Selmy when he joins her Queensguard in Season 3]].
** Renly Baratheon is the handsome and gentle king who is guarded by two highly skilled and brave knights: Brienne of Tarth (a gender inversion of the trope) and Ser Loras Tyrell (a same-sex variation).
** [[spoiler:After Renly is assassinated]], Brienne then serves the gracious Lady Catelyn Stark (another same-sex version).
* LadyMacbeth:
** Cersei Lannister is behind some of Robert and Jaime's callous or outright evil decisions.
** Loras provides a rare male example and fulfills this role when he suggests to Renly that he should be king instead of his brothers and nephews with the help of Highgarden. Loras [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone comes to regret his role]] after [[spoiler:Renly doesn't win the game of thrones.]]
* TheLadysFavor:
** It initially appears to be a gender inversion of this trope when Ser Loras gives Sansa a rose before his joust, but it's quickly subverted when it turns out to be an empty gesture. Lord Renly is his true sweetheart, but Loras obviously cannot offer his favour to another man in a homophobic society, so he simply hands the rose to the young lady who happens to be seated the closest to Renly in the stands.
** Gender-flipped when Sam gives Gilly his mother's thimble, his sole keepsake from his former life before he joined the Night's Watch.
* LampshadeHanging: As the TortureTechnician said to the victim: "If you think [[ColdBloodedTorture this]] has a happy ending, [[DidYouActuallyBelieve you haven't been paying attention.]]"
* TheLancer: Jory for Lord Eddard Stark and Theon for Robb.
* LargeHam: Syrio Forel, Greatjon Umber, Viserys. Drogo [[ChewingTheScenery chews the scenery]] with much gusto during his RousingSpeech after the assassination attempt on Daenerys. Similarly, King Robert nearly scrapes the castle walls clean while ordering the assassination of Daenerys and her child. Roy Dotrice's OneSceneWonder as Pyromancer Hallyne does credit to his equally hammy readings of the ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' audiobooks.
* LaResistance: Tywin's occupation of the Riverlands is hampered by the "Brotherhood without Banners," a group unseen until the third season.
* LastSecondWordSwap: Roose Bolton to Jaime Lannister -- "I would have thought you'd learnt not to overplay your... [[AnArmAndALeg position]]."
* LastStand: [[spoiler:Yoren.]] In the books it was YouShallNotPass, but the other characters' (temporary) escape was removed as a bit of PragmaticAdaptation.
* TheLeader: King Renly is a Type IV. His charismatic personality is what wins the support of Lord Mace Tyrell and his bannermen. He commands the combined army strength of the Reach and the Stormlands, which numbers around 100 000. Renly uses diplomacy to diffuse the tension between Catelyn and his two overprotective Kingsguards.
* LectureAsExposition: Maester Luwin teaches Bran, and the audience, about the Houses of Westeros. Upon arrival in King's Landing, Sansa gets quizzed by her septa about the history of the Seven Kingdoms.
* TheLegendOfChekhov: When Luwin tells Bran that sure, there are ''stories'' about people who can form a spiritual link with animals, but they aren't true -- and [[TheMagicGoesAway if there ever were any, they aren't around any more]] -- it becomes pretty obvious that Bran's dreams aren't just dreams.
* {{Leitmotif}}: All the major houses have one.
** The melancholy Stark theme is the most frequently heard, playing in the pieces "Goodbye Brother," "Winter is Coming," "Jon's Honor, and "King of the North." In Season Two, it appears at the beginning of "What Is Dead May Never Die," played during [[spoiler:Theon's Face Heel Turn]], in which it gradually shifts into the Greyjoy theme instead.
** The Lannisters have the "The Rains of Castamere" and its variations. It usually manifests as dark, ominous background music, but Tyrion whistles a faster, more sing-song version of it a few times in Season Two, and it finally appears in full in Blackwater.
** The Baratheons have two themes: the "kingly one," used mostly for Robert, Joffrey and Stannis, is a bombastic fanfare, fitting for the royal family, first heard in "The King's Arrival" and then reprised in "You Win Or You Die," (where it incorporates elements of "The Rains of Castamere") "The Throne Is Mine," and "Wildfire". The other one, most frequently used for Robert's biological children, is "Black Of Hair", which is reprised in "Bird Without Feathers" (played when Cersei tells Catelyn about her first son who died as an infant), "Await The King's Justice," and "The Throne Is Mine."
** "Chaos Is A Ladder", Littlefinger's leitmotif, is a slow, creepy piano version of "Await The King's Justice" which rises up into a variation of "The Throne Is Mine."
** The White Walkers also have their own, which can be heard in "North of the Wall" and "The Night's Watch".
** Daenerys has two distinct themes. One, a mysterious-sounding, powerful melody which can be heard in "Fire and Blood", has a distinctly Eastern feel to it. (This makes sense: the Targaryens were originally from Valyria, which lies in Essos.) The other is more triumphant, often mixing with the Game of Thrones main theme, and is reserved for her more glorious moments, such as Season One's "Finale" and "Mother of Dragons".
** Jaqen H'ghar has a quiet, distinct tune which plays whenever he makes an appearance or performs an action affecting the plot. A broader, deeper version plays when [[spoiler: Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie escape]] in "The Prince of Winterfell".
* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: A very dark version of this trope is presented when Jaime suggests to Brienne that she think of Renly when [[spoiler: her would-be rapists have their way with her. Jaime knows that Brienne will be killed if she resists.]]
* LighterAndSofter: While the show has more sex and violence than could be shown on network television, it pales before the books. Some examples include:
** Arya kills more people, and in cold blood as well, in the books. She also suffers more degradations in the books.
** Sansa is not as abused by Joffrey as badly as in the books. For example, she is stripped naked in the books, while in the series her dress is torn.
** The young characters are all aged up in part so that all this sex and violence isn't happening to even younger characters.
** Bodily mutilations are less pronounced for practical reasons. For example, Tyrion and Rorge both keep their noses in the series. This is Lampshaded in Season 3, where there were rumors that Tyrion had lost his nose during the Battle of Blackwater.
* LightIsNotGood:
** The "White Walkers."
** Melisandre, a representative of the Lord of Light, claims very passionately that light ''is'' good, but her bonfires, ominous threats and shadow magic make her quite malevolent at times.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''Nineteen'' names in the credits of the first season (and, as mentioned above, Jason Momoa isn't included there for strange reasons), with the end result that only two characters appear in every episode of Season 1 (Joffrey and Cersei) and one in Season 2 (Tyrion). You can find a guide to help keep them all straight [[Characters/GameOfThrones here]].
* LostInTranslation: A lot of official translations fail to recognise the difference between a Wight and a White Walker -- though admittedly the same applies to many English-speaking viewers, as well. ([[AllThereInTheManual It hasn't quite been explained yet.]])
* LotusEaterMachine: The warlocks of Qarth attempt to lure Daenerys with a vision of [[spoiler:her dead husband and stillborn son in the House of the Undying]] in the second season finale.
* LoveMakesYouDumb:
** Robb Stark falls in love with the field nurse and Volantine noble Talisa Maegyr, despite the fact he is already engaged to one of Walder Frey's daughters. His mother warns him over what a stupid political move this is, but he marries her anyway. [[HonestAdvisor Lord Karstark]] remarks that he lost the ongoing war the day he married her.
** Catelyn going behind Robb's back and freeing the Kingslayer in an attempt to get Sansa and Arya back.
** Sansa is convinced that Joffrey is a great guy until he chops off Ned's head.
* LoveMakesYouEvil:
** Jaime Lannister. He's willing to push a kid out of a window to hide his secret affair, even saying, "The things I do for love..."
** Cersei Lannister. She was, like many women in the Seven Kingdoms at the close of his rebellion, quite in love with Robert when they married, but a life of humiliations and occasional domestic abuse ended with [[spoiler:her plotting her husband's death]].
** Petyr: his unrequited love for Catelyn caused him to become obsessed with achieving power over his social betters.
** Maester Aemon's lecture to Jon warns him about the dangers of love, as it is the one thing that can cause a man to ignore his duty.
** Tyrion remarks that he would kill for Shae and offhandedly adds that he expects he will have to someday.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Loras' shield saves his life when the Mountain attacks him after their joust.
* LuredIntoATrap: [[spoiler:The King in the North, his entourage and a major chunk of his army are wiped out in the Twins when Walder Frey turns the renewal of a marriage alliance into "The Red Wedding".]]
* LysistrataGambit: A rather atypical example is provided by a same-sex couple. Feeling slighted by Brienne's RankUp, Loras not only withholds sex from Renly, but he punishes his boyfriend even further by bringing Margaery to Renly's bed, knowing full well that Renly utterly dreads the prospect of having to consummate the marriage.
* MachiavelliWasWrong: Invoked by Ser Loras in his convincing Renly to make a play for the throne. He argues that Renly's charisma would make him a far better king than those before him because he ''would'' rule through love and respect rather than fear.
* MachoMasochism: The Greatjon laughing off a direwolf eating two of his fingers. Also, Drogo showed his badassery in a duel by deliberately allowing his opponent to cut him, in order to draw the guy closer. [[spoiler:This came back to bite him, as the wound gets infected and nearly kills him.]]
* MadnessMantra:
** "The White Walkers... I saw the White Walkers... "
** According to Jaime, "[[KillItWithFire Burn them all...]]" was the Mad King's Madness Mantra.
** And his son Viserys' MadnessMantra is "You cannot touch me! I am the Dragon! ''I am the Dragon''!"
** "Where are my dragons?!"
* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident:
** Jon Arryn dies of a mysterious fever and it's later discovered that he was poisoned [[HeKnowsTooMuch for knowing too much]] about Joffrey's real lineage.
** Robert Baratheon falls victim of a HuntingAccident hatched by his wife.
* TheMagicComesBack: Magic is considered a folk tale by most of the people and wisemen of Westeros, but fantastical elements are gradually introduced into the story. It's implied or discussed that there's more than a correlation between the reborn of magic and the reappearance of White Walkers and dragons.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Stannis and Melisandre on TheBigBoard table in Stannis' WarRoom. Also a bit of a metaphor/ VisualPun.
%%* MaleFrontalNudity
* MaleGaze: Jory at Littlefinger's brothel, Theon with Ros.
* ManOnFire: Several in "Blackwater" when Tyrion pulls his trick with the wildfire and blows up much of Stannis's fleet.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Brienne is the Masculine Girl to Loras' Feminine Boy.
* MassOhCrap: Almost everyone present at the Sept of Baelor's reaction the moment that Joffrey decides to [[spoiler:execute Ned Stark]].
* MasterSwordsman: Jaime Lannister, Loras Tyrell, Sandor and Gregor Clegane, Eddard Stark, Barristan Selmy, and Syrio Forel are all described by various people as some of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms. Jaime speaks particularly highly of Barristan Selmy, calling him an artist who only uses red paint. Brienne of Tarth also shows significant skill, but is generally underestimated because of her sex.
* MathematiciansAnswer:
** Shae to Tyrion:
-->'''Tyrion:''' [''noticing her foreign accent''] "What sort of accent is that?"
-->'''Shae:''' "Foreign."
** Jaime Lannister:
-->"I pushed him out a window."
-->"Why?"
-->"I hoped the fall would kill him."
* MauveShirt: [[spoiler:Poor Jory, Rakharo, Irri, Alton and Matthos.]]
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: [[spoiler:Robb Stark dies shortly after Stannis performs a magic ritual cursing his rival "kings." It's left ambiguous as to whether the ritual was in any way responsible for Robb's death]].
* MeaningfulLook:
** Lord Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell share a lingering one at the Tourney of the Hand, and it's our first clue that these two characters are more than friends.
** They exchange another look when Brienne asks to become one of Renly's Kingsguard. As Renly considers her request, Loras' expression basically reads, "Tell her no." Renly decides to disregard this silent plea, much to Loras' irritation.
** Another occurs between Margaery and Loras in "Valar Dohaeris" after they witness Cersei and Joffrey's snarky discussion. The Tyrell siblings, who are ThickerThanWater and work as a BrotherSisterTeam, are surprised that mother and son have used veiled insults against each other in front of their future in-laws.
** In "Second Sons," Tyrion raises his glass in pity to Loras, and his eyes say, "You're next to get married." Loras, who is already quite frustrated from the day's events, sighs and turns his head away.
* MeaningfulName:
** In-universe, bastard children have last names determined by region, so anyone meeting Jon Snow already knows something about his parentage and place of origin.
** The family names Lannister and Stark are thinly veiled references to the War of the Roses, a civil war in England fought between the houses of Lancaster and York.
** 'Stark' has several meanings, including "rigidly conforming," "desolate" and "strong." All of these meanings can apply to the Stark family or the North.
* TheMentor: Several, for most of the younger main characters and some of the older ones. Jon Arryn was this to Robert and Ned, Rodrik Cassel to Robb, Jon and Theon, Lord Commander Mormont to Jon, Syrio Forel to Arya, and Septa Mordane to Sansa. In Season 2, Quorin Halfhand takes over for Jon, Dagmer Cleftjaw for Theon, Yoren [[spoiler:, Jaqen H'qar and Tywin Lannister]] for Arya and in a way, Cersei Lannister for Sansa.
* TheMedic: Talisa of Volantis, who attends to the wounded after a battle between Robb Stark's army and the Lannisters'.
%%* MercyKill
* MesACrowd: [[spoiler:The Warlock(s) of Qarth seem to be entirely composed of one person, who makes copies of himself]].
* MetaTwist: HBO gleefully marketed the show as if Sean Bean were the main character, and thus the ''one'' star with ContractualImmortality. [[spoiler:Nothing could be further from the truth, though those who had read the book would know this already - it would be impossible to even remotely follow the book's story with Ned alive.]]
* MidSeasonTwist:
** Season 1: [[spoiler:Robert Baratheon dies, and Eddard is arrested]].
** Season 2: [[spoiler:Xharo Xhoan Daxos and Pryat Pree are working together, they stole Dany's dragons, and kill the Thirteen of Qarth.]]
** Season 3: [[spoiler:Arya runs away from the Brotherhood, Sansa finds out about her impending marriage, and Gendry finds out his true parentage, though that's more a twist for him than the audience]]
* MilesGloriosus: Joffrey Baratheon is a coddled teen, but likes to brag and pretend that he's a badass swordfighter. No one believes him, but everyone except his family humors him because of his high birth ([[TheCaligula and because he's crazy]]). In "Blackwater" he prances around in a suit of armor blathering about how he'll give Stannis "[[GlasgowGrin a red smile]]", only to turn tail and run away when Stannis and his army start attacking the city.
-->'''Tyrion''': [[SarcasmMode Imagine Stannis' terror...]]
-->'''Varys''': [[DeadpanSnarker I]] ''[[DeadpanSnarker am]]'' [[DeadpanSnarker trying.]]
* AMillionIsAStatistic: Discussed when people try to call out others for heinous actions that might actually prevent greater bloodshed.
** Tywin states that the [[spoiler:Red Wedding]] prevented thousands of deaths by ending the rebellion in the North.
** Melisandre and Stannis argue with Davos about whether [[spoiler:sacrificing the innocent Gendry to end the War of the Five Kings with magic is preferable to the thousands of soldiers who would die in conventional warfare]].
* MinorInsultMeltdown: Wildlings refer to everyone south of the Wall as "Southerners," which annoys several Northerners.
* TheMistress:
** Loras becomes the male version of this trope after Renly marries Margaery.
** Shae after Tyrion marries Sansa.
** Melisandre for Stannis, who is married to Selyse.
* MockMillionaire: [[spoiler:Xaro Xhoan Daxos, whose conspicuous treasure vault is completely empty.]] He's cunningly leveraged his fictional fortune into a lavish lifestyle and political power.
* MomentKiller: In "What Is Dead May Never Die", the foreplay between Renly and Loras is unexpectedly interrupted after Renly starts kissing the bruises on Loras' chest. This reminds Loras of the humiliation he suffered earlier in the day, and it kills the mood.
* MoodWhiplash:
** Jory's DistractedByTheSexy moment in the brothel is immediately followed by [[spoiler:his death.]] Also happens when the story switches between the various different plot-threads. Arya training with Syrio? Cool, and even a little funny. But then the next thing you see is [[{{Squick}} Dany eating a horse's heart]].
** "Walk of Punishment" ends with [[spoiler:Jaime's hand being chopped off, and a cut to black as he screams in horror and agony]], followed immediately by a bawdy punk cover of "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" over the end credits.
** [[spoiler: Theon's torture]] starts with a sudden, comically timed blowing of a horn.
* MoralityKitchenSink: Or rather, white and black plus a thousand shades of grey. Between Ned Stark on the one hand and The Mountain or Joffrey on the other, every one of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters has his own unique shade of grey.
* MortonsFork: King Robert explains how a Dothraki invasion would put him in a Morton's Fork. If he faces the Dothraki horsemen in open battle, he'll be defeated. If he barricades himself in his castles, the Dothraki will rape and pillage the countryside so badly that he'll lose his kingdom anyway.
* MrExposition:
** Jorah Mormont; at least in the first season, he mainly exists to inform Daenerys/us about the customs of the Dothraki and other such things. The producers even refer to him as "Jorah the Explorer".
** Peytr Baelish is also a big vehicle for exposition.
* MrFanservice: There's pretty much some male for just about every taste in this show.
* MsFanservice:
** Ros the gorgeous prostitute didn't have one scene in the first season where she kept all her clothes on all the way through. Actress Esme Bianco has a background as a burlesque performer, so she's quite comfortable performing nude. In Season 2 and thereafter she's promoted to Littlefinger's aide, and thus earns the privilege to wear more clothes.
** Daenerys, especially in her first appearances.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: Although Loras does possess a slender build in the books, Finn Jones' skinny physique and his lack of muscles on the show make it difficult for some viewers to believe that his character is one of the best knights in Westeros.
* TheMutiny: A bunch of hungry, pissed off Night's Watchmen rebel in "And Now His Watch Is Ended", with violent results.
* MyNaymeIs: Many of the character's names are very similar to modern names, such as Eddard for Edward.
* MythologyGag: In "Valar Dohaeris", when Cersei first sees Tyrion again following his wounding at the Battle of Blackwater, she says it was rumored his nose was cut off, but the truth is "not as gory". This is in reference to the books where Tyrion really did [[TheNoseless lose his nose]] in addition to gaining the nasty scar he has in the series.
* NeverLiveItDown: Several examples in universe:
** Jaime Lannister is derogatorily known and addressed as "Kingslayer" by everyone, even his allies. Even those who rebelled against the king and knew that he was insane criticize him for it. Jaime insists that people should be ''[[UngratefulBastard grateful]]'' for it.
** Catelyn never quite forgives or forgets the fact that Eddard Stark was unfaithful to her and sired bastard son Jon Snow.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Margaery tries to invoke this trope when Joffrey demands to know why she didn't [[spoiler:provide an heir to Renly while they were married]]. It doesn't work because Joffrey considers [[spoiler:Renly to be a traitor, and therefore isn't deserving of any respect even after death]]. Margaery then does her best to answer her betrothed's question without being too brusque about [[spoiler:Renly's sexuality]].
* NiceGuy:
** Renly is the only man who has treated Brienne with kindness and respect, and he's probably the only king who has accepted a woman into his Kingsguard. He did this despite knowing full well that it would shock his bannermen, annoy his wife, and piss off his lover. Renly praises Brienne's martial skills and her devotion when Loras confronts him about it. Margaery describes Renly as "brave and gentle" in "Dark Wings, Dark Words."
** Ser Davos stands out among Stannis and his supporters for being a down-to-earth, morally upstanding knight able to relate and be friendly to almost everybody.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** Congratulations, Sansa! [[spoiler:Lying to the king and queen about Joffrey got your own direwolf killed!]]
** Congratulations, Ned! [[spoiler:Ignoring Littlefinger and Renly's advice has led to Cersei and Joffrey ruling, your guards all being killed, and you being arrested and eventually executed!]]
** Congratulations, Catelyn! [[spoiler:Capturing Tyrion Lannister has compromised the safety of your husband and daughters in the capital, and resulted with Lord Tywin unleashing Gregor Clegane on the lands of your own family!]]
** Congratulations, Robert! [[spoiler:Sending assassins after Daenerys managed to piss off Drogo enough that he changed his mind about not invading Westeros!]]
** Kudos, Daenerys! [[spoiler:Saving a wise woman from rape and then asking her to save the life of your husband has led to said husband winding up as an EmptyShell and your son to be stillborn.]]
** Good job, Mirri! [[spoiler:Destroying everything of value to the naive queen of the enemies you sought revenge on made her more cunning and dangerous than her deceased husband or stillborn son could ever have been. Extra points for teaching her a lesson in the process that mercy is for the weak, giving her a crash course in blood magic, and providing the means for birthing her three dragons.]]
** Congratulations, Robb!
*** [[spoiler: Sending Theon home to Daddy in an attempt to gain his support in combat resulted in the exact thing your father had been preventing by ''having Theon in the first place:'' The Iron Islands have taken up arms against Winterfell and now Robb has to fight wars on ''two'' fronts.]]
*** [[spoiler:Executing Lord Karstark for treason, despite all of his counsel warning him not to. This results in the Karstarks pulling back their forces, which make up half of Robb's army. Now he's got no choice but to the turn the infamously untrustworthy Freys for help, who he's pissed off by breaking their marriage pact.]]
** Splendid, Loras! Inciting Renly to make a bid for the throne [[spoiler:gets your lover killed.]]
** Kudos, Loras! [[spoiler: By revealing to Olyvar that you're secretly engaged to Sansa, the information is then passed on to the Littlefinger, who then shares it with the Queen Regent, and now your family's plan is ruined.]]
** Jaime lies that Brienne's family is much wealthier than they are to prevent Locke from raping her. He later learns that Locke refused Brienne's ransom, still believing his lie and expecting a much larger ransom.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Congrats Joffrey! [[spoiler: By killing all of Robert's bastards you've confirmed in the eyes of many that you know they had a better claim to the throne than you ''and'' given your enemies the rallying cry "The [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating Queen]] kills babies!" If Tyrion wanted to slap you before, imagine how he thinks of you now.]]
* NiceToTheWaiter:
** In "What Is Dead May Never Die," Renly shows concern for the common soldiers in his army, making the effort to remember their names and keeping track of their problems.
** Right after chiding his [[SurroundedByIdiots underlings]], Lord Tywin treats Arya, cupbearer at Harrenhal, with a surprising amount of respect and warmth. Combined with some exposition of his backstory, their interactions effectively show Tywin's [[PetTheDog more humane side]]. [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk He later leaves her with Gregor Clegane]].
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: [[spoiler: Ramsay Snow, whose appetite for torture seems to know no bounds]].
* TheNightThatNeverEnds: [[MemeticMutation Winter is coming]]. Pray it's a short one - they have been known to last a decade. There is an in-universe FairyTale about winter lasting a generation - kings froze to death in their castles, and women murdered their own babies to save them the agony of starving to death.
* NippleAndDimed: It's beginning to look like most of the adult actresses have clauses in their contracts that require them to appear at least partially, if not fully, nude at least once.
* NoExceptYes: This exchange in "Nightlands":
-->'''Janos''': I won't have my honor questioned by an imp!
-->'''Tyrion''': I'm not questioning your honor Lord Janos... I'm denying its existence.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
** What happens to Dany after saving Mirri Maz Dur.
** Jaime Lannister intercedes on Brienne's behalf to prevent her from getting raped, in spite of trying to kill her only a few hours before. In the process, he compounds the enmity his captors feel toward him, causing them to [[spoiler:chop his hand off]].
* NoNameGiven: The Qartheen member of the Thirteen who first receives Dany outside the city walls. He does not give his name, saying that it is too long and hard for foreigners to pronounce. This is probably because he's a CanonForeigner. When his actor was cast, he was called the Spice King, but that is his nickname and not a name.
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted. The ''second'' thing Cersei ever says to Sansa is asking if she's had her first period. And later, Sansa dreams of her near-rape during the riot and wakes up when she's stabbed in the dream. She quickly realizes that she's bleeding and panics, knowing that now she can be married to Joffrey. Shae attempts to help her hide the evidence(even threatening to murder another handmaiden), but Sandor Clegane, of all people, happens in while Shae is chasing down the other woman, and the secret is out.
* NonIndicativeName: The Dothraki Sea is not even remotely a large body of salt water. Rather, it is an area of rolling grassy plains, so named for its immense size and how easy it is to get lost in there.
* NonSpecificallyForeign: Shae, who playfully refuses to tell Tyrion where she's from. Later, Cersei pegs her as Lorathi, which might be a joking way of connecting Shae (who is played by Turkish-German actress Creator/SibelKekilli) to Jaqen, who claims to be from Lorath (and is played by fellow German actor Tom Wlaschiha).
* NoodleIncident: In Tyrion's list of "confessions" in "A Golden Crown," he's cut off before he can describe what he did that involved bringing [[NoodleImplements a jackass and a honeycomb]] into a brothel.
--> '''Robin Arryn''': What happened next?
* NostalgiaFilter: King Robert likes to muse about the good old days, before he was king. You know, when the entire country was either ruled by an insane dictator or in a state of civil war. His younger brother Renly does not hesitate to call him out on this.
* NotSoDifferent:
** Tyrion muses that the difference between the people of the Seven Kingdoms and the Wildlings is that when the Wall was built, their ancestors just happened to be on the right side.
** Ned comparing Robert to the Mad King Aerys in "The Wolf and the Lion."
** Maester Luwin asks Theon if he should really be mocking Osha for her situation in Winterfell, because "a prisoner and a guest" describes his situation almost exactly.
** Maester Aemon reveals to Jon Snow he more than anyone else in the Night's Watch knows his anger and being torn between his oath and wanting to do something to defend his family. He was already an old man, long since blind when the ravens delivered the news that most of his entire family had been slaughtered, ''even the children'', during a time of war. He's [[spoiler: Aemon Targaryen, the uncle of the Mad King]].
** Tywin telling a disguised Arya how much she reminds him of his daughter. Surely Arya was thrilled.
** The Hound claims that Bronn is a BloodKnight much like himself. The jury's still out on how much either of them actually qualifies.
* NotSoExtinct: People from Westeros and Essos believe that the demonic ice-like White Walkers and the fire-breathing dragons are creatures only found in tales and songs from the past. People are proven wrong by the end of season 1.
* TheNothingAfterDeath: According to [[spoiler:Beric]], the "other side" is just darkness.
* NumberTwo: The office of Hand of the King could be considered this, but depending on where the individual who holds the title falls on the morality scale, or where their king falls for that matter, this could also be TheDragon.
--> '''Jaime''': "What's the line? 'The King shits, and the Hand wipes.'" [[note]]The books put it much more nicely, with the phrase "What the King dreams, the Hand builds".[[/note]]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Grand Maester Pycelle's hidden spryness and sharpness of mind, despite his age and apparent senility. One [[http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/08/15/great-deleted-scene-from-game-of-thrones-season-3/ deleted scene with Tywin]] makes it particularly explicit.
* ObligatoryJoke: Anything related to Tyrion's height.
** Bronn's advice for surviving his first battle. "Stay low."
** Pycelle's snarking after Tyrion's been deposed as Hand of the King.
--->"These quarters are smaller than you're used to. But you don't take up much room, do you?"
** Littlefinger's advice on becoming Master of Coin. "Keep a low profile."
--->'''Tyrion''': [[IfIHadANickel If I had a gold dragon]] for every time I heard ''that'' joke, [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore I'd be richer than you are]].
--->'''Littlefinger''': You ''are'' richer than I am.\\
'''Tyrion''': (''beat'') Good point.
* OccultBlueEyes: The eyes of those raised from dead by the White Walkers are portrayed like [[http://xe3.xanga.com/b36f9a3a34533276238728/w220100436.jpg this]].
* OddFriendship: Samwell Tarly and Jon Snow, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion and Bronn's odd friendship has received [[http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/06/is_game_of_thrones_considering.html the buddy comedy treatment]].
* OddlySmallOrganization: The "Warlocks of Qarth" apparently consist entirely of a single guy: Pyat Pree.
* OffhandBackhand: When Jaime [[spoiler: shoves Bran out the window]], he does it with a sudden but casual shove while not bothering to look at him.
* OffingTheOffspring:
** Old Nan tells a story about women smothering their babies rather than see them starve during a winter that lasted a generation.
** Tyrion speculates that his father is putting him [[UriahGambit on the vanguard of a battle to invoke this]]. Tywin is not particularly amused to see his son alive in the aftermath.
** In a conversation with Jon Snow, Tyrion remarks that had he been born a peasant, they might have left him out in the woods to die. In "Mhysa", Tywin confesses he ''thought'' about it but couldn't bring himself to do it because after all, Tyrion is a Lannister.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome:
** During the events detailed in Episode 9, there are two battles going on, but only the aftermaths are shown. In the first instance, Tyrion gets knocked unconscious by the rush of his troops following a RousingSpeech, and only wakes up when the battle is over. Later in the episode, Robb returns triumphant from a battle not shown on screen, with Jaime Lannister as a prisoner.
** The sack of Yunkai happens almost completely offscreen. Dany's three champions fight off an initial wave of guards, then report back that they've fomented a slave uprising.
* OffWithHisHead:
** Ned Stark has an enormous greatsword made of [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Valyrian steel]] called Ice that he uses for executions, and he does so in the first episode, taking a deserter's head off in a single stroke. Towards the end of the first series, [[spoiler:he is beheaded with his own sword]].
** In Season 2 Theon Greyjoy, [[spoiler:after proclaiming himself Lord of Winterfell]], tries to execute someone using an ordinary sword and [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath makes a complete mess of it]], [[DeconstructedTrope hacking and kicking madly until the head finally comes off]]. Proof if proof were needed that Theon is no Ned Stark.
* OhCrap:
** Varys' reaction when Littlefinger reveals that he was aware that Varys had been meeting secretly with Illyrio.
** Jaime's and Cersei's reactions to finding out that [[spoiler:Bran]] is going to live, and Tyrion's reaction to Catelyn talking a whole tavern of people into [[spoiler:arresting him]].
** Loras when he realizes that the Mountain is about to attack him with a sword at the Tourney of the Hand. Loras doesn't have a weapon at this point, only a shield to protect himself.
** Viserys once he realizes what is meant by giving him a "golden crown."
** Jaime when he realizes Ned Stark just rope-a-doped him.
** Bronn when Tyrion tells him that Lord Tywin is placing them in the vanguard in the next day's battle.
** [[NobleFugitive Arya]] in disguise as Tywin Lannister's cupbearer at Harrenhal when they announced that Littlefinger has arrived. A similar scene occurs when [[spoiler:the Hound is found by "The Brotherhood Without Banners" and she does get recognized as a Stark.]]
** [[MassOhCrap The season two finale.]]
--->'''Grenn:''' "Two blasts is Wildlings."\\
'''Edd:''' "You're not fighting them alone. Come on."\\
[[spoiler: *third blast*]]\\
'''Grenn:''' [[spoiler: "Three blasts?"]]\\
'''Edd:''' "[[ScrewThisImOuttaHere RUN!]]"
** Kraznys, when he learns that [[spoiler:Dany can speak Valyrian. Doubly so when he hears her order the Unsullied to kill him.]] Missandei is a bit quicker on the uptake, getting her OhCrap shot the moment Dany addresses her new troops.
** The Hound's expression when Beric [[spoiler:lights his sword on fire]].
** Catelyn when [[spoiler:the Frey musicians start playing "The Rains of Castamere". And again when she realizes that Roose Bolton is wearing armor to a wedding.]]
* OneSteveLimit:
** Robert Arryn's name was changed to Robin to avoid confusion with King Robert.
** Averted with the White Walkers and their zombie minions, the wights. "White" and "wight" are pronounced the same, which can cause confusion.
** Asha Greyjoy has been renamed Yara to not be confused with Osha the wildling.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted all over the place. When Ned gets speared in the leg, he's unconscious for a long period between episodes and weak for several episodes after, requiring a cane to get around. When Khal Drogo allows himself to be cut in a duel with an uppity tribesman, Daenerys and Mirri Maz Duur both agree that the wound must be washed and sewn, or it will fester. [[spoiler:In the end it festers anyway--possibly due to Mirri's sabotage--and by the next episode he's very, very ill.]] Quite realistic for a setting with barely-above-medieval medicine.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney:
** Bronn makes it clear to Tyrion that he's expecting payment for his work, to which Tyrion assures him that no one can beat a Lannister's price. When his work for Tyrion [[FieldPromotion earns him a knighthood]], before long he's complaining that as a knight he should get a higher wage.
** Petyr points out that the Gold Cloaks fight for whoever pays their salary.
* OnlySaneEmployee: This seems to be the entire point of the role of The Hand Of The King.
** Robert lampshades it when conferring the title on Eddard:
--->'''Robert:''' "Lord Eddard Stark, I would name you The Hand Of The King."\\
'''Ned:''' "I'm not worthy of the honour."\\
'''Robert:''' "I'm not trying to honour you, I'm trying to get you to run my kingdom while I eat, drink, and whore my way [[{{Foreshadowing}} to an early grave!]]"
** When Tywin Lannister was the Hand of the King, it was the most peaceful and prosperous period in recent history, which says something considering that the King he served was "''The Mad King''"
** Davos Seaworth, in between his inflexibly righteous boss and his boss' religiously fanatic other advisor, is this for the camp of Stannis Baratheon.
* OnlySaneMan:
** Renly feels he is this, and as of "You Win or You Die," he might be right.
** Tyrion has hints of this on his trip to the Eyrie.
** Varys has shades of this as well. When asked by Ned who he truly serves, he simply says "the Realm. Someone must."
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Some of the actors' natural accents do slip through, such as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's native Danish, Richard Madden's Scottish accent and Michelle Fairley's Northern Irish accent. American Peter Dinklage's English accent is not totally correct, but is at least consistent.
* OpenSecret:
** Joffrey being born out of incest. As of "A Man Without Honour" in the second season, even Jaime and Cersei have given up denying it.
** Renly and Loras seem to have done a poor job trying to conceal their illicit romance. Even two lowborn Lannister soldiers on the other side of the country have heard the rumours.
* OopNorth: Winterfell and the Starks are Northern, and the accents of the actors involved reflect this, especially textbook Yorkshireman Sean Bean as Ned. Bean's contract specified that he be allowed to use his native accent for the role. Conversely, those associated with the Lannisters and/or the South tend to speak with [[BritishAccents RP (BBC English)]]. The Northeners' general opinion of the South is broadly similar to cultural stereotypes between the South of England and the North.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Dragons had high animal intelligence, breathed fire and varied in size, with most large enough to carry human riders in the air and some large enough to "swallow an aurochs whole". Their fire was hot enough to melt stone. They had two legs and two batlike arm/wings. They laid scaled eggs, some of which are still preserved. They have been extinct for over a century; some people seem to believe that magic died out with (and is now returning with) the dragons, though whether there's a causal relationship, and if so, which caused which, is unclear. Upon their return, we learn that dragons have a strong imprinting instinct and only eat cooked meat.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: They are about twice the height of a grown man and look like humans with low brow and oversized thick legs, which makes them SquareCubeLaw compliant.
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[[Series/GameOfThrones Back to the main article]]
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* LadyAndKnight
** This dynamic exists between the beautiful Daenerys Targaryen and the valiant Ser Jorah Mormont. [[spoiler:And later Ser Barristan Selmy when he joins her Queensguard in Season 3]].
** Renly Baratheon is the handsome and gentle king who is guarded by two highly skilled and brave knights: Brienne of Tarth (a gender inversion of the trope) and Ser Loras Tyrell (a same-sex variation).
** [[spoiler:After Renly is assassinated]], Brienne then serves the gracious Lady Catelyn Stark (another same-sex version).
* LadyMacbeth:
** Cersei Lannister is behind some of Robert and Jaime's callous or outright evil decisions.
** Loras provides a rare male example and fulfills this role when he suggests to Renly that he should be king instead of his brothers and nephews with the help of Highgarden. Loras [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone comes to regret his role]] after [[spoiler:Renly doesn't win the game of thrones.]]
* TheLadysFavor:
** It initially appears to be a gender inversion of this trope when Ser Loras gives Sansa a rose before his joust, but it's quickly subverted when it turns out to be an empty gesture. Lord Renly is his true sweetheart, but Loras obviously cannot offer his favour to another man in a homophobic society, so he simply hands the rose to the young lady who happens to be seated the closest to Renly in the stands.
** Gender-flipped when Sam gives Gilly his mother's thimble, his sole keepsake from his former life before he joined the Night's Watch.
* LampshadeHanging: As the TortureTechnician said to the victim: "If you think [[ColdBloodedTorture this]] has a happy ending, [[DidYouActuallyBelieve you haven't been paying attention.]]"
* TheLancer: Jory for Lord Eddard Stark and Theon for Robb.
* LargeHam: Syrio Forel, Greatjon Umber, Viserys. Drogo [[ChewingTheScenery chews the scenery]] with much gusto during his RousingSpeech after the assassination attempt on Daenerys. Similarly, King Robert nearly scrapes the castle walls clean while ordering the assassination of Daenerys and her child. Roy Dotrice's OneSceneWonder as Pyromancer Hallyne does credit to his equally hammy readings of the ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' audiobooks.
* LaResistance: Tywin's occupation of the Riverlands is hampered by the "Brotherhood without Banners," a group unseen until the third season.
* LastSecondWordSwap: Roose Bolton to Jaime Lannister -- "I would have thought you'd learnt not to overplay your... [[AnArmAndALeg position]]."
* LastStand: [[spoiler:Yoren.]] In the books it was YouShallNotPass, but the other characters' (temporary) escape was removed as a bit of PragmaticAdaptation.
* TheLeader: King Renly is a Type IV. His charismatic personality is what wins the support of Lord Mace Tyrell and his bannermen. He commands the combined army strength of the Reach and the Stormlands, which numbers around 100 000. Renly uses diplomacy to diffuse the tension between Catelyn and his two overprotective Kingsguards.
* LectureAsExposition: Maester Luwin teaches Bran, and the audience, about the Houses of Westeros. Upon arrival in King's Landing, Sansa gets quizzed by her septa about the history of the Seven Kingdoms.
* TheLegendOfChekhov: When Luwin tells Bran that sure, there are ''stories'' about people who can form a spiritual link with animals, but they aren't true -- and [[TheMagicGoesAway if there ever were any, they aren't around any more]] -- it becomes pretty obvious that Bran's dreams aren't just dreams.
* {{Leitmotif}}: All the major houses have one.
** The melancholy Stark theme is the most frequently heard, playing in the pieces "Goodbye Brother," "Winter is Coming," "Jon's Honor, and "King of the North." In Season Two, it appears at the beginning of "What Is Dead May Never Die," played during [[spoiler:Theon's Face Heel Turn]], in which it gradually shifts into the Greyjoy theme instead.
** The Lannisters have the "The Rains of Castamere" and its variations. It usually manifests as dark, ominous background music, but Tyrion whistles a faster, more sing-song version of it a few times in Season Two, and it finally appears in full in Blackwater.
** The Baratheons have two themes: the "kingly one," used mostly for Robert, Joffrey and Stannis, is a bombastic fanfare, fitting for the royal family, first heard in "The King's Arrival" and then reprised in "You Win Or You Die," (where it incorporates elements of "The Rains of Castamere") "The Throne Is Mine," and "Wildfire". The other one, most frequently used for Robert's biological children, is "Black Of Hair", which is reprised in "Bird Without Feathers" (played when Cersei tells Catelyn about her first son who died as an infant), "Await The King's Justice," and "The Throne Is Mine."
** "Chaos Is A Ladder", Littlefinger's leitmotif, is a slow, creepy piano version of "Await The King's Justice" which rises up into a variation of "The Throne Is Mine."
** The White Walkers also have their own, which can be heard in "North of the Wall" and "The Night's Watch".
** Daenerys has two distinct themes. One, a mysterious-sounding, powerful melody which can be heard in "Fire and Blood", has a distinctly Eastern feel to it. (This makes sense: the Targaryens were originally from Valyria, which lies in Essos.) The other is more triumphant, often mixing with the Game of Thrones main theme, and is reserved for her more glorious moments, such as Season One's "Finale" and "Mother of Dragons".
** Jaqen H'ghar has a quiet, distinct tune which plays whenever he makes an appearance or performs an action affecting the plot. A broader, deeper version plays when [[spoiler: Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie escape]] in "The Prince of Winterfell".
* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: A very dark version of this trope is presented when Jaime suggests to Brienne that she think of Renly when [[spoiler: her would-be rapists have their way with her. Jaime knows that Brienne will be killed if she resists.]]
* LighterAndSofter: While the show has more sex and violence than could be shown on network television, it pales before the books. Some examples include:
** Arya kills more people, and in cold blood as well, in the books. She also suffers more degradations in the books.
** Sansa is not as abused by Joffrey as badly as in the books. For example, she is stripped naked in the books, while in the series her dress is torn.
** The young characters are all aged up in part so that all this sex and violence isn't happening to even younger characters.
** Bodily mutilations are less pronounced for practical reasons. For example, Tyrion and Rorge both keep their noses in the series. This is Lampshaded in Season 3, where there were rumors that Tyrion had lost his nose during the Battle of Blackwater.
* LightIsNotGood:
** The "White Walkers."
** Melisandre, a representative of the Lord of Light, claims very passionately that light ''is'' good, but her bonfires, ominous threats and shadow magic make her quite malevolent at times.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''Nineteen'' names in the credits of the first season (and, as mentioned above, Jason Momoa isn't included there for strange reasons), with the end result that only two characters appear in every episode of Season 1 (Joffrey and Cersei) and one in Season 2 (Tyrion). You can find a guide to help keep them all straight [[Characters/GameOfThrones here]].
* LostInTranslation: A lot of official translations fail to recognise the difference between a Wight and a White Walker -- though admittedly the same applies to many English-speaking viewers, as well. ([[AllThereInTheManual It hasn't quite been explained yet.]])
* LotusEaterMachine: The warlocks of Qarth attempt to lure Daenerys with a vision of [[spoiler:her dead husband and stillborn son in the House of the Undying]] in the second season finale.
* LoveMakesYouDumb:
** Robb Stark falls in love with the field nurse and Volantine noble Talisa Maegyr, despite the fact he is already engaged to one of Walder Frey's daughters. His mother warns him over what a stupid political move this is, but he marries her anyway. [[HonestAdvisor Lord Karstark]] remarks that he lost the ongoing war the day he married her.
** Catelyn going behind Robb's back and freeing the Kingslayer in an attempt to get Sansa and Arya back.
** Sansa is convinced that Joffrey is a great guy until he chops off Ned's head.
* LoveMakesYouEvil:
** Jaime Lannister. He's willing to push a kid out of a window to hide his secret affair, even saying, "The things I do for love..."
** Cersei Lannister. She was, like many women in the Seven Kingdoms at the close of his rebellion, quite in love with Robert when they married, but a life of humiliations and occasional domestic abuse ended with [[spoiler:her plotting her husband's death]].
** Petyr: his unrequited love for Catelyn caused him to become obsessed with achieving power over his social betters.
** Maester Aemon's lecture to Jon warns him about the dangers of love, as it is the one thing that can cause a man to ignore his duty.
** Tyrion remarks that he would kill for Shae and offhandedly adds that he expects he will have to someday.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Loras' shield saves his life when the Mountain attacks him after their joust.
* LuredIntoATrap: [[spoiler:The King in the North, his entourage and a major chunk of his army are wiped out in the Twins when Walder Frey turns the renewal of a marriage alliance into "The Red Wedding".]]
* LysistrataGambit: A rather atypical example is provided by a same-sex couple. Feeling slighted by Brienne's RankUp, Loras not only withholds sex from Renly, but he punishes his boyfriend even further by bringing Margaery to Renly's bed, knowing full well that Renly utterly dreads the prospect of having to consummate the marriage.
* MachiavelliWasWrong: Invoked by Ser Loras in his convincing Renly to make a play for the throne. He argues that Renly's charisma would make him a far better king than those before him because he ''would'' rule through love and respect rather than fear.
* MachoMasochism: The Greatjon laughing off a direwolf eating two of his fingers. Also, Drogo showed his badassery in a duel by deliberately allowing his opponent to cut him, in order to draw the guy closer. [[spoiler:This came back to bite him, as the wound gets infected and nearly kills him.]]
* MadnessMantra:
** "The White Walkers... I saw the White Walkers... "
** According to Jaime, "[[KillItWithFire Burn them all...]]" was the Mad King's Madness Mantra.
** And his son Viserys' MadnessMantra is "You cannot touch me! I am the Dragon! ''I am the Dragon''!"
** "Where are my dragons?!"
* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident:
** Jon Arryn dies of a mysterious fever and it's later discovered that he was poisoned [[HeKnowsTooMuch for knowing too much]] about Joffrey's real lineage.
** Robert Baratheon falls victim of a HuntingAccident hatched by his wife.
* TheMagicComesBack: Magic is considered a folk tale by most of the people and wisemen of Westeros, but fantastical elements are gradually introduced into the story. It's implied or discussed that there's more than a correlation between the reborn of magic and the reappearance of White Walkers and dragons.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Stannis and Melisandre on TheBigBoard table in Stannis' WarRoom. Also a bit of a metaphor/ VisualPun.
%%* MaleFrontalNudity
* MaleGaze: Jory at Littlefinger's brothel, Theon with Ros.
* ManOnFire: Several in "Blackwater" when Tyrion pulls his trick with the wildfire and blows up much of Stannis's fleet.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Brienne is the Masculine Girl to Loras' Feminine Boy.
* MassOhCrap: Almost everyone present at the Sept of Baelor's reaction the moment that Joffrey decides to [[spoiler:execute Ned Stark]].
* MasterSwordsman: Jaime Lannister, Loras Tyrell, Sandor and Gregor Clegane, Eddard Stark, Barristan Selmy, and Syrio Forel are all described by various people as some of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms. Jaime speaks particularly highly of Barristan Selmy, calling him an artist who only uses red paint. Brienne of Tarth also shows significant skill, but is generally underestimated because of her sex.
* MathematiciansAnswer:
** Shae to Tyrion:
-->'''Tyrion:''' [''noticing her foreign accent''] "What sort of accent is that?"
-->'''Shae:''' "Foreign."
** Jaime Lannister:
-->"I pushed him out a window."
-->"Why?"
-->"I hoped the fall would kill him."
* MauveShirt: [[spoiler:Poor Jory, Rakharo, Irri, Alton and Matthos.]]
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: [[spoiler:Robb Stark dies shortly after Stannis performs a magic ritual cursing his rival "kings." It's left ambiguous as to whether the ritual was in any way responsible for Robb's death]].
* MeaningfulLook:
** Lord Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell share a lingering one at the Tourney of the Hand, and it's our first clue that these two characters are more than friends.
** They exchange another look when Brienne asks to become one of Renly's Kingsguard. As Renly considers her request, Loras' expression basically reads, "Tell her no." Renly decides to disregard this silent plea, much to Loras' irritation.
** Another occurs between Margaery and Loras in "Valar Dohaeris" after they witness Cersei and Joffrey's snarky discussion. The Tyrell siblings, who are ThickerThanWater and work as a BrotherSisterTeam, are surprised that mother and son have used veiled insults against each other in front of their future in-laws.
** In "Second Sons," Tyrion raises his glass in pity to Loras, and his eyes say, "You're next to get married." Loras, who is already quite frustrated from the day's events, sighs and turns his head away.
* MeaningfulName:
** In-universe, bastard children have last names determined by region, so anyone meeting Jon Snow already knows something about his parentage and place of origin.
** The family names Lannister and Stark are thinly veiled references to the War of the Roses, a civil war in England fought between the houses of Lancaster and York.
** 'Stark' has several meanings, including "rigidly conforming," "desolate" and "strong." All of these meanings can apply to the Stark family or the North.
* TheMentor: Several, for most of the younger main characters and some of the older ones. Jon Arryn was this to Robert and Ned, Rodrik Cassel to Robb, Jon and Theon, Lord Commander Mormont to Jon, Syrio Forel to Arya, and Septa Mordane to Sansa. In Season 2, Quorin Halfhand takes over for Jon, Dagmer Cleftjaw for Theon, Yoren [[spoiler:, Jaqen H'qar and Tywin Lannister]] for Arya and in a way, Cersei Lannister for Sansa.
* TheMedic: Talisa of Volantis, who attends to the wounded after a battle between Robb Stark's army and the Lannisters'.
%%* MercyKill
* MesACrowd: [[spoiler:The Warlock(s) of Qarth seem to be entirely composed of one person, who makes copies of himself]].
* MetaTwist: HBO gleefully marketed the show as if Sean Bean were the main character, and thus the ''one'' star with ContractualImmortality. [[spoiler:Nothing could be further from the truth, though those who had read the book would know this already - it would be impossible to even remotely follow the book's story with Ned alive.]]
* MidSeasonTwist:
** Season 1: [[spoiler:Robert Baratheon dies, and Eddard is arrested]].
** Season 2: [[spoiler:Xharo Xhoan Daxos and Pryat Pree are working together, they stole Dany's dragons, and kill the Thirteen of Qarth.]]
** Season 3: [[spoiler:Arya runs away from the Brotherhood, Sansa finds out about her impending marriage, and Gendry finds out his true parentage, though that's more a twist for him than the audience]]
* MilesGloriosus: Joffrey Baratheon is a coddled teen, but likes to brag and pretend that he's a badass swordfighter. No one believes him, but everyone except his family humors him because of his high birth ([[TheCaligula and because he's crazy]]). In "Blackwater" he prances around in a suit of armor blathering about how he'll give Stannis "[[GlasgowGrin a red smile]]", only to turn tail and run away when Stannis and his army start attacking the city.
-->'''Tyrion''': [[SarcasmMode Imagine Stannis' terror...]]
-->'''Varys''': [[DeadpanSnarker I]] ''[[DeadpanSnarker am]]'' [[DeadpanSnarker trying.]]
* AMillionIsAStatistic: Discussed when people try to call out others for heinous actions that might actually prevent greater bloodshed.
** Tywin states that the [[spoiler:Red Wedding]] prevented thousands of deaths by ending the rebellion in the North.
** Melisandre and Stannis argue with Davos about whether [[spoiler:sacrificing the innocent Gendry to end the War of the Five Kings with magic is preferable to the thousands of soldiers who would die in conventional warfare]].
* MinorInsultMeltdown: Wildlings refer to everyone south of the Wall as "Southerners," which annoys several Northerners.
* TheMistress:
** Loras becomes the male version of this trope after Renly marries Margaery.
** Shae after Tyrion marries Sansa.
** Melisandre for Stannis, who is married to Selyse.
* MockMillionaire: [[spoiler:Xaro Xhoan Daxos, whose conspicuous treasure vault is completely empty.]] He's cunningly leveraged his fictional fortune into a lavish lifestyle and political power.
* MomentKiller: In "What Is Dead May Never Die", the foreplay between Renly and Loras is unexpectedly interrupted after Renly starts kissing the bruises on Loras' chest. This reminds Loras of the humiliation he suffered earlier in the day, and it kills the mood.
* MoodWhiplash:
** Jory's DistractedByTheSexy moment in the brothel is immediately followed by [[spoiler:his death.]] Also happens when the story switches between the various different plot-threads. Arya training with Syrio? Cool, and even a little funny. But then the next thing you see is [[{{Squick}} Dany eating a horse's heart]].
** "Walk of Punishment" ends with [[spoiler:Jaime's hand being chopped off, and a cut to black as he screams in horror and agony]], followed immediately by a bawdy punk cover of "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" over the end credits.
** [[spoiler: Theon's torture]] starts with a sudden, comically timed blowing of a horn.
* MoralityKitchenSink: Or rather, white and black plus a thousand shades of grey. Between Ned Stark on the one hand and The Mountain or Joffrey on the other, every one of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters has his own unique shade of grey.
* MortonsFork: King Robert explains how a Dothraki invasion would put him in a Morton's Fork. If he faces the Dothraki horsemen in open battle, he'll be defeated. If he barricades himself in his castles, the Dothraki will rape and pillage the countryside so badly that he'll lose his kingdom anyway.
* MrExposition:
** Jorah Mormont; at least in the first season, he mainly exists to inform Daenerys/us about the customs of the Dothraki and other such things. The producers even refer to him as "Jorah the Explorer".
** Peytr Baelish is also a big vehicle for exposition.
* MrFanservice: There's pretty much some male for just about every taste in this show.
* MsFanservice:
** Ros the gorgeous prostitute didn't have one scene in the first season where she kept all her clothes on all the way through. Actress Esme Bianco has a background as a burlesque performer, so she's quite comfortable performing nude. In Season 2 and thereafter she's promoted to Littlefinger's aide, and thus earns the privilege to wear more clothes.
** Daenerys, especially in her first appearances.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: Although Loras does possess a slender build in the books, Finn Jones' skinny physique and his lack of muscles on the show make it difficult for some viewers to believe that his character is one of the best knights in Westeros.
* TheMutiny: A bunch of hungry, pissed off Night's Watchmen rebel in "And Now His Watch Is Ended", with violent results.
* MyNaymeIs: Many of the character's names are very similar to modern names, such as Eddard for Edward.
* MythologyGag: In "Valar Dohaeris", when Cersei first sees Tyrion again following his wounding at the Battle of Blackwater, she says it was rumored his nose was cut off, but the truth is "not as gory". This is in reference to the books where Tyrion really did [[TheNoseless lose his nose]] in addition to gaining the nasty scar he has in the series.
* NeverLiveItDown: Several examples in universe:
** Jaime Lannister is derogatorily known and addressed as "Kingslayer" by everyone, even his allies. Even those who rebelled against the king and knew that he was insane criticize him for it. Jaime insists that people should be ''[[UngratefulBastard grateful]]'' for it.
** Catelyn never quite forgives or forgets the fact that Eddard Stark was unfaithful to her and sired bastard son Jon Snow.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Margaery tries to invoke this trope when Joffrey demands to know why she didn't [[spoiler:provide an heir to Renly while they were married]]. It doesn't work because Joffrey considers [[spoiler:Renly to be a traitor, and therefore isn't deserving of any respect even after death]]. Margaery then does her best to answer her betrothed's question without being too brusque about [[spoiler:Renly's sexuality]].
* NiceGuy:
** Renly is the only man who has treated Brienne with kindness and respect, and he's probably the only king who has accepted a woman into his Kingsguard. He did this despite knowing full well that it would shock his bannermen, annoy his wife, and piss off his lover. Renly praises Brienne's martial skills and her devotion when Loras confronts him about it. Margaery describes Renly as "brave and gentle" in "Dark Wings, Dark Words."
** Ser Davos stands out among Stannis and his supporters for being a down-to-earth, morally upstanding knight able to relate and be friendly to almost everybody.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** Congratulations, Sansa! [[spoiler:Lying to the king and queen about Joffrey got your own direwolf killed!]]
** Congratulations, Ned! [[spoiler:Ignoring Littlefinger and Renly's advice has led to Cersei and Joffrey ruling, your guards all being killed, and you being arrested and eventually executed!]]
** Congratulations, Catelyn! [[spoiler:Capturing Tyrion Lannister has compromised the safety of your husband and daughters in the capital, and resulted with Lord Tywin unleashing Gregor Clegane on the lands of your own family!]]
** Congratulations, Robert! [[spoiler:Sending assassins after Daenerys managed to piss off Drogo enough that he changed his mind about not invading Westeros!]]
** Kudos, Daenerys! [[spoiler:Saving a wise woman from rape and then asking her to save the life of your husband has led to said husband winding up as an EmptyShell and your son to be stillborn.]]
** Good job, Mirri! [[spoiler:Destroying everything of value to the naive queen of the enemies you sought revenge on made her more cunning and dangerous than her deceased husband or stillborn son could ever have been. Extra points for teaching her a lesson in the process that mercy is for the weak, giving her a crash course in blood magic, and providing the means for birthing her three dragons.]]
** Congratulations, Robb!
*** [[spoiler: Sending Theon home to Daddy in an attempt to gain his support in combat resulted in the exact thing your father had been preventing by ''having Theon in the first place:'' The Iron Islands have taken up arms against Winterfell and now Robb has to fight wars on ''two'' fronts.]]
*** [[spoiler:Executing Lord Karstark for treason, despite all of his counsel warning him not to. This results in the Karstarks pulling back their forces, which make up half of Robb's army. Now he's got no choice but to the turn the infamously untrustworthy Freys for help, who he's pissed off by breaking their marriage pact.]]
** Splendid, Loras! Inciting Renly to make a bid for the throne [[spoiler:gets your lover killed.]]
** Kudos, Loras! [[spoiler: By revealing to Olyvar that you're secretly engaged to Sansa, the information is then passed on to the Littlefinger, who then shares it with the Queen Regent, and now your family's plan is ruined.]]
** Jaime lies that Brienne's family is much wealthier than they are to prevent Locke from raping her. He later learns that Locke refused Brienne's ransom, still believing his lie and expecting a much larger ransom.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Congrats Joffrey! [[spoiler: By killing all of Robert's bastards you've confirmed in the eyes of many that you know they had a better claim to the throne than you ''and'' given your enemies the rallying cry "The [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating Queen]] kills babies!" If Tyrion wanted to slap you before, imagine how he thinks of you now.]]
* NiceToTheWaiter:
** In "What Is Dead May Never Die," Renly shows concern for the common soldiers in his army, making the effort to remember their names and keeping track of their problems.
** Right after chiding his [[SurroundedByIdiots underlings]], Lord Tywin treats Arya, cupbearer at Harrenhal, with a surprising amount of respect and warmth. Combined with some exposition of his backstory, their interactions effectively show Tywin's [[PetTheDog more humane side]]. [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk He later leaves her with Gregor Clegane]].
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: [[spoiler: Ramsay Snow, whose appetite for torture seems to know no bounds]].
* TheNightThatNeverEnds: [[MemeticMutation Winter is coming]]. Pray it's a short one - they have been known to last a decade. There is an in-universe FairyTale about winter lasting a generation - kings froze to death in their castles, and women murdered their own babies to save them the agony of starving to death.
* NippleAndDimed: It's beginning to look like most of the adult actresses have clauses in their contracts that require them to appear at least partially, if not fully, nude at least once.
* NoExceptYes: This exchange in "Nightlands":
-->'''Janos''': I won't have my honor questioned by an imp!
-->'''Tyrion''': I'm not questioning your honor Lord Janos... I'm denying its existence.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
** What happens to Dany after saving Mirri Maz Dur.
** Jaime Lannister intercedes on Brienne's behalf to prevent her from getting raped, in spite of trying to kill her only a few hours before. In the process, he compounds the enmity his captors feel toward him, causing them to [[spoiler:chop his hand off]].
* NoNameGiven: The Qartheen member of the Thirteen who first receives Dany outside the city walls. He does not give his name, saying that it is too long and hard for foreigners to pronounce. This is probably because he's a CanonForeigner. When his actor was cast, he was called the Spice King, but that is his nickname and not a name.
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted. The ''second'' thing Cersei ever says to Sansa is asking if she's had her first period. And later, Sansa dreams of her near-rape during the riot and wakes up when she's stabbed in the dream. She quickly realizes that she's bleeding and panics, knowing that now she can be married to Joffrey. Shae attempts to help her hide the evidence(even threatening to murder another handmaiden), but Sandor Clegane, of all people, happens in while Shae is chasing down the other woman, and the secret is out.
* NonIndicativeName: The Dothraki Sea is not even remotely a large body of salt water. Rather, it is an area of rolling grassy plains, so named for its immense size and how easy it is to get lost in there.
* NonSpecificallyForeign: Shae, who playfully refuses to tell Tyrion where she's from. Later, Cersei pegs her as Lorathi, which might be a joking way of connecting Shae (who is played by Turkish-German actress Creator/SibelKekilli) to Jaqen, who claims to be from Lorath (and is played by fellow German actor Tom Wlaschiha).
* NoodleIncident: In Tyrion's list of "confessions" in "A Golden Crown," he's cut off before he can describe what he did that involved bringing [[NoodleImplements a jackass and a honeycomb]] into a brothel.
--> '''Robin Arryn''': What happened next?
* NostalgiaFilter: King Robert likes to muse about the good old days, before he was king. You know, when the entire country was either ruled by an insane dictator or in a state of civil war. His younger brother Renly does not hesitate to call him out on this.
* NotSoDifferent:
** Tyrion muses that the difference between the people of the Seven Kingdoms and the Wildlings is that when the Wall was built, their ancestors just happened to be on the right side.
** Ned comparing Robert to the Mad King Aerys in "The Wolf and the Lion."
** Maester Luwin asks Theon if he should really be mocking Osha for her situation in Winterfell, because "a prisoner and a guest" describes his situation almost exactly.
** Maester Aemon reveals to Jon Snow he more than anyone else in the Night's Watch knows his anger and being torn between his oath and wanting to do something to defend his family. He was already an old man, long since blind when the ravens delivered the news that most of his entire family had been slaughtered, ''even the children'', during a time of war. He's [[spoiler: Aemon Targaryen, the uncle of the Mad King]].
** Tywin telling a disguised Arya how much she reminds him of his daughter. Surely Arya was thrilled.
** The Hound claims that Bronn is a BloodKnight much like himself. The jury's still out on how much either of them actually qualifies.
* NotSoExtinct: People from Westeros and Essos believe that the demonic ice-like White Walkers and the fire-breathing dragons are creatures only found in tales and songs from the past. People are proven wrong by the end of season 1.
* TheNothingAfterDeath: According to [[spoiler:Beric]], the "other side" is just darkness.
* NumberTwo: The office of Hand of the King could be considered this, but depending on where the individual who holds the title falls on the morality scale, or where their king falls for that matter, this could also be TheDragon.
--> '''Jaime''': "What's the line? 'The King shits, and the Hand wipes.'" [[note]]The books put it much more nicely, with the phrase "What the King dreams, the Hand builds".[[/note]]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Grand Maester Pycelle's hidden spryness and sharpness of mind, despite his age and apparent senility. One [[http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/08/15/great-deleted-scene-from-game-of-thrones-season-3/ deleted scene with Tywin]] makes it particularly explicit.
* ObligatoryJoke: Anything related to Tyrion's height.
** Bronn's advice for surviving his first battle. "Stay low."
** Pycelle's snarking after Tyrion's been deposed as Hand of the King.
--->"These quarters are smaller than you're used to. But you don't take up much room, do you?"
** Littlefinger's advice on becoming Master of Coin. "Keep a low profile."
--->'''Tyrion''': [[IfIHadANickel If I had a gold dragon]] for every time I heard ''that'' joke, [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore I'd be richer than you are]].
--->'''Littlefinger''': You ''are'' richer than I am.\\
'''Tyrion''': (''beat'') Good point.
* OccultBlueEyes: The eyes of those raised from dead by the White Walkers are portrayed like [[http://xe3.xanga.com/b36f9a3a34533276238728/w220100436.jpg this]].
* OddFriendship: Samwell Tarly and Jon Snow, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion and Bronn's odd friendship has received [[http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/06/is_game_of_thrones_considering.html the buddy comedy treatment]].
* OddlySmallOrganization: The "Warlocks of Qarth" apparently consist entirely of a single guy: Pyat Pree.
* OffhandBackhand: When Jaime [[spoiler: shoves Bran out the window]], he does it with a sudden but casual shove while not bothering to look at him.
* OffingTheOffspring:
** Old Nan tells a story about women smothering their babies rather than see them starve during a winter that lasted a generation.
** Tyrion speculates that his father is putting him [[UriahGambit on the vanguard of a battle to invoke this]]. Tywin is not particularly amused to see his son alive in the aftermath.
** In a conversation with Jon Snow, Tyrion remarks that had he been born a peasant, they might have left him out in the woods to die. In "Mhysa", Tywin confesses he ''thought'' about it but couldn't bring himself to do it because after all, Tyrion is a Lannister.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome:
** During the events detailed in Episode 9, there are two battles going on, but only the aftermaths are shown. In the first instance, Tyrion gets knocked unconscious by the rush of his troops following a RousingSpeech, and only wakes up when the battle is over. Later in the episode, Robb returns triumphant from a battle not shown on screen, with Jaime Lannister as a prisoner.
** The sack of Yunkai happens almost completely offscreen. Dany's three champions fight off an initial wave of guards, then report back that they've fomented a slave uprising.
* OffWithHisHead:
** Ned Stark has an enormous greatsword made of [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Valyrian steel]] called Ice that he uses for executions, and he does so in the first episode, taking a deserter's head off in a single stroke. Towards the end of the first series, [[spoiler:he is beheaded with his own sword]].
** In Season 2 Theon Greyjoy, [[spoiler:after proclaiming himself Lord of Winterfell]], tries to execute someone using an ordinary sword and [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath makes a complete mess of it]], [[DeconstructedTrope hacking and kicking madly until the head finally comes off]]. Proof if proof were needed that Theon is no Ned Stark.
* OhCrap:
** Varys' reaction when Littlefinger reveals that he was aware that Varys had been meeting secretly with Illyrio.
** Jaime's and Cersei's reactions to finding out that [[spoiler:Bran]] is going to live, and Tyrion's reaction to Catelyn talking a whole tavern of people into [[spoiler:arresting him]].
** Loras when he realizes that the Mountain is about to attack him with a sword at the Tourney of the Hand. Loras doesn't have a weapon at this point, only a shield to protect himself.
** Viserys once he realizes what is meant by giving him a "golden crown."
** Jaime when he realizes Ned Stark just rope-a-doped him.
** Bronn when Tyrion tells him that Lord Tywin is placing them in the vanguard in the next day's battle.
** [[NobleFugitive Arya]] in disguise as Tywin Lannister's cupbearer at Harrenhal when they announced that Littlefinger has arrived. A similar scene occurs when [[spoiler:the Hound is found by "The Brotherhood Without Banners" and she does get recognized as a Stark.]]
** [[MassOhCrap The season two finale.]]
--->'''Grenn:''' "Two blasts is Wildlings."\\
'''Edd:''' "You're not fighting them alone. Come on."\\
[[spoiler: *third blast*]]\\
'''Grenn:''' [[spoiler: "Three blasts?"]]\\
'''Edd:''' "[[ScrewThisImOuttaHere RUN!]]"
** Kraznys, when he learns that [[spoiler:Dany can speak Valyrian. Doubly so when he hears her order the Unsullied to kill him.]] Missandei is a bit quicker on the uptake, getting her OhCrap shot the moment Dany addresses her new troops.
** The Hound's expression when Beric [[spoiler:lights his sword on fire]].
** Catelyn when [[spoiler:the Frey musicians start playing "The Rains of Castamere". And again when she realizes that Roose Bolton is wearing armor to a wedding.]]
* OneSteveLimit:
** Robert Arryn's name was changed to Robin to avoid confusion with King Robert.
** Averted with the White Walkers and their zombie minions, the wights. "White" and "wight" are pronounced the same, which can cause confusion.
** Asha Greyjoy has been renamed Yara to not be confused with Osha the wildling.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted all over the place. When Ned gets speared in the leg, he's unconscious for a long period between episodes and weak for several episodes after, requiring a cane to get around. When Khal Drogo allows himself to be cut in a duel with an uppity tribesman, Daenerys and Mirri Maz Duur both agree that the wound must be washed and sewn, or it will fester. [[spoiler:In the end it festers anyway--possibly due to Mirri's sabotage--and by the next episode he's very, very ill.]] Quite realistic for a setting with barely-above-medieval medicine.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney:
** Bronn makes it clear to Tyrion that he's expecting payment for his work, to which Tyrion assures him that no one can beat a Lannister's price. When his work for Tyrion [[FieldPromotion earns him a knighthood]], before long he's complaining that as a knight he should get a higher wage.
** Petyr points out that the Gold Cloaks fight for whoever pays their salary.
* OnlySaneEmployee: This seems to be the entire point of the role of The Hand Of The King.
** Robert lampshades it when conferring the title on Eddard:
--->'''Robert:''' "Lord Eddard Stark, I would name you The Hand Of The King."\\
'''Ned:''' "I'm not worthy of the honour."\\
'''Robert:''' "I'm not trying to honour you, I'm trying to get you to run my kingdom while I eat, drink, and whore my way [[{{Foreshadowing}} to an early grave!]]"
** When Tywin Lannister was the Hand of the King, it was the most peaceful and prosperous period in recent history, which says something considering that the King he served was "''The Mad King''"
** Davos Seaworth, in between his inflexibly righteous boss and his boss' religiously fanatic other advisor, is this for the camp of Stannis Baratheon.
* OnlySaneMan:
** Renly feels he is this, and as of "You Win or You Die," he might be right.
** Tyrion has hints of this on his trip to the Eyrie.
** Varys has shades of this as well. When asked by Ned who he truly serves, he simply says "the Realm. Someone must."
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Some of the actors' natural accents do slip through, such as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's native Danish, Richard Madden's Scottish accent and Michelle Fairley's Northern Irish accent. American Peter Dinklage's English accent is not totally correct, but is at least consistent.
* OpenSecret:
** Joffrey being born out of incest. As of "A Man Without Honour" in the second season, even Jaime and Cersei have given up denying it.
** Renly and Loras seem to have done a poor job trying to conceal their illicit romance. Even two lowborn Lannister soldiers on the other side of the country have heard the rumours.
* OopNorth: Winterfell and the Starks are Northern, and the accents of the actors involved reflect this, especially textbook Yorkshireman Sean Bean as Ned. Bean's contract specified that he be allowed to use his native accent for the role. Conversely, those associated with the Lannisters and/or the South tend to speak with [[BritishAccents RP (BBC English)]]. The Northeners' general opinion of the South is broadly similar to cultural stereotypes between the South of England and the North.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Dragons had high animal intelligence, breathed fire and varied in size, with most large enough to carry human riders in the air and some large enough to "swallow an aurochs whole". Their fire was hot enough to melt stone. They had two legs and two batlike arm/wings. They laid scaled eggs, some of which are still preserved. They have been extinct for over a century; some people seem to believe that magic died out with (and is now returning with) the dragons, though whether there's a causal relationship, and if so, which caused which, is unclear. Upon their return, we learn that dragons have a strong imprinting instinct and only eat cooked meat.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: They are about twice the height of a grown man and look like humans with low brow and oversized thick legs, which makes them SquareCubeLaw compliant.
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