Game of Thrones: The 10 Saddest Quotes

While Game Of Thrones became known for ƙ𝔦ℓℓing off adored characters, one of the most prominent sources of sadness for fans, there were many other ways the show managed to break hearts, including through character quotes. Many of these lines do come within scenes of ɗᥱαꚍɧ, but many get packed with emotion due to the investment of the fans and the tragedy of the characters themselves.

For all its later-season flaws, the series is still adored by its fandom, and many quotes will never fail to pull on the heartstrings, indicative of how excellently written the show was for so long.

Maester Aemon’s Last Words

“Egg! I Dreamed That I Was Old.”

Many extravagant and epic ɗᥱαꚍɧs in Game Of Thrones come via battle or betrayal, but Maester Aemon’s is far quieter, subtler while managing to be still emotional.

His final words are these that see him call out to his late brother, affectionately known as Egg. Aemon is an essential character for Samwell and Jon’s time at the Wall and is one who imparted a lot of wisdom over his time. To see him go was hard for fans and greatly affected the aforementioned characters.

Catelyn’s Confession

“All This Horror That’s Come To My Family… It’s All Because I Couldn’t Love A Motherless Child.”

Catelyn Stark is hardly the most likable Stark. Her treatment of Jon earns her a lot of criticism from fans even to this day, and this quote is pretty much her acknowledging that she deserves it.

Talking to Robb’s wife, Catelyn, reveals her sense of guilt. Her inability to care for Jon or see him as anything more than a mistake of Ned’s is not just sad as it shows how rough Jon had it but is also sad since Ned never laid with another woman; Jon was not his son.

Theon’s Redemption

“Theon. You’re A Good Man. Thank You.”

Many fans believe Theon Greyjoy has one of the best arcs in Game Of Thrones, and his ɗᥱαꚍɧ during the Battle of Winterfell, at the hands of the Night King, seems to be a fantastic moment of redemption for the character as he ɗ𝔦ᥱs protecting Bran.

These words are spoken to Theon by Bran, right before the former charges for the Night King. It is a moment Theon craved deep down that he needed to hear. Theon made a lot of mistakes, but he realized them and did his best to make up for them all, to repay his debts to those he had hurt, including Bran, something achieved through this quote.

Talisa Stark Talks About Her & Robb’s Future Son

“Don’t You Want To Teach Little Ned Stark How To Ride Horses?”

The Red Wedding is not only a colossal moment in Game Of Thrones, but it is one of the most shocking events in television history, heartbreaking and jaw-dropping for all watching. This line by Talisa becomes so saddening in hindsight, thanks to what went down.

Talisa and Robb both ɗ𝔦ᥱ brutally at the Red Wedding, and so does their unborn son. It is a harrowing sight for fans and for Catelyn, who screams out in pain because of it. Robb was clearly elated at the prospect of a son he could father as Eddard did him, but that never came to be.

Tyrion’s Iconic Outburst At His Trial

“I Wish I Was The Monster You Think I Am.”

The trial of Tyrion Lannister is some of the best and most iconic Game Of Thrones there is, and Peter Dinklage’s acting is legendary, perhaps at its best during this iconic, affecting outburst at the people of King’s Landing.

Tyrion’s whole life had been filled with people deeming him a monster, an abnormality, something he really was not. Far from flawless, Tyrion was still the best of the Lannisters, but being constantly called a monster, sat with him and came out here in a tirade that saw him tell the people of King’s Landing that he wishes he could ƙ𝔦ℓℓ them all.

When Ygritte ɗ𝔦ᥱs In Jon Snow’s Arms & Reminisces

“Do You Remember That Cave? We Should Have Stayed In That Cave.”

The romance between Ygritte and Jon Snow is arguably the best in the series. It ends in typically heartbreaking fashion as Ygritte ɗ𝔦ᥱs in Jon’s arms following an arrow from the widely hated Ollie.

This line comes as one of Ygritte’s last as she has one last exchange with Jon. That cave and the time she spent with Jon there were the happiest and safest either of them had ever really been, especially Ygritte. All the heartbreak and suffering that came after did not take away from the love the two had for one another, and even fans wish they got to be happy together like they were in that cave.

Eddard Stark’s Promise To Jon

“The Next Time We See Each Other, We’ll Talk About Your Mother.”

Due to the complex nature of many of Game of Thrones’ storylines, many quotes take multiple episodes and even sometimes seasons to truly hit home, including this line spoken by Ned to Jon in response to the latter asking about his mother.

The performance from Sean Bean here is excellent because upon rewatching it, it is as is if he knows the truth, he knows that the R + L = J theory is, in fact, true. Ned, of course, ɗ𝔦ᥱd, and the two never saw each other again, with it being years before Jon found out the truth, two tragedies on their own with the young Snow/Stark/Targaryen having to suffer the ɗᥱαꚍɧ of Ned as well as the frustration of not even knowing if his mother was alive.

Jaime’s Revelation To Brienne

“By What Right Does The Wolf Judge The Lion? By What Right?!”

While many fans ended up disappointed in his ɗᥱαꚍɧ and the overall final hoorah for the character, over eight seasons, Jaime Lannister proved to be one of the show’s most complex and brilliant characters, with many pointing to this scene as evidence of that.

Sharing a bath with Brienne, Jaime reveals the truth about what happened with the Mad King, how he saved many lives in reality. Referring to Ned’s judgment of him, Jaime breaks down, talking about how he is seen as a traitor, as scum, when really he was doing the right thing. It is sad to find out the truth after the audiences themselves vilify Jaime for so long. He is not flawless, Jaime remains both loved and hated by fans, but this whole scene showcases the tragedy of the character and how he was always far more than what fans immediately judged him as.

When Davos Confronts Melisandre

“I Loved That Girl. Like She Was My Own. She Was Good, She Was Kind, And You ƙ𝔦ℓℓed Her!”

This quote comes after the ɗᥱαꚍɧ of young Shireen Baratheon, as Ser Davos figures out what Melisandre – along with Stannis – did to the young princess, brutally burning her at the stake.

Davos breaks down as he tells Melisandre and Jon how he cared for her and adored her. Fans can not help but be taken back to Shireen’s harrowing screams as Davos talks. It broke him when he figured out what had happened, especially since he would have happily cared for her after Stannis’ ɗᥱαꚍɧ.

Hodor’s Backstory & Sacrifice At Once

“Hold The Door!”

Fans were not ready for the tragic backstory of Hodor to hit them as hard as it did, but his sacrifice to save Bran ended up being one of the saddest scenes in all of Game Of Thrones, and fans will forever remember his screams of “Hold the door!” followed by “Hodor!”

Fans had always wondered what had happened to Hodor if anything. It ended up being one of the most genius pieces of storytelling in the show, but that would destroy fans. Seeing young Wylis scream out in distress, repeating the line over and over again, is one of the most harrowing images in the show.