From extreme blood and gore to the beautiful sets, the eight-season fantasy drama series Game of Thrones is full of highly memorable moments — plus, who could forget the show’s many iconic sex scenes. Within the The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the nine Great Houses, the drama is bound to extend beyond government lines and into the bedroom. The intricately crafted world, which includes such a big cast, makes it difficult for viewers to understand the meaningful relationships between characters. To combat this, Game of Thrones strategically used intimate and vulnerable sex scenes to connect audiences to the characters, and feel more invested in them and their relationships. The fantasy genre often gets a bad rap for having sex scenes serve as random and unnecessary smut, but these scenes are much more than that.Â
In addition to their emotional weight, these Game Of Thrones sex scenes also help develop the cultural and historical context of the show. Unlacing a corset or slipping a hand under a suit of armor situates viewers and helps propel the story. But, this context goes beyond costumes. Sex during this time period was so much more than commonplace in a relationship. For many couples, it meant creating heirs and continuing the bloodline. In other cases, sex meant navigating having a nonmarital child (Jon Snow, I’m looking at you.). All this to say that sex is a crucial part of the plot in Game Of Thrones, and here are some of the most memorable scenes.
- Season 8, Episode 2: Arya Stark & Gendry Baratheon
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Some say your life flashes before your eyes in the face of near-certain death. Others, like Arya Stark, want to find out what sex feels like. In what she believes will be her final moments, Arya trusts Gendry, who reveals that he’s slept with three women before, with showing her the ropes through her first time.Â
- Season 8 Episode 4: Brienne of Tarth & Jamie LannisterÂ
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Alcohol and anger are two reliable components for a steamy sex scene. These characters make quite the unlikely pair, but their chemistry is undeniable. Brienne, the strong-willed, tomboyish type, enjoys her first time with the previously privileged and arrogant Jamie Lannister in a moment of tenderness and humility.
- Season 1, Episode 2: Daenerys Targaryen & Khal DrogoÂ
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In a candlelit tent, sex in this scene seems more ritualistic than pleasurable, but it’s critical for the plot of the first season. Bored and unimpressed, Khaleesi looks around the room until her eyes land on the dragon eggs on the mantle. This is the first sign that there might be a connection between Kaleesi and dragons. She decides to wield her sexuality as a power, and switch things up by getting on top. Drogo is surprised, but not upset. Even though she initially lacked control in bed, the future birth of her dragons will make her powerful in the kingdom.Â
- Season 7, Episode 7: Daenerys Targaryen & Jon SnowÂ
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Even though we find out in this special moment that they are related — Daenerys is Jon Snow’s aunt — the eventual consummation between Daenerys and Jon Snow was a long time coming. After several hints throughout the season and lots of fanfare, the powerful couple finally get together in a tender, sexual moment. This is one of few wholesome scenes in the series, making it possible to look past the technicality of incest.Â
- Season 3, Episode 5: Jon Snow & Ygritte
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Jon Snow and Ygritte have a tortured relationship until, suddenly, they don’t. Jon Snow follows Ygritte into a dimly-lit cave where she taunts him, urging him to prove himself. She strips down her furs and exposes her body to him, where he can’t resist — and he does, in fact, prove himself.Â