FORGOTTEN THRONES! The 5 Fantastic Game of Thrones Subplots Cruelly OVERSHADOWED By TV’s Most Explosive Moments

GAME OF THRONES delivered some of the most heart-stopping, jaw-dropping television history has ever seen. But spare a thought for the brilliantly written side plots that were completely ROBBED of their glory by the show’s mega-moments!

When tens of millions tuned into HBO’s fantasy juggernaut, they were treated to non-stop backstabbing, bloody battles, and dragon fire. Yet, because each hour-long episode juggled multiple storylines across Westeros and Essos, a tragic pattern emerged: absolute masterpiece subplots were inadvertently swept under the rug because an ALL-TIME TV SHOCKER happened in the very same hour.

From heartbreaking banishments to game-changing political alliances, here are 5 fantastic Game of Thrones subplots that fans totally forgot about—all thanks to a rival storyline stealing the spotlight!

1. Tyrion’s Heroic Battle debut (Overshadowed by Ned Stark losing his head)

The ninth episode of Season 1, “Baelor”, gave us one of the finest Tyrion Lannister hours in history. Expecting to die on the front lines alongside his ragtag Hill Tribes, Peter Dinklage’s iconic character delivers an unforgettable, Emmy-earning performance. He spends what he thinks is his last night on earth opening up to Shae about his tragic first wife, Tysha, before somehow surviving the battlefield.

It was deeply moving, brilliantly acted, and established Tyrion as a fan favorite. The problem? Seconds later, Lord Ned Stark (Sean Bean) was dragged onto the steps of the Sept of Baelor and BEHEADED. The execution sent shockwaves through pop culture, changing television forever—and completely erasing Tyrion’s emotional arc from viewers’ minds!

2. Jon Snow exposed as a traitor (Overshadowed by the Red Wedding)

Over in Season 3’s penultimate episode, “The Rains of Castamere”, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) faced his ultimate nightmare. After spending a season undercover with the Free Folk and falling madly in love with Ygritte (Rose Leslie), his cover was blown when he refused to murder an innocent farmer. Jon was forced to turn on his Wildling comrades in an epic, tearful brawl before making a dramatic escape.

It should have been the talk of the internet for weeks. Instead, viewers were instantly traumatized by what happened next: THE RED WEDDING. King Robb Stark, his pregnant wife Talisa, and his mother Catelyn were brutally butchered at Edmure Tully’s wedding feast. Jon’s heartbreak was completely drowned out by the screams of millions of weeping fans.

3. Ser Jorah’s tragic banishment (Overshadowed by the Red Viper’s skull getting crushed)

Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) was Daenerys Targaryen’s loyal, trusted right-hand man from day one. So when Dany discovered he had originally spied on her for King Robert Baratheon, their heart-wrenching confrontation in Season 4’s “The Mountain and the Viper” left fans in tears. Daenerys coldly banished Jorah from Meereen, shattering one of the longest-running bonds in the series.

Yet nobody was talking about Jorah’s exile at the watercooler the next morning. Why? Because the episode climaxed with the trial by combat between Oberyn Martell and Ser Gregor Clegane. Just as the “Red Viper” was about to win, he got overconfident, leading to the MOST BRUTAL DEATH IN SHOW HISTORY as The Mountain popped Oberyn’s head like a watermelon. Jorah’s exile didn’t stand a chance.

4. Tyrion and Daenerys FINALLY meet (Overshadowed by the Night King’s icy assault)

Season 5’s “Hardhome” gave fantasy fans the moment they had been waiting five years to see: Tyrion Lannister standing face-to-face with the Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryen. Their razor-sharp dialogue marked the first massive crossover between the Westeros and Essos storylines, featuring Dany’s legendary “break the wheel” speech.

It was pure dialogue gold. But then the show cut to the icy docks of Hardhome.

Jon Snow and the Wildlings were suddenly ambushed by thousands of Wights in an avalanche of pure terror. Featuring the chilling rise of the Night King raising the dead with a lift of his arms, the staggering 20-minute battle sequence completely blew Tyrion and Dany’s momentous first meeting out of the water!

5. Dany’s epic victory and Greyjoy alliance (Overshadowed by the Battle of the Bastards)

By Season 6, episode 9, Daenerys Targaryen was done playing around in Essos. She unleashed her three full-grown dragons to pulverize the Slavers’ fleet, ended the Sons of the Harpy forever, and struck a thrilling deal with Yara and Theon Greyjoy. With a armada ready to sail, Dany was finally heading to Westeros!

Any other episode, and this would be the greatest sequence on TV. But this was “Battle of the Bastards”.

The rest of the hour was dedicated to Jon Snow’s harrowing, claustrophobic showdown against the sadistic Ramsay Bolton to reclaim Winterfell. Between Jon nearly suffocating under a pile of corpses and Ramsay being fed to his own hungry hounds, Dany’s triumphant launch into the Narrow Sea became a mere footnote in one of television’s most celebrated battle episodes.