Incest, cameos and burning alive: The most controversial moments from Game of Thrones

Hardcore dragon fans among us won’t be shocked by controversial scenes in House of the Dragon, having seen it all before as seasoned viewers of Game of Thrones. I’m convinced that nothing can shock me after the jump scares and traumatic storyline Game of Thrones threw at me. Maybe it’s been a while since you watched the scenes, or perhaps they’re scarred into your brain forever. Either way, here’s a look at the most controversial Game of Thrones scenes of all time.

Ed Sheeran’s cameo

via HBO

Whilst I think this is pretty iconic, a lot of hardcore GoT fans actually hated Ed Sheeran’s cameo in the show. He pops up as one of the Lannister soldiers that Arya comes across on her way to the Twins and they both share a calm little moment before she leaves. That’s all that happens, but it was enough to outrage fans who claimed seeing the singer’s face pulled them out of the show, so much so that Ed actually deleted his Twitter. Poor guy.

The Red Wedding

via HBO

Obviously this makes the list. The Red wedding is arguably the most widely known controversial Game of Thrones scene and is often recognised even by people who haven’t seen the show. The wedding sees Tywin Lannister betray the North with Walder Frey and Roose Bolton and my god, is it bloody. The episode shows graphic fighting scenes, including a throat slitting and a pregnant woman being stabbed in the stomach. Despite people loving the gore and blood, others believe it might have been slightly too graphic.

Jon Snow and Daenerys getting together

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Fans weren’t sure about this one for a number of reasons, one being season eight confirmed what we all suspected to be true – that Jon Snow was not actually the bastard son of Ned Stark.

Instead, the his late parents were in fact Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned’s sister, Lyanna Stark, meaning he was actually given the name Aegon VII Targaryen. So this revelation actually makes Daenerys to be Jon’s aunt, which is particularly awkward after they got frisky in the sheets together.

Jamie forcing himself on Cersei

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As if incest wasn’t enough in the show, they took it one further by writing a scene where Jamie rapes Cersei as they mourn over the body of their dead son. Their lover/sibling dynamic is one of the weirdest themes of the show, but this scene really pushed it. Some viewers complained that the scene was simply to stir up controversy, with others arguing that it just didn’t make sense after so many seasons of Jamie’s character development.

Shireen being burned alive

via HBO

The burning of Shireen was undoubtedly a hard watch. This was actually a scene that wasn’t written into the books, so many people had a problem with watching the child being burned alive as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light and whilst her mother and father watch.

The daughter/wives of Craster’s Keep

via HBO

Another controversial Game of Thrones storyline on incest, this whole segment is really hard to get on board with. With 19 wives who are also his daughters, the context of Craster is harrowing. We hear from his youngest daughter and wife, Gilly, that when his daughters give birth, he lets the girls grow a few years before marrying them too. But if any of his daughters birth sons, Craster gives them to the gods, also known as the White Walkers.

The head of George W. Bush on a spike

via HBO

Whilst never confirmed, fans were convinced that in the scene where Joffrey shows Sansa his collection of decapitated prizes, the last head bore a striking resemblance to ex-president George W. Bush. Showrunners actually rented prosthetic heads in bulk since they couldn’t afford to sculpt them all themselves, so there’s a chance that it could’ve been him. Despite the fact that there was no political commentary intended, some people were still upset. HBO and showrunners apologised after this and removed the episode from streaming services.

Sansa’s rape and victimisation

via HBO

Sansa’s treatment throughout the seasons of Game of Thrones was controversial. She’s the victim of rape and violence, with one scene where she’s raped by Ramsay whilst Theon is forced to watch being called completely horrific to watch by critics and viewers alike.

Some also detailed how the scene completely undermined Sansa’s character development too.

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Featured image via HBO