While Game Of Thrones became known for killing 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 death, 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.

Updated on January 4th, 2023 by Rhys McGinley: With the recent success of House of the Dragon and the stream of rumored Westeros-based projects coming down the development pipeline, now seems to be a great time to be a fan of George R. R. Martin’s world and to rewatch Game of Thrones. In doing that, fans will not only get a terrible ending and some of the greatest TV of all time, and a slew of heartbreaking lines. The show is full of sad quotes from beloved characters that are either reflections on their difficult journeys, emotional declarations that leave audiences in tears, or simply lines that come in heartbreaking scenes.

“Come With Me.”

Arya Stark, “Stormborn”

The Stark Direwolves are some of the most tragic characters in Game of Thrones, with all of them either suffering undeservedly horrible deaths or parting ways (temporarily) with their owner. Nymeria falls under the latter, and her emotional reunion with Arya is a highlight of season 7.

This line from Arya is a plea for Nymeria to go to Winterfell with her and is one of the few moments in the final seasons where Arya displays the emotion and childlike innocence that was so typical of her in the early part of the show. The fact that Nymeria recognized Arya but did not go with her is so sad, but that is the kind of heartbreak Arya was used to by the time of season 7.

“Mother.”

Robb Stark, “The Rains Of Castamere”

“The Rains Of Castamere” will go down as one of the greatest episodes of TV ever as well as one of the saddest thanks to the famous Red Wedding, an event so shocking and brutal it remains in the pop culture conversation. Perhaps the saddest moment is the death of Robb and, subsequently, Catelyn that follows this harrowing one word.

Catelyn’s gutwrenching monologue pleading for Robb’s life comes first, and then an already-doomed, broken Robb, who just arose from his dead wife’s side, lets out this dejected, helpless word, only to be stabbed immediately after. It is a shocking image that will live on in the minds of fans for years to come and leave them misty-eyed too.

“If I Fall, Don’t Bring Me Back.”

Jon Snow, “Battle of the Bastards”

The death and resurrection of Jon Snow is one of the most famous sagas in TV history, and two of the most iconic moments of the show. While fans rejoiced at it, though, Jon did not necessarily love being brought back, as seen through this troubling line.

Jon clearly felt the massive weight of responsibility on his shoulders, and whether he was made for some higher purpose or not, he did not want to defy death twice. On top of that, the quote does get fans nervous, not only about the prospect of Jon dying but also of Jon suffering in sadness.

“Nothing Isn’t Better Or Worse Than Anything. Nothing Is Just Nothing.”

Arya Stark, “Mockingbird”

The transformation of Arya Stark is one of the best and wildest journeys in Game of Thrones as her whole life crumbles around her, and she has to learn to live a life of isolation, ruthlessness, and as no one. She has many sad scenes in the show, but given how it reflects her changing views on the world, this is one of her most emotional.

Encountering a random dying man on her travels with the Hound, Arya tells him this, and audiences cannot help but feel the hollowness of it all, the emptiness that occupies a once energetic young heart. To see her show such little emotional connection to this man’s situation, a lack of sympathy signifies such a drastic change in her person that is distressing, if not sad, to see.

“I Lie Awake All Night, Staring At The Canopy, Thinking About How They Died.”

Sansa Stark, “Two Swords”

The suffering that Sansa Stark endures throughout Game of Thrones is a consistent source of heartbreak for fans, even if she is unlikeable in the first seasons, with the show even changing things from the books just to put her through more. This line sums up the loss she had endured to this point and gives fans a hugely upsetting image.

As she tells Tyrion, the losses of her brothers and mother were horrifying. It is bad enough that fans have to live with the images of their deaths, but that Sansa, a young girl who had nothing but dreams of a fantastical, regal life in King’s Landing, has to lie awake at night imagining it all is disgusting. Nobody deserves what Sansa went through.

“Egg! I Dreamed That I Was Old.”

Aemon Targaryen, “The Gift”

Many extravagant and epic deaths in Game Of Thrones come via battle or betrayal, but Maester Aemon’s is far quieter and subtler while still being 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 Samwell and Jon.

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

Catelyn Stark, “Dark Wings, Dark Words”

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. You’re A Good Man. Thank You.”

Bran Stark, “The Long Night”

Many fans believe Theon Greyjoy has one of the best arcs in Game Of Thrones, and his death 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 dies 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 many 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, achieved through this quote.

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

Talisa Stark, “The Rains Of Castamere”

The heartbreaking and jaw-dropping nature of the Red Wedding for all who watch has been well documented, with it being full of heartbreaking quotes. This line by Talisa becomes so saddening in hindsight, thanks to what went down.

Talisa and Robb both die 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.

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

Tyrion Lannister, “The Laws Of God And Men”

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 – in fact he is probably the least evil of the adult Lannisters. Far from flawless, Tyrion was still the best of the Lannisters, but being constantly called a monster, he sat with him and came out in a tirade that saw him tell the people of King’s Landing that he wished he could kill them all.

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

Ygritte, “The Watchers on the Wall”

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

This line is 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.

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

Ned Stark, “The Kingsroad”

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 if he knows the truth that the R + L = J theory is, in fact, true. Ned, of course, died, 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 death of Ned as well as the frustration of not even knowing if his mother was alive.

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

Jaime Lannister, “Kissed By Fire”

While many fans ended up disappointed at the end of his arc, 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 vilified Jaime for so long. He is not flawless, Jaime remains both loved and hated by fans, but this scene showcases the character’s tragedy and how he was always far more than what fans immediately judged him as.

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

Ser Davos Seaworth, “The Winds Of Winter”

This quote comes after the death of young Shireen Baratheon, as Ser Davos figures out what Melisandre and 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. As Davos talks, fans can not help but be taken back to Shireen’s harrowing screams. It broke him when he figured out what had happened, especially since he would have happily cared for her after Stannis’ death.

“Hold The Door!”

Hodor, “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.