It's been eight years since the White Walker army took on Jon Snow and the Wildlings at Hardhome – and yet Game of Thrones fans still can't get over the dramatic battle.
In the season 5 episode, which aired on HBO on May 31, 2015, things don't end well for the five thousand free folk, who are slaughtered by the wights. After killing a White Walker with Longclaw, his Valyrian steel sword, Jon and Tormund manage to escape, but not before they see the Night King reanimate the fallen fighters.
8 Years Ago Today on Game Of Thrones, the Night King massacred & reanimated the Wildlings of Hardhome. pic.twitter.com/KG7W3N9nDPMay 31, 2023
"This episode was one of the best of the whole series and really put into perspective what the show was about. Terrific acting and musical score," someone commented, as another said: "Probably the best episode of the series. I was in complete shock and silence once the credits rolled."
"Battle of Hardhome > The Long Night," a third claimed, referencing the third episode of season 8, where Jon (Kit Harington), now at Winterfell, leads a charge against swathes of dead soldiers – and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) later kills the Night King.
"The Night King's potential was immense! They didn't even show us those babies he would take in the woods! What happened to them! So much potential," another stated.
Others, though, found the memory upsetting, claiming that it was the last time the HBO fantasy series was good. "All this great TV for his story arc to mean nothing," one disappointed fan wrote.
For more, check out our list of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way throughout the rest of 2023 and beyond.
