- Guide
- Game of Thrones
- Updated
- Status
- This guide covers all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and is complete; the franchise itself continues with spinoff series.
Game of Thrones Episodes Guide: All Eight Seasons Explained
HBO aired Game of Thrones for eight seasons between 2011 and 2019, 73 episodes in total. What each season covers, how long it runs and which episodes to see first are set out below.
Game of Thrones episodes, every season explained
Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama that aired on HBO from April 17, 2011, to May 19, 2019. David Benioff and D. B. Weiss created it and served as showrunners, adapting the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, who was a co-executive producer. The story is set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and follows three threads at once: a war of succession for the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, an exiled heir plotting to take it back, and a threat gathering beyond the Wall in the far north. Everything else in the show hangs off those three.
How many Game of Thrones episodes are there? 73, spread over eight seasons. Seasons 1 through 6 have 10 episodes each, season 7 has 7 and season 8 has 6, which is the arithmetic behind the total. The counts, air dates and directors in this guide follow the episode list on Wikipedia, and the table below puts the headline numbers in one place. Each season gets its own section after the table, and none of those sections gives away how a season ends.
The cast is large. Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays Jaime Lannister, Lena Headey plays Cersei Lannister, Sean Bean plays Ned Stark, Kit Harington plays Jon Snow, Emilia Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen, Sophie Turner plays Sansa Stark and Maisie Williams plays Arya Stark. Iain Glen, as Jorah Mormont, is among the others a first-time viewer will meet early. Not every name on that list stays for the whole run, so it pays to go in with as little advance knowledge as possible.
The show changes shape at two points. Wikipedia's season table ties season 1 to A Game of Thrones, season 2 to A Clash of Kings and season 3 to A Storm of Swords, so the first three seasons follow the novels closely. Season 5 mixes material from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons with original content, and the table describes seasons 6 and 7 as built on outlines of the remaining novels plus original content. Seasons 7 and 8 are also the shortest, at 7 and 6 episodes, and they move faster as a result. Wikipedia records that the final season drew heavy criticism for its reduced length and creative decisions. This guide describes what each season sets up and leaves the verdict to the viewer.
There is one sensible watch order, which is broadcast order. Game of Thrones is serialized, storylines run in parallel across the map, and every season builds directly on the last. Start with season 1, episode 1, "Winter Is Coming," directed by Tim Van Patten. HBO's later series set in the same world, House of the Dragon (2022) and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026), are separate shows and can wait.
A full viewing is a long project, but the seasons are short by the standards of network television. A ten-episode season fits into a week or two of evenings, and the last two seasons together total just 13 episodes. Anyone using this guide to the Game of Thrones episodes as a planning tool can treat seasons 1 to 4 as the foundation, seasons 5 and 6 as the middle stretch, and the final two as a single sprint.
Seasons at a glance
| Season | Episodes | Aired | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | 2011 | A king calls on an old friend, and one family is pulled south |
| Season 2 | 10 | 2012 | Several claimants go to war over the throne |
| Season 3 | 10 | 2013 | Alliances shift on both sides of the narrow sea |
| Season 4 | 10 | 2014 | Power shifts at court while a threat gathers in the north |
| Season 5 | 10 | 2015 | The show starts to outrun its source novels |
| Season 6 | 10 | 2016 | Scattered storylines begin to converge |
| Season 7 | 7 | 2017 | A shorter season with a faster pace and the threat from the north closing in |
| Season 8 | 6 | 2019 | The final season, resolving the war for the throne |
Episode counts and air years follow the episode list on Wikipedia, checked October 2026. The eight seasons add up to 73 episodes.
The season-by-season guide
Each section below covers one season in order: when it aired, how long it is, who directed it and what kind of story it tells. None of them reveals how a season ends. Readers who want the quick version can use the table above, and this section is the longer version of the Game of Thrones episodes list. Anyone asking how many seasons of Game of Thrones there are can stop at eight and use the sections to decide where to begin.
One thing to keep in mind while reading: the show assigns directors in blocks of two or three episodes, and several of the best-known hours come from a small group. Miguel Sapochnik, Alan Taylor, David Nutter and Neil Marshall each directed several of the best-known hours. The sections below name them where it helps.
Season 1: the pieces on the board (10 episodes, 2011)
Season 1 premiered on April 17, 2011, and finished on June 19. It is the slowest season by design. The Stark family of the north is pulled into the politics of the capital when the king asks Ned Stark to serve him, while across the sea the last members of a deposed dynasty look for a way home. Tim Van Patten directed the first two episodes, Brian Kirk the next three, Daniel Minahan the following three, and Alan Taylor the last two.
The pace is deliberate. Early episodes spend a lot of time on geography, titles and family names, and the payoff is a story in which every conversation has a consequence. Viewers who like it slow tend to love this season. Viewers who need action in the first hour should push through to "Baelor" in the ninth slot, where the season's threads start to meet.
This is the right place to begin, and it is also a fair test. If the first three episodes do not hold your attention, the show will not change its method later.
Season 2: the war of claimants (10 episodes, 2012)
Season 2 aired from April 1 to June 3, 2012. The throne is contested by more than one claimant, and the story widens to follow several armies, several courts and a long trek in the east. The season opener, "The North Remembers," was directed by Alan Taylor, who also directed the season's last episode, "Valar Morghulis."
The new characters arrive quickly, and the season is easier if you accept early that you will not track every name on the first pass. The ninth episode, "Blackwater," was directed by Neil Marshall and is built around a single battle. It is the season's centerpiece, and it works as a standalone introduction to what the show can do at scale.
Compared with season 1, the stakes are physical. Armies move, cities are threatened and the rules of the game shift because more people are willing to break them.
Season 3: a wider map (10 episodes, 2013)
Season 3 premiered on March 31, 2013, and finished on June 9. Wikipedia ties it to A Storm of Swords, and the adaptation is dense. Storylines on both sides of the narrow sea run in parallel, and the season gives the most space to secondary characters who had been in the background.
Directors rotate every two episodes or so. David Benioff directed the third episode, "Walk of Punishment," and David Nutter directed the final two, "The Rains of Castamere" and "Mhysa." The ninth episode is best seen with no preparation at all.
Where season 2 was about armies, season 3 is about promises, and about what happens when someone breaks one. It pays off viewers who stayed through the slower stretches of seasons 1 and 2.
Season 4: power and consequences (10 episodes, 2014)
Season 4 aired from April 6 to June 15, 2014. D. B. Weiss directed the opener, "Two Swords," and Alex Graves directed four episodes, including "The Lion and the Rose," "The Mountain and the Viper" and the finale, "The Children." Michelle MacLaren, Alik Sakharov and Neil Marshall also directed episodes.
The season feels more focused than the one before it. Fewer plotlines run at once, and the northern thread builds toward a set-piece in the ninth hour, "The Watchers on the Wall," which Neil Marshall directed.
If you are weighing up where to pause, this is a good place to catch your breath. The first four seasons together form the show's foundation, and what follows changes the balance.
Season 5: beyond the books (10 episodes, 2015)
Season 5 ran from April 12 to June 14, 2015. Wikipedia lists A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons as source material alongside original content. This is where the show starts to depart from the novels, and a new group of directors takes over, among them Michael Slovis, Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa, Miguel Sapochnik and David Nutter.
The season moves its characters into new places and departs from the novels more often than before. For some viewers that is the point at which the show becomes its own thing. For others it is where they start to miss the books. Anyone following the Game of Thrones episodes list in order will notice the change in the opening hour.
The eighth episode, "Hardhome," was directed by Miguel Sapochnik and is a strong pick for a viewer sampling the show. It works alone, though it hits harder with the context around it.
Season 6: converging storylines (10 episodes, 2016)
Season 6 aired from April 24 to June 26, 2016. Jeremy Podeswa directed the first two episodes, including the opener, "The Red Woman." Daniel Sackheim, Jack Bender, Mark Mylod and Miguel Sapochnik handled the rest, with Sapochnik directing the last two hours, "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter."
After five seasons of keeping its characters apart, the show starts bringing them together. Storylines that spent years on separate continents begin to touch, and the plot gets simpler to follow even as the stakes rise. That is a relief for anyone who found seasons 2 to 4 hard to track.
The two closing hours were both directed by Sapochnik, which gives the end of the season a consistent look.
Season 7: a shorter run (7 episodes, 2017)
Season 7 premiered on July 16, 2017, and ended on August 27, a later start than any earlier season. It has 7 episodes, the first reduction in length. Jeremy Podeswa directed the opener, "Dragonstone," and the finale, "The Dragon and the Wolf." Mark Mylod, Matt Shakman and Alan Taylor directed the hours between.
With fewer episodes, the writers compress travel and focus on the central conflicts. The pace is quicker and the episodes tend to be built around larger events. The sixth episode, "Beyond the Wall," was directed by Alan Taylor.
Whether that tradeoff works is a matter of taste. Viewers who value momentum tend to prefer this season to the slower ones. Viewers who valued the earlier detail find it thinner.
Season 8: the final six (6 episodes, 2019)
Season 8 aired from April 14 to May 19, 2019, the shortest season at 6 episodes. David Nutter directed the first, second and fourth episodes, Miguel Sapochnik the third and fifth, and Benioff and Weiss directed the last, "The Iron Throne."
This season is the one most likely to start an argument. Wikipedia records that it drew significant criticism for its reduced length and creative decisions, and many considered it a disappointing conclusion. That criticism is part of the show's history, but it is not a reason to skip the ending: the season is only six episodes, and finishing the story is the point of watching from the start.
Anyone reaching this season should go in with expectations calibrated. The details are best seen without a guide.
The entries that matter when time is short
When the series cannot be watched in full, these eight are the place to start. Titles, numbers and directors follow the episode list on Wikipedia.
- Season 1, episode 1, "Winter Is Coming" (directed by Tim Van Patten): the premise and the main families.
- Season 1, episode 9, "Baelor" (Alan Taylor): the point where the first season's threads meet.
- Season 2, episode 9, "Blackwater" (Neil Marshall): the season's single large battle, built around one location.
- Season 3, episode 9, "The Rains of Castamere" (David Nutter): an episode best watched unspoiled.
- Season 4, episode 9, "The Watchers on the Wall" (Neil Marshall): the northern storyline's set-piece.
- Season 5, episode 8, "Hardhome" (Miguel Sapochnik): a strong single episode for a viewer sampling the show.
- Season 6, episode 9, "Battle of the Bastards" (Miguel Sapochnik): the season's large-scale showdown.
- Season 8, episode 6, "The Iron Throne" (D. B. Weiss and David Benioff): the series finale.
Reading on Game of Thrones
2 takesThis guide stays at overview level; separate pages go into single seasons and characters.
Who Is the Big Guy in the Game of Thrones Kingsguard Finale?
The silent giant in white armor who carries Cersei out of the room in the Game of Thrones season 5 finale is Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, brought back by Qyburn's experiments. In the books the same knight is called Ser Robert Strong, and the show's finale, "Mother's Mercy," aired on June 14, 2015.House of the Dragon Premiere Review: Wrong Lessons From Thrones?
The House of the Dragon premiere, “The Heir of the Dragon,” aired on HBO on August 21, 2022 and puts a lot of pieces on the board while leaning hard on the sex and violence that critics of Game of Thrones disliked. The cast is strong and Westeros is a pleasure to revisit, but the episode suggests HBO may have taken the wrong lessons from its own hit.
Frequently asked questions about Game of Thrones
How many seasons of Game of Thrones are there?
Eight. Game of Thrones ran for eight seasons on HBO, from April 17, 2011, to May 19, 2019. The series has 73 episodes in total.
How many Game of Thrones episodes are in each season?
Seasons 1 through 6 have 10 episodes each, season 7 has 7 and season 8 has 6. That adds up to 73 episodes across the eight seasons.
Where should I start with Game of Thrones?
Start with season 1, episode 1, "Winter Is Coming," and watch in broadcast order. The show is heavily serialized, so skipping ahead costs context. The list of key episodes in this guide is a catch-up aid, not a substitute.
Is Game of Thrones based on books?
Yes. It adapts the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin. Wikipedia ties season 1 to A Game of Thrones, season 2 to A Clash of Kings and season 3 to A Storm of Swords, and from season 5 the show mixes novel material with original content.
Do I need to watch House of the Dragon after Game of Thrones?
No. House of the Dragon (HBO, 2022) is a separate series set in the same world, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO, 2026) is another. Neither is needed to follow the original eight seasons.
Which season of Game of Thrones is the best?
Rough Cut Review would point to season 3 for most viewers, since it has the widest range of storylines and some of the series' most discussed episodes. Season 1 is the one to start with, and season 6 is the strongest pick for a tighter, more connected run.
Sources
Episode counts, dates and credits on this page follow the reference below; each figure was checked against it in October 2026.
- Game of Thrones, Wikipedia — season and episode tables, release dates and credits