12 unforgettable betrayals that prove Game of Thrones was never about heroes

Game of Thrones can be best described as if someone combined the script of Narnia and Survivor. Set in Westeros, a continent where winter lasts for decades, and where people heal their traumas by killing others instead of going to therapy. Just like Survivor, the Noble houses try to win the throne, at any cost, but instead of getting voted off the continent, the loser is either poisoned, stabbed, or burnt alive by a dragon.

Game of Thrones may sound like a period drama about monarchy, honor, and heroism, but that's not what the show is known for. Besides, the 'sibling love', the backstabbing, betrayals, and double-crossing kept the people hooked and gasping for air.

How many people had to lose their lives just to keep one throne warm? So, today we honor those fallen victims who trusted people and found out. Here are 12 ultimate betrayals that make Game of Thrones the ultimate betrayal Olympics.

12 unforgettable betrayals that prove Game of Thrones was never about heroes

1) Ned Stark receives an ultimate send-off

Ned Stark proved in Game of Thrones Season 1 that being too nice will not get you anywhere. Being nice only gets you more work, worse, a guillotine seat. When Ned Stark tried to do the right thing and put Stannis Baratheon on the throne after Robert's death, he was arrested and sentenced to death. And all this happened because Littlefinger double-crossed him.

2) Dial M for Murder

One of the worst moments on television, at par with Bambi's mom's passing and Old Yeller getting put down, are the events that occurred during the Red Wedding. Walder Frey and Roose Bolton were responsible for the destruction of half of the North. The Stark family lost its King, queen, matriarch, potential heir, and all their friends within 10 minutes.

If there is a list of Things that can go wrong at a wedding, this event will forever be on top. The title of King of the North is jinxed, perhaps, the holder either dies or quits after some time.

3) Jon Snow getting Caesar'd

If you ever want a visual representation of how Julius Caesar died, tune into the last episode of Game of Thrones Season 5. Jon Snow getting shanked by his bros for bringing in Wildlings was a plot twist no one saw coming. Especially the Et, tu Olly moment had everyone pick up their jaws from the floor.

The concept of inclusivity had not yet been introduced among the Northerners.

4) When Prince Theon Greyjoy 'reeked' of betrayal

Theon Greyjoy was yanked from his home, the Iron Islands, when he was a child by Ned Stark as ransom to keep his dad, King Balon Greyjoy, in check. He was raised as his adoptive son in Winterfell and lived there peacefully with his adoptive siblings until he suddenly felt homesick as an adult.

In Game of Thrones Season 2, Theon asks Rob to let him go back home. He would convince his dad to send his army to fight the Lannisters and free Ned Stark. Rob bids him adieu, not knowing he was also bidding farewell to his family home. As soon as Theon reached the Iron Islands, his Greyjoy blood suddenly boiled, and he decided to capture Winterfell and tried to kill Bran and Rickon.

5) Shae upgraded

It's natural for anyone to upgrade to a better product if they get a good deal, but that should only apply to things, not people. Shae betrayed Tyrion, and for a while, fans were on her side, but then they quickly took their words back when they saw her cozying up to Tyrion's father, Tywin.

People expected her to die, to be a secret royalty of some sort, but no one saw her betrayal coming. When she suddenly arrived as a witness, everyone gasped in surprise, but when they saw her in Tywin's bed, everyone screamed in terror. No amount of therapy can fix the damage of watching your girlfriend emerge from your father's bed.

6) Jaime and the Mad King

In Game of Thrones, Jaime Lannister earned the nickname Kingslayer because he betrayed the one man he swore to protect and killed him. Being a King's Guard, you are supposed to protect the King at all costs.

Before the series began, Jaime is said to have killed King Ares during Robert's rebellion, and everyone believes that he did it for Robert. But later in the series, it is revealed that he did it because Ares wanted to BBQ the entire King's Landing.

7) Oops! Littlefinger did it again

If there is one thing Littlefinger enjoys more than scheming against someone, it is killing them in cold blood. In his quest for power, Littlefinger marries his childhood sweetheart's sister, Lysa Arryn, and when he sees her mistreating his current sweetheart, he loses it and drops her hundreds of feet down out of the Moon door. He does all this just days after his wedding.

8) Cersei Lannister yeets out of a war

In Game of Thrones Season 7, when the Night King and his one billion people army of the dead are at the cusp of arriving at Castle Black, all the clans of the living people decide to put a brake on their fighting and unite to fight a common enemy.

Jon, Daenerys, and their armies arrive at Dragon's Pit to ask Cersei for their help, to which she initially agrees. But later, she betrays them when she doesn't send her army and leaves them to fight the Night King alone.

9) Daenerys BBQs an entire city

In Game of Thrones Season 8, when Daenerys sees Cersei kill her BFF, Messandei, in cold blood, it snaps her brain and triggers her villain arc. Something inside her breaks at that moment, and she decides to take the most epic revenge ever. After she defeats the Lannisters and takes over King's Landing, everyone thinks that the time for misery is over.

But little did they know that the real danger was about to be unleashed. As the city surrenders, she responds by turning it into ash and Lego Bricks. For the entirety of the series, she was the Breaker of Chains, and at the last moment, she became the Breaker of Faith.

10) Arya dunks like Michael Jordan

For the whole Game of Thrones series, fans believed that Jon Snow would defeat the Night King. He was hailed as a messiah whose aura would significantly increase after he killed the Night King and then took his rightful place as the King of Westeros, but Arya had other plans.

As Jon was busy tackling Veserion and the Night King was about to turn Bran into a the first crippled undead person, Arya suddenly emerges from the shadows and shanks the Night King like a Mortal Kombat ninja.

11) Sansa snitches on Jon

Sansa disliked Daenerys the minute she arrived at Winterfell, and when she got a chance to end Dany's reign, she took it as swiftly as a monkey takes a banana. Just minutes after promising Jon that she won't tell his secret to anyone, she spills the tea to Tyrion like a tabloid reporter.

12) Varys turns on Dany

In the entire series, if there is one person who changes his allegiance more than a toddler changes its mind, it is Varys. The best part is he is not even shy about it. He has been true to his oath of serving the realm and not the ruler, and would go to any length to see to it that the realm is safe.

In Game of Thrones Season 8, when he learns that Jon is the true heir to the Iron Throne, he doesn't even flinch before deciding to plot against Dany to overthrow her and put Jon in her place. He didn't even think about the fact that Daenerys was at her lowest at the time, as she had just lost her two dragons and her best friend.

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So, what does all this tell the fans about Game of Thrones? It says that the show was never about heroes. Instead, it was about who would be betrayed next and how bad it would be. It was eight seasons of watching everyone fail the trust exercise by not 'catching' their partners. And that is what made Game of Thrones everyone's favourite.

The Iron Throne should have come with a disclaimer - side effects include (literal) backstabbing, paranoia, and having no real friends.