All 8 Game of Thrones seasons ranked from worst to best

5. Game of Thrones season 1

Don’t come for me for not rating Game of Thrones season 1 higher, diehard fans! While this is the season that introduced the world to the characters we would come to love (and hate), it’s not one I tend to rewatch, to be honest.

It’s amazing to get to know the Starks in Winterfell before chaos erupts in Westeros, and Sean Bean gives a great performance as Ned Stark. Daenerys is also a major standout for me this season as we get to see her character development from a timid girl in her brother’s shadow to the powerful Khaleesi and Mother of Dragons. Jon Snow’s introduction to the Night’s Watch and his inner battle in wanting to go home to protect his family is also compelling.

Just like the first book in ASOIAF, the first season of Game of Thrones features exciting moments, ones we’ll never forget. But looking back, the season itself feels very dated. It’s not shot that well compared to the seasons to come, and the pacing isn’t great. It’s very slow at times, and then some of the biggest moments feel a little rushed. Some of the storylines are simplified compared to the books, and it feels very much like the showrunners were just trying to figure out how to adapt a series like ASOIAF. Which makes sense!

Some of the visual effects look a bit cheap, but that’s probably because they were! At least, compared to later seasons.

These are minor issues in an otherwise solid season, and of course, this one sets the stage for the epic story that unfolds over the following seasons.