The Best Line in 'Game of Thrones' Isn’t “Winter Is Coming” — It’s This Chilling Quote That Changed the Series

This Is the Greatest Quote in All of ‘Game of Thrones’ and It Changed the Series Forever Image via Helen Sloan/HBO By  Carolyn Jenkins Published 7 minutes ago Rotten Tomatoes | Letterboxd | Metacritic Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King. Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

At the height of its popularity, there was no series on television like Game of Thrones. The first seasons were adapted faithfully from George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series, yielding quotes that will never be forgotten. While “Winter is coming” was the definitive tagline for the series, it wasn’t the most significant piece of dialogue that came out of the show. A lesser-quoted line was still significant and would go on to define the series.

“When the snows fall, and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,” is a classic line from the book that made its way into the HBO series. These words of wisdom come from Ned Stark (Sean Bean), Warden of the North. The honorable Lord of Winterfell had many sage words of wisdom over the course of Season 1, but his lesson to his daughter, Arya (Maisie Williams), was the one that would have lasting ramifications.

This came about at a dangerous time when House Stark was divided. The esteemed Northern House became separated when King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) insisted that Ned become Hand of the King after the death of Jon Arryn. Ned had always refused him before, but times had changed, and that was no longer an option. With his wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) watching over Winterfell with her sons, Ned took his daughters Arya and Sansa (Sophie Turner) south to King’s Landing, where they were out of their element. While in the capital, Ned warns Arya about the dangerous situation they’re in. House Stark could not afford for its daughters to be fighting amongst themselves when they were in the lion’s den. This metaphor would symbolize the strife of the Starks throughout the entire series.

The Starks Needed Each Other for the Pack to Survive

The saga of the Starks is the driving force behind Game of Thrones. While fan favorite characters from other Houses, like Jaime Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen, have pivotal points of view, Game of Thrones was always about the Starks. Regrettably, Ned’s actions would be his downfall, along with his stubbornness and honor.

As soon as Ned entered King’s Landing, he knew that he was in danger, even if he didn’t know how much. Already, the pack had been separated when Ned had to take his daughters south. With their numbers depleted, they weren’t able to defend themselves from an attack on all sides. Ned tragically fell into a trap of his own making when he entrusted Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) with the knowledge that Cersei’s (Lena Headey) children were not fathered by King Robert. Ned’s defenses were at their lowest, and he lost his head for it.

This proved detrimental to House Stark because they were even further separated after that. Arya was forced to flee King’s Landing while Sansa stayed in the arguably even more dangerous territory of Cersei’s clutches. The younger Starks, Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson), were left in Winterfell as Catelyn and Robb (Richard Madden) waged a war for their independence from the Seven Kingdoms. This decision separated the Starks for the entire series, when they would have been strongest together.

Practically everyone watching hoped for the day when the tagline “The North Remembers” would actually come back into play. It was extremely gratifying to see the Starks reunited and finally be able to reclaim their home, in the dead of winter, no less. Ned reinforced the idea that this was when the Starks were at their strongest, and his prophecy of sorts came true when the North raised their banners.

Community would always be a stronger force than any solitary quest for power. Cersei raised a torch to any potential allies she could have, instead focusing on her hubris. Her selfishness was so powerful that it even caused Jaime to second-guess her. Once the Starks banded together, however, they could beat back the Long Night in an act of triumph. Fans likely would have preferred to see the Starks together longer than the HBO series allowed, but there is no doubt that was the union the series was striving for in its final season. Viewers can watch the fall and rise of these power dynamics by streaming Game of Thrones on HBO.

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Game Of Thrones

Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Action Adventure Fantasy Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Franchise(s) Game of Thrones 10 Images Samwell Tarly And Jon Snow In Game Of Thrones Season 1Tyrion Finds Jaime And Cersei in the wreckage of King's Landing in Game of Thrones season 8Daenerys attacks King's Landing in Game of ThronesJon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in 'Game of Thrones'Image via HBONed Stark in Game of Thrones season 1Peter Dinklage Looking Disheveled As Tyrion Lannister In Game Of Thrones Season 8Daenerys Targaryen In Game Of ThronesClose

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• Kit Harington Jon Snow
• Isaac Hempstead Wright Brandon Bran Stark

Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Fantasy Creator(s) David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Powered by Expand Collapse

• TV Features
• Game of Thrones
• George R.R. Martin

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