But let’s not kid ourselves, though. Aside from those aforementioned gorgeous locales and stunning costume designs, there’s something that every fan of the series yearns to see in every episode. It’s the possibility of a gruesome demise of a beloved character which keeps viewers tuning in each week. With an average death count of over 100 per season, Game Of Thrones is one of the most lethal shows on TV.
From the very first episode in 2011, the writers have provided some truly creative and gruesome deaths: from exploding skulls to incineration by dragons, the battle for the Iron Throne has seen it all. The series is renowned for scenarios being played out with entirely unpredictable outcomes, and it’s made these grizzly endpoints that much more shocking.

With Season 5 unfolding on screens in a few hours time, the death toll is only set to rise higher. We list down 15 of the most shockingly disturbing deaths so far on the series. It goes without saying, spoilers ahead!

1. Ned Stark – No one ever really got over Eddard Stark’s beheading at the end of Season 1. Let’s face it – we all thought he was the noble and honest hero who would somehow, against all odds, survive! When Sir Ilyn Payne cut off Ned’s head (for Joffrey to later put it on a pike as decoration), that was when we knew that nobody is safe on this show. It might not be as gruesome as some of the others, but this one was the biggest shocker of all.

2. Kraznys Mo Nakloz – The mysogynist slave-trader who is foolish enough to believe he can one-up Daenerys Stormborn is sorely mistaken. A foiled attempt to belittle Dany in Valyrian backfires when it turns out the Mother of Dragons understood every one of his slurs. To teach him a lesson she sics her beloved fire-breather Drogon on him.

3. The Mountain’s Horse – In a jousting tournament at King’s Landing, the seemingly unstoppable Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane goes up against the far less intimidating – in name if nothing else – Knight Of The Flowers Loras Tyrell. Clegane’s the clear frontrunner to win, but it’s Loras’ mare in heat that meddles with the outcome as she fires off loads of horsey pheromones. Clegane’s steed detects them, and turns into the equine equivalent of a pre-pubescent teen with a copy of Playboy. As a result, Clegane loses the jousting and in a fit of rage unsheathes his sword and decapitates his horse. It was the first time we saw what an angry “Mountain” looks like!

4. Shae – After lying at Tyrion’s trial and then cosying up to his dad in bed (which BTW, super-weird!), Shae really kind of had it coming. The death of Tyrion’s beloved mistress at his own hands was rather gruesome and emotionally brutal.

5. Joffrey Baratheon – As a veritable who’s who of the King’s Landing aristocracy gather in Season 4 Episode 2 to celebrate the wedding of King Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell, Tyrion unwittingly supplies his nephew with a goblet of poisoned wine. The real perpetrators, Lady Olenna Tyrell and Lord Petyr Baelish, look on along with the rest of the wedding party as the repulsive psychopath begins to choke and turns purple, with blood leaking from every orifice. It’s a hugely satisfying scene for Joffrey-haters, which is basically anyone who follows the show.

6. Craster – With the Night’s Watch holed up at Craster’s Keep to recover their strength, the admittedly-despicable patriarchal drunkard begins to berate the men of the Watch. After refusing to feed them – referring to his food stores as a source of sustenance for his pigs – one of the stewards Karl Tanner snaps at Craster’s continual goading, ending up driving a sword into Craster’s throat.

7. Karl Tanner – After mutinying and murdering Craster and Lord Commander Mormont, Tanner goes more than a little bit crazy and tears apart Mormont’s corpse. Good thing Jon Snow arrives and in the ensuing battle, drives his sword through the back of Karl’s head until it bursts through his mouth.

8. Ros – Remember the beautiful, clever and charming prostitute from Winterfell, Ros? Her vicious death was one of the most horrifying of the show. The biggest asshole of a king, Joffrey embraces his sadistic side when he orders Ros to beat the crap out of another prostitute and shortly after that, practices his aim on her, piercing her torso several times with his crossbow.

9. Viserys Targaryen – By the time his end rolls around, everyone’s pretty much had enough of Viserys. His smarmy face and entitled tone really make you wonder how it took six episodes for someone to take him out. Eventually his sister’s new husband Khal Drogo arrives at that conclusion, and pours a cauldron of boiling hot, molten gold over Viserys’ head.

10. Oberyn Martell – Our hearts still ache for the charismatic Dornish prince, The Viper, who suffered one of the more creative deaths of this series at the hands of one Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane. While fighting The Mountain as Tyrion’s champion, Oberyn gets a little too worked up exacting revenge for his sister Elia’s brutal murder, and eventually gets his skull crushed by The Mountain’s bare hands. You need a strong stomach to watch this one, really!

11. Robb and Talisa Stark – All self-respecting GOT fans know exactly what the Red Wedding was – the harrowing triple Stark murders, plotted jointly by slimy Roose Bolton and sneaky Walder Frey, that ended in Catelyn Stark’s slit throat. But the more savagely heartbreaking were the killings of Talisa and Robb, both of whom were about to become parents. Oh and, what they did to Grey Wind was utterly disturbing too!

12. Polliver – Polliver, the murderer of Arya Stark’s helpless friend Lommy, was a member of Lannister man-at-arms, serving under Ser Amory Lorch. It took two seasons for Arya to rightfully avenge the death of her friend, and she proceeds to enjoy every second of it. While reciting what Polliver said to Lommy before killing him, we can see the satisfaction and new found fascination in murder clearer than ever in her facial expressions, not to mention how powerful the whole scene is – the transition of a somewhat shy girl who is starting to show no mercy in situations like this.

13. The Hound – Sandor Clegane was pummeled to almost death by Brienne of Tarth, and when he asked Arya Stark to end his life for good, all he got was a cold, emotionless stare and “I’ll last longer than you”. Although he didn’t die on-screen, most of the fandom safely assumes that he died of his wounds after Arya left him.

14. Tywin Lannister – Not the most graphically brutal of demises, but still a huge shocker. Tywin died a rather unglamorous death – on the toilet seat, possibly “shitting gold”, struck down by his own son.

15. Random Frey Soldier – After witnessing the aftershocks of the Red Wedding in which her brother and mother were brutally killed, Arya Stark took out a random Frey soldier who was describing the disgusting details of how they’d sewn Grey Wind’s head on Robb Stark’s decapitated body. This was the first time Arya actually murdered a man, and its a huge turning point for her character’s development.

Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.

1. Diana Vreeland was a great influence in the world of fashion in the 20th century. She worked as a columnist and editor for Harper’s Bazaar from 1937 to 1962 and for Vogue from 1963 to 1971.

2. “In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth, women are not merely tolerated but valued.” – Aung San Suu Kyi (1945). Burmese opposition politician Suu Kyi was under house arrest for 15 years for her pre-democracy campaigning. She only gained release in 2010 following an international campaign to let her free. She won a nobel prize in 1991 where it was said that “Suu Kyi’s struggle is one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades.”.

3. The courageous 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai rose to fame with her memoir “I Am Malala” documenting her fearless journey as a young student in Pakistan. Since, Malala has been traveling the world advocating for education rights for women and children.

4. Benazir Bhutto was the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan (1993-1996) and the first woman to head a Muslim state. During her leadership, she ended military dictatorship in her country and fought for women rights. She was assassinated in a suicide attack in 2007.

5. Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, was raised in a one bedroom apartment in Chicago before she went on to excel in academics and study at Princeton and Harvard. She is considered the most stylish leading lady after Jackie Kennedy. Currently, she is working on a campaign to fight childhood obesity.

6. Oprah Winfrey, a generous Philanthropist, who is today worth $2.7 billion as a famous US talk show host and a media proprietor, was born to a poor single mother in Mississippi.

7. Madonna has achieved an unprecedented level of power and control for a woman in the entertainment industry. She has sold more than 300 million records of her music and she has turned her hands to songwriting, acting, film-directing and producing, fashion designing and writing children’s books.

8. Mary Quant was an influential fashion designer and she shaped the image of the swinging sixties. She was credited for creating the mini-skirt and hot pants.

9. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to ever fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932 and she became the first woman pilot in 1935 after flying solo from Hawaii to California. She embarked upon her lifelong dream of flying across the world in 1937, however, her flight went missing on that trip and she was never seen again.

10. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was a daughter to a laundrywoman and a market stall holder. Before becoming one of the greatest fashion designers the world has ever seen and revolutionizing fashion, she was a club singer and a hat maker.

11. Margaret Thatcher was loved and hated equally for some of her controversial policies but she never gave up. She was known as the ‘Iron lady’ for her uncompromising politics and leadership style. From being a grocer’s daughter to graduating from Oxford University, she went on to becoming Britain’s first and to date, only female Prime Minister elected in 1979 and the country’s fifth longest serving leader.

12.  Aside from her extensive work as a UN diplomat, actress and philanthropist, in 2013, when Angelina Jolie chose to share her double-masectomy story, she changed the face of breast cancer awareness. In a personal essay, Jolie revealed how the health decision empowered her as a woman while encouraging other women to come forward with their own breast cancer stories.

13. After becoming the first lady of Arkansas in 1983 and then the United States in 1993, Hillary Rodham Clinton has been a powerful force in US politics ever since. She was the first ‘first lady’ to be a candidate in elected office in 1999 (in the race for New York Senator, which she won and served for two terms). She has won numerous awards for her work concerning women, health and children.

14. The famously known “Madame Curie”, a Polish-French physicist and chemist, Marie Curie was the first person to have received two Nobel Prizes. She was the first female professor at the University of Paris and the first lady to be enshrined in France’s national mausoleum, the Paris Panthéon, all based on her own merits.

15. An iconic figure of twentieth century cinema, Katharine Hepburn won 4 Oscars and received over 12 Oscar nominations. Her lifestyle was unconventional for the time and through her acting and life she helped redefine traditional views of women’s role in society.

16. While her efforts did not directly fight for women’s rights, Marlene Dietrich took a strong fashion stance. The Hollywood actress wore trousers and men’s suits during a time where it was considered extremely scandalous and taboo; both on screen and privately, once almost being arrested for wearing pants in public during the 1930s. She famously was quoted saying, “I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.”

17. Perhaps one of the most recognized faces of feminism, Gloria Steinem led the women’s liberation movements throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s. Co-founder of the feminist themed magazine, Ms., Steinem was co-founder of several female groups that changed the face of feminism including Women’s Action Alliance, National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Media Center and more.

18. Through her literature, public speaking and powerful writing, Maya Angelou inspired both women and African Americans to overcome gender and race discrimination.

19. Diane Von Furstenberg has built her entire fashion career on the concept of female empowerment. “Feel like a woman, wear a dress” and “Proud to be woman!” are just two of the designer’s mantras evoked through her brand. Not only does she use fashion to empower women, she has also since founded The DVF Awards, which recognize incredible women who have made positive impacts on the world through leadership, philanthropy and hard work.

20. The generation’s newest voice of feminism, 24-year-old Emma Watson delivered a moving speech in front of the United Nations launching a new initiative for gender equality—reminding us all that feminism isn’t just a fight for women—it’s time for men to join in as well!

Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!

2. When Harry Met Sally – Who could forget when Harry (Billy Crystal) finally admits he’s in love with Sally (Meg Ryan)? In the movie that made everyone question whether men and women can ever really just be friends, Harry realized he was in love with Sally while spending New Year’s Eve alone and raced to meet her before midnight because “when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” Swoon!

3. The Wedding Singer – Robbie (Adam Sandler) confesses his love for Julia (Drew Barrymore) by serenading her with a personalized song… as she’s aboard a flight to Las Vegas to marry her current (totally awful) fiancé. Sandler’s sweet “Grow Old With You” song has become a popular wedding song ever since the movie hit, and it’s no surprise why.

4. Love Actually – A language barrier couldn’t keep these two apart — while recovering from a broken heart at his French cottage, Jamie (Colin Firth) falls for Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz), who only speaks her native tongue. After Jamie returns to England, he begins learning Portuguese and later returns to France to find Aurélia. Using his new knowledge, he proposes to her in Portuguese — and then she responds in English, which she has been secretly learning for his sake!

5. Dil Chahta Hai – This movie not only showed us the value of Goa as a tourism spot but also how to propose in style. Aakash, the guy who uses the entire movie to tell you what an awful thing falling in love can be, goes down on his knees and proposes to Shalini at her wedding to another man. And not just that, he uses the same swoon-worthy speech he did when they first met. There’s a reason this movie has cult status.

6. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani – Kabira maan gaya. Nothing is more adorable than the ultimate commitment-phobe offering marriage, the big daddy of all commitments, on a platter. Or in this case, a little blue box with a toffee inside. So much”aww”…

7. Pride and Prejudice – A timeless love story that proves there’s a thin line between love and hate, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) instantly dislikes Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) upon meeting him and swears to “loathe him for all eternity.” Eventually, the two do fall in love, and he successfully proposes to her on the moor at dawn: “You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.” (insides turned to jelly!)

8. The Proposal – This “romance” between boss and assistant begins as an ill-fated attempt for Margaret (Sandra Bullock) to avoid deportation… but then the two actually start to fall for each other. As Margaret is preparing to leave the country, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) barges into the workplace to confess his love and propose for real: “Marry me… because I’d like to date you.” So many feels! But we absolutely love the fake proposal at the beginning where Andrew makes Margaret kneel down in a Manhattan street (in high heels, no less!).

9. The Notebook – This might be one of the most argumentative proposals ever, but it’s also one of the romantic. Which has NOTHING to do with the fact Ryan Gosling is involved, we swear! “It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be really hard and we’re going to have to work at this every day. But I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me every day.”

10. Mujhse Fraandship Karoge – Bollywood’s fresh take on social media fueled romance had one of the best proposal scenes we’ve seen in a long time. Saqib Saleem goes down on a knee and spouts hilarious shayari “Mere dil, jigar, liver mein ho tum … waqt bewaqt aaye woh fever ho tum … ab toh meri life mein forever ho tum”. 

11. He’s Just Not That Into You – Ben Affleck’s character moves back in with Jennifer Aniston and asks her to check the pockets of his run down pants before she throws them out. What does she find in the pocket? That’s right, a ring! She turns around to find him on his knees, proposing.

12. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – Katrina doesn’t speak a word while proposing to Hrithik in this movie. She just chases him on a bike, looking cool as hell, walks up to him and just kisses him! Best proposal ever.

13. Jab We Met – The incorrigibly chirpy chatterbox that is Geet realizes she loves Aditya at the last moment (just when he is about to leave). She races to him and plants a solid one on him when she is sure her idiot of an ex is looking (re-enacting the exact scene she had played out earlier in the movie  to rid herself of Manjeet).

14. Mohabbatein – Shahrukh’s patta proposal to Aishwarya is one of the most romantic love declarations in Bollywood.

15. Pretty Woman – Richard Gere arrives in a car, hanging out of the sun roof with flowers in one hand and an umbrella in the other and shouts for “Princess Vivien” (Julia Roberts) to come down. He then declares his love atop the fire escape while an opera song plays in the background!

1. David Beckham – The suave and ruggedly handsome footballer gives us a serious case of the butterflies every time he smiles.

2. Adam Levine – We have been plotting the downfall of Victoria’s Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo ever since the “Lost Stars” hitmaker and hottie extraordinaire Adam Levine got hitched to her!

3. Ryan Reynolds – The new daddy is every girl’s dream date – his “Prince Charming” looks make sure of it. Blake Lively really has it all. Sigh!

4. Ryan Gosling – This one committed himself to being objectified and worshiped by women around the world as perfect boyfriend material when he played one of the most romantic characters in the history of cinema – Noah from The Notebook.

5. Bradley Cooper – 6 feet of pure hotness, this guy clearly deserves to be on every “hot guys” list ever made! It doesn’t hurt that he is also talented as hell.

6. Chris Evans – Captain America is what we call the All American Boy – the quintessential blue eyes – blonde hair – perfect abs combination that instantly makes him a date made in heaven!

7. Chris Pratt – The Guardians of The Galaxy star is everything we want in a man – sweet, funny and extremely good-looking! Star Lord sure made an impressive impact on the ladies.

8. Chris Hemsworth – Named this year’s Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine, Hemsworth seems like he would be the perfect Valentines date!

9. Ed Sheeran – Apart from the fact that he came out with this year’s Valentine Anthem – Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran is also supremely adorable and sweet. He’s the kinda man you want to take home to mom!

10. Daniel Radcliffe – Because who doesn’t want to go on a date with Harry Potter? Dan gets bonus points for being funny and unnervingly cute.

11. Tom Felton – Girls who claim they didn’t find Draco Malfoy attractive are obviously lying. Tom Felton seems like the kinda guy who’ll keep you laughing all through your date!

12. Kit Harington – Because we all want to say “You know nothing, Jon Snow” to him! Also because he has all that glorious hair.

13. Robert Downey Jr. – We’d take this 50 year old hottie over any 25 year old, any day! With his witty comebacks and sarcastic humor, Tony Stark definitely makes it to our list of Dream Valentines!

14. Fawad Khan – The newest heartthrob in Bollywood is a serious contender for our perfect date! He’s courteous, well-mannered and he has got the smacking good-looks to match.

15. Siddharth Malhotra – Cutest puppy dog eyes ever. Enough said.

As a surprise bonus, we’d like to add Jane Austen’s out of this world creation, the epitome of romantic perfection and the bar by which we measure every other male we encounter – Mr. Darcy! We’re sure no dream valentine could ever really measure up to the one Lizzy Bennet got.

1. (gesturing toward the house maid) “Do you want to end up like them, cleaning for a living? Because that is what you’ll end up doing if you don’t study now!”

2. “Why do you forget to make your bed every morning? How hard is it to fold your sheets neatly?”

3. “It’s Sunday! Why don’t you clean out your closet? There are a lot of things in there that you could do well without.”

4. “It’s Sunday! Why don’t you re-organize your desk? That pile of books is about to spill over!”

5. “Why is your room such an utter mess all the time?”

6. “I read on a blog online that eating too much pizza can result in serious diseases! Bas, tera bahar khana band.”

7. (to girls) “Why don’t you take cooking classes? The only thing you know how to cook is maggi, and that’s no good when you get married! What will you feed your husband? What will your in-laws think of me?”

8. (to boys) “What is that stink coming from your room? It’s like something died in there!”

9. “Put your dirty clothes in the laundry now, or you will have no clean underwear left. Then don’t come crying to me!”

10. “Are you really going out wearing that?”

11. “What time will you come back home? I’ll keep dinner ready, so don’t eat out!”

12. “How do you manage to find anything in this mess? Let me clean your room at least!”

13. “I don’t like that friend of yours. His mother is so weird.”

14. “Who’s that girl who called on the landline last night? Is she your girlfriend?”

15. “Why are you so weird about introducing me to your friends? It’s not like I’m going to embarrass you by showing them your naked baby pictures!” (then, she will go on to post those naked baby pictures on social media!)

16. “At least call once when you stay out the entire day! You have no sense of responsibility. I keep worrying and you never even think about your poor mother!”

17. “Why aren’t you accepting my friend request on Facebook?”

18. “That guy is in so many of your Facebook pictures. Is he your boyfriend?”

19. (to boys) “Hero mat bano… sweater pehno!”

20. “Ask your father when he comes home.”

Rang De Basanti – An epic creation from Bollywood’s own perfectionist Aamir Khan, that portrays brilliantly a group of aimless, ignorant youths coming together and waking up to their nation’s glorious past, as an English girl sets out on a quest to make a documentary on the young freedom fighters of British India! This movie will definitely help you find the proud patriot in you!

Chak De India – A rag tag team of female hockey players unite under their once-disgraced coach (based on the real life story of Kabir Khan) and win an emotional, glorious victory for India at the world hockey championship that will have you pumping your fists in the air with happy tears in your eyes. Absolute must watch!

Roja – Set in Kashmir against the background of political unrest and terrorist attacks, this romance between a newly wed couple is a patriotic tearjerker that will have you reaching for the tissue! It doesn’t hurt that this Mani Ratnam film has been named as one of the best soundtracks of all time by TIME magazine. It is, inarguably, one of A.R. Rahman’s best compositions ever.

The Legend Of Bhagat Singh – Bhagat Singh’s inspiring story has been retold so many times in Indian cinema that it’s hard to choose one. Just pick up any one of the Bhagat Singh movies (our favourite is the one with Ajay Devgan) and feel yourself well up with unconditional love for our motherland!

Gadar – A Sikh truck driver falls in love with a beautiful young Muslim girl during the gory mutiny that was the India-Pakistan Partition. Just give it a watch because “Hindustan zindabad tha, zindabad hai, aur zindabad rahega!”

Sarfarosh – When terrorists kill an honest cop’s brother and disable his father, he fights back against the smuggling of guns and drugs which plagues the country. Pretty awesome performances by Naseeruddin Shah and Aamir Khan!

Swades – An Indian engineer at NASA comes home to look for his old governess and gets caught up in the grass-root level problems of rural India, finally ending up creating a hydro-electricity plant with the help of the villagers. This movie gives us a peek at the real life issues of the rural parts of our country – it’ll leave you with a lot to think about. Also, one of Shahrukh Khan’s best performances ever!

LOC Kargil – An epic (and nearly accurate) depiction of the Kargil War, this film will leave you feeling proud and sad at the same time. It’s a true tribute to the many brave lives lost during the 1999 war.

Lagaan – This one demands to be watched yet again this Republic day as it features one of the quirkiest (if fictional) rebellion stories of British India! A team of Indian villagers learn cricket in order to beat the English team at their own game and win relief from bearing heavy taxes.

1942 A Love Story – For all the romance lovers, this one is the perfect option for republic day viewing! It’s a sweet old-timey romance set in a British India on the verge of rebellion. Bonus – this movie features an awesome original soundtrack by R.D. Burman, his last before he died!

Border- In 1971, along the border region of Longewala, a small battalion of Indian soldiers go up against a 2000-(armed) Pakistani strike force. The movie, one of the best war films of Bollywood, is an adaptation of real life events that happened at the Battle of Longewala fought in Rajasthan during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. This one is the biggest tearjerker of all patriotic movies!

Chittagong - The story is set against the backdrop of a little-known saga in 1930s British Colonial India (now Bangladesh) where a group of schoolboys and young women, led by a schoolteacher Masterda Surya Sen (Manoj Bajpai), dared to take on the Empire.Chittagong is the story of a diffident 14-year-old boy, Jhunku (Delzad Hiwale). Swept up into this seemingly impossible mission, the reluctant teenager battles with self-doubts to achieve an improbable triumph. Also based on the Chittagong Uprising is Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey starring Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.

Which one will you be watching this Republic Day? Tell us in the comments below!

1. Fancy by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX.

2. Cool Kids by Echosmith.

3. Stay With Me by Sam Smith.

4. Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo.

5. Outside by Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding.

6. Sing by Ed Sheeran.

7. Shake It Off by Taylor Swift.

8. Problem by Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea.

9. Blank Space by Taylor Swift.

10. Rather Be by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne.

11. She Looks So Perfect by 5 Seconds Of Summer.

12. All Of Me by John Legend.

13. Let It Go by Idina Menzel (Disney’s Frozen)

14. Galliyan (Ek Villain).

15. Samjhawan (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya)

16. Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai (Khoobsurat)

17. Ishq Bulaava (Hasee Toh Phasee)

18. Chaar Botal Vodka by Yo Yo Honey Singh (Ragini MMS 2)

19. Baby Doll (Ragini MMS 2)

20. Manwa Laage (Happy New Year)

Tell us in the comments below which was your favorite song in 2014!