Game of Thrones , created by David Benioff and D. Weiss, was based on George R. Shown on HBO in America from to , the medieval fantasy series quickly caught on around the world, attracting record-breaking audiences both when it aired live and via streaming. The 73 episodes spread over eight seasons wove epic battles and traditional figures of fantasy — kings, princesses, dragons and witches — into a complex historical saga. Game of Thrones describes a long struggle for power between noble families while a threat looms over their kingdoms, an external enemy that destroys everything in its path: the White Walkers.
The series takes place on two continents, Westeros to the west, and Essos to the east. Their geographical variety is highlighted in the opening sequence, an aerial exploration of an animated map. Some characters — like the manipulative Petyr Baelish, who can withstand a comparison to Iago — seem Shakespearean.
Others are more reminiscent of figures of legend, like King Arthur, whom the heroic Jon Snow resembles. The plot involves typical fantasy tropes: sword-fighting knights, prophetic visions, confrontations with supernatural creatures, princesses in exile, and more. Here knights sometimes betray their lords, warriors stand up to kings, princesses give birth to dragons, and heroes die.
There are so many characters that a great many of them — even leading ones — can get killed off. They are all sorely tried and gradually choose what they will make of themselves, turning Game of Thrones into a human tableau in constant evolution.
While the series has both feet firmly planted in epic fantasy, it still seeks to distinguish itself from the classics of the genre, and particularly from J. While Middle-earth belongs more to high fantasy — a sub-genre that emphasizes the hero in a group that fights the forces of evil, Game of Thrones corresponds to dark fantasy, which is defined by a violent atmosphere, a frightening or even apocalyptic world, and, frequently, by characters with complex personalities.
