There is a lot of reason to be attracted to a show like Game of Thrones. Some like the whole medieval setting. There are some for the nudity. Some viewers prefer the dragons and the fantastical elements GoT has to offer you. The more cerebral viewers prefer the politics and the twists that the show has to offer. Some are in awe of how certain characters are written (Tyrion, yay!).  And the action-hounds prefer the fight scenes and the large scale battles. But if you are a true Game of Thrones fan, then you should love the show for all these factors. Game of Thrones Season 8: From Jon Snow To Daenerys Targaryen All Surviving Main Players And Where We Saw Them Last - View Pics!

But let's talk about the battle scenes though. With every season the scope and the scale of each battle being filmed are getting bigger and better. But does that mean that the impact of these battle sequences has also been proportionally improved? Not exactly. As we await the final battle between the men fo Westeros and the white-walker army of the undead Night King in season 8 (premiering on April 14), which also happens to be the finale of GoT, let's look at the 7 best battles in the show, ranked from Worst to Best.

#7 The Naval Battle in Stormborn

Where to Watch It: Season 7, Episode 2

This is the first time Game of Thrones attempted a proper naval battle without any dragons. We get to see why the OTT Euron Greyjoy is such a big deal, as he and his unit nearly decimate the Greyjoys and Dorne armies. And also, we are grateful that the show got rid of one of its weakest threads, the Sand Snakes, through this battle. This is also perhaps the shortest battle in the list.

#6 Beyond the Wall

Where to Watch It: Season 7, Episode 6

On paper, this should have ranked on top of the list. The sheer idea of having Jon Snow, The Hound, Tormund Giantsbane, Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, Jorah Mormont and Gendry form a ragtag team and venture beyond the Wall only to find themselves trapped among hordes of whitewalkers is pure delight. Not to mention, Daenerys Targaryen making a last minute hero entrance and save them is an awesome scene. In reality, though, sure, the sequence has some nailbiting moments. However, this battle shows the sheer stupidity of the human characters, right from the need of the mission (the pointless capture of a white walker) to Hound's useless pebble-throwing that leads some grave consequences. There are also various loopholes like characters travelling thousands of miles within mere little time. But what pains us the most is when Daenerys loses one of her dragons to white walkers.

#5 The Battle of Castle Black

Where to Watch It: Season 4, Episode 9

The Battle that marks the beginning of Jon Snow's ascension to being a leader, and also the one where he loses someone he loved. The Wildlings, who were wary of the Kingsmen then, attacks The Wall leading to a nail-biting tussle between them and the Night's Watch. There is some impressive action choreography on display, as the fighters rappel on the walls with some excellent archery and sword fighting. Jon Snow's direwolf, Ghost, also gets his moment to shine. But what makes this battle memorable is Jon Snow's estranged wildling lover Ygritte getting killed before they had a moment to reconcile. That too, by Ollie, the same boy who later stabs Jon Snow in the next season. Yeah, F**k Ollie!

#4 Dragons vs Lannisters

Where to Watch It: Season 7, Episode 4

The smug Lannister army, led by Jaime, was returning from Highgarden after winning the siege over House Tyrell. And what they get is a taste of how powerful Dany and her dragons are, as well as her Dothraki army. Both the dragons and the Dothrakis lay waste to the Lannister army in an ambush, making it a visual spectacle with some very good CGI. There is also one terrific tracking scene where Bronn ('My Man!') makes his way through the battlements to finally getting to a contraption that shoots huge arrows and injures one of the dragons. By the end, Jaime gets nearly killed though in the next episode it is shown that Bronn ('My Man, again!') saves him from getting drowned.

#3 Battle of the Bastards

Where to Watch It: Season 6, Episode 9

If there is a Game of Thrones episode that revels completely in a battle, it has to be this. Jon Snow and his loyal army taking on the evil, malicious Ramsay Bolton has several terse moments, including Rickon Stark getting killed by Ramsay and Jon Snow getting suffocated under his own dying men. The battle scenes are wonderfully choreographed, including one single take scene where Jon Snow is hassled by the bloodbath around him. Of course, it is the lady who wins over the men, as Sansa Stark, who has been sidelined by Jon, reveals her hidden ace and gets Littlefinger's men to rout the Bolton army and save Jon's sorry ass. The icing in the cake is when Ramsay gets fed to his own dogs by a smirking Sansa, though we also get to see the sad demise of the giant, Wun Wun.

#2 Hardhome

Where to Watch It:  Season 5, Episode 8

Or the battle that shows why the Night King and his army of white walkers is the real threat! Jon Snow and his Night Watch loyalists were about broker a peace deal with Wildlings, when the Night King and his army turn up. What's so great about the whole sequence is that no one saw it coming and the implications of the battle were far-reaching. We find out that dragonglass can kill a white walker, we learn how aggressive the undead can be and we realise that Westeros is doomed if this menace is not contained. The final scene of the episode of the Night King reanimating the dead men to join his army to the shock of the fleeing Jon Snow is goddamn chilling.

#1 Battle of the Blackwater 

Where to Watch It: Season 2, Episode 9

I am sure that many will be surprised to see this battle take precedence over the excellent Hardhome battle. And I have a pretty valid reason for the same! Battle of the Blackwater is a precursor for Game of Thrones to show us that it can do large-scale battles impressively even with its (then) limited budget. More than how great the battle sequences look (the Wildfire scene is stunning), it is the factors surrounding the fight that make it memorable. For one, the viewers are not sure whom to root for. Stannis Baratheon, who leads the rebel army, is a stone-faced commander who cavorts with a scheming witch in Melisandre. But he has the affable Davos Seaworth by his side and he wants to take Westeros from the evil Joffrey Baratheon (and Cersei Lannister). On the other side, the royal army is led by Tyrion Lannister, who gets that superb opportunity to show the brilliant military mind in him (that he rarely uses in the later seasons). Apart from the fighting, there are a lot of incidents around the battle that enthral us. A disillusioned Hound ditching the war and his cowardly king, Sansa Stark has an eye-opening conversation with Cersei in their refuge room and late, Cersei planning to kill herself instead of getting captured by the enemy. In the end, though, her father, Tywin, saves the day for her and her kingdom, but the whole sequence represents what makes Game of Thrones and its characters so special.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 20, 2019 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).