In a show as dense and complicated as Game of Thrones, it is hard to be completely consistent. The writers are ultimately fallible, and with so many plots, characters, and motivations—and so much worldbuilding and lore—sometimes things are forgotten, even by the people whose job it is to write the show.
By the end of the series, these inconsistencies would build-up, and be one of the many things complained about by fans that led to the show’s infamously unsatisfying conclusion. Some inconsistencies, especially in the earlier seasons of the show, are more easily ignored by viewers.
10 Littlefinger Teleports Around Westeros
In the earlier seasons of the show, traveling around war-torn Westeros is rightly portrayed as a difficult and dangerous endeavor. Entire plotlines in the show’s second and third seasons simply follow characters merely attempting to cross the Riverlands.
Even in these early seasons, Littlefinger shows a capacity for travel that sees him where the plot requires, in spite of the difficulties. In Season 2, he is able to travel easily between King’s Landing, Renly’s camp, and Harrehal without difficulty, and remarkably quickly. Many fans are willing to forgive this slight lapse in logistics due to the engaging nature of the scenes, and Littlefinger’s intelligence.
9 Cersei Lacks Casterly Rock After Tywin’s Death
In Season 5, following Tywin’s death, Jaime’s position in the Kingsguard, and Tyrion’s exile, Cersei is the rightful owner of Casterly Rock. She is the only eligible child of Tywin and Joanna who can inherit, and thus should logically hold all of the power of one of the Seven Kingdoms.
Despite this, the narrative merely portrays Cersei as the mother of King Tommen, and is forced to rely on his influence to get anything done. Given Kevan Lannister is acting as the Castellan of Casterly Rock, he could potentially be blocking support to Cersei, but she nonetheless never even attempts to wield the power that should be hers, and which could aid her against the High Sparrow.
8 Armor Is A Necessity, Except When Not
Several times in Game of Thrones, characters or the narrative itself identify armor as crucial for a warrior. In Season 1 alone, Jorah Mormont and Ser Meryn Trant win fights against outright better fighters because of their thick armor, and the Hound later identifies it as one reason why Syrio Forel ultimately died.
While some characters, like Bronn, Daario, or Oberyn, fighting unarmored is justified by their technique and skill, in many cases the show simply portrays armor as inconsequential. In many fight scenes, swords cut through armor like butter, with none of the protection it gave Jorah on display.
7 Thorne Assassinates Jon Despite Allowing The Wildlings Through
In the final scenes of Season 5, Jon is betrayed by his own men in the Night’s Watch, and set upon with knives. The only reason the show gives for this is Jon’s plans to resettle the Wildlings south of the Wall, which is viewed by them as treason.
The ringleader of the assassination is Alliser Thorne who, despite personal enmity for Jon, is himself the one who allowed the Wildlings through the wall in the first place, once Jon returned. The lack of sense this makes is typically overlooked by fans in light of the shocking turn of Jon’s temporary death.
6 Moat Cailin Is Circumvented Numerous Times
A minor plot point throughout Game of Thrones is the sheer impregnability of Moat Cailin, the castle that holds the Neck, the only stable causeway into the North from the rest of Westeros. Several characters discuss the impossibility of conquering it, to the point that even able commander Roose Bolton prefers to use trickery to take it.
At several points, however, it is ignored by the narrative. When Robb Stark murders Lord Karstark, the Karstark men are said to have “gone home” to the North, despite Moat Cailin being held by the Ironborn. Similarly, Littlefinger is able to take the castle with no trouble when the Knights of the Vale reinforce Sansa and Jon in Season 6.
5 The Changeable Effects Of Melisandre’s Necklace
It becomes clear in Game of Thrones that Melisandre’s necklace is the source of her youth and her supernatural beauty, with her true form revealed to be that of an exceedingly aged crone when she removes it in Season 6. The exact effects are far from consistent.
In Season 4, Melisandre is shown to be bathing without her necklace, while still appearing to be the young and beautiful figure she is usually seen as. In Season 8, removing it after the Battle of Winterfell causes her to age so rapidly she turns to dust, despite only having been at most two years younger in Season 6. There are explanations for these differences, but they’re never seen in the show itself.
4 Alliser Thorne Never Meets The Small Council
In Season 1, after Jon risks execution by attacking Ser Alliser Thorne, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont has the two separated by half a kingdom, keeping Jon with him at Castle Black, and sending Thorne to King’s Landing with proof of the dead rising once more.
Such proof could have led to support from the Crown during one of the hardest times in the Night’s Watch’s history, but Thorne is never shown arriving. Instead, Tyrion receives a letter from Mormont, with no mention of Thorne’s mission.
3 The Show Never Mentions Cersei & Robert’s Child After Season 1
One of the big twists of Season 1 is that the children of Queen Cersei are not fathered by the King, Robert Baratheon, but instead by her own brother, Jaime Lannister. In a change from the books, however, Cersei mentions to Catelyn a legitimate child of hers and Robert’s, who died in infancy.
Despite some more mentions in Season 1, this is seemingly forgotten afterward, with Cersei referring to Joffrey as “her firstborn” (despite initially referring to Robert’s child that way), and the prophecy regarding Cersei’s children being unaltered to continue to refer to three.
2 Nobody Accuses Jon Of Deserting The Night’s Watch
In spite of living in a fantasy world, much of the cast of Game of Thrones has a healthy skepticism towards magic. The Night’s Watch are largely mocked for claiming they need help fighting the dead, and most characters scoff at the thought of the supernatural.
Jon’s excuse for leaving the Night’s Watch relies entirely on the supernatural. He dies and is brought back to life by Melisandre, fulfilling the “it shall not end until my death” part of his vows. However, whilst the Watch knows, no other Lord is likely to know or believe that Jon has actually been resurrected. As a result, it is strange that nobody uses Jon leaving to attempt to execute or even discredit him.
1 Tyrion Never Investigates His Framing
Despite his more sympathetic qualities, Tyrion Lannister is portrayed, especially earlier on, as having a healthily-developed sense of vengeance, not being afraid to get even with those who wrong him. A major plotline in Season 1 is Catelyn Stark capturing Tyrion, due to him being framed for the attempted murder of her son, Bran.
Despite these facts, Tyrion is never shown even questioning who framed him, in spite of nearly dying as a result, and open warfare breaking out in Westeros. While he has other concerns, many would have nonetheless expected him to be at least slightly curious.
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