One of the focal points and hallmarks of George R.R. Martin’s writing is the central theme of brotherhood and love between friends. Very few aspects of the world of ASOIAF exemplifies this better than the Night’s Watch, a ragtag force of people from all across the world that are brought to the freezing North to fight and live together for the rest of their lives.
However, not all scenes regarding the Night’s Watch are those that revolve around brotherhood as there is a fair amount of treachery and deceit that goes into this as well. These scenes are still important to the overall story and should still be listed here. And so, let’s take a look at the best Night’s Watch scenes in the show!
15. Jon saving Sam (Season 1, Episode 4)
There are very few friendships in the show quite like the one between Jon and Sam. They are the best of friends and love each other immensely, and this scene right here is the start of that beautiful friendship. When Sam joins the Watch, he is easy pickings for the others to bully on account of being fat and weak, but this is something that Jon hates so he steps in and saves Sam from. A great moment of growth and character development for both characters.
14. Beaten by Sam (Season 1, Episode 4)
This is a very great moment from season 1 that shows the budding friendship between Jon and Sam. It really shows the start of a bond of brotherhood forming between these 2, one that will continue on until the very end of the show. This is very relevant overall as it also highlights a special kind of brotherhood within the Watch itself.
The scene consists of the 2 talking about their past experiences with women. When Jon tells Sam about his most vivid experience, Sam makes a very witty joke about it, causing them both to laugh and goof around like any real brothers would. This moment is eventually broken by Ser Alliser Thorne who chastises both of them for slacking off and having fun.
13. The Oath (Season 1, Episode 7)
What could make spending the rest of your life at a freezing Castle better? Your best friend doing the same! This scene is a great one where many senior brothers of the Watch take Sam and Jon out to the Weirwood to swear their oath, leaving behind their lives as boys and now rising as men of the Night’s Watch with their new family around them.
12. Longclaw (Season 1, Episode 9)
Yet another amazing scene showing the brotherhood and friendship between the members of the Watch. Upon learning that Jon was gifted a Valyrian Steel sword by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, his entire squad was abuzz with excitement, all swarming around him and wanting to check his new sword out. When he pulled it out of the sheathe, he was met with rapturous applause and cheers from his friends, a moment which showed that maybe the Wall wasn’t that bad of a place after all.
11. Jon leaves Castle Black (Season 1, Episode 10)
Upon learning of his fathers wrongful execution, Jon decides to abandon his oath and leave the Watch in order to join Robb’s army to help him defeat the Lannisters. However, he is pursued by his 3 closest friends who are able to convince him to come back to the Wall in one of the most forgotten but also one of the most touching moments in the show. As he is about to leave, Pyp, Grenn and Sam surround him and read out the Watch Oath one by one, reminding him of his promise and duty.
10. Edd’s Story (Season 2, Episode 2)
Another great example of brotherly humor that breaks the tension and seriousness in scenes by none other than fan favorite, Dolorous Edd. He was a dour character that always had something negative to say about the world, but he was absolutely hilarious. Never more so than in this scene when 3 brothers were having a serious conversation and Edd chimes in with a story of his mothers farts. Absolutely amazing stuff.
9. Nothing more sickening… (Season 2, Episode 5)
Yet another hilarious Dolorous Edd moment. After leaving Craster’s Keep and being totally infatuated with Gilly, Sam starts to see her everywhere and is constantly being reminded of her. At one point through the Watch’s march through the snow, Sam continues to keep talking about her, to which Edd gets annoyed and states that there is nothing more sickening than a man in love.
8. Jon gets volunteers (Season 4, Episode 4)
Though Lord Commander Mormont had died way earlier on in the show at this point, Jon realized that the only thing that they can possibly give him now is justice for his murder by the traitorous members of the Watch. However, seeing as no one is doing anything about it, he steps up to the challenge and calls for volunteers to help him march on Craster's Keep and defeat the traitors. Though very few people actually stand up to join him, it shows everyone his sense of justice and his bravery, something that would be instrumental in his election as the next Lord Commander of the Nights’ Watch.
7. The Watch returns (Season 4, Episode 5)
After gathering all the volunteers, the Watch marches on to Craster’s Keep to finally find and kill the traitors. What follows is a sizable and bloody conflict which eventually sees the leader of the rebellion, Karl Tanner, die a gruesome death by the hands of Jon. Every single one of the mutineers is killed in this conflict and Jeor's memory finally gets the justice it deserves. This scene is one of the most important when it comes to reasons why Jon becomes Lord Commander.
6. The Watchers on the Wall (Season 4, Episode 9)
In what is arguably the best episode in the entire show, we see one of the greatest battle scenes ever put to film, where the Night’s Watch face off against the Wildling invaders. This scene is different in the sense that it isn’t one where only Jon or Sam shine, but the entire Watch is fighting together to defeat a common enemy and different segments of the Watch are all frantically doing their tasks in order to defeat the invaders.
Alliser Thorne is injured and incapacitated during the fighting, leading to Jon taking charge and becoming the leader that the Watch needs at this time, defeating the Magnar of Thenn, fortifying positions and leading his men perfectly. Jon takes up the mantle of leader and proves himself to be the most capable and worthy of being the new Lord Commander.
5. Jon’s election (Season 5, Episode 2)
After the successful repulsion and defeat of the Wildling forces, the Watch faces a dilemma about who should become the new Lord Commander of the Watch, leading to them holding an election. The final 2 people chosen to lead the Watch are Jon and Ser Alliser, when Maester Aemon comes and puts the final stone down in favor of Jon, making him the new Lord Commander. This is a moment that most of the Watch comes together and elects who they think is the most well fitted for the job.
4. Beheading Janos (Season 5, Episode 3)
The scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCreYytA9f4&pp=ygUPYmVoZWFkaW5nIGphbm9z
Janos was one of the most pathetic and miserable characters in the entire show and always talked about himself as being way more than what he actually was. So, when he refused an order and mocked the newly elected Lord Commander Jon Snow, he expected to get away with it. However, Jon knew that this wouldn’t stand and that he needed to make an example of Janos. So, he gets his brothers to take Janos to the chopping block where he ends up killing him.
3. Traitor (Season 5, Episode 10)
As I stated early on, this list doesn’t only serve to show the kindest moments of the Watch, but the best overall moments. So while this was heartbreaking, it was still an extremely impactful moment. Jon is led out to the courtyard after celebrating his victories and many other things. However, upon reaching the courtyard and seeing a post with the word ’traitor’ on it, he turns around to get stabbed to death by those he used to call his brothers.
2. Resurrection (Season 6, Episode 2)
Let’s be honest, we all knew that Jon was going to come back to life. However, that didn’t very much lessen the impact of his death, so as we see him come back to life in the closing moments of the second episode of season 6, it was still a great thing to see. Though we did expect it, the moment itself did let us breathe a sigh of relief as it confirmed Jon coming back. This shows a great moment of brotherhood too as many of the members of the Watch would guard Jon’s body against the traitors before the resurrection even happened.
1. Now my watch has ended (Season 6, Episode 3)
After coming back from the dead, Jon seemed tired and completely done with everything. He ends up finding everyone who conspired to kill him and he lines them all up and hangs them for everyone else to see how traitors are dealt with. However, while this provides much satisfaction and catharsis for the viewers, Jon’s views on this are different.
He feels terrible for what he had to do and also for all the good he did still getting him betrayed. Upon seeing that he did in fact serve the Watch until his death, he names Edd his successor as Lord Commander and retires as part of the Watch, with his final words being ‘And now my Watch has ended’.
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