Themes and leitmotifs (Game of Thrones)

Themes and leitmotifs in the Game of Thrones soundtracks.
==Game of Thrones main theme==
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The Game of Thrones is the overarching theme of the series, and of the World of Westeros franchise as a whole.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxi6ChQjuFk
===Composition===
Ramin Djawadi began composing the music for the show after he had watched the first two episodes of the series that the showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had sent him, and discussed the concepts of the show with them. According to Djawadi, the show creators wanted the main title theme to invoke the sense of journey as there are many locations and characters in the show and involves much traveling. After Djawadi had seen the preliminary animated title sequence that the visual effect artists were still working on, he was inspired to write the piece. Djawadi said that he intended to capture the overall impression of the show with the theme. The cello is featured strongly as Benioff and Weiss wanted to avoid the flutes or solo vocals found in many other productions in the fantasy genre so as to give the show a distinctive sound, and Djawadi chose cello as the main instrument for the music as he thought it had a "darker sound" that suited the show.
Djawadi started with a riff and he built the title theme around the riff. The tune begins with the riff played on strings in C minor, then modulating to C major after 2 measures, and back to minor again. Djawadi said that he wanted to reflect the "backstabbing and conspiracy" and the unpredictability of the show: "I thought it would be cool to kinda do the same play with the music. So even though the majority of the piece is in minor, there's that little hint of major in there where it kinda switches and then it changes back again." The main theme is then introduced with the cello, joined later by a solo violin that may suggest an interplay between different characters. The melody is then repeated with the entire violin section. The next section introduces a change in melody, described by Djawadi as giving "a sense of adventure," and continues with a repeat that involves a choir of twenty female voices. The title theme ends with a combination of dulcimer and kantele, producing a "shimmery quality" in its sound that Djawadi thought would give a sense of mystery and anticipation for the episode.
The title music is reprised as a global theme in the soundtracks for the series. It may be played occasionally on its own in fragments, sometimes as part of the theme of individual characters or in combination with other pieces of music, and may also be played in large section during particularly important scenes.
A rendition of "The Children" was used in the DVD and Blu-Ray menus for the Season 4 boxset, tying together the themes of Arya, House Stark, and the main title theme.
===Appearances===
Technically, this theme appears in every episode because it is part of the intro music. This table of appearances only shows when it has been used in the episode itself.
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Main Title"
*"The Kingsroad"
*"Jon's Honor"
*"Game of Thrones"
*"Kill Them All"
*"Victory Does Not Make Us Conquerors"
*"The Night's Watch"
*"Finale"
====Season 2====
*"Main Title"
*"Don't Die With a Clean Sword"
*"Stand and Fight"
*"Mother of Dragons"
*"I Will Keep You Safe"
*"Three Blasts"
====Season 3====
*"Main Title"
*"Dark Wings, Dark Words"
*"I Have to Go North"
*"White Walkers"
*"The Lannisters Send Their Regards"
*"Mhysa"
*"For the Realm"
====Season 4====
*"Main Title"
*"Breaker of Chains"
*"You Are No Son of Mine"
*"Let's Kill Some Crows"
*"The Children"
====Season 5====
*"Main Title"
*"Blood of the Dragon"
*"Hardhome, Pt. 1"
*"Hardhome, Pt. 2"
*"Dance of Dragons"
*"Throne For the Game"
====Season 6====
*"Main Title"
*"Blood of My Blood"
*"Light of the Seven"
*"My Watch Has Ended"
*"Hold the Door"
*"Khaleesi"
*"Maester"
*"Trust Each Other"
*"Winter Has Come"
*"The Winds of Winter"
====Season 7====
*"Main Title"
*"Dragonstone"
*"Against All Odds"
*"Truth"
*"The Army of the Dead"
*"Winter Is Here"
====Season 8====
*"Main Title"
*"Arrival at Winterfell"
*"Heir to the Throne"
*"The Battle of Winterfell"
*"The Long Night Pt. 1"
*"The Long Night Pt. 2"
*"The Night King"
*"Dead Before the Dawn"
*"The Bells"
*"Into the Fire"
*"Believe"
*"Master of War"
*"The Iron Throne"
*"The Last of the Starks"
*"A Song of Ice and Fire"
==Army of the Dead approach==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Hardhome, Pt. 1"
====Season 6====
*"Hold the Door"
====Season 7====
*"The Army of the Dead"
====Season 8====
*"The Dead are Already Here"
*"Battle for the Skies"
*"The Long Night Pt. 1"
*"The Long Night Pt. 2"
==Army of the Dead horror==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Hardhome, Pt. 2"
==Arya Stark==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Things I Do For Love"
*"The Pointy End"
====Season 2====
*"Valar Morghulis"
====Season 4====
*"The Children"
====Season 5====
*"House of Black and White"
====Season 6====
*"Needle"
*"A Painless Death"
====Season 8====
*"The Long Night Pt. 1"
*"The Last of the Starks"
==Cersei Lannister==
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Cersei Lannister's theme was introduced in Season 6. The most notable appearance of the theme was "Light of the Seven." Instruments used for the theme are the piano (first appearance of a piano in the soundtrack of "Game of Thrones"), an organ, strings, and two boy soloists (to evoke Qyburn's little birds).Game of Thrones Composer Ramin Djawadi on the Show's Key Musical Elements, and That Godfather-esque Finale Tune, July 21, 2016
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"Light of the Seven"
*"Hear Me Roar"
====Season 7====
*"The Spoils of War (Part 1)"
*"The Long Farewell"
*"No One Walks Away From Me"
====Season 8====
*"The Last War"
*"Nothing Else Matters"
*"For Cersei"
==Children of the Forest==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"He Is Lost"
==Conspiracy==
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The conspiracy motif is often used when characters plot against each other. ‘Game of Thrones’ Composer Ramin Djawadi: ‘I’m Just Trying to Create Something Magical’ (Q&A), April 15, 2013
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Await the King's Justice"
*"A Raven from King's Landing"
*"A Bird Without Feathers"
*"Black of Hair"
*"Small Pack of Wolves"
====Season 2====
*"The Throne Is Mine"
====Season 3====
*"Chaos Is a Ladder"
====Season 4====
*"Take Charge of Your Life"
====Season 7====
*"The Dagger"
==Daenerys Targaryen==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Love in the Eyes"
*"To Vaes Dothrak"
*"When The Sun Rises in the West"
*"Fire and Blood"
*"Finale"
====Season 2====
*"House of the Undying"
*"Mother of Dragons"
====Season 3====
*"Dracarys"
*"Mhysa"
====Season 4====
*"Mereen"
*"Forgive Me"
====Season 5====
*"Forgive Me"
*"Son of the Harpy"
====Season 6====
*"Blood of My Blood"
*"Khaleesi"
*"Reign"
*"The Winds of Winter"
====Season 7====
*"I Need You By My Side"
*"The Spoils of War (Part 2)"
*"Gorgeous Beasts"
*"Against All Odds"
====Season 8====
*"The Last War"
*"The Iron Throne"
==Dorne==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Jaws of the Viper"
====Season 6====
*"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"
====Season 7====
*"I Am the Storm"
*"The Gift"
==Dothraki==
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A theme that represents the Dothraki. The instrument used for the Dothraki sound is the duduk, an Armenian woodwind instrument.Ramin Djawadi Shares Secrets of GoT Composing, Characters and Concerts, February 17, 2017
===Appearances===
====Season 1====
*"To Vaes Dothrak"
====Season 7====
*"The Spoils of War (Part 1)"
==Dragon attack==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Love in the Eyes"
*"Fire and Blood"
*"Finale"
====Season 2====
*"House of the Undying"
*"Mother of Dragons"
====Season 3====
*"Dracarys"
====Season 4====
*"Breaker of Chains"
====Season 5====
*"Blood of the Dragon"
*"Dance of Dragons"
====Season 6====
*"Reign"
*"The Winds of Winter"
====Season 7====
*"Dragonstone"
*"Shall We Begin?"
*"The Spoils of War (Part 1)"
*"The Spoils of War (Part 2)"
*"Gorgeous Beasts"
*"Casterly Rock"
*"Against All Odds"
====Season 8====
*"Arrival at Winterfell"
*"Battle for the Skies"
*"The Last War"
*"The Iron Throne"
==Dragon flight==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Blood of the Dragon"
*"Dance of Dragons"
====Season 6====
*"Blood of My Blood"
*"The Winds of Winter"
====Season 7====
*"Dragonstone"
====Season 8====
*"Arrival at Winterfell"
*"Flight of Dragons"
*"Battle for the Skies"
==Duel==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"Oathkeeper"
==Euron Greyjoy==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"Coronation"
====Season 7====
*"I Am The Storm"
*"The Gift"
==Gregor Clegane==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"I Choose Violence"
====Season 8====
*"Outside the Gates"
==Grey Worm and Missandei==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"I'm Sorry for Today"
==High Sparrow==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"High Sparrow"
====Season 6====
*"Service of the Gods"
==Honor==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Black of Hair"
*"Victory Does Not Make Us Conquerors"
====Season 2====
*"I Am Hers, She Is Mine"
*"The Old Gods and the New"
====Season 3====
*"The Lannisters Send Their Regards"
====Season 4====
*"Oathkeeper"
====Season 5====
*"The Wars to Come"
====Season 6====
*"Feed the Hounds"
====Season 8====
*"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"
*"The White Book"
==Horror==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"The Assassin's Dagger"
==House Arryn==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"Trust Each Other"
==House Baratheon==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"The King's Arrival"
====Season 3====
*"The Night Is Dark"
====Season 4====
*"Forgive Me"
====Season 5====
*"Forgive Me"
====Season 7====
*"Dragonstone"
==House Bolton==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"The Wars to Come"
====Season 6====
*"Feed the Hounds"
*"Let's Play a Game"
*"Bastard"
==House Greyjoy==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"What Is Dead May Never Die"
*"Pay the Iron Price"
====Season 3====
*"I Paid the Iron Price"
*"Reek"
====Season 5====
*"Kill the Boy"
====Season 6====
*"Coronation"
*"Feed the Hounds"
*"The Winds of Winter"
====Season 7====
*"Ironborn"
==House Lannister==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"One More Drink Before the War"
*"Stand and Fight"
*"I Will Keep You Safe"
*"The Rains of Castamere"
====Season 3====
*"A Lannister Always Pays His Debts"
====Season 4====
*"The Rains of Castamere"
*"Two Swords"
*"You Are No Son of Mine"
====Season 5====
*"Mother's Mercy"
*"Atonement"
====Season 6====
*"Hear Me Roar"
====Season 7====
*"The Queen's Justice"
*"The Spoils of War (Part 1)"
*"The Spoils of War (Part 2)"
*"Casterly Rock"
*"A Lion's Legacy"
*"A Message for Cersei"
====Season 8====
*"The Rains of Castamere"
*"Outside the Gates"
*"For Cersei"
*"Nothing Else Matters"
==House Stark==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Goodbye Brother"
*"Winter Is Coming"
*"Jon's Honor"
*"Kill Them All"
*"Victory Does Not Make Us Conquerors"
*"King of the North"
====Season 2====
*"What Is Dead May Never Die"
*"Winterfell"
====Season 3====
*"I Have to Go North"
*"The Lannisters Send Their Regards"
*"Heir to Winterfell"
====Season 4====
*"Two Swords"
*"The North Remembers"
*"Take Charge of Your Life"
*"The Children"
====Season 5====
*"The Wars to Come"
====Season 6====
*"Hold the Door"
*"Trust Each Other"
*"Winter Has Come"
*"The Tower"
====Season 7====
*"A Game I Like to Play"
*"Home"
====Season 8====
*"Arrival at Winterfell"
*"Believe"
*"Break the Wheel"
*"The Last of the Starks"
==House Targaryen==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"A Golden Crown"
====Season 7====
*"Dragonglass"
==House Tully==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"The North Remembers"
==House Tyrell==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"Service of the Gods"
====Season 7====
*"A Message for Cersei"
==Jaime Lannister==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"A Bird Without Feathers"
====Season 3====
*"Kingslayer"
====Season 4====
*"I Only See What Matters"
====Season 5====
*"Jaws of the Viper"
==Jaqen H'ghar==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"Valar Morghulis"
====Season 5====
*"House of Black and White"
====Season 6====
*"A Painless Death"
==Joffrey Baratheon==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"You Win or You Die"
====Season 4====
*"First of His Name"
==Jon and Daenerys==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 7====
*"Dragonglass"
*"Gorgeous Beasts"
*"Against All Odds"
*"See You For What You Are"
*"Truth"
====Season 8====
*"Flight of Dragons"
*"Stay a Thousand Years"
*"Be With Me"
*"The Iron Throne"
*"You Have a Choice"
==Jon and Ygritte==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 3====
*"You Know Nothing"
==Jon Snow==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"My Watch Has Ended"
*"Let's Play a Game"
*"Bastard"
====Season 7====
*"Against All Odds"
==Legacy==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"Black of Hair"
====Season 8====
*"Break the Wheel"
==Lord of Light==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"Warrior of Light"
*"Don't Die With a Clean Sword"
*"Stand and Fight"
====Season 3====
*"The Night Is Dark"
====Season 5====
*"Kneel for No Man"
*"The Wars to Come"
*"Forgive Me"
====Season 6====
*"The Red Woman"
*"Lord of Light"
====Season 8====
*"The Battle of Winterfell"
*"The Dead Are Already Here"
*"Dead Before the Dawn"
==Love==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"I Am Hers, She Is Mine"
====Season 3====
*"The Lannisters Send Their Regards"
====Season 5====
*"Before the Old Gods"
====Season 8====
*"Break the Wheel"
*"The White Book"
==Night King motif==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Hardhome, Pt. 2"
====Season 6====
*"Hold the Door"
==Night King theme==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 8====
*"The Night King"
*"Not Today"
*"Farewell"
==Night's Watch==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"The Wall"
*"Jon's Honor"
*"The Night's Watch"
====Season 2====
*"We Are the Watchers on the Wall"
====Season 3====
*"Wall of Ice"
====Season 4====
*"Watchers on the Wall"
*"The Biggest Fire the North Has Ever Seen"
*"Craster's Keep"
====Season 5====
*"I Dreamt I Was Old"
==Prophecy==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"When the Sun Rises in the West"
====Season 2====
*"House of the Undying"
==Ramsay Snow==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 3====
*"Reek"
====Season 6====
*"Let's Play a Game"
==Red Wedding==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 3====
*"The Lannisters Send Their Regards"
==Royal theme==
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===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"The King's Arrival"
*"You'll Be Queen One Day"
*"You Win or You Die"
====Season 2====
*"The Throne Is Mine"
*"Wildfire"
====Season 4====
*"First of His Name"
====Season 6====
*"Service of the Gods"
====Season 8====
*"Arrival at Winterfell"
*"Heir to the Throne"
*"Break the Wheel"
==Samwell Tarly==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 6====
*"Maester"
==Sandor Clegane==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"Oathkeeper"
====Season 8====
*"Into the Fire"
==Sons of the Harpy==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Son of the Harpy"
==Shireen Baratheon==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 3====
*"It's Always Summer Under the Sea (Shireen's Song)"
==Thenns==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"Watchers on the Wall"
*"Thenns"
*"Let's Kill Some Crows"
==Three-Eyed Raven==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 4====
*"Three Eyed Raven"
====Season 6====
*"Hodor"
==Tyrion Lannister==
===Appearances===
==Unsullied==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 3====
*"Dracarys"
====Season 4====
*"Mereen"
====Season 5====
*"Dance of Dragons"
====Season 6====
*"Khaleesi"
*"The Winds of Winter"
====Season 7====
*"Shall We Begin?"
*"Casterly Rock"
==Warlocks==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"Qarth"
*"Pyat Pree"
*"House of the Undying"
==White Walker arrival==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 3====
*"White Walkers"
====Season 5====
*"Hardhome, Pt. 1"
====Season 7====
*"Against All Odds"
==White Walker fight==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 5====
*"Hardhome, Pt. 1"
====Season 6====
*"Hold the Door"
==White Walker power==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 7====
*"Against All Odds"
*"The Army of the Dead"
====Season 8====
*"Battle for the Skies"
*"The Long Night, Pt. 1"
*"The Long Night, Pt. 2"
==White Walker resurrection==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 1====
*"North of the Wall"
*"The Night's Watch"
====Season 2====
*"Three Blasts"
====Season 3====
*"White Walkers"
====Season 5====
*"Hardhome, Pt. 1"
*"Hardhome, Pt. 2"
====Season 6====
*"Hold the Door"
====Season 7====
*"Dragonglass"
*"Against All Odds"
*"The Army of the Dead"
==White Walker tritones==
===Appearances===
==Wight killing==
===Appearances===
==Wildlings==
===Appearances===
===Uses===
====Season 2====
*"We Are the Watchers on the Walls"
====Season 4====
*"The Biggest Fire the North Has Ever Seen"
====Season 5====
*"Kneel For No Man"
==References==
Category:Music from Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones
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