Game of Thrones most shocking moments – ranked: From The Red Wedding to Ned's beheading

Jack Shepherd and Jacob Stolworthy look back at seven seasons worth of blood, sex and dragons

No other television show has shocked viewers quite as much as Game of Thrones.

While the series was initially marketed as "The Sopranos in Middle Earth", few people were prepared for George RR Martin's brutal fantasy world.

Take the first episode: a child gets paralysed by being pushed out a window, an incestuous royal scandal is uncovered, and a Targaryen princess is raped by a Dothraki chief.

Over the course of the following seven seasons, Game of Thrones has remained consistently unpredictable, unafraid of unceremoniously killing off its characters and letting the villains come out victorious.

Though there have dozens of head-exploding moments, The Independent has ranked the top 22.

Flick through the below gallery to see the 22 most shocking Game of Thrones moments, ranked.

The final season of Game of Thrones reaches TV screens 14 April. The show will be available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK. Read everything you need to know about the final six episodes here.