Highlights
- Castles in Game of Thrones serve important administrative and military purposes, as well as playing a defensive role in the changing political landscape of the Seven Kingdoms.
- The Red Keep, built to match the power of House Targaryen, became the seat of the kings and queens of Westeros, including King Bran at the conclusion of Game of Thrones.
- Winterfell, the Starks' ancient seat, was captured by various forces during the War of the Five Kings, but ultimately reclaimed by Jon Snow and repaired by Sansa Stark after the Battle of Winterfell.
Castles play an important role in state and statecraft, and Game of Thrones features plenty of fortresses. The Starks of the North rule from their famous seat - Winterfell, while the Lannisters' home is Casterly Rock. Apart from housing key figures, and their families, castles also serve administrative, and military purposes. The castles in Game of Thrones are located strategically and thus play defensive roles. That said, with the changing political landscape of the Seven Kingdoms, the Starks, and the Lannisters failed to hold onto their strongholds at some point in the story and their seats fell.
When Aegon landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush next to three hills, his first order of business was to fortify the area. He began the construction of a motte-and-bailey fort atop the tallest hill (Aegon's High Hill). This strategically defensive fort is known as Aegonfort in the lore, and it marked Aegon's presence on the mainland of Westeros. While the Targaryen siblings consolidated their territorial gains in Westeros, a city mushroomed around Aegonfort. Although the crude fort was nothing next to the magnificent Dragonstone, it was a seat of stature.
The Red Keep
King Aegon I ordered Aegonfort to be torn down as he wanted a grandiose seat to match the power of House Targaryen. The structure raised in place of Aegonfort was the Red Keep, and it became the seat of the kings and queens of Westeros. It took three kings viz, Aegon, his sons, Aenys I, and Maegor the Cruel to finish the construction of the Keep.
Game of Thrones, which picks up pace roughly 300 years after the Conquest, shows the Red Keep as the seat of the ruling house - the Baratheons of King's Landing, headed by King Robert I. This castle which overlooks Blackwater Bay and the Narrow Sea, suffered extreme damage during the Battle of King's Landing. In the concluding events of Game of Thrones, King Bran ruled from the Red Keep, and by the looks of it, he had it repaired and restored to its former glory.
Eyrie
The seat of House Arryn - the Eyrie is located in the Vale of Arryn, near the east coast of Westeros. The impenetrable castle is situated thousands of feet above the valley floor. It is famous for the hatch known as the Moon Door that is built into the floor through which people are pushed to their deaths into the Vale below. Robert Baratheon's first Hand, the late Jon Arryn was the Lord of the Eyrie and head of House Arryn upon his death, his son, Robin became the Lord of the castle.
Pyke
The seat of House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, Pyke is situated on one of the Iron Islands. Originally built on a cliff that got eroded by the sea below, the towers and keeps of the Pyke stand on small stone stacks surrounded by water. As seen in Game of Thrones, the Pyke towers are joined by swaying rope bridges. Balon Greyjoy, who declared independence of the Iron Islands during the War of the Five Kings, was thrown off a rope bridge by his dishonorable brother, Euron.
Harrenhal
Harrenhal is the largest in Westeros, and it features in Game of Thrones as well as the prequel series - House of the Dragon. It lies on the northern shore of the Gods Eye Lake in the heart of the Riverlands. The prequel, as a matter of fact, opens in Harrenhal where the Old King Jaehaerys convenes the Great Council of 101 AC after the deaths of his heirs. He invites lords from all over Westeros to choose his successor. This council is held at Harrenhal in place of the Red Keep to host the large gathering of lords, ladies, and their entourages. Harrenhal is a cursed seat that was burned by Aegon during the Conquest and whoever has it, loses money and resources in its upkeep.
Highgarden
Two extinct Great Houses of Westeros - House Gardener and later, the Tyrells ruled from Highgarden. This castle is built on a broad verdant hill overlooking the Mander. House Gardener was wiped out by Aegon in the pivotal Conquest battle known as Field of Fire, whereas House Tyrell went extinct in Game of Thrones. During the Last War, Highgarden was sacked and looted by the combined Lannister-Tarly army. This event features in Game of Thrones season 7, episode 4 "The Spoils of War" and it marks the end of the Tyrell rule in the Reach.
Casterly Rock
Lord Tywin took pride in his home - Casterly Rock. During the War of the Five Kings in Game of Thrones, Robb Stark contemplated going after the Rock, and later, Tyrion Lannister sent the Unsullied to capture it. Located on the Western coasts of Westeros, the castle was said to be impregnable until Tyrion revealed he built a secret passage that ended beneath one of its main guard towers. Grey Worm and his Unsullied take the castle by using this secret access. The Unsullied seize the Rock only to realize the Lannisters used an entrapment. The castle was left relatively unmanned, and Cersei's ally, Euron's navy burned the Unsullied ships. Without any food, Daenerys' Unsullied were eventually forced to abandon the fortress.
Winterfell
One of the oldest houses in Westeros, the Starks rule the North from their millennia-old seat of Winterfell. The castle isn't as gorgeous as Highgarden or the Red Keep, but it's located alongside the Kingsroad. Winterfell was captured by the Ironborn, and later the Boltons during the War of the Five Kings, but Jon Snow retook it. He rode down from Castle Black with his Wildling army, and with last-minute aid of the Knights of the Vale, he defeated Ramsay Bolton and won the Battle of the Bastards. The Starks retook Winterfell in Game of Thrones season 6, after which Jon was named King in the North. In the Battle of Winterfell, the castle was the hotspot of the fighting between the alliance of the living and the Night King and his Army of the Dead. Sections of the castle were destroyed in this battle, but Sansa Stark oversaw its repair.
Dragonstone
After the Valyrians occupied Dragonstone, they fortified it. Aenar Targaryen, who left Valyria after his daughter, Daenys forewarned him about the Doom, settled on the volcanic island with his household and dragons. Dragonstone, as the name suggests, is fashioned using stone, and dragonflame to look like multiple dragons. It is located just at the entrance to Blackwater Bay, and it features in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
The Twins
The Twins, also known as the Crossing was the seat of the extinct Great House of the Riverlands - House Frey. The castle consists of two near-identical towers and a fortified crossing over the Green Fork of the Trident. It is infamously remembered for the sacrilegious Red Wedding that took place during the War of the Five Kings. The dishonorable Lord Walder Frey welcomed Robb Stark into his home, extended him the guest right, and later, butchered him, his family, bannermen, and the Northern soldiers at the Wedding Feast.
The Water Gardens
The private palace of the ruling House Martell of Sunspear, the Water Gardens feature in Game of Thrones. It's a beautiful palace with gardens, pools, and fountains and is located on a beach near the Summer Sea. There's an interesting story behind the raising of the Water Gardens. It commemorated Dorne's inclusion in the Seven Kingdoms upon the marital union of Prince Maron Martell and Princess Daenerys Targaryen. While Sunspear is the capital of Dorne, Prince Doran Martell, and Prince Trystane lived in this retreat in Game of Thrones.