Game of Thrones: Best Hodor moments from every season

Hodor is no more, but in the wake of his death we look back and celebrate his greatest moments.

Among the Game of Thrones characters who instantly became Internet memes, Hodor is the most recognizable, uncomplicated and good-natured. Answering “Hodor” to literally every question presented to him, his name is short-hand for the hard-working, indefatigably loyal friend we all wish we had. Of all the deaths we’ve seen in Season 6, Hodor’s is the most devastating, not because Hodor could have helped decide the next ruler of the Seven Kingdoms (he would do no such thing), but because Hodor was always one of the good guys in this show full of shades of gray, always doing his best to be helpful, always taking care of his Stark boys, and his death was a sacrifice to circumstances above his comprehension and outside of his control.

Here are seven of Hodor’s most quintessentially Hodor-ish moments from his five seasons on the show:

Season 1

Bran’s Saddle (Episode 6: A Golden Crown)

Before he became Bran’s means of mobility, Hodor’s job at Winterfell was as a stable boy. Bran would never walk again, but with the help of a clever saddle design from Tyrion Lannister, he could still ride a horse. When Hodor burst into the room with Bran’s new saddle, his smile was the picture of good news. This time, Hodor would carry his little Stark just far enough to get him onto a horse. The announcement of “Hodor” meant Bran could do something fun for a change.

“He’s got giant’s blood” (Episode 8: The Pointy End)

For those who complain about Game of Thrones never giving us male nudity to balance out the plethora of naked women on screen: Hodor answered the call in Season 1. Maybe he wasn’t quite what we had in mind, but while Bran was praying in the godswood with Osha, Hodor burst onto the screen, fresh out of his bath. We never found out why he appeared when he did, but somehow, he decided to go and see Bran, and it didn’t occur to him to put some clothes on first. It’s one of those little reminders that while Hodor struggles with social norms such as “remember to wear clothes in front of other people,” he’s always there for his Starks.

Next: Season 2