Game of Thrones recap: what happened in seasons 1-6?​

Season seven of Game of Thrones is fast approaching, like an invading armada flanked by huge CGI dragons. Will Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) sweep all before her when she and her fire-breathing brood finally – finally ! – set foot / claw on Westeros? Has Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) truly gone full Mad Queen? Is this the year Jon Snow (Kit Harington) at last cheers up?

But even as hardcore GoT fans look forward to the disentangling of these knotty threads, the rest of us may struggle the recall the state of play on the vast chessboard that is the Seven Kingdoms. There is much to keep track of. In the capital of King's Landing, Cersei has deftly outflanked her rivals by eviscerating them in a hellish inferno.

In Winterfell, Jon Snow and half sister Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) continue their reconquest of the North. On the other side of the Wall, the Night King gathers his forces (actually that aspect of the story at least is straightforward: the Night King is lightly-frosted, unspeakably evil and wants to kill everyone). 

With the first episode of the returning series just a few weeks away what better time for a year-by-year break-down of the saucy fantasy caper to rule them all. If you're really pushed for time, here's an even shorter version. A long time ago in a magical fantasy kingdom everybody was half-naked, over-sexed and blood thirsty. And then the ice zombies turned up… 

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1. Season one: enter the dragon lady

North of the Wall, a patrol of the cloistered Night's Watch order is ambushed by undead White Walkers. One of the men escapes south where, for his troubles, he is beheaded by the Lord of Winterfell Eddard Stark (Sean Bean). 

Noble Ned dismisses the babblings about animated corpses and insists it is solemn duty to execute the deserter in person. However, traitorous soldiers are soon the least of his worries. Hundreds of miles to the south in King's Landing, "Hand of the King" Jon Arryn dies in mysterious circumstances. This is obviously bad news for Jon Arryn but opens a new career opportunity for Ned, as his old friend, King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy),  travels to Winterfell and offers to make the Warden of the North the new Hand of the King

There are a few sticking points. For one thing, Ned has no interest in becoming entangled in courtly intrigue at the capital. And Robert has brought with him his loathsome extended family. These include cruel Queen Cersei of the powerful House Lannister, her dashing but self-regarding twin Ser Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and their prostitute-fraternising sibling Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) .

Most unpleasant of all is Robert's ghastly son and heir Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) – literally a spoiled prince whose brattish temperament could not be more different from that of the garrulous, profane Robert (it's almost as if they are not related…). 

Still, if things are bad for Ned – who resists Robert's offer but is made to understand he really doesn't have a choice – they are worse for his son Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright). Climbing a tower, the adorable poppet happens upon Cersei canoodling with Jaime – yes, her twin!. "The things I do for love," sighs Jaime, shoving Bran out the window to his presumed death. 

Somehow the boy survives – albeit crippled for life and in a temporary coma. While mother Catelyn sits by his bed, Ned, Robert and their retinues depart for King's Landing. With Ned are his daughters Sansa (flighty, fashion-conscious, bafflingly besotted with Joffrey) and feisty little Arya (Maisie Williams). Also saying farewell to the family home is Jon Snow, Ned's "bastard" son, openly loathed by Catelyn. He is to travel north to the Wall and join the semi-monastic Night's Watch, whose solemn is to guard the ancient rampart. Jon knows nothing of his mother and Ned vows to at last share the truth when next they meet (yes, one of them dies).

Across the Narrow Sea and far from the courtly scheming of Westeros, Princess Daenerys Targaryen is about to be married off to barbarian warlord Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). A union between the wide-eyed, partially clothed Daenerys and the brutish Drogo has been arranged by the Princess's unpleasant (even by Prince Joffrey standards) brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd). 

As the sole surviving children of the Mad King who once ruled Westeros – and was violently deposed by the Baratheons and Starks in  "Robert's Rebellion” – Viserys believes the Iron Throne his to reclaim. Awkwardly he's wimpy, vain and lacks an army. Not much to be done about the first two – however, hitching Daenerys to Drogo will put at his disposal the Khal's Dothraki hordes and, all going to schedule, unleash the Targaryen "dragon". 

Back in Westeros, new Hand of the King Ned is surprised when his wife Catelyn arrives at King's Landing. She has received a letter from her sister ( also Jon Arryn's widow) – claiming the Lannisters killed Ned's predecessor (Catelyn believes they later dispatched the assassin who unsuccessfully attempt to finish off stricken Bran).

Alas, the Starks are about to lose a crucial ally. Robert, a serial philander in a sham marriage with Cersei, dies during a boar hunt, with his wife having apparently drugged his wine. 

This is unfortunate timing as Ned has discovered that Joffrey isn't Robert's biological son. Confronted, Cersei admits Jaime is the father of all her children. But naive Ned has underestimated his enemies. With Joffrey to be King, Eddard is arrested for treachery and executed – in view of daughters Sansa (in a be-careful-what-you-wish-for twist she is now betrothed to loathsome Joffrey) and Arya, watching in disguise before fleeing for her life. 

In Essos, Daenerys surprises herself by taking to the life of a Khal's wife. Also surprised is Viserys. No longer in control his sister he is executed by the Dothraki (big fans of dramatic irony, the horsemen pour a "crown" of molten gold over on his head). 

Yet the lot of a blood-thirsty warlord can be challenging and Khal sustains fatal wounds in battle. Into his funeral bonfire steps Daenerys with the three dragon eggs she received as a wedding gift. She emerges unharmed – this being Game of Thrones her clothes obviously aren't so lucky – while the eggs have hatched into baby dragons. 

Season two: the imp steps up

With Joffrey king and headless Ned very much dead, Westeros is gripped by rebellion. In the North Ned's eldest son Robb (Richard Madden) has declared war, taking prisoner Jaime Lannister in an early skirmish. Likewise intent on unseating Joffrey is Robert Baratheon's brother Stannis (Stephen Dillane). He is more dutiful and level-headed than Robert (good), but also convinced he is marked for greatness by the "Lord of Light" – a pagan deity demanding human sacrifice (not good). 

Just how not good this quickly becomes obvious. His supernatural counsellor Melisandre (Carice van Houten) sends a "smoke monster" to kill Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony), Stannis's dear brother and rival for the throne. Meanwhile, anyone daring speak against the Lord of Light is likely to end up strapped to a pyre and subjected to impromptu barbecuing. 

Robb likewise demonstrates questionable judgement as he sends childhood chum Theon (Alfie Allen) – a prince of the Iron Isles raised in Winterfell –  back to his maritime home to gain the support of father Balon. Rather than rallying to the Stark banner, Balon guilt-trips Theon , who opportunistically seizes Winterfell for the Greyjoys. Bran is forced to flee north with his simple-minded minder Hodor (Theon hangs two farmer boys in the place of Bran and brother Rickon). 

Also on the run is Arya Stark who fetches up at the fortress of Harrenhal where Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), patriarch of the most Evil Family in Westeros, unwittingly appoints the disguised princess his cup-bearer. She later flees, with the assistance of the mysterious Jaqen H'ghar (Thomas Wlaschiha) of the Faceless Men of Essos. 

Over on the eastern continent, it's proving a long and aimless road of Daenerys, her baby dragons and shrinking Dothraki army. Eventually they make their way to the desert City of Qarth where they are befriended by silver-tongued merchant Xaro Daxos. However, they are ultimately betrayed by Daxos, in cahoots with the warlock Pyat Pree. With her dragons Cersei defeats the sorcerer and seals Daxos (along with her traitorous servant Doreah) in a tomb. Don't muck about with the Mother of Dragons. 

Elsewhere, what will become known as the War of the Five Kings rumbles on. As Robb plots his next move against the Lannisters, Catelyn sets Jamie free. He is to be escorted to King's Landing by Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) – Renly's loyal former bodyguard – in the hope of securing the release of Sansa and Arya. 

On a scouting mission north of the Wall Jon is kidnapped by the Wildling Ygritte (Rose Leslie) – a meet-cute that sets in train a tragic love affair. No such excitement awaits the other Rangers of the Watch, as they are attacked by the White Walkers and their servant wights. 

In King's Landing, Stannis's invasion fleet has hoved into view. With useless Joffrey in charge, everyone expects the worst (especially Cersei, who paints for Sansa a bleak picture of the treatment they can expect). Hand of the King Tyrion has a cunning plan, however. As Joffrey weeps like the wimp he is, his uncle repels Stannis's forces with explosive wildfire, stocks of which the Mad King concealed beneath the city. It's enough to keep the enemies at bay until Tywin Lannister gallops to the rescue. 

Season three: "The Lannisters send their regards"

Having saved King's Landing from Stannis, Tyrion is promptly demoted by his disapproving father (who has never forgiven his son for claiming this mother in childbirth and for possessing a functioning moral compass). Rather more popular in the capital is the ambitious Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). Renly's widow has displaced Sansa and is now betrothed to Joffrey. Sansa, Tywin has decreed, will be married off to the reluctant Tyrion (with uncommon decency he declines to consummate the nuptials). 

Far to the north, Jon Snow finally meets the Wildling's semi-mythic King beyond the Wall Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds) and agrees they have a common enemy in the Walkers. 

Things are going less well for Theon Greyjoy, whose botched conquest of Winterfell has seen him fallen into the clutches of a mysterious torturer. However, the true losers this season are Robb and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Farley). After falling in love with healer Talisa (Oona Chaplin), Robb backs out of an arranged marriage to Roslin, daughter of his ally Lord Walder Frey. She will instead be hitched to Edmure Tully  – and the Starks are invited!

Thus is the table set for the notorious Red Wedding. The Freys and Boltons, striking a secret deal on Tywin Lannister, turn on the Starks, cutting down Catelyn, Robb and Robb's pregnant intended. "The Lannisters send their regards," snarls Roose Bolton as he stabs Talisa in the womb.

Arriving in time for the butchery is Arya Stark, reluctantly taken under the wing of the "Hound" Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann), formerly Joffrey's personal butcher. With the rest of the family dead or in jeopardy, meanwhile Bran continues north. Haunted by visions he resolves to go beyond the Wall and find the "Three-Eyed Raven", who holds the secret to his burgeoning ability to project his mind into the body of a dire wolf. He is accompanied by Hodor and two new companions, Meera and Jojen Reed.

Elsewhere, Daenerys's plans to conquer Westeros gather momentum. On her wanderings across Essos, she garners an army of "Unsullied" warriors and receives counsel from two disillusioned refugees from the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Barriston Selmy and Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen). With the cities of Slavers Bay falling to her one by one, a new power is rising in the East. How long before it turns its attention West?

Season four: Joffrey eats humble pie

A new season welcomes a fresh face to King's Landing. Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), dashing prince of Dorne, arrives at the capital for the marriage of Joffrey and Margaery (and also to take vengeance against the Lannisters, whom he holds responsible for the death of his sister). 

But Joffrey's wedding doesn't go quite as planned. He is poisoned and topples over before he has had a chance to toast his new bride. Also exiting King's Landing, albeit by less bloody means, is Sansa, smuggled to freedom by slippery Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (Aidan Turner) and Margaery's wily grandmother Lady Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg). We will later discover they conspired to kill Joffrey, so sparing Margaery being hitched to a brute.

At the Eyrie Sansa falls foul of mad Aunt Lysa who attempts to push her niece through a Moon Door. She is rescued by Littlefinger, with Lord Baelish instead sending Lady Arryn, with whom he has entered an arranged marriage, to her gravity-assisted demise. 

Up north Jon Snow warns the Night's Watch that Mance Rayder intends to attack. An epic battle ensues and Jon and Ygritte's relationship hits an awkward patch as she tries to cut him down with an arrow. With the Wildlings temporarily repulsed, Jon sneaks off to kill Rayder – only for Stannis Baratheon and his forces to ride to the rescue of the Night's Watch.

Back at King's Landing, the innocent Tyrion is accused of assassinating Joffrey. The case is to be decided with trial by combat. However, his champion Oberyn is cut down by the "Mountain" Gregor Clegane (Sandor's hulking brother). Later, Jaime releases his brother who sneaks back to his chambers to find his lover Shae has been canoodling with Tyrion’s father Tywin. Tyrion shoots his dad on the latrine and, aided by Master of Whispers Varys, flees Westeros. 

Also quitting the Western continent is Arya. She witnesses an apparent fight to the death between Sandor and Brienne (who, having failed Catelyn, has sworn to protect any Stark crossing her path). Exhibiting uncharacteristic cruelty, Arya leaves Sandor to his fate and crosses the Narrow Sea to study with Jaqan H'ghar's Faceless Men. 

Season five: the Night's King shows his hand

With Joffrey dead, Margaery marries his younger brother Tommen -  to the disgust of Cersei , who has developed an enthusiastic loathing for her daughter-in-law. 

Never one to tread softly, Stannis burns the King Beyond the Wall at the stake – punishment for refusing to swear fealty. Meanwhile Jon Snow is elected leader of the Night's Watch – to the visible disapproval of the senior members of the order. Sansa and Littlefinger leave The Vale – but where are they bound? That would be a surprise, intimates Littlefinger. Actually it is a surprise. He intends marrying Sansa off to horrible Ramsay Bolton ( Iwan Rheon), thus restoring a Stark to Winterfell (albeit by the back door). 

In her former family home, Sansa is horrified to find Theon – now the broken and half insane plaything of Ramsay (his mystery torturer). She is brutally abused on her wedding night by the sadistic younger Bolton – with Theon (re-named Reek by Ramsay) forced to watch. 

Stannis marches south towards Winterfell. With Winter coming, heavy snow threatens his war against Ramsay. He is urged by Melisandre to sacrifice daughter Shireen to the Lord of Light. Stannis reluctantly complies and the weather indeed turns. Alas his troops, not wishing to fight for a religious maniac, desert and he is easily defeated by the Boltons. In the aftermath of the battle he is discovered by Brienne – who fulfils her vow to avenge Renly's death by cutting down the man instrumental in his killing. 

In Essos, Arya is accepted into the mysterious House of Black and White– though proves slow to subsume her identity into the collective of the Faceless Men. That she has much to learn before becoming “no one” is confirmed as she catches sight of Ser Meryn Trant, the sadistic  knight of the Kingsguard and, assuming the likeness of a child prostitute, strikes him down. As punishment for betraying her vows she is struck blind. 

At King's Landing, Cersei neutralises Margaery – who has her wily claws in the naive Tommen –  by striking an alliance with the leader of the Sparrows, an evangelical cult growing in popularity. Everything appears to be going as planned as Margaery's beloved brother Loras is thrown into a deep dark room for sleeping with men and his sister is imprisoned for lying on his behalf. 

Alas, Cersei's clever scheme is revealed to be rather dimwitted as whisperings of her relationship with Jaime reach the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce). She too is dragged away by the religious police and later required to undertake a naked Walk of Shame.

In the desert kingdom of Dorne, Jaime and his sidekick Bronn are on a mission to save his daughter, Princess Myrcella. With Oberon Martyll slain by Cersei's champion, they fear Myrcella is in imminent danger from the Martell family. She is safely retrieved – but poisoned as they set off for home. 

Up north, the terrifying extent of the threat posed by the Walkers is revealed as the Night's King attacks Jon Snow and his men at a Wildling encampment. Alas, his warnings are not heeded back at the Wall where senior members of the Watch kill Snow as revenge for his traitorous alliance with the Free Folk. 

In Essos Daenerys's hold on the city of Meereen slips when the Sons of the Harpy stage an ambush at a grand gladiatorial bout. She is rescued by her dragon Drogon and swept away to destination unknown. Her new adviser Tyrion – smuggled across the narrow sea to Essos by Varys –  will rule in her stead as Ser Jorah and her lover Daario set off on her trail ( Ser Jorah is utterly smitten with Daenerys, of course).

Season six: the bastards battle

Jon Snow is dead! But only until Melisandre, calling on the Lord of Light, brings him back (to the surprise of all, Melisandre included).  Thus begins the war of the Bastards, with Jon intent on wresting Winterfell back from Ramsay and Roose Bolton. Actually make that just Ramsay – who eliminates his dad, his stepmother, and newborn half-brother (a true blood heir who jeopardises Ramsay's position). 

As a final conflict between the two approaches, Sansa and Theon continue to flee Ramsay's forces. Sansa travels to the Wall where she is reunited with her brother ("half brother," Lord Baelish might say, with a significant pause between "half" and "brother"). Theon, meanwhile, journeys to the Iron Islands, just in time for his hateful father to be deposed by Theon's even more unpleasant uncle Euron. 

In King's Landing ,a post-Shame Walk Cersei isn't quite off the hook. She's been humiliated - but must nonetheless stand trial for her crimes. The fundamentalist High Sparrow is not for turning and guileless King Tommen has agreed a formal alliance between church and state. 

Bearing further bad news is Jamie, who reveals that Myrcella is dead. Now all but one of Cersei's children is gone, bringing closer a witch's prediction that her offspring would wear funeral shrouds (good luck surviving the prophecy Tommen). 

Daenerys is having a testing time, too, as prisoner of the Dothraki. As the surviving wife of a slain Khal it is her fate to live in cloistered servitude with the other widows. This doesn't chime with her plans to rule the entire known world. So she scorches her opponents alive and, walking unharmed through the flames, and becomes leader of the Dothraki (her pledge to burn first, ask question later finding favour with the barbarian masses). 

She returns with Drogon to Meereen, where wise and wily Tyrion has brought an uneasy peace. Meanwhile Theon and Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) have stolen the Iron Islands, battlefleet from beneath the exceedingly wicked nose of usurper Euron Greyjoy. Fleeing to Essos. There, they strike an alliance with Daenerys. Boats, dragons, Dothraki – look out Westeros,  the Targaryens are coming!

In the North, the Battle of the Bastards is joined as Ramsay clashes with Jon (but not before Ramsay shoots dead the youngest Stark sibling, Rickon, strictly for the chuckles). 

There follows lots of top level hacking, slashing and rucking in the muck. Just as the tide appears to have turned in favour of Ramsay, however, in rushes Petyr Baelish and the Knights of the Vale who carry the day. Hurrah! Or, as Ramsay might put it, "aargh!" as he is fed to his own dogs by a very vengeful Sansa (it's sadistic and disgusting but still... yay for Sansa). 

In Essos, Arya regains her sight and recommences her training at the House of Black and White. However, the going remains bumpy as she clashes with her nemesis the Waif after refusing to assassinate a kindly actress. Upon overcoming her implacable foe, Arya is shown the door by Jaqen – who intimates her training may be complete and that she is indeed “no one”. We next see her, in shape-shifting form, cutting the throat of Red Wedding planner Walder Frey. 

In a mystical cave, Bran studies with the "Three-Eyed Raven" – in reality a wizened human psychically connected to a tree (Max Von Sydow), and experiences time-traveling visions. We discover how Hodor became Hodor – a complicated temporal loop – and learn the truth of Jon Snow's true parentage. He is the child of Ned's tragic sister Lyanna. The identity of his father is not revealed. However GoT fans are confident it is  Daenerys's slain brother Rhaegar Targaryen, who fell in love with Lyanna and absconded with her. 

Unfortunately, Bran's training is interrupted by the Night King who kills the Three-Eyed Raven and sends the Stark boy and companion Meera fleeing. Hodor - who indeed "holds the door" against the zombies – sacrifices himself so that they may escape.

An unpleasant fate similarly beckons for Cersei. She has sent Jamie off to the Riverlands to put manners on old Stark ally “Blackfish” Tully. Alone except for the resurrected Mountain and her loyal mad scientist Qyburn, what's an incestuous Queen Mother to do?

The answer, Cersei concludes, is to blow up the Great Sept with some of that leftover wildfire, thus eliminating every rival power player - including Margaery, the High Sparrow and her uncle Kevan (appalled, Tommen jumps from a window). With the Iron Crown upon her head, does the Game of Thrones at last have a winner?

Game of Thrones season 7 begins on July 17, on Sky Atlantic and Now TV