Timeline of Game of Thrones: How Long Seasons 1 through 8 Take
Though there is plenty going on in the eight seasons of Game Of Thrones, how much time really passes from the start of season 1 until the series ends? The response is more complicated than you might believe.
Appreciating the Timeline of Game of Thrones
Even with the books, it is rather difficult to pin down the Game Of Thrones chronology. One of the causes of this is the special way seasons behave in Westeros. In the real world, a season usually runs for few months. But in Westeros, seasons span years, so altering the passage of time from what we know in our planet.
With several spin-offs under development, the Game of Thrones series is growing to investigate several eras in Westeros. George R. R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire books suggest that the roughly seven years of the original show are a minor blip compared to the thousands of years that comprise the known history of Westeros.
Game of Thrones covers a period of great activity in Westerosi history, despite its comparatively brief run when compared to House Of The Dragon, which has stretched decades. This covers the several significant character deaths, many wars fought and lost over the Iron Throne, and the emergence of the White Walkers. Knowing the length of the Game of Thrones chronology helps one to better appreciate some of the most memorable events of the show.
Tracking the Passage of Time in Game of Thrones
Drawing on the hints, it is believed that Game of Thrones's eight seasons span six to seven years. Still, the exact passing of time is yet unknown. Among several elements causing this uncertainty are Westeros's distinct seasons and the absence of obvious holidays.
A few hints strewn over the show will enable us to create a basic chronology. For instance, it notes in the pilot episode that Robert's Rebellion occurred 17 years ago. Season 2 claims Renly's death happened eighteen years following the Rebellion. This suggests that between the pilot and season 2, episode 5, "The Ghost of Harrenhal," about a year has gone by.
By season 3's "The Bear and The Maiden Fair," (episode 7), another year has gone by as Talisa notes that the War of the Five Kings has been raging for two years, beginning at the conclusion of the first season. Thus, somewhere between two and three years have gone by by the end of the third season.
Knowing the calendar of the Westeros
Considering the Westerosi calendar system from the books helps us to understand the Game of Thrones chronology. The calendar used in both books and the show is the same. With years denoted as AC, which stands for Aegon's Conquest of Westeros, one year in Westeros is roughly the same as in real life. Aegon I claims this relates to the moment he stopped his expedition and was crowned in Oldtown by the High Septon.
Years before Aegon's Conquest are denoted with BC (before the conquest) with the numbers declining exactly as in the real world, following the Anno Domini system of the Gregorian calendar. The most important distinction between Westeros and the actual world is that seasons there might last for years. Days still run 24 hours, though, and years are roughly 365 days long. The show starts in the ninth year of a protracted summer, maybe spanning many years.
When the timeline of Game of Thrones gets confusing
From season 4 onward, the chronology gets less clear even if contextual hints point to the Game of Thrones timeline running roughly six to seven years. The program lacks as many obvious markers for the passage of time. Bran's time-traveling Warging further mazes things. Notwithstanding these difficulties, a few references to the passage of time will help us to grasp the chronology.
Jaime Lannister notes she has been in Dorne for three years when she visits to save Myrcella Lannister. She left for Sunspear in season 2, episode 6, "The Old Gods And The New," and is reunited with Jaime Lannister towards the close of season 5. Three years have thus elapsed between the middle of season 2 and the middle of season 5. About 4–5 years have gone by overall by the end of season five.
Time passing in seasons 6 and 7 gets even more elusive. Not one useful age reference or pregnancy to follow. However, there is one helpful way of gauging time: the growth of Little Sam (Gilly's baby). Baby Sam was born in season 3, episode 3, "Walk of Punishment." By the end of season 7, he appears to be around four years old. While this is an estimate, it suggests that the series maintains about one year of time passing per season. This would mean that about six or seven years have passed between the pilot episode and the season 7 finale.
Game of Thrones Doesn’t Have an Official Timeline (And Doesn’t Need One)
Despite the clues available, the information about the Game of Thrones timeline remains speculative. This is because there is no official timeline for the show. While it makes sense that the show covered roughly six to seven years in eight seasons, some moments contradict this timeline. For example, Sansa states she is 13 years old in season 1, but is 14 in season 3 when she is married to Tyrion Lannister. This would suggest that only one year has passed between seasons 1 and 3, directly contradicting Talisa’s statement about three years passing.
However, the truth is that timelines, while interesting, are not essential to Game of Thrones. This is a fantasy world where seasons last for years, young teens are married, and magic exists. In a world where age and the passage of time are so warped, the lack of a clear timeline adds to the strangeness of this universe.
The Game of Thrones Prequel Happens Centuries Earlier And Covers More Time
House Of The Dragon season 1 is known for its time jumps. While some viewers were confused by this, the time jumps were essential to cover key events from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. While Game of Thrones covers approximately six to seven years, House of the Dragon spans around 27 years, according to Martin. This was the first time time jumps were introduced to the adapted A Song Of Ice And Fire timeline.
House of the Dragon also covered the years leading up to the Targaryen Civil War (Dance of the Dragons), which occurs in 129 AC. Therefore, House of the Dragon covers a longer period of time than Game of Thrones, which spans only six to seven years. According to the showrunners, House of the Dragon season 2 will not feature any time jumps.
What Happens After Game of Thrones
The various Game of Thrones prequels provide more context to the world of Westeros, but many fans are curious about what happens after the events of the original series. Despite the show’s penchant for killing off characters, several key characters survived throughout the entire series and ended up in intriguing positions. For example, Bran Stark ended up on the Iron Throne, with Tyrion Lannister as the Hand of the King. The finale suggested that Bran’s first order of business would be locating Drogon, who flew away after Daenerys was killed.
Sansa Stark was also seated on a throne at the end of the series, taking her place in Winterfell and being named Queen of the North. Arya Stark set off on her own adventure to explore what lay west of Westeros. As intriguing as these next chapters in their stories are, George R.R. Martin has not written about the events following Game of Thrones. Therefore, the future of these characters is speculative. Some of the upcoming Game of Thrones spin-offs could provide answers, but most are prequels, including Aegon’s Conquest. The planned Jon Snow sequel series has been shelved for now.
Do the Books Detail a Clearer Game of Thrones Timeline?
As you might expect, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire novels offer a clearer picture of the Game of Thrones timeline than the HBO show or its prequel, House of the Dragon. The novels contain specific references to years and dates within the text. In 2014, Martin published The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones, a fully illustrated compendium of the history of Westeros, co-written with Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson.
To the delight of many fans, The World of Ice & Fire is written as if it were a genuine history book from the world of Game of Thrones. It is formatted as if it were compiled by a Maester. While some sources contradict one another, this adds to the authenticity of the book, as tracking history in the world of Westeros would have been less than accurate without the tools and technologies that modern historians utilize.
The World of Ice & Fire covers the history of the Seven Kingdoms from the Dawn Age and the Doom of Valyria through to King Robert’s Rebellion. However, while the novels have a more concrete timeline than the HBO Game of Thrones series, the book timelines are not completely set in stone. George R.R. Martin has been open about his inconsistencies with specific dates and geographical distances. These inconsistencies normally only equate to a variation of a few years for specific events, but it does mean that there is no concrete, unquestionable timeline.
