Game of Thrones: The Real Life Inspiration Behind The Battle Of The Bastards
When Miguel Sapochnik directed the most awarded Game of Thrones episode, season 6 episode 9 «Battle of the Bastards,» he was inspired by a real-life battle between the Romans and the Hannibal-led Carthaginians. The award-winning fantasy drama based on George R.R. Martin's books ran for eight seasons on HBO, finishing up with a highly controversial season, with many viewers calling Game of Thrones season 8 a disappointment. Nevertheless, complex character arcs and exceptional battle scenes have been consistent throughout the whole duration of the series, with the Battle of the Bastards perhaps marking the pinnacle.
«The Battle of the Bastards» is the episode Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) retake Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) and restore House Stark as the ruling house of the North. It's a big moment for Jon, and a very difficult one, after Ramsay taunts him with a foul letter, then refuses Jon's request for single combat. Not nearly enough men have joined Jon's cause, and the fate of the North lies on this greatly outnumbered army's shoulders. Jon takes Ramsay's bait (with Rickon meeting his tragic end), then faces the Bolton army stoically, but it soon turns to chaos, blood, and terror. The Boltons circle their enemies and push into them, leading to an ever-growing pile of bodies. As it turns out, Sapochnik turned to the history books for this moment.
Related: George R.R. Martin’s Letter Reveals Why Game Of Thrones’ Ending Didn’t Work
The real-life inspiration for the Battle of the Bastards was the Battle of Cannae between the Romans and the Carthaginians, led by Hannibal, in 216 BCE — a key battle during the Second Punic War. Carthage crushed the much larger Roman army, as
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