The 30 most heartwarming moments on Game of Thrones

21. Missandei and Grey Worm share a smooch (“Kill the Boy”)

SARAH: Game of Thrones isn’t famous for love stories that end well. Hearts and flowers take a backseat to more pressing issues like war, revenge and reanimated corpses, and I find that refreshing. ‘Shipping’ dominates many fandoms, and a lot of showrunners will pair up characters just for the buzz. And because Thrones doesn’t dwell on romance, the romances it does feature stands out. Grey Worm and Missandei’s trip aboard the love boat is no exception.

Speaking candidly, it’s clear Grey Worm and Missandei aren’t treating us to the all-or-nothing romance of a lifetime, and they’re not particularly dynamic characters. Still, in Season 5’s “Kill the Boy”, as Grey Worm lies recuperating from injuries sustained in the streets of Meereen, they share a kiss that brought a smile to the face of this hardened cynic.

Backstory is what makes their relationship satisfying. Missandei and Grey Worm were both taken from their families and sold into slavery as children. They were raised to know nothing outside of the harsh world their masters shaped for them. They grew into adulthood never even considering that romantic love was possible. And then Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen came along and liberated the people of Astapor. She didn’t just grant their physical freedom, but the freedom to think and feel as they wished without restraint. Their love is made all the sweeter for the knowledge of what they endured to find it.

Their romance has been a slow burn, but that makes sense. It’s impossible to quickly shake off a lifetime of oppression. Grey Worm proved this when he told Missandei he feared he would never see her face again, and that he believed his fear made him a failure. These two have a long way to go, but slow and steady often wins the race. Let’s hope they’re given the chance to keep running.

KATIE: Like Sarah, I’ve never been particularly interested in either of these characters. If we were given more time with them, it might be a different story. But as it is, Missandei and Grey Worm are secondary characters in Daenerys’ story. With that in mind, their romance is indeed refreshing. Not only does it offer insight into their lives outside of their devotion to Daenerys, it speaks to the nature of the overall narrative, which is more hopeful than first impressions might suggest.

There’s a purity to Missandei and Grey Worm’s romance that seemingly has no place in the harsh, violent world of Game of Thrones. But that only goes to show that this world isn’t entirely hopeless. Westeros is not doomed. If it were, then what would be the point of this story? Why would we come to know and understand these characters if they were doomed to perish upon the White Walkers’ swords?

There are casualties and horrors, there is suffering and sacrifice, but everyone is fighting for something. As the show nears an end, it looks like many of the characters will join forces to fight for the same thing: survival, and the defeat of the evil on the way.

We have no way of knowing what will transpire after the dust is settled, when those who live rebuild their world. But for now, when something as simple as a kiss means so much, the audience can rest assured that love can prevail. It’s cliche because it’s true: love—whether familial, friendly, or romantic (or all of the above)—is a driving force, and the hope it inspires is precisely what these characters need in order to soldier on. If you’re going to war with the bad, you have to believe in good. Otherwise, what’s the point?