Game Of Thrones Season 6 Episode 9: Battle Of The Bastards Recap With Spoilers

The ships of the cities of Slaver's Bay continue their assault on Meereen as Dany watches from the Great Pyramid. Tyrion tries to convince Dany that, despite appearances, Meereen is on the rise and the people are behind her, which is why the Masters are attacking. Dany plans to crucify the masters, set their ships on fire, kill every one of their soldiers, and raze their cities. Tyrion shrinks at the suggestion and tells Dany of the Mad King's plans to burn King's Landing to the ground with wildfire.

At Tyrion's suggestion, Dany meets the masters outside of Meereen's walls to discuss the terms of surrender. The masters offer nothing less than total surrender, the return of Missandei and the Unsullied to slavery, and the death of the dragons. Dany points out that they're discussing the Masters' terms of surrender, not her own. Drogon soars overhead and lands next to Dany, who climbs on the dragon's back. Drogon takes flight over Meereen and his two brothers are set free. The Sons of the Harpy murder in the streets. Daario Naharis leads the second sons in a rush against them. Dany and her dragons begin setting the ships on fire. Grey Worm convinces the Masters' guards to abandon them. Tyrion and Missandei tell the Masters that one of them must die for their betrayal. They choose one who is lowborn, and outsider. Grey Worm kills the other two with one swipe. Tyrion tells the one survivor to return home and tell his people what happened and that he survived only by Daenerys' grace.

A Ramsay Bolton and his entourage rides out to meet with Jon, Sansa and their allies. Ramsay thanks Jon for returning Sansa to him and offers mercy in return for surrender. He says Jon doesn't stand a chance and that there's no need for a battle. Jon counters by agreeing at the pointlessness of a battle. He offers to settle things "the old way," with single combat between the two bastards. Ramsay declines, pointing out his superior numbers. Jon wonders if Ramsay's men will fight for him after they hear Ramsay backed down from Jon's challenge. Ramsay threatens to kill Rickon. Sansa asks how they know Ramsay even has Rickon. Ramsay tosses Shaggydog's head at their feet. Sansa promises that Ramsay will die tomorrow and rides off. Ramsay is confident, saying he looks forward to having Sansa back in his bed and his dogs look forward to devouring the rest of them.

Jon and Davos discuss strategy. While it would be smart for Ramsay to stay within Winterfell's walls, Davos says Ramsay will come out to fight and make a show of things for the Northerners to see. They make a plan to allow Ramsay to charge at them so they can surround his forces. Davos and Tormund leave Sansa and Jon alone in the tent. Sansa doesn't believe they know Ramsay well enough to defeat him and warns that Ramsay won't fall into their trap, that he enjoys playing people. Jon asks Sansa how they get Rickon back and Sansa say they can't. Rickon is too much of a threat to Ramsay's reign to keep alive. They begin arguing about whether they should be attacking Winterfell yet at all. Sansa says she's not going back to Ramsay alive. Jon says he won't ever let Ramsay touch her again, that he'll protect her. Sansa says no one can protect her or anyone.

Tormund tells Davos that he believes there is hope. Tormund asks if Davos wants revenge for Stannis, but Davos recognizes that Stannis defeated himself. Tormund recalls how his faith in Mance Rayder also failed him. Davos wonders if their failing was putting their faith in would-be kings, and Tormund points out that Jon Snow is not a king.

Jon finds Melisandre in her tent. He points out that she wasn't at the war council and she says she's not a soldier. She simply tells him not to lose. He tells her that if he dies again he doesn't want her to bring him back again. She says she serves the Lord of Light and so she'll have to try. She says the Lord of Light must want him alive for a reason, or else she wouldn't have been able to bring him back, though it may only be to die again in this battle.

Davos walks through the snow. He comes upon the remains of the pyre where Shireen was burned and finds her stag in the snow as the sun rises.

Tyrion meets with Yara and Theon and remembers the last time he met Theon was when Theon was making jokes about Tyrion's height at Winterfell. Tyrion recalls the terrible things Theon has done since then and is unimpressed with whatever penance they claim he has paid. Yara offers what they control of the Iron Fleet in exchange for Dany's support when Yara claims the Iron Islands. Euron is also coming to offer the remainder the Iron Fleet, but under condition of marriage. Yara only wants independence for the Iron Islands. Daenerys agrees under the condition that the Ironborn respect the remainder of the Kingdoms and refrain from making raids on them. They make an agreement.

Jon's forces stare across a field of burning, flayed bodies at the much larger Bolton force that opposes them. Ramsay rides out to the head of his army with Ricking tied up behind him. He pulls out a dagger and Jon dismounts to step in front of his forces. Ramsay cuts Rickon's binding and tells the boy to run to Jon. Rickon cautiously walks out on the field, but Rasay tells Rickon he has to run. Ramsay pulls a bow and arrow. Jon rides out on the field to reach Rickon as Ramsay begins letting arrows fly. One of the arrows pierces Rickon's chest just before Jon reaches him and Jon see his bother die in front of him.

Ramsay falls back behind his men and Jon charges his. Jon's forces follow behind him. A volley of arrows knocks Jon off his horse as a wave of cavalry charge at him. He draws Longclaw and stands and waits for them, but his own forces reach him just in time. Davos calls off their archers for fear of killing their own men, but Ramsay tells his own archers to let fly. Jon fights in the melee alongside his men as Ramsay continues sending arrows into the fray as the bodies pile up. Davos has his men charge into the battle.

Ramsay says it is time, and Smalljon Umber leads the second wave of soldiers into the battle. Tormund saves Jon as the Wun Wun and the Free Folk charge into battle. Bolton men surround Jon's forces with a shield wall and begin closing in, stabbing men with their spears as they close in as Umber's forces climb over a mountain of corpses to attack. Tormund, Wun Wun and the Free Folk begin trying to break the shield wall, with Wun Wun tearing at least one man in half, but Tormund is cut by a spear. Jon and Smalljon lock eyes, but are split up as a wave of men begins trampling Jon. Tormund and Smalljon fight. Jon struggles to stand up among the mass of men, but finally finds air to breath as his forces continue to be crushed. Smalljon and Tormund continue to beat on each other as a horn sounds in the distance. The sound distracts Smalljon long enough for Tormund to bite Smalljon's neck. The forces of the Vale arrive and change into the fray as Sansa and Petyr Baelish overlook the battle.

Ramsay retreats to Winterfell as Wun Wun, Torund, and Jon give chase. Ramsay believes their safe behind Winterfell's walls, but Wun Wun begins smashing the gate. The giant breaks through and the falls to his knees and his knees by a multitude of arrows. Jon's forces flood in. Jon stands next to Wun Wun as Ramsay sends an arrow through the giant's eye, killing him. Ramsay says he's reconsidered Jon's offer of single combat. Jon picks up a shield and marches at Ramsay, knocks Ramsay down, and then begins pummeling him as Sansa watches.

After the battle, Davos and Melisandre watch as the Bolton banners are lowered from the walls of Winterfell and replace with the Stark banners. Jon orders Rickon to be buried in the crypt next to his father. Sansa demands to know where Ramsay is.

Sansa finds Ramsay tied up in in the kennels. Ramsay says he'll be a part of her now forever. Sansa says that Ramsay's words, his house, his name will disappear until there is no memory of him. Ramsay's dogs creep out of their cages. Ramsay says his hounds will never turn on him, but Sansa reminds Ramsay that he hasn't fed them in seven days. They were loyal once, but now they're starving. Ramsay tries to order the dogs to sit down, but one starts eating at his face and the others join in. Sansa watches momentarily, then walks away smiling.