content: "'''Battle of the Bastards'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' and its 59th episode overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik.
  Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton face off in a battle for control of Winterfell. Jon's force, mostly composed of Wildlings, is nearly defeated by the Bolton army, but the latter is overcome when Sansa Stark and Petyr Baelish arrive with the Knights of the Vale. The battle culminates in Ramsay's defeat and capture. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen defeats the Masters in Meereen and begins making new alliances.
  "Battle of the Bastards" received immense critical acclaim, with several reviewers calling it a "masterpiece". and being praised as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the greatest television episodes of all time. Critics described the battle in the North as "terrifying, gripping and exhilarating", Harington's performance received high praise, and Daenerys' reunion with her dragons at the beginning of the episode was deemed "thrilling". The eponymous battle took 25 days to film and required 500 extras, 600 crew members, and 70 horses. In the United States, the episode had a viewership of 7.66 million in its initial broadcast. It earned ''Game of Thrones'' six Primetime Emmy Awards, making it the most Emmy Award-winning episode ever. It notably won for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing; the episode was Kit Harington's choice to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Sapochnik also won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the episode.
  This episode marks the final appearances of Art Parkinson (Rickon Stark) and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton).