Every Sunday night, Twitter explodes in a hailstorm of Game of Thrones spoilers, as fans flock to the site to express their disbelief at the latest episode's shocking twists and turns.
Unsurprisingly, Twitter keeps track of all those tweets, and what it's found paints a vivid picture of each episode. In a new blog post, the social media service revealed some fascinating infographics and statistics relating to the relationships between various characters on HBO's hit show. By tossing all of the various Game of Thrones related tweets into an algorithm following each episode of the show, Twitter can, in a way, see the major plot lines and character connections of that episode from simply viewing the raw data.
Take "The Door" episode from season six. From viewing Twitter's interactive infographic, anybody can clearly see that Hodor was the most talked-about character in that episode, having the largest circle. Lines connect Hodor's large circle to smaller circles representing characters like Bran and the Night King, with thicker lines meaning the various characters were mentioned in the same tweet more often.
In this way, Twitter can see what characters are interacting with one another in any given episode. The data for "The Door" is spot-on. Of course, Hodor would be the most talked-about character of the episode, as he sacrificed his life to save Bran amid one of the show's most mind-bending twists. Bran, Hodor and the threat of the White Walkers have long been intertwined on the show, and the data clearly shows that as users frequently mentioned the various characters together.
The data even reveals more subtle moments from the episode, too. The expression on Tormund's face as he saw Brienne for the first time spawned more than a few fan-fictions in the following days, and Twitter's data captures that moment by showing a strong connection between the two characters.
Emoji usage also helps tell the story. Twitter's data keeps track of what emojis are used in the various Game of Thrones-related tweets, helping to give further emotional insight into the events of any given episodes. For "The Door," tweets mentioning Hodor often included sad face or broken heart emojis. Tweets centered around Brienne and Tormund, on the other hand, included smiley faces and hearts.
It's fascinating to see how raw data can accurately visualize a show as vast and complex as Game of Thrones. Despite having dozens of characters and moving parts, Twitter's algorithm perfectly groups together characters and helps show what emotions viewers went through watching any given episode with a precision that is almost stunning. That being said, Twitter has users to thank for that. Without enthusiastic fans watching the show every Sunday and then taking to Twitter to express themselves, none of this would be possible.
