When HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ premiered in 2011, it did more than bring dragons and bloodshed to our screens, it introduced audiences to a vast array of female characters who, in many ways, became the emotional and narrative backbone of the series.
From Daenerys Targaryen’s slow rise from a silenced sister to a commanding conqueror, to Sansa Stark’s evolution from a wide-eyed girl to the Queen in the North, the journey of these women was central to the show’s power. Yet by the time the show reached its divisive eighth season, these same women were let down.
The Problem With Daenerys And Sansa’s Final Transformations
For much of ‘Game of Thrones’, Daenerys Targaryen was a symbol of both resilience and justice. She freed slaves, punished tyrants, and earned the loyalty of thousands, not because of her birthright, but because of her vision for a better world. Emilia Clarke portrayed her with a vulnerability and strength that resonated deeply with fans. However, all of this was hastily cast aside in the penultimate episode, “The Bells.” This was when Daenerys turned into the very tyrant she spent years vowing to overthrow.
The twist wasn’t just jarring; it felt like a betrayal. There were certainly hints that Daenerys could be ruthless. But ruthlessness in war is not the same as indiscriminately murdering innocent civilians. Her descent into “madness” felt more like a plot convenience than an earned evolution. It took a character who had long defied expectations and shoved her into a tired trope: the Mad Queen.
And she wasn’t alone. Sansa Stark, another cornerstone of the series, was stripped of her layered growth and made into a cold imitation of Cersei Lannister. Her resilience became conflated with cruelty, and her trauma was misused. When Sansa tells Sandor Clegane that her sexual abuse made her stronger, it sends an alarming message. Sansa was becoming powerful before Ramsay Bolton, through her cunning, intelligence, and quiet strength.
Her growth didn’t need to be trauma-fueled to be valid. Moreover, the problem isn’t that these women changed; it’s that their changes felt untrue to their arcs. It’s that the writers traded emotional authenticity for narrative expediency. For a show that once took its time with everything, these transformations were not only rushed but reductive.
Cersei Lannister Doing Nothing And Getting Crushed By Rubble Undid Her Ruthless Journey
Few characters were as cunning and captivating as Cersei Lannister. Her political maneuvers, deeply rooted in her desire to protect her children and seize power in a world that constantly undermined her, made her one of television’s most iconic antiheroes. And yet, in Season 8, she was reduced to wine-sipping, window-gazing, and ultimately, nothing. Her final moments? Crushed beneath rubble with Jaime, stripped of any final act of agency. Lena Headey deserved better. So did Cersei.
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Missandei, meanwhile, was one of the series’ few Black characters. Her beheading at the hands of Cersei, after being shackled and used as a pawn, sparked outrage for good reason. It wasn’t just her death that hurt, it was how little care the writers took in crafting it. Her brutal end served merely to motivate Daenerys. What’s most disappointing isn’t that these women suffered, as ‘Game of Thrones’ was never shy about suffering.
However, the showrunners failed to understand the strength of the very characters they helped bring to life. Rather than letting Daenerys, Cersei, Sansa, and Missandei end their stories with the complexity they were known for, they were reduced to blunt instruments for the plot. How often are female characters allowed to wield influence without becoming villains? How often can they be strong without being hardened? ‘Game of Thrones’ had the chance to redefine those expectations. Instead, it followed the same path.
