01. When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die
The years have taken a toll on the residents of Westeros and Essos. EW is taking a look back at the Game of Thrones main characters’ journeys and growth (or lack thereof) over the eight seasons of the show. What a long, strange trip it’s been.
This gallery was originally published April 22, 2016, and most recently updated Nov. 18, 2022.
02. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke)
Dany went from Dothraki property to Khaleesi to Mother of Dragons to Breaker of Chains to conqueror. She learned a lot about ruling during her time in Slaver’s Bay — mainly that ruling is really, really difficult. Unfortunately, a lot of her worrisome tendencies never exactly went away. She showed herself to be a very impulsive ruler, which isn’t always what you want in a head of state, and she stopped at nothing to get the Iron Throne, which might have included burning King’s Landing and a lot of its people. After taking King’s Landing by force, Daenerys was too far gone to be redeemed, leading Jon to take fatal action against her.
03. Arya Stark (Maisie Williams)
Arya (Maisie Williams) only got fiercer and sharper since her days of totally schooling her little brother at archery. She studied the art of water-dancing, infiltrated enemy territory as Tywin Lannister’s (Charles Dance) cupbearer, road-tripped through Westeros with the Hound (Rory McCann), trained to become a Faceless (Wo)Man in Braavos, and returned to her homeland a crack assassin — as Walder Frey and the Night King both found out. Her enemies vanquished, Arya resolved to set sail and explore uncharted territories in Westeros.
04. Jon Snow (Kit Harington)
Jon (Kit Harington) didn’t change all that much when you really think about it. Sure, he sharpened his fighting skills, he loved and lost, he became a leader (against his will), and he died and came back to life. But he remained the honest, noble, fundamentally decent person he’d always been. (Honestly, you’d think he would’ve learned by now to keep secrets to himself.) He may not have been a true son of Ned Stark (Sean Bean), but the two of them shared a lot of the qualities that got Ned beheaded. In the end, Jon stepped up to the plate — with guidance from those closest to him — by fatally stabbing Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) for the good of the people. He then fittingly took his place as the leader of the Night’s Watch.
05. Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright)
The award for Most Changed Since Episode 1 probably goes to Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright), who wasn’t even technically Bran by the end. He’s gone from adorable, curious kid to eerie, weirdly calm Three-Eyed Raven, all-knowing and all-seeing guardian of humanity’s collective memories. His long journey north made him a master of his supernatural abilities, the creepy stare, and turning people’s words back on them with poetic irony. (“The things we do for love.”) After eight seasons of blood, sweat, and tears over who would sit on the Iron Throne, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) ultimately argued that Bran should be the new king, dubbing him Bran the Broken.
06. Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner)
If Sansa’s (Sophie Turner) evolution was less radical than her siblings’, it was no less invigorating to watch her progress. Sansa went to hell and back many times over, but the naïve, petulant Stark child emerged a strong, smart, politically and strategically adept woman. She got her revenge on those who made her suffer, and governed Winterfell with a steely resolve. While some argued that Sansa deserved to rule the Seven Kingdoms, she got a pretty compelling consolation prize as Queen of the North.
07. Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen)
Speaking of characters who went to hell and back, Theon (Alfie Allen) lost part of himself on his journey (ahem) and eventually lost all of himself, descending into the mindset of “Reek.” Slowly but surely, though, Theon re-emerged, eventually getting his shot at redemption several times over. He helped Sansa escape Ramsay Bolton’s (Iwan Rheon) clutches, rallied the Ironborn and rescued his sister, and finally went down valiantly protecting Bran from the Night King. He may have betrayed House Stark, but he atoned for his sins in the end.
08. Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage)
He may have gotten his start as a sex worker’s best customer, but Tyrion rose to become one of the few men actually fit to sit on the Iron Throne. He enjoyed the nitty-gritty business of governing more than almost anyone, and he was even good at it! Joining up with Daenerys in season 5 was (ironically, in the end) probably the best thing that could have happened to him. Through it all, Tyrion retained his piercing wit, his penchant for wine, and a loquacious tongue. He made a lot of mistakes, though, many of them borne out of faith in his sister’s humanity, which, dude, have you been paying attention? While he did his best to save his notorious siblings, Dany’s destruction did them in — alongside numerous innocents of King’s Landing — which led to Tyrion resigning as Hand of the Queen and advising Jon to step in and do something about her. Tyrion soon found his spot as the Hand of Bran.
