Game of Thrones certainly took fans and viewers on a journey over the course of its eight seasons. Regardless of how people felt about the final season, it cannot be disputed that every character had been given some sort of story progression, for better or worse.
With the first episode airing in 2011 and the show finishing in 2019, it was only natural that the characters would grow and change in appearance with the actors in real life. However, most of them still managed to have character progression beyond simple appearance. Some of the character arcs did have U-turns towards the end of the show, but it doesn't change the fact that everyone seemed to have a roller coaster of a journey in the world of Game of Thrones.
11 Brienne's Values Rarely Changed Or Wavered But She Did Eventually Get The Recognition She Deserved
Brienne of Tarth was introduced as a bodyguard for Renly Baratheon as a hulking woman who showed unwavering loyalty. Renly's death prompted her to join Catelyn Stark, and later the likes of Jaime Lannister and Sansa Stark.
Although her master changed, her conviction and loyalty were unwavering. By the end of Game of Thrones, Brienne was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, a satisfying conclusion to a beloved character's story, but despite her enduring many horrors over the course of the show, she was still strong-willed and frequently displayed her loyalty, honor, and sense of justice.
10 Cersei's Scheming Was Consistent & Ultimately Cost Her Everything
Cersei's scandalous secrets and schemes were what catapulted tensions and conflict between the houses into the stratosphere, and her evil intentions didn't stop there until the very end of the show.
She eventually became the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms outright, but she had lost her family in the process. Her ruthless nature and various delusions resulted in her antagonizing Daenerys, which ultimately spelled her own doom. Cersei ultimately stayed one of the show's most despised villains throughout, even if her levels of scheming and plotting fluctuated somewhat.
9 Samwell Tarly Found A Newfound Bravery & Purpose By The End Of The Series
Samwell Tarly was introduced as a helpless new recruit for the Night's Watch, not capable of anything due to his cowardice and clumsy nature. Sam quickly became good friends with Jon, which stood him in good stead when Jon rose to eventually become the Lord Commander.
Sam found love and something to live for with a Wildling named Gilly and her child Sam, and he found a new purpose in life when he was sent to the Citadel to train as a Maester. Sam was responsible for telling Jon the truth about his heritage and ended the series as Grand Maester for King Bran. He was still a coward in terms of fighting but he had found a true purpose and thing he excelled at.
8 Jon Was Lost At Both The Beginning & The End, But Went On An Incredible Roller Coaster Of A Journey
Jon went through a lot emotionally, mentally, and physically throughout Game of Thrones. He was bullied and shunned somewhat for being a Stark without the name, prompting him to seek the Wall and the Night's Watch for a new destiny. There he went beyond the Wall, fell in love with a Wildling, watched that Wildling die in his arms, dealt with mutinies, invasions, and the White Walkers, even dying along the way.
After being resurrected by Lady Melisandre, Jon left his post as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, reunited with various family members, and retook Winterfell from the despicable Ramsay Bolton. Jon aligned with Daenerys to fight Cersei and the White Walkers, and discovered his true heritage and destiny as the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. After being forced to kill Daenerys, Jon was forced to live out his life beyond the Wall with no real purpose or sense of belonging, similar to how he was at the start, despite the journey he had endured.
7 Tyrion Served Multiple Rulers But Kept His Charm & Wit Consistent Throughout
Initially, Tyrion loved to abuse his power as a Lannister, but he got to see the whole world and multitudes of different people over the course of Game of Thrones. It certainly changed him into one of the show's most beloved characters.
Tyrion served as Hand to two kings and a queen, in Joffrey, Bran, and Daenerys, a role that he was evidently born to do, as it allowed him to apply his knowledge, strategy, charisma, and diplomacy. Ultimately, Tyrion distanced himself from the Lannister name and was the only member of the family to survive, serving and thriving in a new regime by the end of the show.
6 Theon Went Through A Lot Emotionally, Mentally, & Physically, Ultimately Dying To Earn His Redemption
Theon's Game of Thrones journey was a harrowing one that saw his character thrown all over the place, physically, mentally, and morally. Initially a ward of the Starks and essentially a part of their family, Theon jumped at the chance to try and regain favor with his father and the Greyjoys, which saw him betray the Starks, taking Winterfell and forcing Rickon and Bran away from their home.
Theon was captured, tortured and mutilated by Ramsay Bolton, broken down to nothing and reformed as a pitiful character named Reek. Reek eventually sought redemption by saving Sansa and his sister Yara, despite still showcasing signs of his fear and cowardice. In the Battle of Winterfell in the show's final season, Theon sacrificed himself protecting Bran Stark, earning him redemption whether he deserved it or not.
5 Jaime Had Redeemed Himself Before Undoing It All For Love
Jaime underwent one of the most drastic character arcs of the show, from being the detestable arrogant soldier whose shocking secret essentially started all of the conflict that lasted the entire series, to being one of the most loved characters among fans.
Jaime's character, values, and outlook on life changed vastly, not to mention him losing a hand along the way, changing how he faired in battle, but his love for Cersei stayed strong until the very end.
4 Daenerys Was Once A Powerless Gift Wife To A Khal, But Eventually Became A Powerful Queen With Dragons
Daenerys started the first season being offered to Khal Drogo as a wife prize by her own brother, but as she learned to love and embrace the Dothraki life and culture, she began her unprecedented rise to power, surpassing Viserys.
She stayed away from her inevitable vengeful journey over to Westeros for a long time, first learning how to become a ruler of the people, with her liberating the likes of Meereen. Daenerys eventually flew over to Westeros with her three dragons and hordes of followers, from many different walks of life. Her fights with Cersei escalated and saw her lose two of her dragons and several of her friends, which fueled her descent into madness. Jon Snow had to put an end to her madness, as she had come way too far from powerless beginnings to powerful Khaleesi and almost-ruler of Westeros.
3 Arya Started As a Mischievous Little Girl But Turned Into A Full-On Killer
Arya started the series as a little mischievous girl who wanted to do everything that the boys did, the polar opposite of her sister Sansa. Witnessing her father Ned Stark's beheading saw her rescued and taken away by Yoren, setting her on a path of vengeance taking her far away from King's Landing.
She ended up learning the ways of the Faceless Men and becoming a dangerous assassin, gradually marking names off from her vengeance kill list. By the end of Game of Thrones, Arya had marked off most of the names from her list, even killing the Night King and setting off once again for unknown adventures aplenty. Her thirst for adventure was still there from the beginning, but she was a completely changed person.
2 Sansa's Harrowing Experiences Molded Her into A Hardened Leader
Sansa Stark was the opposite of her sister Arya, with her longing for and looking forward to her responsibilities as the pretty daughter of a lord. Despite initially being excited about the prospect of marrying Joffrey Baratheon and being the future Queen, she quickly came to regret and lament the following series of events as it ultimately set her up for a life of torment.
Sansa ended up having to marry Tyrion as Margaery replaced her in Joffrey's favor, and was later even married off to the Boltons, and the despicable Ramsay Bolton. Sansa had to endure such horrors that it eventually molded her into a cynical leader, with her even becoming the Queen of the North by the time the series came to an end, in a pretty incredible rise to power.
1 Bran Went From Ned Stark's Little Boy With Youthful Enthusiasm To King Of Westeros
Bran started Game of Thrones as a curious little boy who loved to climb and explore, but being pushed out of the tower window by Jaime Lannister changed his life, restricting his immediate capabilities and altering his direction in life. Becoming paralyzed and unable to walk set him on a path of relying on others to help him fulfill his destiny.
As he got separated from his family, he began his transition towards becoming the next Three-Eyed Raven. When he eventually inherited this power, he began to lose his identity as Bran Stark, instead becoming this all-knowing all-seeing entity. His sight revealed the truth and sealed the fates of many, such as exposing Littlefinger's secrets and the truth about Jon Snow's true heritage. Bran was even named as the new King of Westeros at the end of the series, a fate that he supposedly knew was his true destiny all along.
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