Surprising Female Characters in Game of Thrones

This past week, I made it my top priority to sit down and watch all three seasons of Game of Thrones.

Why my sudden interest in Game of Thrones? About two weeks ago, everybody on every social media I pay attention to was talking about the ‘Red Wedding.’ I thought it had to be pretty major, seeing as my favorite movie reviewers and my friends who watched the show couldn’t stop talking about it. It had such a backlash throughout the Game of Thrones community that CollegeHumor made a parody of how the show’s creator, George R.R. Martin, responded to the fans of the show.

Ladies of Westeros

Unable to listen to anyone talk about it without spoiling it for myself, I decided to see what everyone was talking about.

The result? Awe, disgust, fascination and heartache. As amazing and wonderfully complex this series is, I am now very interested in checking out the show’s source material.

One of the aspects I love about Game of Thrones is its incorporation of strong female characters within the backdrop of medieval sexism and jezebel culture. The women are smart, cunning, brave and independent thinkers who have their own reasons for the choices they make.

Game of Thrones is definitely a show geared towards a male audience, which explains the numerous sex scenes and naked women. I cringed upon my first viewing of the show because of those scenes, but they happened so often that I became desensitized to them.

If you’re a woman who can’t stomach that type of depiction of women, then Game of Thrones may not be for you. However, you might want to stick around for Game of Thrones’ main female characters. I will be discussing my favorite ladies of Westeros and their surprising roles in a male-dominated series.

In Game of Thrones, you’re introduced to the Stark family, so I’ll start with the Stark women. (I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but I can’t promise anything.)

Catelyn Stark

The wife of Eddard Stark and Lady of Winterfell– a kingdom in the far north of Westeros–Catelyn is a loving mother of four and her husband’s bastard son. However, all of this changes when her husband and two daughters leave for King’s Landing in the south and one of her sons suffers an injury.

Fearing for the safety of her family, Catelyn blossoms into the proverbial woman that will risk everything to protect her husband and children.

In all three seasons of Game of Thrones, we witness the slow but steady transformation of a woman who just wanted her husband to stay in Winterfell where he belonged. Despite the changes, Catelyn never loses her sense of femininity and remains a truly strong female character that fights for what she believes in.

Arya Stark

Youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark, Arya is one of the few women of Westeros who isn’t infatuated with the idea of becoming a ‘Lady.’

A young girl who is quick to tease her sister about her fantastical whims, Arya rejects the expected social norms for women of Westeros and would rather spend her time perfecting her swordplay than do needlework like her elder sister. Ironically, Arya named her first sword, given to her by her half-brother, ‘Needle’, not only for its thin shape but also for her hatred of needlework.

As the Stark family deteriorates throughout the series, Arya has to put her tomboyish ways to good use as the world falls around her. Always on the edge of danger, Arya strips herself of her high title to survive in a world that seems to seek the blood of the Starks.  As a young girl who witnesses her first tragedy way too soon, Arya understands that the world is cruel and that innocent notions of that world will quickly send you to an early grave.

The growth Arya experiences in Game of Thrones is sadly mirrored through her growing ardor for revenge. However, her survival tactics will have you rooting for her as she tries to get back to her family.

Daeynerys Targaryen

Sister of Viserys Targaryen and daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen, Daeynerys Targaryen starts off as a timid and obedient woman that always did what her brother commanded of her.

In an effort to reclaim the throne that was taken from their father by King Robert Baratheon, Daeynerys is used as a pawn in her brother’s quest to obtain an army and cross the Narrow Sea to the seven kingdoms of Westeros.

Despite her meek beginnings, Daeynerys soon finds a voice and realizes her brother wasn’t the man she thought he was. Becoming stronger and more self-confident, Daeynerys realized that if she wanted to sit on the iron throne, she would have to take it for herself.

The journey she takes through Game of Thrones is an interesting one indeed. As she gets closer to her goal, Daeynerys has earned herself many names: Khaleesi, Mhysa, and her most notable title, Mother of Dragons.

Margaery Tyrell

Former wife of King Renly Baratheon and betrothed to King Joffrey Baratheon, Margaery is a woman hell-bent on becoming the future Queen of the seven kingdoms of Westeros.

From the moment she first appeared in the series, it was obvious she was cunning, manipulative, and knew how to get what she wanted. After losing her first husband, she became betrothed to King Joffrey as an alliance tactic between the Tyrells and the Lannisters, a very wealthy and influential family in Westeros.

Margaery quickly became educated on the kind of man King Joffrey is in order to make him fall in love with her, even if she may not reciprocate those feelings. She becomes friends with Sansa Stark, older sister of Arya Stark and daughter of Catelyn Stark, who was previously promised to King Joffrey. She also ensures her popularity among the people of King’s Landing so that she will be well-loved when she becomes queen.

A clever woman who never loses sight of her goal, Margaery Tyrell is by far one of the most interesting and complex women in Game of Thrones.