Only Sansa Stark's character development makes sense during the Game of Thrones ending

HBO’s fantasy drama series Game of Thrones was on the way to cementing its legacy as the greatest series ever, until the final season in 2019, which left its critics and viewers divided with some rushed storytelling and the ordinary conclusion of certain main characters. While the series was once celebrated for its layered storytelling and shocking twists, its final season wasn’t up to its mark. Among the chaos, however, Sansa Stark’s journey remained consistent, hard-earned, and ultimately satisfying.

The anti-climactic end of Cersei and denying Arya her revenge

In Game of Thrones, Cersei was stripped of everything that made her fascinating and most talked about among the viewers in her final moments. Trapped in the Red Keep, she whimpered in fear as she died alongside Jaime beneath collapsing rubble. The character behind some of the most ruthless events in the series spends her dying moments with someone whom she deeply loved, which felt like a deeply unsatisfying conclusion for one of the show’s most iconic villains. 

Arya Stark spent years training to become Westeros’s deadliest assassin. She was driven by a kill list that defined her purpose, and Cersei’s name was on the list as well. Yet in the end, she abandoned her mission after just killing five names from the list and sails west of Westeros in a strangely detached finale. 

Arya’s arc would have been far stronger if she had killed Cersei, exacting revenge for her childhood tragedy, which involved watching her father’s beheading for treason he never committed, and also the murder of her mother and elder brother during the Red Wedding. 

The disappointing conclusion of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen

Throughout Game of Thrones, Jon Snow earned loyalty through bravery and empathy, and made his way in a world that had no place for bastards. Viewers watched him lead men into impossible battles, sacrifice himself for the greater good, and maintain his ideals no matter how difficult things got.

For such a character to merely kill Daenerys and then retreat north of the Wall felt like his story was rushed. The ending made his arc like any other mainstream hero character, who stayed the same even after going through a life full of trauma.

A twisted fate for the character in the series could have cemented him as the show’s most tragic figure and also maintained the suggestion that no one who took the iron throne was able to avoid turning evil. His grief and anger could have corrupted him, twisting the hero into the very thing he fought against.

The conclusion would have also made more sense given his heritage. Jon was not just a Stark, but secretly the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, hence also suggesting he had a stronger claim to the throne than Daenerys. That bloodline could have revealed a ruthless side buried beneath his honor, showing that even the noblest of men are not immune to the corruption of power.

Daenerys’ character arc was one of the most celebrated in Game of Thrones, as she went from a powerless exile to a liberator of the oppressed, becoming a symbol of hope for many. But her pivot into the “Mad Queen” during the sack of King’s Landing felt forced. Her descent into madness could have been gradual, marked by increasingly ruthless choices. A more elaborate confrontation between two of the major characters would have given both of them the weight their arcs deserved.

Bran Stark’s transformation left him disconnected

In Game of Thrones, Bran began as a curious and adventurous boy, until the accident which unraveled his visions and set him down the path of chasing the mysteries of the Three-Eyed Raven. His storyline once felt central to the plot, as he uncovered truths about the past, the White Walkers, and Jon Snow’s lineage. But once he fully transformed into Three-Eyed Raven, the character became less important than initially intended to be.

His transformation into a detached, robotic entity stripped him of personality, making his eventual coronation as King of Westeros feel hollow. After years of showcasing such colorful characters at the helm, letting Bran take over the iron throne felt unlike the series’ nature.

Why did Sansa Stark’s arc make the most sense?

The story of one of the Stark children, Sansa Stark, began as a naive girl, dreaming of a fairy-tale romance in King’s Landing. But through years of betrayal, manipulation, and survival, she eventually turns into a shrewd and resilient leader. When Sansa was crowned Queen in the North, it felt like her character had the most deserved ending out of all.

During the feast in the final season, Hound states that Sansa would not have faced all the horrors had she not left Winterfell. But Sansa acknowledges to the Hound that her experience made her wiser, or else she would have stayed a little girl all her life, encapsulating her journey from innocence to wisdom. Unlike other characters, her growth was consistent and respected the foundation laid across all eight seasons.

Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019, spanning eight seasons and 73 episodes. Its ensemble cast included Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, and Maisie Williams.

Game of Thrones remains one of the most acclaimed and awarded shows in television history, with 59 Primetime Emmy Awards. All episodes are available to stream on HBO Max in the United States.

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