Top 10 Moments by Game of Thrones Women (So Far)

The Game of Thrones women are in a world which is hardly kind to them. But in spite of all the hardships, George R.R. Martin still crafts a story in which the fairer sex triumph.

In honour of both International Women’s Day on March 8th, as well as Season 5 coming on April 12th, let’s look at some of the times where the ladies stole the show.

SPOILERS WARNING!
This article contains spoilers for up to the finale of season 4 as well as the 5th book. Proceed at your own risk.

#10: Genna Lannister – Telling It Like It Is

Art source: http://kethryn.deviantart.com/

While this is a book character that may not be seen on the show, she’s a fun character nonetheless. As Tywin Lannister’s sister and wife to one of the countless Freys, one can only imagine how much sass this woman is capable of. We get a sample of what she can do when Jaime visits her during A Feast For Crows, in which he tries to offer protection in the late Tywin’s stead. Genna’s reply is… unique, to say the least:

“Jaime, sweetling, I have known you since you were a babe at Joanna‘s breast … but Tyrion is Tywin’s son, not you. I said so once to your father’s face, and he would not speak to me for half a year.” (AFFC, chapter 33, Jaime POV)

A rare sort of woman indeed.

#9: Cersei Lannister – The Battle of Blackwater

source: http://gameoflaughs.tumblr.com/

The Queen Regent is certainly a polarizing character. Difficult to like as she is, she remains one of the most complicated characters on the show. Whether we like it or not, she can be pretty damn sympathetic. While she does leave us waiting for karma to hit her like a truck, The Battle of Blackwater Bay is where she steals the show.

While the men are outside hacking each other to pieces, Cersei casually calls out all the bullshit that exists in the patriarchal Westerosi society, and pulls off some genius manipulation of both the men and women around her. All while drunk off her ass and sporting a gold corset.

#8: Arya Stark – Avenging Her Brother

Source: http://thefictiondiaries.blogspot.ca/

By the time the younger Stark girl reaches season 4, she’s about 13 years old and already a more determined, efficient killer than most of the grown-ass men in the series. Following the Red Wedding, we’re given a look at what she does to the guys who killed her brother Robb. By stealing The Hound’s knife and straight-up stabbing a guy twice her size. And people say my temper is bad.

#7: Melisandre – From Asshai to Dragonstone

What makes the Red Woman interesting is that we’re given limited information on her story, but she’s so much more than just a “mysterious woman” stereotype. What we do know about her is this: she went from being a little slave girl  to the right hand-woman of one of the Iron Throne’s contenders. One that maybe even has the most legitimate claim, to boot. Whether it’s the creepy Shadow Baby or the Leech Ritual, every strategic victory Stannis has achieved can be credited to her. Who says his defeat at Blackwater, a battle where he left her behind at Dragonstone, was simply a coincidence?

#6: Margaery Tyrell – Best Queen

This clever girl from Highgarden is a unique woman. She actually appears to have leadership skills and outwardly expresses care for the common people in King’s Landing on numerous occasions. Her manipulation of Joffrey with false romance is simply hilarious, but when she truly won hearts was when she stood up to Cersei’s lunacy in the episode ‘Oathkeeper’. This may be the first time in the whole series where someone’s been able to successfully corner the slippery Lannister woman.

#5: Daenerys Targaryen – The Sack of Astapor

Dany’s story is full of trial and error in her quest to return home, avenge her family and take back the Iron Throne. She struggles to control the dragons she famously mothered, and she’s faced with treachery at every turn. But where things start coming up Targaryen is during season 3, when she acquires her Unsullied army. Using her wits, her compassion, and one of her dragons, she turns the tables on the slave master Kraznys and turns him into an ash pile before laying siege to the masters with her army of newly-freed men. It is during this scene that we see both her kindness to her people, as well as her ferocity towards the unjust. She’s more than just a pretty face with dragons.

#4: Sansa Stark – Character Growth

Source: http://doctaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.tumblr.com/

During the early seasons of Game of Thrones, you were hard-pressed to find Sansa fans. But now that we’ve watched her adapt and evolve as a person, there are a lot more people in her corner, this author included. She’s ditched her complaining for playing politics, and by the time she reaches The Vale with Littlefinger, she can spin even the most precarious situations to her advantage. She’s not afraid to smack around the bratty Robin Arryn, whom behaves an awful lot like Sansa’s former self. This girl has come a long way since daydreaming at Winterfell.

#3: Brienne of Tarth – Bye Bye, Hound

The face-off between these two giants was a pretty unabashed departure from book canon. In the books, Sandor Clegane rather symbolically allows a wound to fester until it gets the better of him. But don’t be fooled into thinking that his ass-kicking from Brienne is just an action scene to entertain the masses. When they do battle, it is also their ideologies that clash. The Hound is a determined pessimist, and we watch as he gets punched off a cliff by an unwavering idealist. It helps drive Brienne’s character by giving her a small victory, and considering how bleak Game of Thrones can be, it’s a nice touch to have a good guy win.

#2: The Queen of Thorns – Doing Anything Ever

Seriously, it is impossible to pick just one moment for this amazing woman. She out-sasses Tywin Lannister in every scene they have together. She kills Joffrey on the sly. She’s working at putting her badass granddaughter on the Throne. She wants her cheese when she goddamn wants it, which is now.  If you need to know whom the real hero of the series is, look no further.

#1: Ygritte – Her Wonderful, Important Catchphrase

Source: http://phoebebuffay.tumblr.com/

If you know nothing else about Game of Thrones, you probably still know this expression. In five little words, this fiesty Wildling can poke holes in the Northern bastard’s self-confidence. When she left this world during the Battle of Castle Black, it was these words on her lips rather than sweet goodbyes. Most characters in this series stay dead when they die, but her words haunt Jon after she passes. He even second-guesses himself through out A Dance With Dragons to the point of serious neuroses. And what makes her truly stand out is that she fights, and dies for, a freedom taken for granted by all the rest on this list.

Are there any of your favourite parts from the Game of Thrones ladies that weren’t on the list? Have at it in the comments!