SPOILERS AHEAD
I have been debating the ending of Game of Thrones with my friends all morning. Do we all love that Bran is King? Nope. Should Jon be banished beyond the wall? Maybe not. Should the writers have given in to the Jaime and Brienne stans just to break Ser Brienne's heart? Definitely not. But there are some characters in the last season that met a satisfying end. Hint Cersei is not one of them. (I mean rocks? Come on!)
Before I start going through the characters who I believe had good endings just know these are only my opinions. Please don't come at me with pitch forks if you disagree - let's discuss and be friendly. Now onto the good stuff.
Theon Greyjoy.
Photo credit: Alfie Allen
I will never forgive Bran for not preventing the death of Theon. Let's be honest here, if he travelled all the way from Winterfell because he knew he would be King he could've told Theon to move aside for a few seconds before Arya kills the Night King. You can tell I'm not over this death and I probably never will be. However, Theon did have a satisfying end purely looking at his character arc.
At the beginning he was arrogant. Then he betrayed the Starks and killed two farm boys. Ramsey Bolton then arrived to steal his manhood and break him down so he was Reek. Sansa resurrected Theon who, from here on out, fought to set things right with his adopted family. His character's journey throughout Game of Thrones has been thrilling and satisfying to watch. Alfie Allen portrayed him in such empathetic ways that even when he was turning evil some sympathy was left with viewers. His ending was wrapped up nicely, Bran forgave him and Sansa saw him as a Stark.
You're a good man Theon.
Sansa Stark.
Photo credit: Sophie Turner
The most powerful female transformation throughout the series. Sansa went from needing the South and wanting to marry Joffrey (what a performance by Jack Gleeson) to freeing the North and becoming its Queen. The show has come under fire for how Sansa's trauma has been perceived as a way in which Sansa became empowered, which I thought was wrong of the writers to focus upon. Yes her being mistreated by Joffrey and Ramsey led to her bad ass revenge in effectively killing Ramsey. But her leadership role developed from other sources. Her tutelage from Littlefinger - a horrible man who also mistreated her but he was clever and cunning, qualities she learned from him and thanked him for before she had him executed.
In addition, her relationship with her family has brought a ferocious protective quality. For all The Starks have suffered is the pure reason she wants control of the North. For Ned, Catelyn, Robb and Rickon. Preserving her family and its name was the true motivations for Sansa and her coronation was the most triumphant ending for a character throughout the entire series.
Arya Stark.
Photo credit: Helen Stills
I spoke in my last blog post about how Arya is one of the biggest characters to have obliterated stereotypes in the series. She is the savior of men. Her ending (although I would have loved to have seen Gendry give up his title and follow her) of sailing off to explore, something she expressed she wanted in season 6, was perfect. It also sets up the potential for Maisie Williams to have her own spin-off show, something many fans would tune in to.
The Hound.
Photo credit: Helen Stills
Not much to say here. One of the shows most underrated characters, his relationship with Arya was both comical and touching. His end, finally enacting the revenge he's wanted to do since the beginning of season 1, had me in floods of tears. Especially as he chose to dive into fire to do it. What a character - one the writers did not damage throughout season 8, he stayed true to his character throughout.
Greyworm.
Photo credit: Helen Stills
Last but never least is Greyworm. I was on the edge of tears for Dany's death but Greyworm's last bit of dialogue is what set me off. All the characters we have seen him grow to love and bond with have died. All he has left in the world are his soldiers. What does he decide to do with them? Fulfill a promise that he made to Missandei earlier in the season. the act of true unbreakable love broke my heart in two. Greyworm will never now have a happy ending, something that other characters may achieve due to how the writers left their stories. Greyworm will never have his and so decides to go and protect Missandei's people. Purely beautiful and so touching.
I know many of you would have hated some of these endings and loved others, let me know what you thought! But now it is time to say goodbye to Game of Thrones, here's hoping an equally brilliant show comes along soon or us all to obsess over.
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