And the meek shall inherit Westeros: How Game of Thrones celebrates reversals of fortune

THEON GREYJOY 1.0: DISPLACED WARD OF A FAILED FAMILY REBELLION AND A TORTURED IGOR

Poor Theon, with his suspect judgement and lousy luck. First he’s a ward of Eddard Stark, and though he’s treated well, he can never forget that he’s here because his father mounted a failed rebellion against the Iron Throne. He initially joins Robb Stark in his war against the Lannisters, but when sent to forge an alliance with his relatives on the Iron Islands, Theon betrays Robb and joins his father’s sparkly new rebellion. While the Stark forces are away down south, Theon is successful in capturing the exposed Winterfell, but his Ironborn soldiers don’t respect his repeated bungles and end up handing him over to the sadistic Ramsay Bolton, who tortures Theon until all that is left of him is a submissive scrap of a man named Reek.

THEON GREYJOY 2.0: RECOVERY OF SELF AND CO-COMMANDER OF THE IRON FLEET

Theon begins to escape the hold Ramsay has on him when Sansa Stark arrives at Winterfell. Though in the beginning he cannot act to help Sansa, in the end Theon saves her from a jealous Myranda and takes a leap off faith with her off the walls of Winterfell while Ramsay is busy slaughtering the forces of Stannis Baratheon. He then helps Sansa flee the castle until they are rescued from the pursuing Bolton soldiers by Brienne of Tarth and Podrick. Finally, something has gone right for him.

Theon returns home to his sister Yara and does his best to help her become the new leader of the Ironborn. Thwarted by their homicidal Euron Greyjoy, Theon and Yara escape with a (relatively) small fleet of ships and head for Meereen. While en route, Yara demands that Theon snap out of his Reek persona or kill himself, and it appears that Theon recovers. We’ll see how long that lasts.

As brother and sister in command of the Greyjoy Iron Fleet, Yara and Theon join Daenerys Targaryen’s armada, hoping to ride her conquest of Westeros to a seat on the Salt Throne.

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