Game of Thrones creators name which characters have changed the most

With Game of Thrones coming to an end, the cast and crew have been doing plenty of reflecting on the progression of the series as a whole. Actors from previous seasons have discussed their experiences on the show in numerous interviews, and even Sean Bean returned to give his two cents on the big finale. From their recounts, one thing is certainly clear: The series has come a long way since its first season, and so have its many characters.

Since the pilot episode, fans have seen Jaime Lannister go from one of the most hated, heartless characters to one with a compelling and sympathetic redemption arc. They’ve seen Daenerys go from a helpless young girl to a powerful, fear-inducing queen, and they’ve witnessed Cersei venture from being a pretty bad person with redeeming qualities to “Mad Queen” status. Oh, and that’s not to mention all the characters who have gone from very much alive to very, very dead…

But during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discussed the character they believe has changed the most since season one: Sansa Stark. And to be fair, Sansa has been through quite a lot since she set out for King’s Landing, and she’s endured all of it with an impressive amount of grace.

“She started out so naive and was forced to undergo the most brutal possible education into the world but emerged from it and became this powerful figure and kind of against all odds,” Benioff said. “I don’t think too many people watching the first season had any expectation that Sansa would become the woman that she became.”

Benioff credited not just the story for Sansa’s development, but also actor Sophie Turner, who has done a stunning job capturing the character’s struggles. “We knew when we cast Sophie that she was this really good child actor, but we had no idea she’d become the force that she’s become,” Benioff concluded. Weiss agreed with Benioff’s assessment, though he did shout out Bran Stark for his massive transition from precocious child to time-traveling clairvoyant.

Samwell Tarly is another character who’s come a long way. During the season eight premiere, he finally breaks the news about Jon’s heritage to his friend, and according to actor Jon Bradley, Sam isn’t done surprising fans just yet.

“I think with Sam, what you’re going to see is just one step further in his progression, one step away from the character that we met in season one,” Bradley said in an interview with the Golden Globe Awards YouTube channel. “And every year he’s been developing so quickly and so dramatically. He’s never the same person. None of these characters are the same from episode one to episode ten of any season that’s gone before, and I think that Sam is progressing more dramatically than any of them.”

While we’re not sure we can agree that Sam has progressed the most dramatically of all the characters, we’re excited to see what the rest of the series brings for him.

Bella Ramsey, who plays Lyanna Mormont — a character who, unlike Sam, has known her worth from the very beginning — was less forthcoming with what fans can expect from her character in an interview with The Cut, although she did share what she’ll miss about playing Lady Mormont with The Cut:

"I think the opportunity to stand up in front of a load of grown men and shame them. I think playing confident characters also helps with your own confidence. Say you’re in a situation where you’re feeling anxious or nervous—you can become a character and work through it that way."

Perhaps Sam should give Ramsey’s method a try sometime. In fact, maybe the viewers should too; we’re all going to need confidence and strength to get through the final episodes.

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