The 50 most iconic looks from Game of Thrones

Melisandre’s sacrifice dress (season 5)

It’s rare to see Melisandre without her sweeping pure red cloak, but Game of Thrones fans do get a bit of different look from her in “The Dance of Dragons,” the episode during which she convinces Stannis to burn his own daughter alive. And given that Shireen’s sacrifice is supposed to be in the name of the Red God, it’s an interesting choice to have her change up her Red Priestess garb in this moment.

Instead, Melisandre opts for a sweeping black dress with red embroidery — keeping some of her religion’s signature colors in there while accentuating them with the color of mourning. But her choice to wear mostly black isn’t only a sign that she’s mourning the Baratheon princess. It also suggests that she’s grieving her dying faith.

As many fans have pointed out, Melisandre’s choice to burn Shireen doesn’t feel as much an act of faith as it does an act of desperation. The Red Woman no longer knows if she’s made the right choices, and she’s beginning to question herself. The sacrifice is a last-ditch attempt to prove that Stannis is in fact the Prince That Was Promised, securing his victory over House Bolton — which, of course, doesn’t happen.

And it isn’t just her clothing that’s lacking her usual vivid red tones. Even her hair looks darker than usual in the lighting of this scene, an effect that’s likely intentional. The red hues don’t provide the certainly they once did.