4) Daenerys Targaryen’s arc
THEY DID. MY GIRL. DIRTY.
Our silver-haired, dragon-riding QUEEN who began her journey in Westeros as a shy and obedient sister and emerged as a force of nature. Over the seasons, we saw Daenerys free slaves, take over cities, and, of course, give us all major pet envy with her three scaly, winged companions. But, much to our dislike, the penultimate episode of the show delivered a twist that dropped our jaws to the floor. Suddenly, our Breaker of Chains seemed to break from her senses, destroying King’s Landing and murdering civilians in a fiery display of power. While we did have a few glimpses of Dany’s steely resolve and potential for ruthlessness before this, this seemingly overnight transformation into Westeros’ Mad Queen left us wondering if we had missed something. Was this the natural result of everything she had been through before this, or did our beloved Khaleesi just have a really, really bad day? Or was it, you know, lazy writing?
Now, I’m all for character growth (or character descent, I suppose), but this twist felt forced and not very well thought-out. Many fans felt like they’d suffered a case of whiplash, arguing that while seeds of her fiery temper were sprinkled throughout the show, them blossoming into full-blown tyranny came out of left field. Whether you’re Team “Dany Did What Had to Be Done” or Team “That Escalated Quickly,” Daenerys Targaryen’s arc in Game of Thrones will be a hot topic for years to come.
5) Jaime Lannister’s arc
Jaime Lannister, the man with the golden hand and the king of character glow-ups. For years, we watched with bated breath as Jaime, once known mainly for his, erm, close relationship with his twin sister Cersei and that little incident involving a certain young Stark (baby Bran) and a window, slowly reshaped his character. With each passing episode, he seemed to be shedding that Lannister arrogance and becoming a better person. We cheered for his extremely brief and unfairly-ripped-from-our-hands romance with Brienne of Tarth, clapped as he stood up against his sister’s scheming, and genuinely believed that he was on the path to redemption.
And then, it happened.
Just when we thought Jaime had fully hopped onto the Good Guy Express, he pulled the brakes and did a U-turn straight back to Cersei’s arms. Why, though?? Their final embrace beneath the crumbling Red Keep left many fans reaching for the tissues, but not just because it was the end for the Lannister twins; it also felt like a backtrack on Jaime’s incredible journey.