Game of Thrones show-runners on which character has changed the most

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

The battle for Westeros has brought change to just about every character on Game of Thrones, and those who are still alive have undergone quite the journey since the beginnings of the HBO series. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Game of Thrones show-runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were asked which character has experienced the most growth and change.

"Sansa," declared Benioff. "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. I don’t think too many people watching the first season had any expectation that Sansa would become the woman that she became. And part of that is the story and part of that is Sophie Turner and the phenom she turned out to be as an actress. 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’s she’s become. So if I had to pick one, I’d pick Sansa." Weiss agreed, but added that Bran Stark, lord of the creepy staredown, is a possible contender as well. What do you folks think? If not Sansa, which Game of Thrones character have experienced the greatest change since the first episode?

Now that the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones has officially begun, it honestly feels quite strange that there are only five more episodes left until it's all over. Will the Army of the Living triumph over the Army of the Dead? Who will sit upon the Iron Throne when all is said and done? It brings to mind that classic TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE poster tagline – "Who will survive and what will be left of them?" Whatever happens, you can bet that the audience watching it unfold will be huge. Last Sunday's premiere drew 17.4 million viewers across all platforms, a mighty impressive number, especially for a premium cable channel.

Getting back to Sansa, one notable change from the early seasons of Game of Thrones is her improved relationship with her sister. Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, recently teased that this final season will find the two sisters more united than ever before.

It’s not often you see a character siding with Sansa who’s not manipulating her. Last season it was really tough for Sansa because Jon was thinking with his penis and it kind of made Sansa look bitter. This season you see Arya teaming with Sansa and sometimes calling out Jon. It felt nice and powerful to stand next to Sophie. Sophie and I are the tightest of friends when sitting across from anyone, so no acting required.

The second episode of Game of Thrones is just days away, and will deal with the fallout of Jaime Lannister's (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) arrival at Winterfell. Considering that his character killed Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) father, pushed Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) out a window, and numerous other misdeeds, I'm wondering if Jaime has changed enough to escape death once again.