What The “Game Of Thrones” Cast Looked Like In The First Season Versus The Final Season
Over nine years and eight seasons, audiences watched the cast of Game of Thrones grow up, change, and meet their fatal ends right before our eyes. Some of them changed so much that we can hardly recognize them in season eight.
Continue reading to see how these Game of Thrones characters transformed from the beginning of the series to the end.
Theon Greyjoy
Theon is one of those characters you love to hate but simultaneously feel a little bit bad for.
Even in later seasons, deciding if you like Theon is hard. On the one hand, he was instrumental in saving Sansa from Ramsay. On the other hand, he left his sister to die on that ship to save himself.
Daenerys Targaryen
Played by Emilia Clarke, Daenerys Targaryen became a fan favorite as we've watched her grow from an insecure girl married off to Khal Drogo, to a queen in her own right.
In season eight, she was paired up with her lover, Jon Snow, to defeat the White Walkers. She swapped out her usual feminine dresses for a warmer coat.
Jamie Lannister
Audiences have had a difficult love-hate relationship with Jaime Lannister. In season one, he was a selfish Lannister who was in a relationship with his sister and pushed Bran out of a tower window.
Over time, we've watched him develop a little bit of a moral compass.
Brienne Of Tarth
We first met Brienne of Tarth in season two, but she's since been one of the few honorable people in all of Westeros.
She's definitely the person you want by your side when fighting the Army of the Undead.
Jon Snow
Jon Snow, played by Kit Harrington, didn't really change physically over the years, but his role in saving Westeros definitely did.
In season one, he was simply an unwanted child with beautifully curly hair destined to spend eternity with the Night's Watch. In season eight, with his hair in a Man Bun, he was ready to be King of the North.
Tyrion Lannister
The change from season one to season eight for Tyrion means gaining independence and power.
During his time, Tyrion has been married to Sansa, put on trial by his lover, and shot his father with a crossbow while he was on the toilet. In the final season, he served as Hand to Queen Daenerys.
Arya Stark
After watching her father get beheaded, becoming a Faceless Man, and starting a bakeshop with Hot Pie, Arya Stark has finally returned home to rule the north with her sister and brothers.
She's been through a lot, but at her core, Arya was the same little girl we saw in season one. The revenge-driven tomboy has always been feisty. Even in the first season, she was learning how to fight, even if it was with a wooden sword and not her trusty sidekick, Needle.
Cersei Lannister
One of the most hated characters in the series hasn't changed much over the years. Well, except for the one detail of having her hair chopped off and getting shamed through the streets of King's Landing.
Since that experience, Cersei (somehow) turned even more evil and became a force to reckon with. In season 8, she was Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, willing to stop at nothing to keep getting revenge on basically everyone in Westeros.
Sansa Stark
Sansa, played by Sophie Turner, has had one of the most interesting character developments in the show. In season one, she was dead set on being the proper Stark woman, being married off to a powerful man, and spending her days doing cross stitch.
She had a rough go with various suitors — being married to both Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton would give you serious PTSD — but she has come out on the other side as the headstrong Lady of Winterfell.
Bran Stark
We had a lot of hopes for the second-youngest Stark boy in the first season. So sweet, so innocent.
Then he was pushed out of a tower, broke his legs, watched most of his family die before his eyes, was dragged across the North, and eventually became the Three-Eyed Raven.
Robb Stark
Robb Stark is the eldest son of Eddard Stark and is the heir to Winterfell. However, after his father is taken captive in King's Landing, Robb decides to call his house's bannermen and declare war, marching down south to save his father.
After a series of decisive victories, he is named King in the North by the men he leads. He then marries a woman he loves, breaking a vow he made to another lord. He and his army are then slaughtered at a wedding by the lord he broke his vow to, leaving the North in shambles.
The Hound
Sandor Clegane started out the series as the personal bodyguard for Joffrey Baratheon, and over time has shown he increasingly follows a moral code. The Hound's travels with Arya, the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Tyrion show that he's really not as bad as we thought he was.
After an epic fight with Brienne of Tarth, everyone thought the Hound was dead. Nope, in the final season, The Hound is on a mission to stop the Army of the Dead.
Ser Davos Seaworth
Ser Davos has probably changed the least since we met him in season two. That suspecting side-eye has stayed with us for over seven seasons, and we're so glad it has. Davos is one of the few people in Westeros with a stable mind and who doesn't get caught up in power. He's just trying to do the right thing.
For a while, the right thing was being Stannis Baratheon's right hand man but in the last season, Davos saw the light and joined forces with Jon Snow.
Lord Varys
Most rookie Game of Thrones fans can agree that we never expected Lord Varys to last this long. When we first met the Spider in season one, he was masquerading quite effectively in the King's court alongside other manipulators like Littlefinger.
Varys lasted so long in the show because his allegiance has long been with Daenerys. His one change from happy-colored robes to robes of mourning meant that even he knew something bad was coming.
Melisandre
The Red Woman wields the power of the Lord of Light and has done some pretty influential things in her time with that power. When we first met Melisandre in season two, she was Stannis Baratheon's right-hand woman. She had so much influence that she even convinced him to burn his own daughter at the stake.
After Stannis' death, Melisandre managed to make us all forget about the whole child-burning-thing by bringing Jon Snow back to life and pledging herself to him.
Benjen Stark
If you completely forgot about Benjen Stark in season one, we don't blame you. We were all so young and naive during the first season to know how important Benjen would be later on. The younger brother of Ned Stark just seemed like a throwaway character who taught Jon Snow the ways of the Night's Watch.
In season six, he returned to our lives when he saved Bran and Meera from North of the Wall, and then again in season seven when he gave his life to save Jon Snow.
Samwell Tarly
While Samwell Tarly's only major change over the seasons is that he's learned how to slick back his hair with dragon grease, we've watched him grow with confidence over the years. After meeting Jon Snow in the Night's Watch, he's finally found his place in life as a budding Maester.
Samwell even stood up to his father in season seven in defense of his girlfriend Gilly, which made us all swoon.
Yara Greyjoy
We first met Yara Greyjoy in season two and from the start, you could tell she was a strong-willed woman that would factor in later on. Her brother Theon mistakes her as a commoner and after realizing who it was, realized she's a stronger leader for House Greyjoy than he'll ever be.
That comes back to factor in later on when Yara and Theon join forces against their tyrannical uncle Euron.
Missandei
A slave when audiences met her, Missandei quickly became one of Daenerys' confidants and her translator when all the slaves of Astapor were freed. For most of the seasons, Missandei has stood faithfully at Daenerys' side and is often shown bringing out the more private side of her queen.
Over time, Missandei has gained more independence and confidence, even sparking up a romance with the Commander of the Unsullied Army, Grey Worm.
Grey Worm
Missandei's unlikely lover Grey Worm was introduced in season three. He's the named Commander of the Unsullied Army and, well, he's just as strict and rigid as when Daenerys first met him.
The character has always remained loyal to the queen who freed the army from Astapor but over four seasons has grown his personality. His love story with Missandei allowed him to learn the common language and share more about his background.
Gilly
Gilly has gained a bad reputation from fans over the years but she's certainly grown a lot since we met her in season two. She's one of the many daughters (and wives, ew) of Free Folk leader Crastor. She managed to escape and is saved by Samwell, where the two start a relationship.
Gilly grows a lot over the seasons. Transforming from a quiet, unsure Free Folk woman to eventually learning to read and fight alongside Samwell.
Euron Greyjoy
The uncle of Yara and Theon Greyjoy makes a brief appearance in season one but it isn't until season six that we get a real taste for how terrible he is. Euron essentially pronounces himself king of the Iron Islands over his brother Balon and begins plans to strike down his niece Yara.
Euron is one of those characters that you forgot how evil he can be. By season seven, he had fully betrayed his family, captured Yara, and joined forces with Cersei.
Margaery Tyrell
People can forget just how powerful Margaery Tyrell was in some major Game of Thrones plot lines. When we first met her in season two, she was completely in the know about her husband Renly Baratheon's homosexuality. She then managed to marry both Joffrey and Tommen.
For most of the series, Margaery was the most powerful widow in Westeros. Her crazy reign came to an end when Cersei finally won out over the younger queen.
Ramsay Bolton
A lot of characters in Game of Thrones are evil but Ramsay Bolton was just plain sadistic. Born Ramsay Snow, he was legitimized by his father Roose Bolton after successfully taking over Winterfell.
While most characters get better or worse over the seasons, Ramsay was always equally awful. He began his reign of terror by torturing Theon and continued it by marrying, abusing, and torturing Sansa. No one was sad to see him mauled by a pack of hounds.
Lyanna Mormont
The feisty 11-year-old immediately stole our hearts in season six when she stood up and pledged allegiance to the Stark house. The Mormonts have a strong tradition of warrior women and Lyanna was raised with the expectation she'd be a ruler and commander.
Lyanna brought her army in to fight alongside Jon Snow, and she was the first to stand up alongside Sansa. She was only 13 years old in the final battle, but she still outdid everyone else before dying honorably on the field.
Gendry
Gendry is the illegitimate son of King Robert Baratheon who was known to have sired his fair share of illegitimate children. Gendry grew up in the slums of Flea Bottom in King's Landing, working as a very skilled blacksmith apprentice to the revered Tobho Mott . After escaping the slaughter of all of King Robert's illegitimate children in King's Landing, he finds himself with Arya Stark, where they struggle to survive on the road together.
Eventually, Gendry finds himself alongside the rest of the show's protagonists, and it is assumed that his blacksmith skills will come in handy in fighting against the army of the dead.
Podrick Payne
Podrick has been a fan favorite character over the seasons and honestly, we're surprised he's lasted so long. Podrick was introduced in season one as Tyrion Lannister's squire. He stood by him faithfully until Tyrion was arrested and then transferred his service to Brienne of Tarth.
Podrick trains and travels with Brienne until they both end up in Winterfell where they regroup with several other main characters. It is there that he waits and continues to train in preparation for the great war to come.
Eddard Stark
Even though honorable Eddard Stark shockingly lost his head at the end of season 1, it can be argued that the majority of the current story line can be traced back to him. Even though in the grand scheme of things he was only around for a brief period of time, his past actions, the morals he lived by, and what he instilled in his children have echoed throughout the show.
Little did anyone know that he lived with people with the weight that people thought he had an illegitimate child only to learn that he was protecting the secret Targaryen, Jon Snow.
Daario Naharis
Although there may have been a casting change, Daario Naharis first appears on the show as a lieutenant of the sellsword company the Second Son before he kills his superiors and takes control. He then pledges his allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen where he acts as one of her top advisors, warriors, and eventually her lover.
However, the last time we see Daario Naharis is when Daenerys tells him to keep control and order of Mereen before she sails across the Narrow Sea to take back control of the Seven Kingdoms.
Tormund Giantsbane
We first meet Tormund Giantsbane beyond the Wall where he serves as one of Mance Rayder's right-hand men. He is an incredibly fierce Wildling soldier who is instrumental in the battle at the Wall. Eventually, despite their differences, he befriends Jon Snow after he helps rescue thousands of Wildlings at Hardhome.
They then unite forces so they have a better chance of fighting the White Walkers.
Hodor
Although his real name is Willis, Hodor is a usually large simple-minded servant of House Stark at Winterfell where he works in the stables. He is called Hodor because that is the only word he can say. He joins Bran, Meera, and Jojen on their quest to find the Three-Eyed Raven beyond the Wall.
However, he dies in the Three-Eyed Raven's cave after Bran wargs into him in order to save him and Meera. It is then revealed that Hodor used to be a normal kid but Bran warging into his mind caused a seizure which left him mentally disabled.
Rickon Stark
Rickon Stark is the youngest of all the Stark children and is often referred to be wild and untamed, much like his wolf shaggy dog. For most of the series, he's too young to fully understand what's going on, and with most of his family dead, he essentially is on his own.
However, he becomes a prisoner after Ramsay Bolton takes over Winterfell. We don't see him for some time until Ramsay Bolton kills him on the battlefield in front of Jon before the major battle for Winterfell.
Robin Arryn
Robin Arryn is the son of the former Hand of the King and now deceased Jon and Lysa Arryn. He is a sickly and weak child who is currently the Lord of the Eyrie, the head of House Arryn, and the Warden of the East.
