The truth is that when people talk about Game of Thrones , they probably are not talking about Sansa Stark. Except maybe as “poor Sansa” who can’t catch a break and has suffered some of the worst experiences in Game of Thrones. And that’s saying something. Even Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa on the HBO series, acknowledges that hers is not a very popular character on Game of Thrones . She told Entertainment Weekly :
“A lot of fans who recognize me go, ‘I kind of hate you.’ And I’m all, ‘Cool, well, you’ve just made this sufficiently awkward…’”
Gee, thanks guys. It’s okay though. Sansa is an underestimated Game of Thrones character if you ask Sophie. She explained to Time.
“I think people really, really respond to characters that are very strong willed…and I think Sansa keeps everything so under wraps in order for her to survive. I think people often question her motives because she doesn’t do everything on the surface. She doesn’t fight back immediately, but she’ll get her revenge one day I think.”
Game of Thrones is known for its harsh content. It features graphic violence, language that is sometimes crude, and some storylines that have been called misogynistic. Sansa Stark has been at the center of some of these storylines, one of the best-known being a brutal scene in which she is violently raped by her sadistic husband on the night of their wedding.
Game of Thrones creators defend content for which they have been attacked as simply being an accurate depiction of the world and times of Westeros. In their favor, Game of Thrones can also boast some very strong women who know how to give it as good as they get and will do anything to protect the people they care about. Sophie Turner says that this is the year Sansa Stark finds her strength and shows it in a way we haven’t seen before on Game of Thrones. It’s the season she’s been waiting for.
“It’s her really coming into her own. She, this season, really commands the respect that she deserves and she grabs hold of it and she runs with it and it’s really good.”
Game of Thrones has allowed Sophie’s character Sansa to grow over the years. One tragedy after another has befallen the Stark beauty. The least of which is not the fact that most of her family is now gone. Early on, Game of Thrones married Sansa to the cruel King Joffrey, who beheaded her father right in front of her and made her watch as he mounted his head on a spear that was put on display for all the kingdom to see. And that was just the beginning of a string of bad luck for the evolving Sansa Stark. Game of Thrones viewers have seen her lose most of her family members, all in the usual brutal fashion the show is known for. They have seen her manipulated and hurt, both physically and emotionally over and over. But through it we have seen her grow and learn. This Game of Thrones character, who once didn’t get much love from fans, now has her own well-deserved fan base.
Despite the criticism aimed at Game of Thrones about its portrayal of women, you cannot deny that the women of Westeros are passionate and driven, and that is absolutely the case for Sansa Stark. Sophie Turner says this is going to be the year she comes into her own, the year she takes a stand for herself and what she cares about. Never underestimate the strength of a Game of Thrones woman. She’ll prove you wrong every time.
The wait is almost over for Game of Thrones fans. The hit HBO show returns for its sixth season on April 24.
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