Game Of Thrones is coming to an end.
We can barely believe it, we feel like the epic HBO hit has been such a big part of the TV landscape for so long!
But it’s been even longer for the cast!
Most of the major characters of the show were cast WAY back in 2009!
The stars AND their characters — those who have survived this far — have been through incredible journeys. Some are barely recognizable after all this time!
See all the amazing transformations (below)!
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Jon Snow
Jon Snow started out as an idealistic teen about to set off to join the Night’s Watch.
Throughout the seasons he has fought mutineers, cannibals, undead wights, and the magically frozen White Walkers who control them.
He has been shot by multiple arrows, clawed in the face by a revenge-seeking hawk, and stabbed so, so many times. He lost his first love in battle.
Every time he has survived, but the fighting has left scars on the outside and within.
As for the actor? Kit Harington was fresh out of drama school when he was cast as the mopey young future hero.
Thrones turned him into an international star, but he’s still had trouble breaking out into another memorable character.
However, he has been quite successful in his personal life — the show that made him a household name also introduced him to his wife, onscreen love interest Rose Leslie!
The two were married in a ceremony in 2018 featuring just about every Game Of Thrones cast member, all looking somehow out of place in their adorable tuxes and summer dresses.
Daenerys Targaryen
The beginning of her journey saw a naive little girl, made meek by an abusive older brother.
But every situation she learned to work her problems to her advantage: married off to a savage warlord? Learn his language and talk him from being your owner to being your ally. See a massive slave trade turning stolen babies into soldiers? Buy all the soldiers and order them to slay the masters and take their freedom.
As she’s grown more confident and accomplished, Daenerys’ outfits have become more regal and intricate — just as has her introduction; her list of titles has grown to include: Khaleesi, The Unburnt, The Mother Of Dragons, and The Breaker of Chains.
Emilia Clarke was also plucked from obscurity to play the most iconic figure on the show; however, she has had a varied career outside of Thrones already.
It helps she’s so unrecognizable without her platinum wig!
She’s been in romance films, a Star Wars spinoff, and what will possibly be remembered as the worst Terminator sequel.
Sadly while she was enjoying success in Hollywood, she was hurting on the inside. Emilia suffered two brain aneurysms and is lucky to be alive.
And we’re lucky to have her still!
Cersei Lannister
Cersei began the show as the Queen — but really only a figurehead due to her marriage to King Robert Baratheon, who had no interest in her opinion.
She has gradually grown in power by being willing to sink lower than all her enemies. They always hit back, but she’s taken the hits and made them part of her look.
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Thus her hair and her costumes are now far more severe — and tell you up front not to mess with her.
Lena Headey was already a successful working actress when Game Of Thrones came around, known best for another fantasy adaptation, of the hyper-stylized “historical fiction” graphic novel 300.
In the decade she’s been on the show, she’s given birth to two children, been through a messy divorce, and recently gotten married for a second time.
Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion was a party boy, a professional heir, traveling the world as a debauch intellectual. Until he got a taste of the great game — and found out who he really was.
He had to use all his wits for something meaningful for once, and he saved a city from a siege in the process.
What did he ever get for his contributions? Spat back in his face as more hatred, physically represented on his face in a huge scar from when his nephew tried to have him killed.
After murdering a lover who betrayed him and a father who didn’t love him, he went to a very dark place — literally, as he’s finally gone from Lannister gold to full brunette.
Peter Dinklage was a celebrated actor known for his work in indie films like The Station Agent.
Thrones finally gave him the juicy part he needed to flex his skills, and he became a multiple Emmy winning superstar. He also upped his Hollywood game, getting roles in high profile films like X-Men Days Of Future Past and Avengers: Infinity War — but has kept popping up in indie flicks the entire time.
Never change!
Sansa Stark
Perhaps no character on GOT has been through more than Sansa.
She was a wide-eyed child who believed in a fairy-tale version of romance — and for her trouble she was married off multiple times, beaten, raped, tortured, threatened with death.
Ultimately she learned how to stop being manipulated and do some scheming of her own. Along the way, she picked up hairstyle cues from everyone she learned from but settled on something all her own.
Sophie Turner likewise has been on a major journey.
From a child actor to a movie star, part of the X-Men franchise (pre-Disney), from a kid going through puberty in the public eye to an adult woman about to get married to Joe Jonas!
We can only imagine what she’ll do next!
Arya Stark
Arya has been on a journey all her own, the one she kind of always wanted — just not in the way she wanted.
Growing up she knew pretty dresses and marrying a fancy lord was never who she was.
But instead of being raised by a father who gave in and trained her to be a warrior in the safety of a castle, like Brienne of Tarth, Arya’s father was taken from her.
Instead she had a series of father figures she took lessons from — Syrio Forel taught her fencing, Yoren taught her how to use her hatred, Tywin Lannister taught her tactics, The Hound taught her survival, and Jaqen H’ghar taught her assassination.
All these things she learned while running for her life. Now, though, she is the one to be feared.
And her outfits aren’t ill-fitting dresses or makeshift rags, they’re the custom, confident gear of a ready rogue.
As one of the youngest cast members of Thrones, Maisie Williams has been endlessly impressive with her acting skills, for which she has won several awards. At only 19 years old she was nominated for an Emmy.
She has also used her position as a well-known artist to create Daisie, a social media app for creative collaborations.
While Maisie continues to show off her talents in indie cinema, we can’t wait for her to do even more.
Jaime Lannister
Jaime’s redemption arc has been long and difficult — and it’s taken its toll on his perfect golden looks.
He began the show as a perfectly coifed villain, smooth-tongued and ready to kill.
He was basically Prince Charming from Shrek.
However, he’s faced a lot of humbling — he was held captive for months, had his sword hand chopped off, and been saved multiple times by a woman he thought only good for mocking.
Now he’s looking less arrogant and more contrite — and with that wisdom has come age as well; he has turned from a golden lion to a silver fox.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau had a film career in his native Denmark but couldn’t get much going stateside — until Thrones.
His complex, sympathetic villain turn has gotten him lots of notice in Hollywood as a leading man in everything from rom coms to crime dramas.
Nikolaj is a consummate family man (the good kind IRL), and his own success has bred even more — in the past few years both his daughters have also launched acting careers.
Bran Stark
No one has grown more than Bran.
An agile child who thinks he’ll grow up to be a soldier gets crippled in a murder attempt — and ends up with an entirely different skill set.
In fact, it’s a series of unique abilities NO ONE else has — or perhaps should have. He can’t just warg into animals. As the Three-Eyed Raven, he can possess the bodies of people and project his consciousness back through time and space.
Thus far his newfound knowledge has severely stunted his emotions, leaving his face almost as paralyzed as his legs.
He may not look exactly Raven-like, but he definitely no longer looks like an adorable, shaggy-haired child.
As the youngest original cast member to make it to season 8, Isaac Hempstead Wright has literally grown up in front of our eyes.
So far he hasn’t done much other acting and has said he hopes to return to school once the show is done.
Theon Greyjoy
Theon started out in some ways as a dark shadow of Jon Snow. He was also raised by the Starks — and also at arm’s length because he was never really one of them. But instead of doing what he thought was right, he did whatever he saw as a way to be accepted, a way to get ahead. He let his bitterness at the way he was treated color his view of everyone around him.
And he paid dearly for his actions.
He went from being cocky to being… not that, thanks to an extended period of torture. And because he had done awful, cruel things he believed he deserved it and was easy to reform into the feral servant Reek.
Now he is back but still bears the weight of his torment on his face — so even when you can’t see the scars beneath his clothes, you can feel them.
Alfie Allen, brother of singer Lily Allen, has shown brilliant range as Theon and Reek, and has been rewarded with consistent work in film and TV.
He has also gone from a boy to a man over the course of the show — he’s now a father, having his first child with DJ Allie Teilz in 2018.
DROGON
The most personal growth is definitely made by Drogon.
In a very physical, extraordinarily dangerous sense that is!
(Note we included a Khaleesi for scale!)
[Image via HBO/YouTube.]
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