The Game of Thrones bosses just confirmed that seasons 7 and 8 will be shorter than ever, but don’t let that dishearten you, because we have a feeling some of the ladies are going to be taking over the limelight a little next season. Season 6 saw them they knocked all men out of the park and prove that they were not only BAD ASS, but clever, tactical and that this season was all about them. And after seasons full of humiliation and sexual violence for key female characters, it’s time the women of Westeros (and wherever Danerys is) came into power.
1. Ayra Stark
I may be biased – because I’ve loved Ayra’s character since she learned to fight back in season one when her half brother Jon Snow gave the needle, her sword – but Ayra has been setting an example to all the other female characters how to be a strong, independent woman since day one. When, for the record, she was nine. Proving she doesn’t need the help of any man she’s literally travelled across the seven kingdoms, making her way back to Walder Frey before she craftly assassinated him for killing her brother and mother. She hid in the shadows as the 'girl with no name,' answering to the many-faced Gods, until she realised she should trust her own judgement and broke free. f there’s any female character to watch out for, it’s Ayra. If only she could make her way back to Winterfell to join her remaining siblings that would be great.
**Life lesson learnt: Don’t let anyone knock you because you’re a younger than they are or smaller than they are, keep fighting till you’ve got that you want. **
2. Danerys Targaryen
She has bloody dragons for God’s sake. Dragons that let her feed them, pet them and ride on their backs. If that’s not enough to prove that she’s one powerful lady then I don’t really know what is. Now Khaleesi has been on a mission to get back to Westeros with her own ships, army and of course, her pet(?) dragons, by her side, and the end of season 6 saw just that. Season 6 also saw a hint of a new storyline unfold when Danerys formed an alliance with the also totally bad ass Yara Greyjoy. This is 100% the feminist union we’ve all been waiting for, bring on that power duo!
**Life lesson learnt: We don’t have dragons, but Danerys is a symbol of dreaming big. So if you want that promotion at work, a ship or your own army – you go for it. **
3. Cersei Lannister
Cersei is terrifying and evil, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t the definition of POWER. Literally no man, or woman can match her and that makes me quite scared because I’m totally Team Stark. Cersie, to me, is the definition of loneliness. Everyone she loves has left her, either through death or war (a war she basically started, TBF) and she is unable to physically fight. If there’s one thing she will not let happen though, it’s another family take over her ‘rightful’ place as the queen of the Iron Throne. She’s lost everything she cares about, and yet she seemed quietly content (and pretty scary) when the crown was placed on her head in the season 6 finale and she took her place on the Iron Throne. Because: bad ass.
**Life lesson learnt: Fake it till you make it. Put on a nice outfit and walk out that door even if you’re hungover and cringing over last night’s sexting. Or if you've been forced to cut all your hair off and do a walk of shame by a guy called sparrow. Either. **
4. Sansa Stark
This is probably the best female transformation of all. We’ve watched Sansa grow up from a young girl obsessed with becoming to princess to being passed around from Joffrey, Little Finger and the grasp of the worst character of all, Ramsay Bolton. Being used as a hostage to other character’s sick games, she had very little input into her own destiny until season 6. It wasn’t until the final episode that she made it clear being tossed around by the aforementioned gang of manipulative, evil men can teach you a thing or two – when she rocks up to save Jon Snow before he dies (again) in the ‘Battle of the Bastards.' She’s shaping up to be a strong female lead, perhaps strong enough to take on Cersei.
**Life lesson learnt: Being quiet isn’t always a set back. Listen to the people around you, it could come in handy one day. **
5. Brienne Of Tarth
She’s just an absolute hero isn’t she? I mean, she literally went off on a quest to find Ayra and Sansa after promising their mum she would look after them, and while she couldn’t find Ayra (she’s a hard little lady to locate), she epically saved Sansa and returned her to her rightful home. Brienne is a crucial character that reminds us not all leading ladies need to have long hair and wear pretty dresses. They can be physically strong, ruthless and totally badass.
**Life lesson learnt: Learn how to fight your own battles, cause no one is going to fight them for you. **
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.