31 Things We Learned from the Game of Thrones Women

Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO

26. Aim for the glass ceiling.

Yara Greyjoy

Yara has perhaps one of the most memorable character introductions in the series. I mean, it’s not every day you see a girl let her long-lost brother feel her up just to make him feel bad about himself later. Game of Thrones doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to awkward family encounters.

But Yara has a lot more to offer than an embarrassing story for the Christmas letter. The Thrones women are strong narratively, but power is not often granted to them within the story itself. This is a major theme throughout Cersei’s arc, and it’s present as well in Arya and Brienne’s disregard for gender stereotypes. When it comes to Yara, though, the tables are somewhat turned. As Balon points out, she has led armies, commanded ships, and proven herself capable of doing so. Despite her uncle’s overbearing presence as of late, Yara’s men are loyal to her. Even Theon, who has the purported right to the Iron Islands following their father’s death, would rather promote his sister’s claim.

Even though the Ironborn declare Euron their new lord, Yara doesn’t give up; she simply reconfigures. She rains on Euron’s parade by getting to Daenerys first, and then flirts her way into an alliance with the last known Targaryen. Daenerys probably would have struck a bargain with Yara without the flirting, but it was a nice touch. What the world needs now, is love, sweet love, and all that.

Ultimately, Yara shoulders the burden of being a woman in a man’s world. She recognizes this and doesn’t despair. Rather, she takes the world and makes it her own—a lesson in girl power that we can all strive to emulate.