Game of Thrones: See how much the cast has changed since the first season

The characters of HBO’s Game of Thrones have come a long way over the past eight years—or at least the ones who have managed to survive have.

When HBO first released Game of Thrones, its adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, fans had no idea just how much the show would blow up. Though Martin’s books always had a passionate fanbase, there was no telling how many viewers—even ones who had never touched a fantasy series before—would fall in love with the world and characters of Westeros.

The series has only matured since its first season. What began as a story about multiple houses grappling for power soon became a show with much higher stakes. The looming threat of the White Walkers crept closer with each passing season, until the Night King’s army became the main threat plaguing the Seven Kingdoms.

But the plot of Game of Thrones isn’t the only thing that’s grown with time. The series’ beloved characters have also come a long way over the past eight years—or at least the ones who have managed to survive have. Characters who started the show as naive children have been thrown into the politics and dangers of Westeros, and they’ve come out stronger and wiser.

Of course, the younger characters aren’t the only ones who have changed over the past seven seasons of Game of Thrones, even if they’re the ones who have changed most noticeably. Some of the adults, like Tyrion and Jaime, have matured into better people. Others, like Cersei, have only gotten worse as the series progresses.

Let’s see how the remaining characters have changed since the beginning of Game of Thrones.