Game of Thrones season 8: Our wishlist for living female characters

Season 8: Emilia Clarke.

photo: Helen Sloane/HBO

Meera Reed

We fear for Meera, we really do. Her fate is entirely unpredictable, but we hope she lives. If she can’t though, let her return to Bran’s side and have a heroic death. Make it be properly Thorin Oakenshield-worthy, a proper fight with a proper goodbye, because we missed that really with her brother. Let her be reunited with him, and die with a smile on her face.

Or else let her live, happily, and quietly, with her family in Greywater Watch. Either works.

Oh, and some therapy wouldn’t go amiss, either.

Daenerys Targaryen

From the very start, she has seemed like a shoo-in for Queen of the Seven Kingdoms but we have to admit, we are extremely concerned about Daenerys Stormborn. After all, Game of Thrones has never been one for shoo-ins (we miss Robb Stark every day), and Daenerys, like everyone else, is entirely at the mercy of the pen.

There’s a theory going around that she is pregnant with her nephew Jon’s baby (which would seem fitting given that the whole series is called A Song of Ice and Fire and the baby would be both), but we don’t want Daenerys to go the way of so many beloved mother figures, like Lily Potter or literally any Disney mom.

But also, as much as we hate to admit it, it would be quite the curveball if Daenerys doesn’t live through the next season. Let her be the biggest shock — the biggest plot twist in Game of Thrones history. An iconic twist for an iconic queen.

But first: plenty of time with Jon Snow frenching. (Even if they’re family, the chemistry is real.)

Yara Greyjoy

Though she’s currently in the custody of her dreadful-but-admittedly-gorgeous Uncle Euron, Yara’s not going to stay there, not if we’ve got anything to do with it. She’s going to be rescued, hopefully by her disgraced brother Theon, but also it’s not all going to be about him.

She’s going to be the one to kill her uncle and she’s going to fight her way out, alongside her brother. It’s her destiny to rule the Iron Islands, in a trusting peace alongside Sansa, Queen of the North, in a true power couple.

Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon could never.

Roslin Frey

Poor Roslin. Her wedding day to Edmure Tully will always be remembered, but never for happiness. But it wasn’t her fault, and for all intents and purposes, she looked relatively smiley before she was carried off to consummate her marriage.

We wish only good things for her. Reunite her with her husband and son, give her a chance to be happy, and let her inherit the Tully homestead Riverrun (we wouldn’t wish The Twins on anyone, it is a site of too much trauma even just for us viewers alone). Some characters simply want a quiet life. Roslin Frey deserves one.

Oh, and yet more therapy wouldn’t go amiss, either.

Gilly

Give Gilly a sword 2019!

Gilly’s going to have a hero arc, we’re so unbelievably sure of it. She’s made of strong stuff, we know that much. She’s so intelligent (she knew the truth about Lyanna and Rhaegar!) and she didn’t escape Craster’s keep to die at the hands of White Walkers.

We say give her a Molly Weasley moment – the Night King is not going to know what hit him when he comes for Gilly and her boys. Sam might not be a natural fighter, but we’re not counting Gilly out, not today, not ever.

(Oh goodness, she’s going to die now isn’t she?!).

Melisandre

Melisandre has already predicted own demise on Westerosi soil, and we doubt there’s any way that’s going to happen peacefully or offscreen. Perhaps as we said earlier, Melisandre will be sacrificed for Arya’s character development.

Or perhaps she’ll end up sacrificing herself for some higher cause, which is fairly likely given that we’ve seen more remorse from her than ever in later seasons, particularly when it comes to the murder of Shireen Baratheon (we’re still sad about it!).

We hope it’s the latter, and every shady (sometimes literally) thing Melisandre has ever done becomes a bit less meaningless in the grand scheme of things. We don’t think she’s completely evil, after all. We wouldn’t be angry if she put the red in redemption.

Nymeria

We’re going to assume the writers aren’t just going to forget about Nymeria. Nymeria is a truly rare breed in Game of Thrones as a surviving direwolf. This season looks set to be a painful one as it is. We do not deserve to have to see dogs die too.

So, Nymeria’s going to save Arya’s life, and then she’s going to live her life curled up beside the fireplace at whatever inn Arya has chosen to stay in that night. Bang the gavel; this case is closed.

Anyway, as Game of Thrones has proven in every single series, we have absolutely no clue whatsoever what is going to happen, so this is moot. But whatever goes on, we love the women of Thrones (Cersei and her impeccably-arched eyebrows included).

We hope they get the season they truly deserve, whatever their fate.