The 8 most empowering Game of Thrones episodes for women

Season 6, Episode 9: “Battle of the Bastards”

For an episode named for and focused on two of the series’ prominent male characters, “Battle of the Bastards” actually contains quite a few empowering moments for the show’s women. The entire beginning of the episode is dedicated to Daenerys taking Mereen back from the slavers, and she certainly does so with style. You’d think that the slavers would stop underestimating her at some point, yet they never do. She surprises them once more during “Battle of the Bastards,” returning to her city with a dragon and an army of Dothraki — both of which destroy the slavers and the Sons of the Harpy with ease.

Daenerys also has a conversation with Yara Greyjoy later in the episode that highlights the power held by the women of the series. When Yara and Theon show up to warn Daenerys about their uncle and pledge themselves to her, Daenerys questions whether the Iron Islands have ever had a queen before. She and Yara determine that they’ll both be breaking glass ceilings by taking power for themselves.

And of course, the real strength of “Battle of the Bastards” comes from Sansa Stark. Not only does she surprise Jon and Ramsay by rallying the Knights of the Vale to her cause and taking back her home, but she takes power back from her abuser. The final scene between Sansa and Ramsay is one for the books, and it showcases just how far Sansa has come as a character.

When Ramsay makes a last-ditch attempt to assert his authority over Sansa, telling her that he’ll always be a part of her, she immediately shuts him down. “All memory of you will disappear,” she tells him during her stunning speech—right before she sets his own hounds on him. The smirk on her face as she walks away truly says it all.