With one “King in the North” about to receive a show of his own, it’s about time for attention to return to the queen who was crowned in the final episode of Game of Thrones. Sansa Stark, who rose from a scared and confused captive to a proud and noble queen, proved to be a favorite of many Game of Thrones fans through the years.
Though she didn’t have the brawn of Jon or the speed of Arya, she proved to be one of the most politically skilled of the surviving Starks. With careful and clever decisions, she swung the odds in her family’s favor. Without her shrewd decision-making, the Starks never would have won the game.
Not Killing Arya
Over the course of the seventh season, Arya and Sansa got into a major conflict. The two seemed at each other’s throats at every turn, and after Arya revealed her identity as an assassin, it seemed likely that Sansa might try to get away with eliminating her potentially treacherous sister.
Thankfully, Sansa saw through Arya’s charade, and the two conspired together to end the Littlefinger threat. She managed to form a real connection with her sister in the process, making them major allies when it came to both political and military interests in the North.
Killing Littlefinger
Killing off Littlefinger was another brilliant move by the Queen in the North. After having spent several seasons under Littlefinger’s thumb, Sansa proved that the North remembers by finally getting her vengeance over the death of Ned Stark and the fact that Littlefinger sold her to the Boltons.
Considering that Littlefinger caused most of the worst things to happen to the Starks, it was a necessary move that likely saved countless lives during the Long Night and the war against Cersei. Littlefinger was just too unreliable, so getting rid of him was as brilliant as it was prudent.
Convincing Jon To Go South
Though she did eventually betray him, Sansa was one of Jon Snow’s best friends in the series when she encouraged him to take the fight to the Boltons. It secured him Winterfell, a spot as King in the North, and the chance to add to his forces as the army of the dead approached.
Had Sansa not driven Jon south, it’s likely the war would have been lost. He needed to go if they wanted to survive more than a couple of years of fleeing. Though it helped to upset the Night’s Watch, she gave Jon a purpose when he didn’t know anywhere in the world he could go. It also helped secure the wildling army for him, which was essential in Jon’s wars.
Spilling Jon’s Secret
After Jon Snow discovered the true identity of his parents, Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Daenerys begged him to keep it secret. Jon couldn’t help himself, though, and told the remaining Starks before swearing them to secrecy. Sansa agreed but quickly told Tyrion, who spread the information to Varys.
While it was a clear betrayal of her vow, it ultimately helped prove to the Seven Kingdoms that there was another option for the throne and one that was friendlier toward the Starks. Though the reveal helped push Daenerys closer to the edge, it eventually led to the events that helped the North rule itself independently once more, which was a long-term win for Sansa.
Making The North Independent
The best Game of Thrones house, House Stark ruled over the North for thousands of years. It was only when the Targaryens came with dragons that the proud Northerners bent the knee for their southern invaders and accepted the rule of House Targaryen.
Yet by the time of King Robert, the dragons and the Targaryens were gone. At the end of the series, only the exiled Jon remained. So it made considerable sense that the North could once again be independent. Sansa helped put her brother on the Iron Throne, ensuring a firm ally, while she took the Northern crown. It was a brilliant move that secured generations of rule for the Starks.
Befriending The Ladies Of King’s Landing
While Sansa was largely defenseless in King’s Landing, she proved adept at navigating a complex political landscape. Even as a child, she proved capable of political maneuvering during the Battle of the Blackwater, when most of her fellow ladies were terrified of Stannis’ incoming army.
While Cersei was drinking and working to terrify all those around her, Sansa was praying with her fellow ladies, singing songs and doing her best to keep spirits high. Though she was eventually forced to flee, it was a brilliant display of social grace for a captive girl doing her best to pretend to root for the wrong side of the war.
Trusting Margaery Tyrell
One of only a few Game of Thrones characters who truly deserved the throne, Margaery Tyrell was a lady and a queen who wasn’t nearly as cruel as her counterpart, Cersei. So when she sought Sansa’s friendship, Sansa made a cunning maneuver to accept it and her proposal of marriage with Ser Loras Tyrell.
