“I was good, very very good,” says Olenna Tyrell. She, like most of the women in Game of Thrones, is at her best when she’s bad. So cut class, sneak a cigarette, and read on for these 26 facts about the badass women of Game of Thrones.
Toughest Women of Game of Thrones Facts
26. How Bad Do You Have to Be?
Game of Thrones women have to be tough to survive. To date, 64% of the female characters have died in the TV series so far, and there have been over 50 acts of sexual assault or attempted assault. In the books, that number climbs to at least 214.
25. Child Prodigy
Lyanna Mormont is only 10, and yet she has already stood up to Stannis, and was the first in the new landscape of the North to declare for a Stark. Here's hoping this precocious leader is on the right side of history.
24. Unburnt
Daenerys Targaryen, famous for her long silver hair in the TV series, is actually bald for much of the book series. Her hair was burnt off along with her clothes when she walked into Khal Drogo's funeral pyre.
23. Can't Touch This
In the sexually charged world of Game of Thrones, Brienne is one of the few virgins. Her fellow guardsmen in Renly's army had a standing wager regarding who would be the first to take her virginity; no one won.
22. Shapeshifter
Although she's rarely had a chance to use her abilities, like all the Stark children, Sansa is Warg.
21. Unconventional
Ygritte the Wilding is actually supposed to be unconventional-looking in the books: she has crooked teeth, a pug nose, and wide-set eyes. She still snags Jon Snow, who is drawn to her physical appearance.
20. Shae
The actress who plays the prostitue Shae, Sibel Kekilli, got her start as a porn star. Her name then was Dilara.
19. Three Times a Queen
Margaery Tyrell once told Littlefinger that she wanted to be the queen, not just a queen. And she was. Three times in fact. The socially mobile royal became the queen of Kings Renly Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon.
18. Yara Greyjoy
In the books, Theon's sister's name is Asha, but the series renamed her Yara to avoid confusion with the Wilding Osha. While Yara is bisexual, George R.R. Martin has confirmed that Asha is not.
17. Eternal Youth
In season 6, when she takes her necklace off and becomes an extremely old woman, it was finally confirmed that Melisandre's ruby necklace is the source of her youth and likely the source of at least some of her power.
16. Rejected
Despite her renowned beauty, Cersei Lannister was rejected as a bride for both Rhaegar and Viserys Targaryen. Robert Baratheon didn’t want her at first either, and even accidentally called her Lyanna on their wedding night.
15. Queen of Thorns
Olenna Tyrell can’t tell her twin guardsmen named apart, so she calls them simply "Left" and "Right." She herself is known as the Queen of Thorns because of her sharp tongue.
14. Lady Stoneheart
In the books, the dead Catelyn Stark is brought back as vengeful zombie named Lady Stoneheart, a fearsome being who kills anyone associated with the Red Wedding. Because Catelyn’s throat was slit during the Red Wedding, Lady Stoneheart is unable to speak.
13. Lizard-Lions, Oh My!
Meera Reed, along with her brother Jojen, carries a house crest that depicts a black lizard-lion on a grey-green background.
12. Whippersnapper
Osha is one of the few characters who is younger in the TV show than she is in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
11. The Serpent's Whore
Ellaria Sand is one of the most sensual characters in Game of Thrones. In addition to being open to threesomes, she worships a Lysene love goddess.
10. Pre-Pubescent
In the books, Daenerys's faithful servant Missandei is only 10. Granted, she's a pretty self-possessed 10-year-old, but she's 10 nonetheless.
9. Lend Me Your Ears
A lesser-known character, Chella is a warrior of the Black Ear tribe. She wears a necklace made of ears, one ear from each of the foes she has slain. Enough said.
8. Loyal Til the End
The six-foot-tall Dacey Mormont was one of Robb Stark’s most loyal guards, and claimed to have fought every battle with her king. She’s also heir to House Mormont until she is killed at the Red Wedding.
7. Mudcake Surpise
Lysa Arryn and her sister Catelyn Stark used to kiss their father’s ward, Littlefinger, for practice when they were children. They also once made mud cakes for him, and he was sick for a week after eating them.
6. Cersei’s Game of Thrones
The phrase “game of thrones” is said only once on screen, and the speaker is Cersei Lannister. “When you play the game of thrones,” she says, “you either win or you die.”
5. Shame!
You might remember Unella from Cersei's walk of shame; she was the one ringing the bell and yelling "Shame!" so she was kind of hard to miss. You might not know, however, that Unella is also a member of the Most Devout, who elect the High Septon.
4. Dangerous Woman
Myranda, Ramsey Bolton’s equally sadistic lover, does not appear in the books. In the TV series it is revealed that she once trained to be a septa, but her overheated sexuality kept her from taking the vows.
3. Founding Mother
Nymeria is long dead when the TV series starts, but she was a revered warrior queen who led the Rhoynar refugees and founded one of the seven kingdoms–a unified Dorne. Arya Stark is so inspired by Nymeria, she names her direwolf after her.
2. Peasant Roots
Unlike some of her other fellow Sand Snakes (like Nymeria Sand), Obara Sand is not of noble birth; in the books, her mother is a prostitute.
1. Thread the Needle
When her kill count hit 64 by the end of season 7, Arya Stark became one of the deadliest characters in the game. Like her sword Needle, she’ s tiny and lethal.