Game of Thrones is a bloody show.
Those who tune in and those who do not (few that you are) are aware of its inclination towards violence, and dragging its characters towards vicious ends.
Well, new research shows that there’s a way to avoid the macabre dance – characters who are female, ‘highborn’ and switch allegiances have the best chance of surviving.
Bad luck lads.
As the chess pieces shuffle on the board and popular contenders for the thrown are killed, maimed, or otherwise taken out of action, viewers often wonder: how in the world do you survive the game?
With April and the final season so near, researchers from Macquarie University in Australia reviewed deaths that occurred in Game of Thrones (those that are hugely important and those that are irrelevant) over the course of seven seasons.
Results, admittedly, were not pretty. Of the 330 characters included in the analysis, over half (56.4%) died by the end of the study period. Killed by White Walkers. Or killed by melted gold. Or killed by old-fashioned beheading. The list just goes on.
And yet despite such dastardly odds, being a woman, highborn and changing allegiances work ever in your favour, and all it takes is one look at the show to see that that’s exactly what’s happened.
**Ladies and gents, mild spoilers are adrift. You have been warned.**
After seven seasons, Cercei Lannister, the wily vixen, is very much alive. It seems that you can throw anything at the blonde noblewoman and she comes out on top. The end of season seven left her in mourning and with a vicious revenge streak but it doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere.
Daenerys Targaryen, with her dragons and fire, is another season one survivor with her eyes on the Iron Throne. Being the only surviving Targaryen means she’s got the ‘highborn’ part down, and her allegiances while mostly unwavering, might well be tested in season 8.
Both Stark girls, Arya and Sansa are alive and kicking though it remains to be seen how long that will last.
With the way things are going, season 8 might well be the one of matriarchy.
Not that we’re complaining.
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