Sansa Stark is the feminist icon in Game of Thrones: Her journey so far

Whilst not exactly problem free when it comes to gender politics, one thing you can’t accuse Game of Thrones of is a lack of strong female characters.

Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) could rival any man in Westeros in a sword fight; Daenerys Targaryon (Emilia Clarke) has conquered half of the known world and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) could teach most of the male characters a thing or two about what it means to be a true knight. Even Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) can be admired for her unshakable belief that she has every bit as much right to rule as the men around her.

But if you’re looking for a true feminist hero in the show, you’d be wise not to discount Sansa Stark. And the narrative that seeks to convince you otherwise is proof that sexism is just as much a thing for Game of Thrones viewers as for its characters.

Here’s why:

For starters, one of the most compelling things about Game of Thrones is the way it mixes gritty reality and high fantasy. So yes, it’s a world with dragons and dark magic and improbably handsome Northern types coming back from the dead. But it’s also a world with sexual exploitation and violence and skulls being squashed like grapes.

In this context, we need characters who have realistic reactions to all of this. Sansa is not a warrior and she doesn’t have dragons to come to her rescue. So it makes sense that at the start of the series she’s swallowed the myth that she’s going to marry a prince and live happily ever. I mean, come on – she’s been brought up in a noble household in a world in which women’s major value comes from their ability to make advantageous marriages. We really can’t blame her for attempting to look on the bright side of this situation and she’s demonstrating an all too real problem for women in such a constricted society.

We see this realism again when things go wrong in Kings Landing. Sansa finds herself behind enemy lines, engaged to a psychopath and forced to look to Cersei for life advice. Not only is it highly believable that Sansa would keep her mouth shut and bide her time here – it’s sensible too!

But rather than this situation eliciting sympathy for her, I’ve heard countless arguments dismissing Sansa as weak for not fighting back against Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson) abuse. The truth is this is just victim-blaming of the highest order. Sansa survives, utterly alone and without the comfort of any special abilities or gifts beyond her own wits. It’s not glamorous but it makes me want to cheer for her every time.

In fact, Sansa is treated as a commodity more than any other female character on the show – by Joffrey, by Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) and then, most damagingly by Ramsey Bolton (Iwan Rheon). Yet somehow she holds herself together and emerges with the core of herself intact. It’s not pleasant to watch her suffer, but she’s a powerful metaphor for how women can come through even the most horrific of circumstances with strength and dignity.

One of my very favourite scenes of the show is when Sansa finally has the chance to confront Ramsey who has raped and brutalised her. He tries to reiterate his hold on her, insisting he’ll always be a part of her, but Sansa thinks differently: “Your words will disappear, your house will disappear, all memory of you will disappear,” she says. It’s a clear assertion of will from a character who up until this point has often been accused of being a pawn rather than a player.

Since then, she’s started to play the Game of Thrones in earnest, earning some initial grudging respect from her critics. But the backlash continues to suggest she might be *too* forceful, a bit *too* keen on power – particularly when it comes to challenging the position of her heroic-but-dim brother. (Oh come on, he really does know nothing.) The thing is though, reinstalled as Lady of Winterfell, Sansa proves herself as both smart and capable – she’s come a long way from that little girl who only dreamed of marriage. Why shouldn’t she want to hang onto this newfound status and respect?

She’s also never guilty of underestimating the women around her. Although the show has her and Arya circling each other warily for a bit after they reconcile, ultimately the two form a formidable alliance. And Sansa never questions that Brienne is *capable* of protecting her, only wishing to ensure loyalty before she places faith in her.

As we wait through these final weeks for the last series of Game of Thrones to begin, who knows where Sansa’s story will take her next? Often, we only consider women as genuinely badass or worthy of respect when they take on more traditionally male roles (as Arya does for example). But Sansa is proof that will to survive can be just as effective when it comes to living through winter as fire and blood.

And can I confess to hoping that she’s one of the candidates left standing when it comes to someone claiming the Iron Throne?

Game of Thrones returns to HBO and Sky Atlantic on April 14 while seasons one to seven are currently available to stream on NOW TV.