Last night, eight seasons of warfare, impassioned incest, and political deviancy came to an end. Game of Thrones managed to satisfy absolutely no one with its finale episode, though it did manage to piss off pretty much everyone—an impressive feat, in its own right.
Despite this season’s sloppy writing, one thing remained on point: the style. Perhaps the series’ costume designers and hairstylists recognized they were on a sinking ship, and therefore decided if their audience had to watch beloved characters doing narratively illogical things, at least they could look bomb while doing them.
I’ll miss seeing these medieval players slink through the snow in furry pelts and clomp around palaces in knight’s armor and take three hours (at some point?) to braid their hair. The final episode of GoT was HBO’s most watched episode ever, so we’ve ranked the best lewks that 13.6 million live viewers tuned in for.
Warning: there are spoilers about dope outfits and dumb plot points.
10) Cersei and Jamie Lannister
No comment. Other than to say, THIS SUCKED.
9) Grey Worm
Sigh. This dude was once one-half of the show’s purest couple—remember when he made love to Missandei very selflessly, because he didn’t even have the necessary equipment to be selfish with? After she was killed by Cersei last episode, though, he became angry and left his mercy at the door. Blindly following Daenerys’ brutal orders, he was last seen slaughtering surrendered soldiers in King’s Landing. Although the silver-dragon-eating-its-own-tail sigil on his armor is cool, I can’t get down with anything he’s wearing because he’s a jerk now.
8) Samwell Tarly
Somehow, Sam survived the Battle at Winterfell against the White Walkers, despite not knowing how to fight. But…he likes to read. He’s smart. And he was rewarded for that intellect and lack of brawn with a seat on the small council under the new rule (Bran the Broken. Sigh a second time.) Sam is now Grand Maester, and he has a new outfit for the occasion: it’s a khaki-colored robe with a giant, loosely gathered turtleneck, similar to the one loyal ol’ Maester Luwin of Winterfell used to wear (he was a nice guy)—except Sam’s is lighter in color. Maybe to signify he’s a really nice guy? IDK.
7) Tyrion Lannister
Oh, Tyrion. Both this season and last did you dirty, my friend. This character’s arc grew considerably stunted following his join-up with the Dragon Queen, his wit lost on both Dany and Jon Snow (neither had any discernible sense of humor). The only new clothes Tyrion got to rock in this episode (we’d seen his fine cape and Hand of the King pin previously) was this ratty old shirt that he paired with shackles as he managed to help invent democracy. I do like the low-cut v-neck, showing just a smidgen of chest hair. Tyrion was once feisty and virile, and while he’s all grown-up now, this shirt reminds me of the good old carefree days.
6) Jon Snow
This fellow got a raw deal, too—but he’s so dull and noble, I don’t much care. This is how Jon looks when he’s heading off to the Night’s Watch at the series’ end (or to go Beyond the Wall, as we later see). All bundled up for more snow. I’m not sure who the Night’s Watch is defending the realm from, now that the White Walkers are gone and the Wildlings are Jon’s buddies…but hey, ours is not to reason why. Truth be told, this is the most luxurious pelt Jon has worn thus far. It looks full and furry, like he skinned a pet wolf fresh that morning. Lovely color gradation. And he’s taken his hair out of the tidy half-bun, too, as if to prove he’s done fighting and is ready to let loose. Maybe meet another hot redhead up north. Maybe Ygritte has a sister.
5) Arya Stark
What’s most notable about Arya’s last look is her hair. For a while now, she’s been wearing it in the same half-bun as Jon; both kids are presumably imitating their father, Ned Stark, who often wore his half-up before being unceremoniously beheaded in season one. Now, Arya is doin’ her own thang. She’s gone full bun. She is ready for adventure on the high seas. Her cape has fur-lining, but it’s much lighter and easier to move in than Jon’s. Where she’s going, they don’t need pelts.
4) Bran Stark
Yes, Bran sitting on the Iron Throne is stupid. I guess he’s been in a wheelchair this entire time, so he’s already well-versed in sitting patiently for hours on end? At any rate, he got some new threads for the new position, and I’m ashamed to say that I dig them. He’s not dressed all high-and-mighty—he’s just wearing a simple shawl. It looks velvety and soft, a deep blue color, but best of all it appears to be patterned with feathers, because in case you forgot, Bran is the three-eyed raven. Or is he not anymore? Oh, who cares.
3) Brienne of Tarth
Brienne spends her final moments of the show dressed in her Sunday best, her one and only look, her uniform—knight’s armor, shiny and sturdy and gold. Hair slicked back. She’s editing Jamie’s Wikipedia entry in the Book of Knights (or whatever it’s called), and it’s very sweet. One day, someone else will fill in double the amount of pages with Brienne’s own entry. She wouldn’t write it herself, she’s too humble.
2) Daenerys Targaryen
The showrunners thought this conclusion was clever, no doubt. Take the series’ primary underdog, the fan favorite, the woman people have named their children after and rooted for over eight long years, and turn her into the villain. The twist happened too fast and it wasn’t narratively earned, but boy did Dany look good while massacring a city and getting stabbed by her ex-lover/nephew. Now that Missandei is dead, there’s no telling which gay intern helped Dany perform such intricate braidwork for her final day alive—she couldn’t possibly have done it herself. Her white-blonde tresses look to be styled in about eight separate braids that co-mingle and flourish with abandon. It’s glorious and a little sad, because Instagram doesn’t exist yet and Dany is dead now anyway.
1) Sansa Stark
I think we can all agree: Sansa alone got the GoT ending she deserved. She’s gained control of the North, she told her little brother she wouldn’t bow to his rule because he’s a clueless virgin (I’m paraphrasing, but it’s accurate), and most importantly, her fashion sense—which has gotten progressively more goth and badass since season four, when she dyed her hair darker and graduated to dour colors following her time with Littlefinger in the Eyrie—has peaked. The last we see of Sansa is her seated on a throne at Winterfell, the series’ only Queen. Her chair has two wolves carved into it, howling up at the moon; she has some kind of long, silky animal draped over her shoulders and falling off to one side; everything is charcoal-gray, which suits her bright red hair well; and she has somehow gotten ahold of purple eyeshadow. A triumph if I’ve ever seen one. FL
