By Jadon Haynes

In the Game of Thrones TV show and the A Song of Ice and Fire series of books, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and George R.R. Martin never shied away from the gender disparities and bias toward men that currently plague the world. As early as episode 1, Daenerys Targaryen was forced into a marriage with Khal Drago by her brother, Viserys Targaryen. I highlight this example because in the fictional world of Game of Thrones, the women are seen as nothing more than objects used to further political gain.

Another example of this is the character Cersei Lannister, who is forcibly betrothed to King Robert Baratheon by her father, Tywin Lannister, to secure the seven kingdoms by birthright, once Robert inevitably dies. This way, the kids they have will automatically inherit the throne, securing the Lannister name for eternity.

Game of Thrones not only uses these gender disparities in marriage but also in the art of combat, as Brienne of Tarth is shown throughout the show not being taken seriously as a warrior due to the bias against women who fight, since women are typically noblewomen and marriage pieces, not knights.

Brienne, growing up, was often seen as someone people laughed at because she was taller than most boys and girls. However, it was due to her fault lines that she would develop a moral compass and honorable traits, so that the likes of the Main character, Sansa Stark, would value her enough to always have her by her side and protect her.

Her fault lines had also played a part in how she viewed men. As we find out that while Breine was serving Renly Baratheon, she had grown fond of the young king and even developed feelings for him. She would also gain feelings for Jamie Lannister later on in the series.

The common denominator? They both carried an air of authenticity that Breine hadn’t received from many men growing up.

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and George R.R Martin did well in depicting struggle in their female characters. The reason is that “struggle is nature’s way of strengthening a moth in a cocoon (ChippyChopper, 2009, 0:01:15). Without Daenerys having to struggle as a slave to her brother, she would have never gained empathy for the slaves she sees throughout Essos. It was that empathy that gave her the will to free them. The people she saved flocked to her, calling her mother in their native language, lifting her high above their heads, and for the first time in her life, she was recognized as a true queen. Some would even join her army and the conquest of Westeros.

These gender disparities aren’t used to show why women are inferior to men, but instead used to show that, because of these disparities, you’ll notice issues others choose to neglect. Giving you the strength to overcome adversity. Brienne of Tarth was not taken seriously, and because of that, she was able to become a world-renowned knight in the country of Westeros. Because Danyerys suffered abuse at the hands of the people who were supposed to protect her, she gained the strength to reform a nation.       

The way David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and George R.R. Martin portrayed their female main characters inspires me. Instead of writing female characters as already-made girl bosses who can do anything at any time, I would like to write them as regular people with goals and aspirations who, despite the evident gender disparities, understand that they can use them to pursue their dreams beyond their wildest imagination.

[ChippyChopper]. (2009, February 4). The Moth [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZmdAWxI_J8

[Miss_goat]. (2025, April 18). Khaleesi’s Wedding to Khal Drogo | Game of Thrones S1E1 | A Queen’s Journey Begins 🔥 [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9aZF_tbTG8 (2019, July 23).

Sexually objectifying women leads women to objectify themselves and harms their emotional well-being. Theconversation.com. https://theconversation.com/sexually-objectifying-women-leads-women-to-objectify-themselves-and-harms-emotional-well-being-120762

Bender , J. (Director). (2004). Lost [Film]. Bad Robot Productions, ABC Studios (Formerly Touchstone Television), and Grass Skirt.

Martin, G. R. (1996). A Song of Ice and Fire. Bantam Books in the US and HarperCollins Voyager (HarperCollins UK) in the UK.