Theon: betrays a man who was like a brother to him, murders innocent children and men heâs known almost all his life, sets a chain of events into motion that irreparably harms multiple people. Suffers consequences but also receives compassion and forgiveness. Dies a hero.
Jaime: pushes a child out a window, crippling him for life, kills countless men, kills his King, poisons an old woman, threatens to kill children for military gain. Suffers consequences but also receives compassion and forgiveness. Dies a hero.
Tyrion: massacres thousands with wildfire, murders his lover and his father, betrays the woman heâs sworn himself to and likely plays a part in her subsequent rampage of destruction. Suffers consequences for things he didnât do but never for the things he did, never seems to need forgiveness. Basically picks the new King and is named Hand and gets to make lighthearted jokes about brothels.
Jon: kills his own fellow of the Nightâs Watch to save his own life, kills Wildlings by the score, executes sworn brothers of the Nightâs Watch including a child, kills dozens of Northern men while fighting to take back Winterfell, is full party to Daenerysâs attack on Kingâs Landing, kills her in cold blood. Suffers consequences for his kindness but not for his violence, which is framed as justified. Exiled but into a life of peace and stability with friends at his side.
Why is it that all these men who have so much blood on their hands are still considered human, their actions are considered in context, and theyâre given opportunities for atonement and redemption, but Dany, whose kills have been slavers, rapists, murderers, who has been brutal but in revenge for harm done against her, or in battle responding to those who attack her, whose whole story was set into motion by men who wanted her dead at any cost, has no opportunity for atonement? No redemption? Suffers tremendous, painful, devastating consequences, but receives no compassion or forgiveness or even legitimate attempts at fucking DISCUSSION, and dies a footnote, murdered by the one man she trusts who is also the only family left to her, barely important enough afterwards to be acknowledged by people who, up until like five minutes ago, believed in her so wholeheartedly that they practically moved heaven and earth to put her exactly where she is? When it comes to reasons to kill her, her character is important, but not when it comes to her death and the aftermath? Sheâs just tidied up like something spilled on the floor so everyone can move on?
I mean, I know the answer, and itâs âWell the plot needed this to happen and the clock is ticking and also weâre sexist fuck-knuckles who mostly see female characters as plot-driving archetypes,â (and Iâm not saying these male characters shouldnât have received compassion or forgiveness, or that they didnât deserve redemption! All of those arcs are great and interesting and HUMAN) but thatâs ripe horseshit. Iâm not one to say that fictional characters âdeserveâ anything. Things happen or they donât happen, thereâs no âshouldâ in fiction. But holy fucking shit, was this unearned and hollow and completely disrespectful to the actors and the audience.Â