How Ruthless Is The New Sansa?

In the most recent episode of Game of Thrones on HBO there were so many major plot and character advancements that the mind reels contemplating them all. Many, many posts have been made about the implications of these changes, but one seems to be missing in most readings — the real implications the new Sansa Bolton (nee Lannister nee Stark).

This post will be filled with both spoilers (SPOILER ALERT) and some wild speculation. And some of the other posts I’ll link to will have HUGE speculation, so if you aren’t deeply familiar with things like the “R+L=J” theory, don’t click on them.

You’ve been warned.

So, in the latest episode, Sansa saves the day, just as things look hopeless, with the appearance of the Knights of the Vale. It was obvious now (and then really) that the raven message Sansa sent from Castle Black we saw a few episodes back was to Pietr Baelish, the de facto (if not titled) Lord of the Vale. We still don’t know what she offered for his help, but it brought him running — with enough mounted knights to destroy the Boltons and their aligned forces.

More, at the end of the episode we see Sansa offer a satisfied little smile as the defeated and bound Ramsay is eaten alive by his own starving hounds. Yep, Sansa has grown up all right and it does appear as if some of the ruthlessness of those she has been exposed to (Cersei Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton — and Baelish to be sure) has rubbed off on her. But Jessica Chobot in her Nerdist News segment describes new Sansa as still having the Stark honor, just colored by that ruthlessness, making her the possible best choice to rule Westeros.

Did she miss the fact that Sansa told Jon Snow that their brother Rickon was essentially dead, just by being in Ramsay’s possession? More, that she noted that Rickon was the only thing standing in Jon’s way as being the Lord of Winterfell, as he was the last legitimate male heir (they assume Bran is lost, I guess) of Eddard Stark?

Sansa knowingly held back knowledge of the fact that the Knights of the Vale were coming to their aid from Jon. Why? Well, yes, it would have changed Jon’s battle plans. And it would have eliminated the huge advantage of the surprise attack, assuming (logically) that Jon would have wanted the Vale forces to commit to battle right from the start.

But Sansa held back that knowledge while being convinced in her heart that Rickon would die — and that his death opens up Jon’s path to being Lord of Winterfell. Or … hers.

OK, Lady of Winterfell. Think about it. She has the immediate example of Lyanna Mormont as a ruling Lady of a major House, and the previous example of her aunt Lyssa as Lady of the Vale. Using them as examples, she has a better claim on Winterfell than Jon. What then was standing in her way? Rickon.

Oh, but Sansa couldn’t be that conniving and ruthless could she? Well, she arranged for support from a powerful ally that she knows has already betrayed her once and has designs on both her body and her heritage. She withheld that knowledge from her own brother, commander of their combined forces, resulting in the unnecessary death of potentially thousands of those forces. Sure, maybe for a tactical advantage, but maybe also to ensure the death of Rickon — and maybe hoping for the added benefit of the death of Jon.

Add all of that together with the brutal revenge killing of Ramsay and her reaction to his suffering. Now tell me she couldn’t be that ruthless.

So, my crazy speculation about the final outcome of the entire Song of Ice and Fire cycle. Daenerys and Jon join forces (with Bran) to fight the undead forces of Winter. Sansa takes that opportunity to assume the role of conqueror of Westeros with the combined forces of the entire North and the Vale (and possibly Dorne, don’t count them out or dismiss the desire from them to see the Lannisters destroyed).

Full disclosure, I saw a similar speculation about the meaning of Sansa’s action from Vanity Fair while searching for the feature image above. While they think it would be unfortunate if it turns out to be true, I disagree — it makes Sansa a very interesting character at long last.