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The finale of Game of Thrones, which was once hailed as one of the greatest TV shows in the industry, disappointed fans who waited eagerly to see where Danaerys Targaryen's (played by Emilia Clarke) ambitions would lead her. The ending of the series received several negative reviews, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction in the fandom due to its gritty conclusion, which saw many unexpected developments.
Among these sudden plot twists, Bran Stark (played by Isaac Hempstead Wright) became the king of the Seven Kingdoms, except this time, the North was not a part of it. By the end of the last episode of Game of Thrones, it was clearly depicted that the North would not be following the ruler of King's Landing, effectively giving the place a separate identity.
Instead, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) was made the first Queen of the North. Sansa was also the one to demand this independence from her brother Bran and was granted the same.
Why was the North separated from the rest of Westeros in Game of Thrones?
Considering each of the regions in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones was specifically divided and was depicted to be ruled by a house and its allies, all the other regions could have also demanded an independent status. However, the North was vastly different from the rest of the region, both geographically and culturally, which made it stand out.
The North historically wanted to be an independent kingdom, as per the novel, primarily because of its vast geographical area, and the lack of proper communication with the South.
Prior to Aegon the Conquerer's foray into Westeros, the North had a long history of being an independent kingdom, and it got this status back after Sansa took the lead in the last episode of Game of Thrones.
The North being independent is also a testament to Sansa Stark's journey
While most of the Stark children had a fascinating journey to adulthood and redemption (and often revenge), Sansa Stark was always depicted as the most delicate, enduring a series of prolonged abuses throughout the show.
While the makers seemingly wrongfully gave more credit to her tormentors in the finale, Sansa Stark's extreme resilience and strength to endure everything and come out on top was always going to be rewarded in some way by the end of the show.
The creators did this by making her the first Queen of the North. This both ended the story of the Stark-led kingdom, which began in the first episode of the show, as well as Sansa Stark's arc, which ended positively after the events of the war in King's Landing.
The closing shot of Sansa, with a dark-colored crown, was a perfect testament to the journey that the eldest Stark daughter had been on to reach the pages of history.
Moreover, the only other candidates to lead the independent kingdom of the North, Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Arya Stark (Massie Williams) went their separate ways after the battle in the finale, leaving Sansa as both the most capable and the only one fit to do the job.
All the seasons of Game of Thrones are available for streaming on Max.
