Despite the controversy over its ending, Game of Thrones’ storytelling was widely acclaimed for much of its run. Fans and critics alike enjoyed its interlocking, carefully woven storylines, most of which had huge ramifications on the characters and world. From Ned Stark’s investigation of Robert’s bastards to Stannis Baratheon’s assault on King’s Landing, many storylines were beloved by fans.
However, other storylines in Game of Thrones lacked the same impact on the world, characters, or fans themselves. Some storylines ended with more of a whimper than a bang. Whether they failed to live up to their potential, were never followed up on, or simply petered out, these storylines often left fans wondering what the point was.
10 Varys Died Before He Could Truly Plot Against Daenerys
Season 8 was heavily criticized for its stunted pace, cramming several seasons’ worth of storyline into a handful of episodes. Storylines felt abrupt and rushed, often beginning and ending arbitrarily. One of the most notable is the fragmentation of Daenerys’ supporters, best demonstrated by Varys.
After learning that Jon Snow was the true heir to the Iron Throne, Varys betrayed Daenerys. Despite similar betrayals being hugely impactful in early seasons, this simply consisted of him writing a few letters and a hinted-at attempt to poison her before Daenerys burned him alive. Nothing came of the betrayal other than Varys’ death.
One of the most significant developments in Theon Greyjoy’s story was his imprisonment at the hands of the cruel Ramsay Bolton. Ramsay mutilated Theon and used his parts to threaten the Ironborn into leaving the North, which prompted Theon’s sister, Yara, to launch a daring rescue mission on the Dreadfort.
Yara’s decision to save Theon was treated as a major cliffhanger, seemingly set up to give Yara a season-long storyline against the Boltons. Instead, despite her determination and her ship full of deadly killers, she was repulsed after a single weak rescue attempt. While Theon got more focus afterward, Yara faded into the background for a long time.
8 The Lannisters Going Broke Changed Very Little
In a major change from the book, Tywin Lannister confided to Cersei in Season 4 that Casterly Rock’s gold mines had run dry, relying on the Iron Bank of Braavos to fund their wars. This seemed like a major revelation, one that threatened the power base of the Lannisters and imperiled their dynasty. Instead, this detail faded into the background.
The Lannisters continued to act rich, rule the Iron Throne, and avoid butchery by the Iron Bank. The only brief lip service paid to the plot point was them looting Highgarden to repay their debts. Although it could explain some of Tywin’s more extreme actions, the change had no effect on Game of Thrones’ story.
7 Cersei Recruited A Useless Golden Company
At the end of Season 7 and the beginning of Season 8, a lot of attention is paid to Cersei betraying the North-Targaryen alliance, leaving them to face the White Walkers alone and bolstering her forces to crush them after. In particular, she recruits the Golden Company, a famous and feared mercenary company that is described as a massive threat.
Despite being a major revelation in Season 7, and having several scenes dedicated to them in the earliest episodes of Season 8, the Golden Company does nothing. Euron’s fleet is the only thing that interferes with the protagonists attacking King’s Landing, and the Golden Company dies in droves once Daenerys’ army assaults King’s Landing.
6 Sansa Got To Do Very Little In The Vale Of Arryn
After implicating Sansa Stark in the poisoning of Joffrey Baratheon, Petyr Baelish spirited her away to the Vale. There, he married her aunt, Lysa Arryn, and began to plot his takeover of one of the Seven Kingdoms. For a short time, Sansa worked underneath Littlefinger, learning the game of thrones, much as she does in the books.
However, all of the focus given to this storyline came to naught. In the next season, Littlefinger gave Sansa to Ramsay Bolton, and the political acumen she’d learned under him proved useless. Littlefinger’s affairs in the Vale took place largely off-screen, and other than providing reinforcements in Season 6, they proved inconsequential to much of the show.
5 The Events In Dorne Had Almost No Impact
One of the Game of Thrones’ more contentious storylines was Dorne in Season 5. After being largely out of focus, the region became involved in events as Jaime and Bronn try to free Myrcella from the machinations of the Sand Snakes, all running contrary to the wishes of Prince Doran Martell. The storyline was given a lot of focus in the season.
However, little came of it. Even when the Sand Snakes ousted Doran and seized control of the region, their contributions to Daenerys’ war were minimal, destroyed within a single episode. For the amount of screen time spent in Dorne, the only real effect it had on the show was Myrcella’s death serving as another factor to embitter Cersei.
4 Stannis’ March On Winterfell Achieved Nothing
Stannis Baratheon was a major player in Game of Thrones from Seasons 2-5. His campaign to gain the Iron Throne affected the entire continent and many character storylines, with him proving one of the few pieces of real opposition to the Lannisters. His final storyline, however, was considered a letdown by many fans.
Stannis left the Wall with a large army and a lot of support, but he was crushed by the Boltons in a single battle. The events between that, including Ramsay’s night-time raid and Shireen’s burning, simply proved to make his attack and the entire storyline futile. Fans were disappointed to see such a popular character killed off, with his last meaningful act being breaking the Wildlings in Season 4.
3 Jon Snow’s Heritage & Claim To The Iron Throne Became Irrelevant
One of the show’s longest-running theories was that Jon Snow was not Ned Stark’s bastard, but instead the child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, and thus the true heir to the Iron Throne. This was confirmed in Season 6, to much fan celebration. Despite the huge potential impact of this revelation, nothing came of it.
Jon resisted his heritage, frequently claiming to not want the Iron Throne, and ended the show by returning north with the Wildlings. The only real impact of the storyline was giving Daenerys another reason to turn evil — a plot twist that didn’t sit right with many fans anyway. Of all of the show’s wasted opportunities, Jon’s heritage is considered the biggest.
2 Cersei’s Pregnancy Never Comes Into Play
A big development for Cersei’s storyline was that in Season 7 she revealed herself to be pregnant. A huge part of Cersei’s characterization — including her most sympathetic parts — was her identity as a mother, and so many fans looked forward to seeing the impact her pregnancy would have on her and all of Westeros.
However, Cersei’s pregnancy became an afterthought. It was hardly mentioned after being introduced and wasn’t factored into any of the storytelling in Season 8. Actress Lena Headey confirmed that a scene showing Cersei miscarrying was filmed, but was never used in the show.
1 Jaime’s Redemption Came Crashing Down
Some of Game of Thrones‘ most beloved character development was that of Jaime Lannister. He began the show as one of its most contemptible characters, an incestuous child-killer whose only likable feature was his quick wit. Before long, he became a fan favorite as he underwent a brutal redemption arc, showing a lot more depth and a genuine moral center that most of his family lacked.
This came to a head in Seasons 7 and 8, as he left Cersei and fought the White Walkers of his own volition. Just as it looked set to be one of Game of Thrones‘ best character arc, however, Jaime snapped and fled south to return to Cersei, dying by her side and claiming that nobody else mattered. All his redemption achieved, after nearly six whole seasons, was to provide one more footsoldier against the White Walkers.