This story contains mild spoilers for season 8 of Game of Thrones.
After spending close to a decade watching Game of Thrones, we’ve seen many of the show’s characters grow and change for the better: Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Sansa Stark… even Jaime Lannister has redeemed himself in ways we didn’t see coming (actually, the jury is still out on that one). But while everyone around her evolves, Cersei Lannister’s ruthless persona hasn’t budged — and neither has her hair.
After five seasons of wearing her hair long and loose, Cersei’s follicles seem to be stunted since her walk of atonement through King’s Landing, and not because she doesn’t have access to biotin supplements (we bet Qyburn could whip something up for her). Rather, in a show where the characters’ ever-evolving hairstyles hold untold secrets about their inner workings (Daenerys’ tributes to Khal Drogo, Arya and Jon’s Ned Stark-style buns), Cersei’s hair sends a firm message: "Personal growth" is not in her vocabulary.
Follow Cersei Lannister’s unique hair evolution — or lack thereof — ahead.
Season 1
Not long before all hell breaks loose in King’s Landing (because that’s what happens after you give Joffrey a crown), Cersei shows up to Ned Stark’s execution with an ornate updo that seems far too festive for the occasion — but that’s Cersei for you.
Season 2
Like many of the ladies of Westeros, Cersei regularly wore her hair in loose waves and a half-up twist, but even this relatively traditional hairstyle didn’t last for long. In fact, we didn’t see it make a full return until Sansa began wearing a similar updo in the seventh season.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
Season 3
Cersei may be missing her brother-lover, Jaime, in season three, but she’s still the mother of the King and sticks with the status quo as far as royal hairstyles go.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
Season 4
Cersei spends most of the fourth season doing what she does best: threatening anyone who isn’t a Lannister (not including Tyrion, of course) and trying to reign in Joffrey’s more volatile impulses. Unfortunately for her, she ends the season with one dead son, one dead father, one escaped brother, and one hairstyle that will not last long.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
Season 5
Sadly for Cersei and her signature waist-grazing blonde hair, the High Sparrow was not into her #freelove lifestyle with relatives. Her brutal walk of atonement required a severe haircut.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
Season 6
Without her children (R.I.P. the best of ’em, sweet Tommen), without Jaime, and without her father, the only thing left for Cersei to take and hold dear is the Iron Throne — which she claims at the end of season six. This is about the time she begins to eerily resemble her late son Joffrey. Yikes.
Season 7
It’s presumably been months (maybe even a year) since Cersei took her walk of atonement, so why hasn’t her hair grown an inch? While her partner and only living ally, Jaime, begins to develop a moral compass, Cersei seems to go in the other direction — and her hair’s lack of growth proves it.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
Season 8
Tyrion may hope that his sister hasn’t fully succumbed to her monstrous ways, but by the looks of her stunted pixie and menacing smirk, we’re guessing she has — and her obstinacy may be her undoing. We don’t know anything about how the series will end, but we do know one thing: If and when Cersei loses the game of thrones, that Kate Gosselin haircut will go with her.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
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Source: Refinery29 – Samantha Sasso