Sansa Stark is a divisive character for many Game of Thrones fans: Either you feel for her and the unthinkable pain of what she’s suffered through over the course of the show, or you still haven’t forgiven her for fawning over Joffrey in the early seasons. But whatever sentiments you harbor toward the late Eddard’s eldest daughter, there’s one seemingly insignificant detail that’s worth paying attention to: her hairstyles.
From season to season, Sansa’s hair looks have transformed and aligned with her narrative at that moment — and it’s not an accident. “It’s never random," Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa on the show, previously told Refinery29. “Sansa’s hair is constantly reflecting the people she’s learning from, or mimicking, or inspired by at the time." Even beyond that, her hairstyles have also had Pinterest-worthy moments, from half-up twists to intricate braids.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up Sansa’s most iconic hair looks from the show, so you can see for yourself how symbolic the styles have been. When the final season kicks off on Sunday night, you better believe we’ll be keeping a close eye on the Lady of Winterfell’s head — her hair is literally full of secrets.
Season 1
Let’s throw it way back to when Sansa had two parents and one sole mission: to marry Joffrey and eventually become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. When we first meet the Starks at Winterfell, Sansa was all about loose hair worn down and unfussy braids. When she sets foot in King’s Landing, however, her look becomes more elaborate — not unlike Cersei Lannister’s.
Photo: Courtesy Helen Sloan/HBO.
Season 2
Sansa, still sipping the royal Kool-Aid, was all about extravagant hairstyles while under the influence of Joffrey and the rest of the Lannister fam.
Photo: Courtesy Paul Schiraldi/HBO.
Season 3
No longer in the running for bride of Joffrey and inspired by her new rival-turned-ally Margaery Tyrell, Sansa started to experiment with creative twists and girly embellishments — that is, until her wedding to Tyrion Lannister, where she wore her most elaborate, Cersei-like updo yet.
Photo: Courtesy HBO.
Season 4
Sansa starts off season 4 looking as youthful and redheaded as ever, but after she’s forced to go AWOL from King’s Landing following Joffrey’s death, Sansa dyes her hair black — presumably with the help of Lord Baelish, because if anyone knows where to get some black hair dye in Westeros, it’s that guy.
Photo: Courtesy Macall B. Polay/HBO.
Season 5
While the color change was initially to conceal Sansa’s identity while on the run, the edgier look also pointed toward a newfound maturity informing the character’s decisions. "I’ve always liked when Sansa’s hair was dyed black and pulled back in very tight, taut French braids,” Turner told us. “It was her own look, and something that she’d created.” Sadly, and very symbolically, Sansa’s empowering black hair is short-lived: Myranda washes the dye from Sansa’s hair the night of her wedding to Ramsay Bolton, a union that would mean the end of any freedom or personal choice she once had (for now).
Photo: Courtesy Helen Sloane/HBO.
Season 6
At this point, Sansa has been through it all and, free from House Bolton, her sole objective is to reclaim her home. Wearing a thick side braid not unlike her late mother’s signature style, the native Northerner DGAF about elaborate updos at this point — she’s a woman on a mission.
Photo: Courtesy Helen Sloane/HBO.
Season 7
By the end of the seventh season, the acting Lady of Winterfell has a stronger sense of empowerment than ever before — and seemingly Cersei-inspired hairstyles to match. "I learned a great deal from her," she tells Jon. Sansa was clearly taking notes about what it means to be a strong woman in a man’s world, and from what we see throughout the season, her hair matches the new ‘tude.
Photo: Courtesy Helen Sloane/HBO.
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Source: Refinery29 – Thatiana Diaz