See How Much These Game of Thrones Characters Have Changed Between Season 1 and Season 8

Oh, Jon Snow The perpetual silent sufferer. In season one Jon is clearly an outsider and acts like it. It doesn't stop him from feeling connected to his half siblings — especially Arya — but he's sure he doesn't belong in Winterfell. So, he resolves himself to the Wall in order to feel like he's doing some good.

Sweet and innocent with a face you just want to shield from all bad things, Bran Stark is a living example of how Game of Thrones pulls no punches. Pushed out of a window for mere curiosity in the very first episode, Bran seems doomed to a lousy existence of being left behind or treated as a burden. At least he has Hodor, right?

By season seven, Bran has gone through probably the most impressive physical change of any character, even though he'll still never get to use his legs again. He's left his innocence behind, having seen the terror that lies beyond the Wall and coming to terms with the fact that he has to shoulder the special power of the Three-Eyed Raven, which might have some unforeseen consequences.

In the first season of Game of Thrones, Cersei is smug, ruthless, and selfish. She has no problem with taking whatever she wants, however she wants, even if it means getting her sadistic son on the Iron Throne. She enjoys being at the center of attention in King's Landing, and even though her relationship with her husband is almost nonexistent, she's completely confident in her position and power as queen.

By the later seasons, Cersei is still selfish and arrogant but in a much more terrifying way. Her plan to secure her power through her children has gone off the rails (she becomes so desperate in fighting the growing power of the High Sparrow that she ends up driving poor Tommen to kill himself). Losing Tommen just about pushes her over the edge, leaving an emotionally unhinged person sitting on the Iron Throne. She struts through season seven in her new, very armor-esque outfit and cropped hair, and it almost seems like Cersei's trying to shed the pretty, feminine image she used to convey in favor of a tougher, scarier one. It's definitely freaking us out, but even as bothered as we are by where her character went, we're still not happy with how she meets her end in season eight.

While Tyrion is easily much more likable than his older siblings in season one, he's still a spoiled, rich Lannister. Sarcastic, jaded, and self-deprecating, Tyrion has a knack for talking his way out of situations and clearly has a head for politics. Unfortunately it quickly becomes clear in season one that being anywhere near his sister, his father, or his nephew is not the safest place for him.

Tyrion's attitude and outlook on the world changes a lot by the end of season seven, and from his appearance nowadays you'd never guess he's a part of the wealthiest family in Westeros. Tyrion knows how much he's changed — in the season six finale he tells Daenerys that he never really believed in anything until he traveled across the world and met her. Tyrion's knowledge of how the "great game" is played is wasted in King's Landing around family members who keep trying to humiliate and destroy him. When he links up with Daenerys and Jon, who appreciate his wisdom, however, Tyrion thrives and is inspired to help however he can.

Remember back when Dany was afraid to speak her mind? Yeah, seems like ages ago. But in season one, Daenerys Targaryen is just a young girl from a forgotten family, living in fear of her obnoxious brother and watching her life get decided without her. Sure, Dany comes to realize her own strength pretty quickly, but at first she's simply trying to figure out her place as as one of the last remaining Targaryens.

Now Dany knows who she is: the Mother of Dragons. If she has her way, she'll also end up being future queen of Westeros. By the time season six ends, Dany sets out to do exactly what she intended to for years (gather an army and take on the Seven Kingdoms), but she's not without fear about what's to come. Luckily her confidence in her own power and destiny carries her through season seven. However, in season eight, Dany has fallen into being the Mad Queen, going as far as unleashing the flames on King's Landing, killing everyone in her path.

Jaime in season one was pretty unbearable: entitled, arrogant, and condescending, all wrapped up in a frustratingly handsome package. He knows he's at the top of the food chain as a Lannister, as the brother of Queen Cersei and as a member of the Kingsguard. He also doesn't seem to care that everyone thinks of him as a traitor for killing the Mad King.

Also, he PUSHES BRAN OUT OF A WINDOW.

The youngest Stark daughter is easy to love in season one, with her precocious nature and disgust for all things Joffrey. Remember how adorable she is in the first episode, showing up Bran with her archery skills? Arya is desperate to prove herself as tough and strong, but in the first season she's ultimately still very young and doesn't know much about how the real world works. Yet.

Sansa is basically a typical teenage girl in season one: she's dazzled by the big city of King's Landing, perpetually annoyed by her younger sister, and obsessing over her crush. Unfortunately, that crush is Joffrey Baratheon. It's hard to really blame Sansa for her behavior, since like Arya, she doesn't really know much about the world beyond Winterfell. It doesn't take long in season one for her to realize her fantasy of marrying a prince and becoming queen isn't going to be at all like she imagines.

In season one, it seems like Sam Tarly exists simply to add some comic relief and to show how good of a guy Jon Snow is for keeping the less-than-coordinated Sam from utter humiliation. While Sam does prove to be a good friend and always means well, it's unclear whether the Night's Watch and the Wall are really the right place for him.

By seasons seven and the upcoming eighth season, Sam still looks pretty much like he has since season one, but he's gone above and beyond all expectations in every other sense. Not only does he stick by Jon's side through thick and thin, but he's the first character who we get to see kill a White Walker! That patented Sam awkwardness still comes through every so often, but he's found much more confidence, especially since meeting Gilly.

Ugh. There really isn't much to like about Theon at the start of the show. Abrasive, mysogynistic, and just plain obnoxious (far more so than the Stark children he grows up around), he seems pretty loyal to Robb but is definitely due for some sort of comeuppance to humble him.

Well, Theon gets his comeuppance, for sure. You can't really say Theon is completely innocent (remember when he completely betrays Robb and has those two farm boys killed in season two?), but what ultimately befalls him is pretty horrific. Then again, what else can you expect from Ramsay Bolton? By season six, Theon is beaten down and broken in every sense of the word, and while he definitely has a haunted look about him, the biggest physical change is . . . well, not on his face. He gets back on the road to redemption by helping Sansa escape Ramsay and then supporting his sister's quest to take back the Iron Islands from their evil uncle, Euron. Season seven is much of the same, although his quest to fight Euron doesn't go exactly as planned.