Game of Thrones MVP: 5 Moments From the Season 8 Premiere That Prove Sansa Stark Is a Boss

Now, as a well-known member of the Sansa Stark Defense Squad, this may seem a little biased, but Lady Stark is in her prime in the season eight premiere. When we leave her in season seven, she's just conspired with her siblings to put Petyr Baelish on trial for basically starting the War of the Five Kings and leading her family to ruin. She's flourishing in her role as Lady of Winterfell despite all of Jon's shenanigans beyond the Wall, and finally able to reach common ground with her younger sister, Arya.

In the premiere of season eight, Sansa is formidable as a leader for the people of the North, and she's a well-liked one, as folks will remember the lords saying that they should have given her the crown over Jon. She's cordial but unbending, compromising but firm. And she's sassy as all hell, to boot.

We all know that Sansa wasn't happy with Jon giving away the North to Daenerys, but we weren't sure what to expect when the two finally reunited. While I do love a dramatic moment, Sansa keeps her cool while meeting the Dragon Queen in the courtyard and doesn't cause a scene. When Jon introduces the two, Daenerys greets Sansa with a compliment and a smile on her lips. In response, Sansa gives her a long look and a dry, "Winterfell is yours, your Grace." Ugh, we love a passive aggressive queen.

Just because she's petty doesn't mean Sansa isn't still a capable leader of her people. When Jon and Tyrion rile up the Northern lords with their talk of joining hands for survival and bonding with enemies, Sansa asks the most rational question: how are they even going to feed all of the soldiers in the camp AND two full-grown dragons?

It's important to remember that, in the season before, Daenerys destroyed all the food traveling to Kings Landing from Highgarden, which means that she most likely came to Winterfell with little to no resources to keep her soldiers from starving. Which means that, as the lady of the house, it falls on Sansa to provide for everyone. And it may not seem like much to viewers, but soldiers who don't get fed aren't likely to put their lives on the line for the people starving them. Nor will they survive very long themselves.

No one answers Sansa's question but Daenerys pointedly says that dragons eat "whatever they want" — which is kind of the worst thing to say in a room filled with people already wary of your bloodthirsty children. Daenerys loves a power move, but her comment proves that she has no control over her animals and they will probably be eating up a huge amount of the food already meant for the people of Winterfell. Whew, the shortsightedness of it all.

While folks may fault Sansa for not making smart decisions when she was younger, two highly regarded characters give the redhead props on her growth since her bratty beginnings. When Tyrion comes to speak with her, the two commiserate over their annulled marriage and the disaster that was Joffrey's wedding ("It had its moments.") The two have a long and delicate history with one another — when Sansa was a prisoner of the Lannisters, Tyrion was the only one who could really protect her even before they were married. Now, Sansa is a grown woman and powerful in her own right, a fact which Tyrion compliments her on: "Many underestimated you. Most of them are dead now."

In return, Sansa opens Tyrion's eyes to his own naivety. Though the older man has been thought to be "one of the cleverest people" on the show, he's slipped in a lot of ways and his faith in Cersei is one of them. Being completely open with her former husband, Sansa points out how foolish he is for actually believing that Cersei would send Lannister bannermen to aid them in the Great Battle. She knows Cersei — maybe even better than Tyrion, since the Queen often spoke to Sansa woman to woman — and she knows to never trust her.

On the other side of Winterfell, Arya and Jon have a reunion that shows exactly how far the Stark sisters have come. When Jon tries to reconnect with the younger sister he hasn't seen in years by using their frustration with Sansa as common ground and noting that she thinks she's smarter than everyone else, Arya rebuffs his comments.

"She's the smartest person I've ever met," she says, adding that Sansa is just defending their family. It's a beautiful moment that shows not only have the sisters found their way, but they've also come to see each others' strengths.

The biggest point of contention between Sansa and Jon has always been the importance of titles. To Jon, a boy who grew up as a bastard and never liked his title in life, they mean nothing and it's all about the greater good. Which is admirable, when you ignore how important titles are to other people. Like Sansa, who knows that titles mean power and allegiance.

We see that difference in action when the two clash over Jon's decision to bend the knee. Jon is adamant that it was to save the North, but Sansa points out how the men of the North swore allegiance to Jon and it's one of the few things holding them all together (as seen when Lyanna jumps to chastise Jon for his decision), and with him no longer King in the North, it's going to be even harder to keep them all united. She reveals that their bannermen are withdrawing because of his alliance with Daenerys, which puts their army in danger of getting even smaller.

In the same conversation, Sansa asks the big question. Since he made the decision to bend the knee, Jon has stated that he thinks Daenerys will be a good queen and it's vital to ensure the North's survival. But Sansa openly admits that she finds it hard to believe and asks him if he bent the knee for the North or because of his love for Daenerys.

Now, a lot of people may find issue with this because Jon is nothing if not a righteous man, but the truth of the matter is, Jon bent the knee after Daenerys already agreed to help with the Night King. He didn't have to give up the North's independence since she was already set to provide aid after seeing the White Walkers and losing Viserion. So his reasoning doesn't really hold water, which Sansa can sense. And if she ever figures out the sequence of events, she would rightfully tear him a new one.

To sum it all up, Sansa manages to be snarky, petty, wise, and upfront over the course of her screentime in the episode. She doesn't let the Mother of Dragons pretend all is good between their houses and she doesn't let Dany intimidate her, either. She asks the important questions when they need asking and she isn't afraid to be brutally honest with people when they deserve it. And, finally, she dishes out spicy zingers that remind us she is indeed kissed by fire. Sansa Stark definitely wins this round.