Her Watch Has Ended: Melisandre
Carice van Houten as Melisandre in Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones has entered its final season and that means it’s time to take stock of the show as a whole. But rather than do a set of episode reviews, we decided to take a little inspiration from the books for our post-mortem. George R.R. Martin’s still unfinished series features chapters based on the point of view of its characters, so each of these posts will review their individual journeys in the show as they come to their end, whether peacefully or violently - this is Thrones, after all.
We’ll ask the same set of questions for each character, reflect on where they came from, where the events of the series took them, and where we leave them. How effective was the show’s approach to the character, and is their ending satisfying? What purpose did each character serve throughout the series?
If it isn’t already obvious, this is MEGA-SPOILER territory, so beware if you’re not fully caught up on the show.
See also from this series:
Theon Greyjoy
Night King
Lyanna Mormont
Jorah Mormont
Melisandre
Where did she come from?
A priestess from Volantis, she is also known as the Red Woman and a self-proclaimed servant of the red god R’hllor, the Lord of the Light. We are first introduced to Melisandre (Carice van Houten) as Stannis Baratheon’s advisor in Season 2 during the War of the Five Kings.
Where did the show take her?
Melisandre’s had quite the journey. She starts in Dragonstone as Stannis’ advisor, which takes her to the Stormlands (to meet Renly) and the Riverlands (to meet the Brotherhood Without Banners), and then to the North to Castle Black and Winterfell. Following Stannis’ defeat by the Boltons at Winterfell, and coming to the realization that the War of the Five Kings is not her true purpose, she begins to lose faith in the Lord of the Light, only to meet Jon, whom she revives from the dead, and Arya, whom she prophesizes she would meet again and that Arya would kill many people (Season 3). After being banished from the North by Jon following the Battle of the Bastards for sacrificing many innocent people for Stannis’ cause, including Shireen, she re-appears moments before the Battle of Ice and Fire to aid the army of the living.
Where does her story end?
Melisandre represented fire against the Night King’s ice, so once the Night King was killed, and once her prophecies came true, Melisandre served no further purpose. Either through literal fire (sacrifice) or figurative fire (sex), Melisandre’s actions had significant repercussions starting from the War of the Five Kings. Despite Jon and Ser Davos’ promises to execute her should she ever return to the North, Melisandre calls the final shot and walks out into the distance beyond Winterfell’s walls, removing the enchanted ruby necklace that kept her alive and withers away, dying of old age in the snow. She dies not die by fire, which the followers of R’hllor consider the purest death.
Does the character redeem herself?
Melisandre realizes her mistakes, and you can’t say that for a lot of characters in the show. Her belief in the Lord of the Light wavers, and it’s often her interpretation of the Lord’s prophecies that get her in trouble. She redeems herself completely after Stannis’ death, bringing Jon back to life at Castle Black and lighting the trench on fire and reminding Arya of her very important role at the Battle of Ice and Fire. In the end, she was true to her word and faithfully and successfully served under the Lord of the Light.
Is her ending satisfying?
There’s a lot about Westeros that we still don’t know, and the priestesses and the followers of the Lord of the Light is one of its many mysteries. We meet more followers of R’hllor, but none were more impactful than Melisandre. She was one of the few fortune tellers in the show who informed audiences about prophecies and magic, and her death was a reminder that the surviving factions still had to deal with the decidedly unmagical political machinations of Cersei Lannister.
What role did this character player in the overall storytelling?
Melisandre’s very much a puppet master in the show, guiding characters – mostly Stannis – to wherever she pleases, and also embodies the mystical and fantastical elements of the show. She affirms many of the show’s theories, including that Jon (The Prince That Was Promised) and Arya (closer of many eyes) are special characters, but her most significant contribution is definitely the shadow assassin that kills Renly, which sets off the series of events that bring Catelyn Stark and Brienne, and later Jamie, together.
Best Moment on the Show
Her best moments can be fleeting — a few words of prophecy here and there, the occasional raunchy sex scene with leeches — and they’re often impactful. But no moment is more significant to her character than reviving Jon Snow, reigniting her faith in the Lord of the Light. Honourable mention goes to the birthing of the shadow assassin and the premiere of Season 6, “The Red Woman,” in which her faith hits a turning point and we learn about the magical powers of her ruby necklace.