Game Of Thrones nearly had it all. The HBO fantasy drama was a cultural phenomenon that dazzled fans with its explosive action sequences and scheming politics, but the show’s final season divided the fanbase and tarnished the series’ legacy.

There were hints earlier on that the series was going downhill. The lack of book material to adapt hurt the show’s narrative quality and there were several questionable decisions regarding fan-favorite characters. Here are ten storyline blunders that signaled Game Of Thrones’ fall from grace.

Ser Barristan’s Death

The death of Ser Barristan the Bold came as a shock to book readers. In A Song Of Ice And Fire, Ser Barristan is a POV character in A Dance With Dragons and manages Meereen after Daenerys Targaryen flees Daznak’s Pit on Drogon.

During Game Of Thrones’ fifth season, Ser Barristan meets an abrupt end after he and Grey Worm are ambushed by the Sons of the Harpy. If the esteemed knight had lived for another season it would have been interesting to see him interact with fellow Westerosi exile Tyrion Lannister.

Sansa’s Marriage To Ramsay Bolton

Sansa Stark’s character took a detour to her book counterpart in one of Game Of Thrones’ most controversial storylines. In the books, Sansa remains in the Vale and learns about politics from Littlefinger, who promises to give her Winterfell.

In the show, Sansa is married to Ramsay Bolton and endures horrors in her home until she escapes Winterfell with Theon. The episode “Unbowed, Unbent, and Unbroken,” which features Sansa’s second wedding, is one of the lowest-rated episodes of the series.

Doran Martell and the Dornish Plot

Several storylines from George RR Martin’s later books A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons were adapted poorly in the show’s fifth season. One of these was the introduction of Doran Martell and the Dornish masterplan.

In the books, Doran Martell is a politically savvy prince who has been conspiring to align with the Targaryens and avenge his sister Elia. Much of his role is given to Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes in the show.

Euron Greyjoy

Euron Greyjoy is one of the most sinister villains in A Song Of Ice And Fire. An exiled pirate with a dark past, Euron wins the Ironborn to his side after producing a magical horn taken from Valyria that can control dragons.

Euron’s character in Game Of Thrones lacks the credibility of his book counterpart. He is more of a foul-mouthed side character than a menacing antagonist and somehow manages to construct the Iron Fleet despite the Iron Islands lacking resources.

The Easy Resolution to the Conflict in Meereen

Daenerys Targaryen’s war against slavery in Meereen is a complex conflict that fans have dubbed the ‘Meereenese Knot.’ George RR Martin has confirmed that the next book will feature a fiery and bloody battle in Slaver’s Bay that will tie up loose ends.

In the show, Daenerys struggles to bring peace to Meereen for three seasons. The resolution is a short sequence that sees her torch a slaver’s ship with her dragons whilst Tyrion and Grey Worm confront the Masters, with no political consequences or effect on the plot.

The Wight Hunt

Season seven’s “Beyond the Wall” was the biggest red flag before the show’s controversial final season. Tyrion hatches a plan to send Jon Snow beyond the Wall to capture a wight so as they can prove to Army of the Dead exists to Cersei, which results in Night King killing and resurrecting Dany’s dragon Viserion.

The wight hunt was pointless and nonsensical. The Tyrion of season two would know that Cersei would never agree to a truce and would have urged Daenerys to take King’s Landing as soon as she arrived in Westeros.

Jaime and Bronn Survive The Field Of Fire

One of the best battle sequences in Game Of Thrones features Daenerys Targaryen, her dragon Drogon and Dothraki khalasar attacking the Lannisters. Jaime Lannister attempts to kill the Dragon Queen before narrowly avoiding a gust of dragonfire, with him and Bronn sinking underwater as the episode ends.

This should have dire consequences for the Kingslayer, yet in the next episode, he is shown having swum to safety despite his heavy armor. Daenerys doesn’t think to look for her enemy and the battle, whilst visually exciting, has no repercussions.

The Defeat of Stannis Baratheon

Stannis Baratheon has a passionate fanbase in the books and many were dismayed by the anticlimactic ending to his arc. After winter decimates his army, Stannis sacrifices his daughter Shireen only to lose against the Boltons at Winterfell anyway and is killed off-screen by Brienne of Tarth.

Shireen’s death has been predicted to happen in the books, but the Stannis of A Song Ice And Fire is unlikely to be the one to sacrifice his daughter. Many theorize that, unlike his show counterpart, Stannis will successfully defeat Ramsay Bolton and play a larger role in the war against the White Walkers.

Arya Stark Vs. The Waif

Many characters in Game Of Thrones were protected by plot armor in the later seasons, including Arya. After fleeing the Faceless Men, Arya has a confrontation with the Waif and kills her off-screen - despite being stabbed repeatedly in the stomach and submerged in canal water beforehand.

Arya’s skills are impressive but there is no way she should have survived this. Her impossible luck continues through the last season, as she manages to survive the fiery destruction of King’s Landing.

The Death of the Blackfish

Like the Dornish plot in season five, the resolution of the rebellion in the Riverlands is given a haphazard and half-hearted conclusion in the show. Jaime Lannister is sent to negotiate with Ser Brynden the Blackfish, Catelyn Stark’s uncle, and take back Riverrun in the name of King Tommen.

The Blackfish is a legendary fighter in the books and one of the last surviving members of House Tully. His death, like Stannis Baratheon’s, occurs off-screen and is a lackluster ending for his character.