Game of Thrones: 10 Hidden Details About Brienne of Tarth’s Costume You Didn’t Notice

Game of Thrones has been off the air for six months and fans are still not over it. The quality of season eight is still being debated, and the output of quality fanart and fanfiction remains high. That doesn’t mean official content isn’t still being created, it’s just that the official content is more of a look back than a look forward.

Earlier this month, on November 5, Insight Editions released its behind the scenes book, Game of Thrones the Costumes, the Official Book from Season 1 to Season 8. While many costume discussions like to focus on the more elegant dress stylings of Sansa Stark, Cersei Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen, here is an in-depth look at a different leading lady.

10 The Weight of Armor

Gwendoline Christie has stayed in the news post Game of Thrones, not only due to her talent but due to her style. Whether it was her fiery outfit at the Game of Thrones premiere, her statuesque look at the Emmys, or the golden outfit that she wore to honor Laura Dern, the actress certainly has style. What did she think of her character’s style while on the award-winning HBO television show?

Christie likes to point out that it wasn’t just clothes she was wearing, but weight. Most of her armor added about thirty pounds to her person, leading to a different kind of movement for the tall warrior.

9 7 Looks for 7 Kingdoms

Costume designer Michele Clapton and the absolutely massive costume department on Game of Thrones worked very hard to give each kingdom, and the eastern continent of Essos, its own individual style. It was never hard for fans to differentiate between northern warriors and Dornish royalty. There was one person, however, who started with a style all her own.

Brienne of Tarth entered season two with her own distinct armor, and no house sigil to match. The idea was that, due to her height, and due to the fact she was a woman, she would have had to put different pieces of different armor sets together to make something that would fit.

8 New Accessories

While Brienne holds tight to her individually devised armor in season 2, even after being appointed a Kingsguard to Renly Baratheon, she does accept a few accessories to identify herself with the elite force surrounding the would-be king.

The long brown cloak and stag helmet of Renley’s other protectors are also made part of Brienne’s outfit. This membership and belonging is short-lived, however. Brienne is forced to leave both cloak and helmet behind when she flees Renly’s camp, with Catelyn Stark, after the murder of Renly by the Red Woman, Melisandre.

7 That Dress

It isn’t until season 3 that we see any dramatic changes in Brienne’s costumes. But when change comes, it comes hard. In season 3 both Brienne and her traveling companion, Jamie Lannister, are intercepted by men of House Bolton. The men plan to “honor” their guest, at least the one sworn to House Stark, with a change of clothes. This item happens to be a rather old and dramatic pink dress.

Book readers will recall the dress being particularly ill-fitting. For television, the costume department decided that the dress would actually fit actress, Gwendolyn Christie, quite well. This fit would, in turn, only make the character even more uncomfortable.

6 House Sigil

From her first introduction, it is never a secret which house Brienne comes from. While she is not a member of one of the great houses (Stark, Baratheon, Lannister, etc.) her house is named. Brienne of Tarth. Tarth isn’t just where she’s from, it’s who she is.

The sapphire isle is part of the Stormlands and a vassal house to House Baratheon. But unlike the stag of the Baratheons, we are not immediately introduced to the symbol of Brienne’s homeland. This only appears in season 4, when Brienne attends Joffrey’s wedding in King’s Landing. When dressed as formally as we will ever see her, Brienne wears the sigil of House Tarth, a yellow sun, on her tunic.

5 When it Fits Just Right

It isn’t until season 4 that Brienne is finally gifted a set of armor that fits both her person and her ambition. This armor is not pieced together from different sets but is an outfit all its own.

It even comes with a sword, of the rare and fancy valyrian style. The most amazing part of this epic costume exchange? It’s who the outfit comes from. On again off again enemy, Jamie Lannister, gifts his road trip buddy with the well fitted and well-designed ensemble before they part ways. It’s not only a memorable costume moment but a key moment in character development.

4 If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It

While fans rejoiced to see Brienne rise to the knighthood she always deserved, Sir Brienne of Tarth was never one to seek out attention or try to stand out in a crowd. In fact, as a lone female warrior, she tried very hard to blend into her surroundings.

Perhaps this is why, once gifted her personal armor by Jamie Lannister, the lady knight does not go through another major costume change until the series finale, when she dons her golden armor as a member of the Kingsguard. She keeps a single outfit longer than almost anyone else on the show.

3 A Stark of King’s Landing

Brienne is one of a very small handful of characters who receives exactly what she deserves at series end. Brienne’s persistence, loyalty, and mad skills are rewarded as she is made the Commander of the Kingsguard to the newly elected monarch, Bran Stark.

While Brienne has been serving house Stark since season 2 she never adopted their dire wolf sigil on any of her armor. That tradition does not change when she goes to serve the new king. Rather than decorating her new golden Kingsguard armor with a dire wolf, it is instead adorned with a raven on the breastplate.

2 Brienne Becomes Her Own Best Designer

While Jamie’s armor served her well over four seasons, Brienne’s ascendence to Commander of the Kingsguard also highlights her coming into her own as a person and a warrior. This is why, raven head included, costume designer Michele Clapton designed this last look for Brienne of Tarth while considering how the knight might have designed the armor for herself.

After all the character has been through, after all she has done and experienced, she knows what she needs, and what she wants, as a knight and as a person.

1 The Sapphire Isle

The one real description viewers receive of Brienne’s homeland of Tarth is that it is known as, “The Sapphire Isle.” Viewers also learn that this is because of the blue sea surrounding the island, and not because of any gems that are located there, but the color blue comes to mind either way.

This is, of course, why, the few times we do see Brienne dress in color (pink dress not included), blue is the color of choice. Whether it’s the clothing beneath her golden Kingsguard armor, her outfit at Joffrey’s wedding, or what she wears to meet with Lady Margaery, she is consistent in subtly representing her homeland.

About The Author