Game of Thrones Star Reveals Darker Fate For Her Character That Was Cut

Content Warning: the following article contains discussions of sexual violence and torture.

Game of Thrones actress Hannah Waddingham reveals that the original fate for her character, Septa Unella, was supposed to be much worse. Game of Thrones is known for its dramatic twists, especially considering all the sudden character deaths that would occur sporadically throughout the series. Septa Unella was among those who met one of those fates, and until recently, when it was revealed by Waddingham that the writers originally wanted to kill her off in a far more brutal way, her death seemed cruel enough.

The final episode of season 6, titled “The Winds of Winter”, was one of the most action-packed finale episodes of the series. Early on in the episode, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) finally gets revenge on enemies the Tyrells, who had married into her family, and the High Sparrow, the leader of the cultish Faith of the Seven religion that had infiltrated her kingdom and put her on trial for sacreligious crimes. The Faith of the Seven was responsible for Cersei’s walk of shame, where they stripped her naked and marched her through the streets of King’s Landing while she was mocked, beaten, and humiliated. Septa Unella was the one ringing the bell behind her throughout the march, yelling “Shame,” repeatedly, so it was only inevitable that Cersei would get her sweet, violent revenge on her. Following the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor that kills the Tyrells and the High Sparrow, Cersei tortures Unella by waterboarding her with wine in a cell and leaving her to be, presumably, tortured slowly to death by Ser Gregor Clegane, also known as the Mountain. Septa Unella’s true fate remained unknown, though it is fair to assume she met a miserable, slow, and unbearably painful death in the cells of the Red Keep.

It is hard to imagine that her fate could have been any worse, but despite Game of Thrones ending in 2019, fans are still in for more surprises. Waddingham revealed to Collider that her original death was going to be portrayed as far more horrible. According to her, the idea was eventually scrapped and the scene of Cersei waterboarding her with wine was written instead.

“She was meant to be raped by The Mountain, and I think they’d had so many complaints about the rape of Sansa that they chose not to go with it.

“I think they possibly changed it when I was mid-air flying to Belfast because suddenly I got sent these new sides that said that I would need a wetsuit top. And I thought they’d sent me the wrong bits. And sure enough, when I got there, I was then put in a wetsuit top and I was like, ‘Because?’ And they went, ‘Oh, it’s waterboarding instead.'”

Game Of Thrones’ inclusion of graphic sexual violence was always a major item of controversy for the show. At the finale of season 5, the most controversial inclusion of such took place when Sansa (Sophie Turner), a character that was still a teenager at the time, is raped on her wedding night. The nature of the scene caused an outcry of complaints among fans, many of which thought the scene was far too graphic and problematic. Therefore, Waddingham’s belief that the fate for Unella was changed as a direct result of the outcry over that scene seems like that very well could have been the reason.

The criticisms that Game Of Thrones faced surrounding the unnecessary violence against women are being considered for future projects. Actress Olivia Cooke, who will star in the spinoff series House Of The Dragon, has promised that the show will not feature the same level of violence against women that the original series had. While Septa Unella’s death was still undeniably brutal, it is disturbing to consider the routes that the showrunners could have taken.

Source: Collider

About The Author

Zoe Hulina
(35 Articles Published)

Zoe Hulina is a student at the University of Vermont studying English.

More From Zoe Hulina