Game Of Thrones: Why Sansa Didn’t Go With The Hound During Blackwater

Sansa Stark refused to leave King’s Landing with the Hound during the Battle of Blackwater in Game of Thrones season 2, and she most likely made the right choice. The eldest female Stark sibling was played by Sophie Turner for all eight seasons of the HBO fantasy series. While she was initially presented as a naive and weak-willed character, Sansa quickly grew into one of the fiercest survivors of the series, eventually becoming the Queen in the North. The Hound, whose real name was Sandor Clegane, was played by Rory McCann, appearing in all but one season. After serving as King Joffrey’s personal bodyguard, the Hound joined the Brotherhood Without Banners, leading him to then fight for Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen during the Battle of Winterfell.

In Game of Thrones season 2, Sansa was still being held captive in King’s Landing as Joffrey’s future wife. The Lannisters treated her terribly due to the tension between the noble family and House Stark. Due to the public unrest stemming from Joffrey’s reign, a citywide riot broke out, which cause Sansa to separate from the rest of the group. A gang of men found her and were about to sexually assault the terrified teen until the Hound intervened. Not long after, Stannis Baratheon’s fleet arrived, which marked the start of the Battle of Blackwater.

During the attack on King’s Landing led by Stannis, Sansa was required to remain in her chambers. Before leaving the city following his desertion of the Kingsguard, the Hound visited Sansa’s room to urge the girl to leave with him. He vowed to protect her so she could return to her family in the North. Sansa, not fully trusting the man who claimed to get a thrill out of killing, refused to join him. Though the Hound had a habit of doing good deeds, his past justifiably made Sansa hesitant. Prior to the big battle, it was the Hound who filled in Cersei regarding Sansa’s readiness to have children. Given that he was a skilled killer with a history of betrayal, it was no surprise that Sansa wanted to take her chances in King’s Landing with the hope that Stannis would win the battle, paving her exit from the Lannister’s grasp.

What Could’ve Happened If Sansa Left During The Battle Of Blackwater

It was certainly possible that the Hound would have delivered Sansa to her family. More than likely, he would have reunited her with her mother, Catelyn Stark, and older brother, Robb Stark. If that was the case, Sansa probably would have been present for the wedding between Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. The ceremony, infamously known as the “Red Wedding,” was a deadly setup, resulting in the deaths of Catelyn, Robb, and many of their allies. Had Sansa been in attendance, she too would have been murdered or returned to the sadistic Lannister family.

Sansa certainly didn’t face an early journey after she decided to stay in King’s Landing. Though she eventually escaped, she fell into the hands of the equally dangerous House Bolton, specifically the abusive Ramsay. That said, if Sansa did escape with the Hound in season 2, she most likely wouldn’t have gotten very far. The word of her escape would have spread to the Northern region. If she wasn’t recognized and killed by Lannister allies, Sansa definitely would have been sent back to King’s Landing to face some type of punishment. It was a lose-lose situation for most of the character’s journey in Game of Thrones, but Sansa truly believed her past traumas helped in her survival.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1751 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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