The Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere ended on what might be one of the biggest WTF moments in the show’s history. For the first time ever, we saw Melisandre for who she really is: an old woman. It’s clear she’s at least a few centuries old.
Melisandre has always been a source of mystery for Game of Thrones . We know nothing about her where she’s come from, what she’s seen, and why she’s believed so strongly in her God, which is why seeing her true form was shocking. Carice Van Houten, who plays Melisandre on the show, explained to Entertainment Weekly why it was time for the show to reveal her character’s truth.
“I was really happy when I read that we were going to reveal that this year,” Houten told Entertainment Weekly. “I don’t think a lot of people will see that coming. It makes her immediately more vulnerable, but also more wise and even more mysterious. There’s also a vulnerability in her age.”
There is no doubt now that Melisandre wasn’t using Stannis Baratheon for her own personal gain. Many believed Melisandre was an opportunist preying on men to live like a Queen. We don’t know exactly how old she is, but it is clear her only purpose in life was to serve the Red God through his visions to her. Whether Melisandre will remain faithful to her Lord or give up on her beliefs remains to be seen.
Watch the Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere on HBO here.
