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  ===Reception===
  Sophie Turner plays the role of Sansa Stark in the television series
  As her storyline has progressed, Sansa has received critical acclaim for the development of her character and her emergence from a naive young girl to a strong young woman. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Sansa as No. 4 on a list of the "Top 40 ''Game of Thrones'' Characters", saying that Sansa is "often overlooked in favor of her killer kid sister", but that her "quiet, innate political shrewedness and emotional strength have enabled her to survive", and calling her "the show's best-kept secret". In a ranking of the 48 best ''Game of Thrones'' characters listed in the main credits in the first five seasons on the website ''The Wrap'', Sansa was ranked at No. 4, ahead of the more popular Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and Tyrion Lannister, saying that "Sansa has been kind of great in Season 6, turning into the sort of badass we always hoped but never thought she actually could become".
  In an article published on ''Mic.''com, Julianne Ross says that "the elder Stark daughter is often cited as one of the most reviled characters on ''Game of Thrones''", while also saying that "not coincidentally, Sansa Stark is also one of the most classically feminine characters on the show." Ross criticized the heavy hatred for Sansa, particularly in contrast to "her universally (and rightly) adored tomboy little sister Arya", stating that Sansa "arguably gets a disproportionate amount of fan hate because she doesn't fit the narrow 'strong female character' mold we're used to rooting for."  Blogger Rhiannon Thomas of ''Feminist Fiction'' wrote in 2012 that "the focus on this sort of female character - the oft-cited 'strong female character' - seems to suggest that femininity is still ''bad,'' and that women can only be strong by adopting stereotypically male roles and attitudes". Thomas went on to say that "in an abusive situation that would break so many people, Sansa survives" and that she has a "woman's courage" that "keeps her alive and in the game where characters like Arya would not last five minutes".
  In an article published on MTV.com by Crystal Bell titled "Sansa Stark is the Only ''Game of Thrones'' Hero Worth Rooting For", Bell writes: "Sansa is the most relatable character in George R.R. Martin's canon. She's often despised for having no agency, but the way I see it, Sansa is hated for being a woman. Unlike Brienne, Arya, Cersei, and Margaery -- models of the "strong female character" archetype—Sansa's passivity denotes weakness. She doesn't have cool swordplay skills like her sister Arya; she isn't a smart seductress like Margaery Tyrell or a fierce queen like Cersei. She is the epitome of femininity on ''Game of Thrones'', and therefore, she is dismissed." Bell went on to say: "However, Sansa's greatest strength as a character has been her unwavering resilience. She was tortured and humiliated for seasons by the unhinged man-boys around her. She's been the subject of everyday sexism and misogyny since day one. And yet, she survives, even as armor-clad heroes fall before her. She is the show's survivor. She continuously ''endures'' the pain and humiliation of being a woman in Westeros. Just because Sansa doesn't wield a sword as fiercely as Arya and Brienne, or command a horde of dragons like Daenerys Targaryen, doesn't make her any less of a hero."
  Sansa received particular acclaim in Season 6 of the show, during which she began her quest to retake her family home and exact revenge on those who wronged her. In an interview with ''The New York Times'', actress Sophie Turner said that "she's Sansa no longer a pawn in anyone's game; she's no longer a prisoner...she's the one taking charge and doing her own thing, which is very exciting". Megan Garber of ''The Atlantic'' praised the show's decision to have Sansa be the one orchestrating Ramsay's death in Battle of the Bastards, saying that "In the end, it was Sansa and her abuser, alone again in a darkened chamber; in the end though, it was Sansa making the decisions about who would be the victim."  On the scene, Turner said: "It's amazing. It's Sansa's first kill and it's such a strong moment for her because all her life she's been affected by these men who have just done such terrible things to her...."
  Following the penultimate Season 6 episode, Bennett Madison of ''Vanity Fair'' wrote "When Sansa icily reminds her dopey brother that 'No one can protect you', it's because she's always been on her own. As far back as King's Landing, Sansa's between quietly protecting herself, working on her stitchery while taking cool measure of everything going on around her, learning how to game the system, and slithering through situations that would have gotten the best of the show's more flashy or impulsive characters. In 'Battle of the Bastards', she got to show a little flash of her own; by being defiantly, gloriously correct in her convictions, by saving the day with her foresight and savvy, and by feeding Ramsay to the dogs."  Turner later told ''Time'' magazine about how gratifying it was to watch Sansa's development during Season 6 and defended the show on its cruel treatment of women: "In my opinion, ''Game of Thrones'' is not sexist, and it's accurate to medieval time. The show puts social boundaries on the women, and they break out of these boundaries."