While it has been almost three years since the (sort of) disappointing ending of HBO’s Game of Thrones, the lasting effects of the show’s immense popularity continue to linger and show no sign at all of going away anytime soon. While Game of Thrones, on its own merits, never did anything new to redefine its genre, it did change the genre. More specifically, it changed people’s perception of its genre.
Prior to Game of Thrones, swords and sorcery-type fantasy settings were always for children. While they could be dark, serious, or show as much skin as they wanted to, the widespread consensus was that no matter how unique or exciting it was, fantasy was for younger audiences. Game of Thrones changed that by showing that not only could a serious sword and sorcery-style fantasy story be done well, but do so while continuing to take itself seriously. The show didn’t do anything that non-fantasy fans would believe to be silly. It had real, lasting consequences for the universe and the characters that lived in it.
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Here is how the show’s legacy continues years after its conclusion.
Adults Are Drawn Into the Fantasy World
HBO
Game of Thrones did a lot to take itself seriously besides allowing its characters to swear and showing lots of (often gratuitous amounts) skin, as while both of those things did happen, they were never the focus of the story. Even in scenes where someone naked was present, those scenes were presented so that the naked person didn’t detract from anything that was happening in the larger story and, in doing so, presented themselves as a spice on a well-prepared meal as opposed to just being the meal itself. The show’s swearing policy was the same way, as while there were quite a few characters who swore, none of them did do with every alternate word. Most spoke quite eloquently and never felt the need to use obscenities. Game of Throne’s attitude to both of these things showed that the series could be mature and serious, and did not feel the need to pander to anyone just because they could if they wanted to.
More than its iconic scenes and characters, the story was always the driving force behind why people tuned in. Because of this, none of the characters ever forgot the larger picture, even if they only played a small part in it. Shows like The Witcher and The Wheel of Time are the same way, as they understand that while audiences may come for what it presents, it is the story that will ultimately get them hooked and keep drawing them in.
If people want gratuitous violence or naked people, they can get it anywhere. Game of Thrones understood that while they could show these things, they needed more if they wanted to keep audiences coming back. This is especially true for this type of fantasy, as regardless of whether they have gratuitous violence, swearing, or naked people, the story will always be unique and will keep audiences coming back more than anything.
The Fantasy Genre Is Going Strong
As stated earlier, while Game of Thrones may have been one of the first swords and sorcery-style fantasies to get the serious HBO adaptation it deserved, but in the world of pen and paper, the genre has always taken itself seriously. Because of the success of Game of Thrones, however, only now are studios and producers beginning to look at these properties as real money-making opportunities, and as such more of them are being adapted into live-action adaptations. These adaptations treat the source material with as much severity as it deserves and does not attempt to shy away from anything simply because it is a fantasy setting.
