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Unbelievable! The Game of Thrones series always astounded us with its ethically ambiguous characters and unbelievable turns of events! Yet, out of the whole cast, one person was always hated: the Waif. She was a very detested character from her very first appearance in the series, and the reason is obvious: her unfeeling, cruel treatment of Arya Stark was insane, and that dislike even reached the real world as Faye Marsay, the actress, was also affected.
The Waif certainly proved to be a difficult character to handle and was the one who literally attacked the character most loved by the audience. The extent of her wickedness turned Waif into the most loathed character of the series by the name of Game of Thrones.
Faye Marsay, the actress portraying Waif, later stated in interviews that she was subject to “intense backlash” after the airing of the show, which made her take the decision of not being active on social media for a while.
As per Entertainment Weekly, Marsay said,
"After Thrones came out, there was quite intense backlash at one point. Just because of the character I played. "[The fans] hated her. Because Maisie's character was, like, the one — and there I am, hitting her with a stick."
This kind of reaction shows how intense the fans’ involvement with the series was, and at the same time how hard it is for viewers to separate the fiction from the reality.
The Waif’s role in Game of Thrones
When Season 5 began, so did the story of the Waif, whose identity was that of a trainee in the Faceless Men in Braavos. Initially, she was Arya Stark's mentor, but very soon she turned into Arya's tireless pursuer during Arya's difficult training. The Waif character was represented as very cold-hearted and cruel throughout the whole series, especially when she was punishing Arya for the killing that was not allowed and was done by her.
One of the main events of her trial was Season 6, when the Waif tried to assassinate Arya. The fight was resolved with Arya dispatching the Waif in a dark place and leaving her face there among the Hall of Faces. Many people think that this plotline is very brutal and was one of the most shocking mentor-turned-villain plots in Game of Thrones.
The Waif character was very unpopular among fans for several reasons
1. The Waif's behavior towards Arya was very cruel.
It was the case of Arya Stark who most of all got the love of the audience among Game of Thrones characters, and the Waif's never-ending execution had the viewers' emotional strength tested. The strong feelings of the fans were for Arya's protection, so they perceived the Waif's attacks as personal and completely illegitimate.
2. Lack of redeeming qualities
The Waif, like most characters in the story, was a prisoner of his/her, in her case, the cruelty was the only thing she presented. She was a true villain and did not reveal any human frailty, which made it difficult for the audience to embrace her. She was among the very few unempathetic characters, which, in turn, caused more negative reactions.
3. Audience identification with Arya
Fans were extremely engaged in Arya’s victory and development. Since the Waif was openly threatening Arya, the audience naturally transferred their anger onto her. This heavy emotional identification with Arya was one of the reasons why the Waif was so widely hated by the fans.
4. Difficulty separating actor from character
As per the reports by EW and CBR, a lot of viewers found it hard to tell the difference between the Waif’s on-screen wickedness and Faye Marsay’s real persona. The negativity was wearing, and it showed how viewer responses to Game of Thrones sometimes went as far as real-life harassment.
The real-world impact on Faye Marsay
Faye Marsay revealed that the enormity of the backlash had a negative impact on both her online presence and her mental state. She said the public reaction was only against the role she acted in, but not her personally; however, the amount of censure was so high that it was hard to bear.
As per the Independent, Marsay said,
"I’m like, the worst millennial on earth. The struggle is real! Like, I can’t really properly put a post up. It takes me a while.”
The situation is a perfect illustration of how close fan involvement with Game of Thrones can lead to some actors suffering from being cast in very unpopular character roles.
The Waif holds the record for being one of the most loathed characters in the series Game of Thrones
Four or five years after the end of The Waif's role, the character still manages to provoke intense reactions from the audience. The traits of her character - pure evil, no good qualities to redeem her, the participation in Arya's agony in the series - have made her reminiscent of a devil.
Her negative image was only further intensified by the fact that some fans could not make the distinction between the world of fiction, Game of Thrones, and the real one.
The journey of the Waif character is proof of the extent to which the series' Game of Thrones' has power in creating emotionally heavy moments, and that a banished villain can have a long-lasting impact on the audience.
The Waif was a character in the Game of Thrones series who was incomparably hard on fans owing to her unyielding harshness and her choice of the beloved one as her victim. The revelation of the great backlash by Faye Marsay and her taking a break from social media shows how far fan reactions can go beyond being just a watching experience.
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The Waif definitely left a mark as a formidable villain, owing to the treatment she received in Game of Thrones, as well as the opportunity she presented for the young audience to see the thin line separating reality from fiction in fandom culture.
Also read: Game of Thrones cast and character guide: Here's who brought the GRRM fantasy drama to life
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