Game Of Thrones Recap: 12 Things You Learn Rewatching Season 5
9. Stannis' Last Moments Are Some Of His Best
"Go on, do your duty."
In his final moments, Stephen Dillane gets to deliver what might be the most on-brand Stannis moment we ever got to see on the show, at least in terms of comparing to his book character.
While Dillane does give a great performance in the role, Stannis as a character loses something in translation: the showrunners seemed to view him in a different way to George R.R. Martin, and that led to a couple of downturns for his character. One is that the supposed best tactical mind in Westeros was completely destroyed by Ramsay Bolton, and the other is in him becoming a more cruel person who subscribes to the Lord of Light and a self-righteous belief that he should be King, rather than doing it out of a sense of duty, honour, and justice.
That's why these last words have a lasting impact and remain so powerful, because they're so fitting with who the character of Stannis should've been, not the guy who burned his daughter.