The film, representing Game of Thrones up to Season 4, features LGBTQ+ characters like Oberyn Martell, who is openly bisexual and portrayed with dignity and complexity. His relationships are depicted without narrative judgment. The earlier relationship between Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell is also presented as a significant bond. The narrative generally treats queer identities as valid, with obstacles stemming from external forces rather than the identities themselves.

The film features Brienne of Tarth, a skilled warrior, who engages in and wins a close-quarters physical fight against a formidable male opponent using both melee weapons and hand-to-hand techniques.

The film's narrative strongly critiques traditional family structures and norms, depicting highly dysfunctional biological families, the violent rejection of parental authority, and the normalization of alternative relationships and individual paths over conventional family bonds.