Rose Leslie, who played Ygritte on HBO’s hit medieval-fantasy series Game of Thrones, is an ardent defender of the series against those who claim it’s sexist.

Rose Leslie On ‘Game Of Thrones’

Leslie had the chance to play one of Game of Thrones’ firebrand female characters, a Wildling warrior who seemed to have the upper hand in her relationship with man of the Night’s Watch Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and the respect of her Wildling comrades. Having that experience, Leslie adamantly shuts down the suggestion that the show is sexist in an exclusive interview with uInterview.

“I feel that Game of Thrones is most certainly at the forefront of, not only on television but also in promoting strong, dominant women,” Leslie told uInterview, adding, “particularly in a very brutal and ruthless world, whereby even in this brutal world, there are men who answer to women and there are powerful women, who, you know, have their back. And these women can dominate, and I think that’s a wonderful platform.”

In addition to Leslie’s erstwhile Ygritte, who was killed during the Battle of Castle Black, Game of Thrones is host to a number of other female characters who oftentimes get the better of their male counterparts. Among those characters is Queen Regent Cersei (Lena Headey), who has more or less exacted her will over the Seven Kingdoms, even when men like her father Lord Tywin (Charles Dance) have sought to curb her power.

The knighted Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) – an aspiring sword fighter herself – possess clear physical strength and determination throughout the series. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), meanwhile, as The Dragon Queen, exerts cunning and leadership to drive through the great slave cities, freeing the slaves from their masters.

Game of Thrones’ fifth season will premiere April 2015.

Leslie most recently appeared in the horror film Honeymoon. Her other upcoming projects include TV series Utopia and feature films Sticky Notes and The Last Witch Hunter.