Ranking My Favorite “Game of Thrones” Characters
While not perfect by any means, George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones is a tour de force. Part high fantasy, medieval political thriller, character drama and action-horror, the HBO-developed juggernaut became culturally ubiquitous and a household staple during its 8 season run from 2011 to 2019. Utilizing, and (rather infamously) subverting aesthetics and tropes of high fantasy, Game of Thrones cemented its legacy by depicting explicitly brutal and graphic violence throughout its fictional world, adapted from Martin’s titular novels. The author himself has gone on record to defend utilizing graphic violence, arguing the horrors existent within history (of which he drew partial inspiration) are far worse than what his imagination could conjure.
I enjoyed Game of Thrones during its initial run, despite what I consider its problematic, if-regressive depictions; I could do a separate write up of what I found to be needless or downright offensive (i.e. white saviorhood, the Dothraki and Orientalism, etc.). In my opinion, Missandei and Grey Worm were quite underwritten, depictions of non-European-like indigeneity were reductive, and characters who fit somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum all got Hays Code-worthy brutalization (save for Yara, who is perhaps, the exception). The ratio of female nudity in-comparison to men was abysmal, and it seems someone thought in order to make the men relatable/likeable meant endowing them with over-the-top chauvinism (the notable outliers: the male Starks, and Samwell Tarly).
Of all my criticism about Game of Thrones, it may seem like I disliked it altogether, of which-I didn’t. Overall, beyond what I consider fair points, I was able to enjoy my rewatch by focusing on its strengths, rather than its imperfections. The show handles cause-and-effect remarkably well, most of the characterizations are compelling, believable, and the interplay we see between monarchal politics amid continental war (invoking England’s War of the Roses) and fantasy tracks phenomenal, lending an adult sense of levity. Magic, monsters, the paranormal all have some place within Westeros, more-or-less treated grounded in comparison to other fantasy. Though (in my opinion) the ending was botched, I still consider seasons 1 through 6 to be an entertaining, salacious romp.
Without further ado, my 10 favorite characters (as depicted in the television series).
#1. Brienne of Tarth
“All my life men like you have sneered at me, and all my life I've been knocking men like you into the dust.”
Something of a composite between Joan of Arc and Million Dollar Baby, Brienne is the kind of heroine who earns your affection by fighting for it. She’s too “manly” to be mistaken for a lady, but still a woman undermined by men around her. Her honor is her code, and above all else, she values the intrinsic merit of committing to one’s promises, no matter what the cost. The journey Brienne undertakes is long, satisfying, my personal favorite due to how she isn’t some “chosen one,” how she isn’t taken serious until her valor shines through. I enjoy that she represents the many women who don’t neatly fit in a comfy middle of the bell curve, physically or societally.
#2. Tyrion Lannister
“Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.”
A fan favorite, Tyrion stole my heart as well as imagination. He’s a polyglot, skilled, somewhat fluent in High Valerian, clever, quick-witted, hilarious, charming, and among other things, a great orator (when need be). Relatability is the name for Tyrion, who speaks his mind with his heart, an outsider who’s been undervalued by those closest to him-for his entire life. The great Peter Dinklage garnered a few Emmys for his performance, and it’s no wonder: Tyrion, above all others, serves as the proverbial heart to Game of Thrones, bleeding fire onscreen.
#3. Arya Stark
“I'm not a lady. I never have been. That's not me.”
The spunky, beautiful, dangerous Stark isn’t a “lady” like her sister, Sansa, but something more entirely. Another tomboy knight, Arya transcends whatever limitations are instilled upon her, ultimately becoming her truest self: fiercely-hearted, free-traveling, untethered, both a warrior and assassin. Arya’s one of many underdogs who are central to the plot, and when, upon departing Winterfell, she undergoes an odyssey that’s completely unrivaled.
#4. Jon Snow
“There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it.”
Though I wholeheartedly disagree making him a Targaryen, Jon nevertheless is one of my favorites because he is an underdog, bastard, someone born without anything unique beyond his circumstances. He’s innately noble, honest-to-a-fault, honorable though naive (at-times), impulsive without bodily concern and given his rather selfless nature, anomalously complex. At-first his journey feels throttled being stuck at Castle Black, though thankfully, once the pieces start to fall together, his ascension to King of the North feels satisfying.
#5. Lord Varys
“Power resides where men believe it resides. It's a trick. A shadow on the wall. And a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”
Also known as “the Spider,” Lord Varys serves throughout the show’s majority as the, “Master of Whisperers,” or in other words, a man royally appointed for reconnaissance and information. Upon first glance, Varys comes off like he’s up to no good, perhaps worse than his courtly rival, Peter Baelish (aka, “Little Finger”), though in-time, his intentions (as well as methods) become crystalline. To say Varys is complex would be an understatement.
#6. Tywin Lannister
“A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep.”
Charles Dance outdoes himself as the Gold Lion and ruthless patriarch of the Lannister dynasty. For seasons 2 through 4 he commands every scene he’s in, helping create a sense of unbridled tension. Like every good villain, Tywin teaches us the importance of where he stands and the angle of which he views the battlefield, to which it more than makes sense for the viewer. His complexity is exacerbated through what tenuous relationships he keeps with his adult children, becoming further dissected when their familial legacy begins to crumble.
#7. (Sir) Bronn of the Blackwater
“Lesson number one: assume everyone wants to hit you.”
Resolutely a sellsword through and through, Bronn primarily exists to fulfill a few agreements between the story and audience: comedic relief, freeing then assisting Tyrion with whatever his endeavors require, and remaining – somehow – likeable, despite having no allegiances other than to himself. I liken Bronn’s presence in the show akin to Breaking Bad’s Saul Goodman, who, for all intents and purposes, is an affable, self-interested crook, but with some sense of conscience.
#8. Theon Greyjoy
“What is dead may never die.”
Theon is like the parable of the prodigal son. Born of the Iron Islands and to the Ironborn, following his kingdom’s uprising, he’s taken as a child prisoner back to Winterfell, then (practically) raised as a Stark. Although at-first Theon is convicted in his loyalty to his real family – the Starks – and fights for King of the North Robb’s rebellion, his actual – i.e. biological – family emotionally manipulates him, working his inner weaknesses to betray everything he’s ever known. His story is heart wrenching from the start until his final moments of bittersweet sacrifice, finding redemption.
#9. Cersei Lannister
“Love is poison. A sweet poison, yes, but it will kill you all the same.”
Yes, perhaps the show’s most hated villain, even when considering the Sallo-worthy Ramsey, or her Caligula-esque son, Joffrey. To put it blunt: Game of Thrones wouldn’t be the powerhouse it is without Cersei’s vengeful heart. Everything she does, every step she takes to make the world a better place for her children has the opposite effect, so much so that the consequences of her actions go beyond irony or poeticism (much like Stannis’s, they’re Shakespearean tragedy). Lena Headey convincingly crushes this role, being one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen on the small screen.
#10. Sandor Clegane, aka “The Hound”
“Fuck the king.”
Perhaps the (whether or not intentionally) funniest character, the Hound is the one person to make me laugh out loud more than anybody. The entire “two chickens,” bit with Arya is comedic gold; his lack of diplomatic presentation only makes for a funnier pretense when put up against circumstances beyond his control. “Fuck the king,” might continue to live on as perhaps my favorite line of the series, and the complexity of his characterization exceeds his explicit aesthetic.
