Game of Thrones: What We 
Game of Thrones: Characters 
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Game of Thrones Major Characters, Ranked
50. Ramsay Bolton
Pure evil without any nuance is boring, and Ramsay was very boring indeed. We were glad when he died, but mostly just relieved.
49. Ellaria Sand
We remember her scream when Oberyn died, of course, but she was mostly forgettable after that. She also loses points for being the mom of those insufferable Sand Snakes.
48. Tommen
Cersei’s other son was actually a pretty nice kid… and pretty much a snooze, as a result.
47. Jaqen H’ghar
We get it: He’s mystical and mysterious and stuff. But Arya’s fighting mentor was more of a talking fortune cookie than an actual character.
46. Daario
Daenerys’ Meereen plaything never really showed a whole lot of personality, aside from fighting and loving. Actually, that’s probably what Dany liked about him.
45. Jon Snow
Yes, he was the hero and the driving force for the bulk of Thrones‘ action — but he was also a wishy-washy dolt who never met a dumb plan he didn’t like. And we never really got inside that thick skull of his, did we?
44. Stannis Baratheon
Melisandre was convinced he was destined to be king. We were convinced he had all the charisma of a soggy loaf of bread.
43. Theon Greyjoy
Bran assured him he was “a good man,” but we’re sorry: As a character, he stunk. He was a jerk, then he was tortured, then he sort of redeemed himself… but we never really warmed up to him.
42. Gendry
His story was decent — bastard son of a king and all that — but besides that roll in the hay with Arya, he was kind of a shrug of a character.
41. Dolorous Edd
We enjoyed all the sarcastic quips Jon’s pal would provide, but he never gave us much beyond those, did he?
40. Bran Stark
Tyrion called his story the best in Westeros… really? His middle-seasons arc dragged, and becoming the Three-Eyed Raven sucked all the humanity out of him. We did kind of like his cold, cutting remarks, though.
39. Robb Stark
The Starks were always too good for their own good, and noble son Robb was the epitome of that. He also proved that purely good characters are rarely interesting.
38. The Mountain
He was a fearsome killing machine — and we’re pretty sure he never spoke a single word of dialogue? More a force of nature than a fully realized character.
37. Catelyn Stark
The Stark matriarch led her family with admirable strength and grace, but like her brethren, she was too goodhearted to be truly compelling. Maybe if she had come back as Lady Stoneheart…
36. Qyburn
The evil wizard of King’s Landing had an impressive intellect and was always cooking up some new potion. Too bad about his skull, though.
35. Beric Dondarrion
We have a soft spot for this gruff warrior who beat death (four times!) before nobly sacrificing himself to save Arya. Bonus points for the cool flaming sword.
34. Euron Greyjoy
Theon and Yara’s uncle was every bit as detestable as Ramsay… but we actually kind of liked him? He had a few funny lines, and you gotta respect his swagger.
33. Grey Worm
The former slave went on to command an army, so his arc was impressive — as was his bedroom technique.
32. The High Sparrow
The addition of this high priest brought an intriguing moral element to Thrones, and Jonathan Pryce makes everything better.
31. Gilly
Sam’s love was a sweetheart, and probably even more interesting than the show allowed her to be. (Remember when she discovered Jon’s true parentage and was completely ignored?)
30. Varys
The bald eunuch was always strategizing one step ahead of everyone else… until he wasn’t. His scenes were kind of dry and exposition-y, though, weren’t they?
29. Robert Baratheon
The reigning king when Thrones began, Robert was a jolly, Henry VIII-type of ruler, the likes of which we never really saw again. Being king is fun!
28. Samwell Tarly
Nerd alert! Let’s hear it for Westeros’ reigning king dork, who proved that burying your nose in books does have its benefits.
27. Missandei
Like her beau Grey Worm, she went from lowly slave to a seat of power as Dany’s most trusted advisor, and brought out the human side of the Mother of Dragons.
26. Ned Stark
The man whose steadfast honor and integrity set the tone for his family — and whose beheading provided Thrones its first of many jaw-dropping moments. Your kids done good, Ned.
25. Margaery Tyrell
Joffrey’s (and Tommen’s) wife had a nasty, Lady Macbeth streak hidden beneath her beauty… but Cersei outplayed her in the end.
24. Melisandre
The Red Woman was responsible for some of Thrones‘ most fantastical moments (remember her birthing a demon smoke baby?), and we kind of liked how she was humbled by her failures and redeemed herself.
23. Jorah Mormont
Ah, Ser Jorah, Lord of the Friendzone. He endured a lot across eight seasons — ew, greyscale — and died doing what he loved: being near Daenerys.
22. Tywin Lannister
The Lannisters’ dad was a cold, conniving piece of work, but he did make for a very compelling villain, thanks to Charles Dance’s masterfully icy performance.
21. Khal Drogo
Dany’s Dothraki husband was not only a formidable warrior, but he was also probably her best love match as well. We’re just sorry we only got one season with him.
20. Hodor
This gentle giant did more with a single word than any character in TV history. He was the Hodor-iest Hodor to ever Hodor.
19. Podrick Payne
We liked him as Tyrion’s squire, we liked him as Brienne’s loyal attendant, and we even liked his singing voice. And hey, the ladies like him, too!
18. Yara Greyjoy
Forget Theon and Euron: This battle-tested heroine has always ruled the Iron Islands in our eyes.
17. Sansa Stark
Early on, we had Sansa pegged as a typical damsel in distress, but she pleasantly surprised us with her grit and resilience. All hail the Queen in the North!
16. Littlefinger
The silver-tongued schemer finally saw his luck run out, but for most of Thrones‘ run, he was a brilliant manipulator who knew precisely when to switch allegiances to save his own hide.
15. Ygritte
Oh, Ygritte. We miss this fiery redheaded wildling almost as much as Jon Snow does. Their steamy cave tryst was hands down Thrones‘ sexiest — and maybe most romantic — moment.
14. Bronn
We admire this laid-back sellsword’s pragmatic approach to life — forget the Iron Throne; he just wanted a decent castle — and he always added a welcome dollop of tart black humor to every scene he was in.
13. Tormund
The Thrones character we’d most like to share a horn full of wine with, no contest.
12. Lady Olenna
Even as she drew her last breath, Thrones‘ grande dame was vaporizing her enemies with her savage wit. A good reminder that power can reside in small, frail bodies, too.
11. Oberyn Martell
Why oh why didn’t you kill The Mountain when you had the chance? Oh well… that same hot-blooded impulsiveness that got you killed is what made us fall for you in the first place. Gone too soon, for sure.
10. Ser Davos Seaworth
With many a father figure snuffed out early on, the Onion Knight became everyone’s tough but fair dad in Thrones‘ latter seasons — and his tenderness with Shireen was truly lovely.
9. Lyanna Mormont
This pint-sized dynamo stole every last scene she was in with her bold, authoritarian flair. We wouldn’t hesitate to bend the knee.
8. Tyrion Lannister
His reputation as a great thinker took a few serious hits by the end, but Mr. “I Drink and I Know Things” was a reliable source of wit and wisdom for eight seasons, and delivered a handful of deeply emotional moments, too.
7. The Hound
He looked like a monster, and acted like one most of the time. But Sandor Clegane had a wounded heart under all those scars, and his gradual redemption was one of Thrones‘ most satisfying storylines.
6. Daenerys Targaryen
Yes, Thrones abruptly clipped the Mother of Dragons’ wings with a very late heel turn — but overall, she was a marvelously captivating character, going from meek bride for sale to (brief) ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Dracarys, indeed.
5. Jaime Lannister
Even when the Kingslayer was doing awful things, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau lent him a roguish charm, and we loved watching him discover and nurture the tiny sliver of goodness within his black Lannister heart.
4. Joffrey Baratheon
We hated Joffrey, too… but didn’t you just love to hate him? His gleefully sadistic reign as king was unquestionably riveting — a clear-eyed warning about the perils of absolute power — and every other Thrones villain that followed failed to fully measure up.
3. Brienne of Tarth
From her legendary prowess on the battlefield to her heartbreaking vulnerability off of it, Brienne smashed through traditional “feminine” expectations to create a singular character we’ll never forget. In our minds, we knighted her long before Jaime did.
2. Cersei Lannister
The “evil queen” is a standard fantasy trope, but Cersei was so much more than just that: ruthless, yes, but also fiercely passionate about her family. (Which includes her brother/lover, but we digress.) We didn’t want her to win the Iron Throne, but we didn’t want to stop watching her, either.
1. Arya Stark
It seems unthinkable that the tiny girl we met in Thrones‘ first episode would go on to defeat humanity’s biggest threat, and that progression is what made Arya the series’ most fascinating character. Her arc — from scared daughter to heartless vengeance-seeker to a full-grown woman, scarred but unbroken — was Thrones at its very best.
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