Game of Thrones characters ranked worst to best, from Cersei Lannister to Euron Greyjoy
As House of the Dragon leaps back to 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, it’s worth remembering how many brilliant characters the original show had.
Some went through huge changes across the seasons, such as Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), who went from annoying teenager to battle-worn ruler of Winterfell.
Others established themselves as some of the best villains to have ever been depicted on screen, the twisted King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) perhaps being the best example.
Then there are those characters who were only around for one or two seasons, yet they still had a massive impact on the show. Perhaps the best example is Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), who quickly became a fan-favourite before reaching a splattered demise.
There were over 40 main characters (those where the actors have “main” billing) and dozens more series regulars on Game of Thrones. The Independent has ranked all the main players from the show – along with a few others for good measure.
Flick through the below gallery to see the 70 best Game of Thrones characters, ranked.
Game of Thrones characters - ranked
Easily the most annoying Stark child − an impressive feat next to Bran − Rickon was at least handed one hell of a death scene: taken out by an arrow courtesy of Ramsay Bolton. (HBO)
Robin Arryn is remembered by most Thrones fans as being the 10-year-old breastfed by his mother (still weird). That's about it. (HBO)
The Rickon of the Baratheon brothers. His claim to the Iron Throne was tenuous, considering his older brother, Stannis, was still alive. When Stannis's shadow monster came to kill him, it was only good news for the show. (HBO)
A lot of mystery may surround Leaf, one of the show's mythical Children of the Forest, but her noble sacrifice to save Bran, Meera and Hodor from a horde of wights robbed her of any worth. (HBO)
Another boring younger brother. Whereas Joffrey was pure evil, Tommen was innocent and, inevitably, very boring. His cat, Ser Pounce, was an asset to the show. (HBO)
Lysa, the creepy sister to Catelyn Stark, was first seen with Robin Arryn, her 10-year-old son, latched to her breast. Her death − being pushed through the Moon Door − couldn't have come sooner. (HBO)
Having gone missing in season one, Benjen returned during season six to save his nephew, Bran. The moment was a surprise to TV watchers − book readers, however, had long speculated that Coldhands was an undead version of the Stark. (HBO)
The ill-fated Syrio's appearance way back in season one was a formative experience for one Arya Stark (Maisie Williams); he's the one who helped her on her way to becoming the vengeful assassin fans know and love today. (HBO)
Father of Jorah Mormont, Jeor was an honourable leader of the Night's Watch − perhaps to a fault. After giving Jon Snow the sword Longclaw, Mormont inadvertently showed the Stark bastard that Valerian steel can cut through White Walkers. (HBO)
Let's be honest: it's hard to really like as scheming a character as Roose Bolton, the man who orchestrated the violent Red Wedding − the most infamous scene in the show's six-year history that saw the death of Robb, Catelyn and Talisa. (HBO)
Ellaria Sand may have been a more enticing creation on the page, but in the series, her screen time regrettably amounts to reacting to loved ones being killed off in increasingly awful ways. (HBO)
This article was originally published on 14 September 2019, ahead of the show’s eighth season
