The impact the show had on modern pop culture is so vast that several fantasy shows tried to be the next Game of Thrones, with some even still vying for that title. That includes some Game of Thrones spin-offs, which continue trying to reach the lofty heights of the original series.
Oftentimes, shows fail to rival Game of Thrones, primarily due to the latter’s best aspect: its characters. Yes, Game of Thrones had a soaring budget, epic battle scenes, political intrigue, forbidden relationships, love stories, comedic moments, and violent drama, but these things only succeeded due to the characters at the show’s center.
While it would be impossible to rank every single character in Game of Thrones, given the show’s immense scope, 20 stand out as the fan-favorites. These characters are not necessarily the most morally good, either, as even the most deplorable people can be outstanding characters. Be they heroes or villains, here are Game of Thrones’ 20 best characters, ranked.
Bronn
This remains throughout Game of Thrones‘ entirety, even in its bleaker final seasons. Just how funny Bronn is, the dynamics he has with characters like Podrick, Tyrion, and just about anyone else, for that matter, and Jerome Flynn’s performance allow him to crack the top 20.
If there were more dramatic heft to his character, he would be higher. As he is, though, the sheer enjoyment of Bronn’s presence allows him to rank as one of Game of Thrones’ best characters, just in 20th spot.
Jorah Mormont
Like many others in Game of Thrones, Jorah is a complex man who was exiled from the Seven Kingdoms for selling poachers into slavery. Jorah then took up his role as the aid to Daenerys Targaryen.
Throughout Game of Thrones, Jorah’s loyalty to Dany never wavered, making him a rare man of honor. His battle prowess and political knowledge make him extra competent, and his unrequited love story, stint with Greyscale, and tragic death in the final season make him overly sympathetic.
Stannis Baratheon
Men of true honor are hard to come by in Game of Thrones‘ world, which is what makes Stannis Baratheon so compelling. Before season 2, Stannis keeps himself to himself, content to let the passing of the crown circulate among his family as the laws state. It is only when he discovers his genuine claim to the throne that he gets involved.
This makes Stannis easy to root for in early seasons, despite also rooting for his enemies, like Tyrion. Stannis ranks lower than some others, though, as his storyline begins to spread thin going into Game of Thrones season 5. These later plots do involve some compelling aspects, regardless.
His devotion to the throne and reliance on religion to get there, resulting in his daughter’s murder, is one such aspect. This allows Stannis to typify Game of Thrones‘ morally gray characters better than most by the end of his four-season run. That said, his ending is admittedly abrupt, and Stannis simply doesn’t have the compelling longevity of others to rank higher.
Robert Baratheon
Addy has the authority needed to make Robert Baratheon the king of Westeros, physically and figuratively, the conflicting impatience for political intrigue, the hilarious comedy as an old friend of Ned Stark, and the presence of someone who used to be one of the finest warriors in the Seven Kingdoms.
As he is in season 1, Robert simply wants to live the remainder of his life as happily as he can and cares little for politics, making him surprisingly human. For this reason, he ranks above some of those with more screentime, as his death is suitably tragic and the inciting incident in the Game of Thrones’ main conflicts post-season 1.
His small screen time in comparison to his ranking says a lot, but it is still the main factor in why Robert Baratheon is not ranked higher as one of Game of Thrones‘ most elite characters.
Davos Seaworth
Unlike Bronn, though, Davos has his share of depth. His backstory as the Onion Knight highlights his goodness, as does his relationship with Shireen, Stannis’ daughter. The scene in which Davos confronts Melisandre, Stannis’ red witch, about Shireen’s death is one of the show’s best dramatic moments and performances by Liam Cunningham.
Davos’ steadfast loyalty and depth make him a great Game of Thrones character; he just doesn’t get as much screentime as those above him.
Oberyn Martell
Another short but ever-so-sweet role in Game of Thrones is Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell. Oberyn is introduced with a swagger and confidence that make him seem nigh-on unbearable. However, as he grows to bond with Tyrion, unveils his motivations behind being at court, and enacts his vengeance, he becomes immediately easy to root for.
Pascal’s performance and sheer screen presence are a big factor in this, but Oberyn has some of the best moments in what is undoubtedly Game of Thrones‘ best season: season 4.
Again, screentime reduces Oberyn’s ability to rank any higher on this list. That said, his overwhelming confidence, charming charisma, excellent fight scenes, and the fact that he has some of the standout moments in Game of Thrones‘ standout season earn him a place on this list.
Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey is proof that the best Game of Thrones characters are not always the nicest. For over three years, as the show’s first four seasons aired, and even long beyond that, Joffrey Baratheon was perhaps the most hated TV character in history. What ranks Joffrey this high, though, is how much audiences loved to hate him.
Jack Gleeson was impeccable in making audiences loathe Joffrey, from his overt acts of violence to his petulant tantrums and startlingly dark cruelty. We humans are more drawn to good characters, explaining why Joffrey doesn’t rank higher. As a villain, though, Joffrey Baratheon more than earns his place here.
Sansa Stark
From their introduction to their ending, characters like Jorah, Bronn, Davos, Robert, Oberyn, Stannis, and Joffrey do not change all that much. They are who they are, and while they are tested sometimes, they don’t undergo significant transformations. As such, Sansa’s massive change renders her a better Game of Thrones character.
Sansa’s change may not be as important to Game of Thrones’ narrative as other characters’ are, meaning she does not rank any higher. Nonetheless, Sophie Turner’s excellent performance takes Sansa from an annoying child to a complex, competent leader whom audiences root for the most by the time of Game of Thrones season 5 and beyond.
Brienne of Tarth
As a sheer force of will, Brienne of Tarth is a standout Game of Thrones character. She is smart, honorable, loyal, kind, and a complete badass to boot. Brienne also has the genetic disadvantages of being a woman knight in a man’s world, making her an underdog that audiences find it easy to support.
The Hound
It feels fitting to rank The Hound/Sandor Clegane here, given his intense battle with Brienne in season 4 is one of Game of Thrones‘ most brutally visceral. Beyond his physical moments, The Hound is just an excellent character. He is complex, initially introduced as a scary lapdog for the royal family.
Once he defends Sansa, Blackwater Bay, Tyrion, and aims an entirely cathartic “F*** the king” at Joffrey, though, he becomes much more sympathetic. This is only added to by his protection of Arya and the immensely enjoyable back-and-forth they have.
The Hound is a rare character who is very straightforward, with some of the best lines in the entire show. He then has a tragic history with his brother, which leads to their eventual battle becoming one of the few rewarding conclusions in Game of Thrones‘ disappointing final season.
For these reasons, offset by his being more of a side character in most seasons, it is easy to rank The Hound around the middle of this list.
Varys
Varys is somewhat singular in Game of Thrones as someone who, more often than not, bets correctly on who to follow. He sometimes follows the “bad guys,” but that doesn’t make him inherently evil. He sometimes uses his skillset to aid the “good guys,” making him easy to invest in.
All of this combines to make Varys, particularly in early seasons, one of Game of Thrones‘ most morally complex characters. Varys understands how the shift of power works, as evident in a series-best speech to Tyrion about who holds the real power in the realm.
As an advisor, a spy, and an informant, Varys is incredibly competent at playing the Game of Thrones. This makes it difficult to give outright reasons for his ranking, but I know I love almost every scene Varys is in, despite not knowing whether to trust him.
Littlefinger
Littlefinger/Petyr Baelish can be lumped in with Varys in this sense. Both play the power game as best they know how, putting them on both sides of the moral spectrum. Littlefinger is more overtly evil than Varys, especially by the show’s end, but that makes him no less compelling.
Tywin Lannister
Tywin Lannister is undoubtedly a Game of Thrones villain, but Charles Dance’s performance and the show’s writing are just simply that good that he sometimes feels otherwise. We know we shouldn’t want Tywin to succeed, but oftentimes, we just can’t help it. This is the sign of an excellent character, with Tywin marking the first of Game of Thrones‘ true greats.
I do not think there is any character on this list that conveys competence like Tywin. Tywin could talk back to kings no matter who they were, such was the respect he commanded. This showed him at his scariest, but Tywin’s scenes with Arya, or his younger grandchildren, gave him a rare, vulnerable edge.
If Tywin had lived beyond Game of Thrones season 4, I have no doubt he would have been higher on this list. As it turned out, though, Tywin finds himself as the eighth-greatest Game of Thrones character.
Jon Snow
Taking all of this into account, Jon Snow becomes the seventh-best Game of Thrones character. Jon’s story, from a forgotten bastard son of Ned Stark to a Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and then the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms, is genuinely excellent character writing.
This doesn’t come to fruition as most wanted in season 8, marking him down somewhat. Still, his honor, loyalty, vulnerability, Kit Harrington’s performance, and the fact that Jon’s ventures at and beyond the Wall include some of the show’s most thrilling scenes, see him edge towards the top five.
Ned Stark
Ned Stark, despite only having nine episodes under his belt, is a Game of Thrones great. Ned embodies a true fantasy hero; he is a man of unwavering honor, loyalty, a commitment to doing what is right, and he has the skills with a sword to back up his righteousness. Sean Bean perfectly embodied all of this, making Ned Stark an instant classic.
Unlike Robert Baratheon or the others lower on this list with a smaller screentime, the legacy of Ned lives on in the remaining Starks for seven more seasons. The Starks never waver from being Game of Thrones’ true heroes, with Ned embodying that before anyone else as the sixth-best character in Game of Thrones.
Cersei Lannister
Cersei Lannister is arguably the antithesis of Ned Stark, so it feels poetic to rank them together. For Cersei’s extra seven seasons over Ned, though, she just pips him to the top five Game of Thrones characters. Cersei is cold, brutal, and conniving, explaining why she beat Ned in the titular Game of Thrones, and nearly everyone else, too.
Lena Headey, like Jack Gleeson was with Joffrey, is great at making everyone hate Cersei. However, Cersei has a little more vulnerability than Joffrey does and outlasts him as a threatening villain, explaining her rank here. Cersei never stops being a manipulative threat to the realm, which only worsens as she gradually loses what keeps her grounded: her children.
Tyrion Lannister
Besides Ned, it is fair to say that no other Game of Thrones character is as universally liked as Tyrion. From the off, Tyrion is someone you want to root for. Peter Dinklage’s excellent performance is a good reason for this, as is Tyrion’s wit and humor, which allow him to overcome something that the rest of the world judges him for: his dwarfism.
Tyrion never lets anyone tower above him figuratively, always having the upper hand when talking to those who try to push their power on him. This makes Tyrion one of Game of Thrones’ biggest underdogs. As already alluded to, audiences love an underdog, making Tyrion a character you never root against in eight entire seasons.
From his expert stint at power in season 2 to his tragic trial in season 4 and his subsequent journey to helping Daenerys in season 5, Tyrion’s arc always felt logically crafted. His journey was always believable and, combined with how easy it was to want to see Tyrion succeed, this made him an easy placement in the top five Game of Thrones characters.
Daenerys Targaryen
Many would argue that the three pillars of Game of Thrones‘ eight seasons were Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen. As the fire in the Song of Ice and Fire, Daenerys is the highest-ranked of the three. Her backstory and claim to the throne are quickly established and easy to understand, making her one that audiences can sympathize with.
Add this to her being sold into slavery, her enemies-to-lovers with Khal Drogo, the hatching of her dragons, and her slow build-up of power, Daenerys’ transformation is akin to Sansa’s, only on a much greater scale. Watching Daenerys come into her own, as the breaker of slavery chains no less, was cathartic, to say the least.
For seven seasons, Daenerys, alongside Jon and Tyrion, was the character audiences found the most easy to root for. Her story in season 8 was undoubtedly rushed and unsatisfying as a result. Still, this does not stop the Mother of Dragons from being perhaps the most iconic Game of Thrones character that is only bested by two others.
Arya Stark
Watching Arya grow up from a girl who wanted to be a knight into one of the most competent assassins in the Seven Kingdoms always felt natural. Arya’s season 5 story may have stumbled, but seeing the fruits of her labor in seasons 6, 7, and 8 was always amazing.
Be it Harry Potter or Stranger Things, there is a hold that franchises have on people by making them watch sympathetic young children grow into adults we want to see succeed. Arya embodies that best in Game of Thrones and has some of the show’s most iconic moments to go with it, making her the second-best character in the entire series.
Jaime Lannister
The best character in Game of Thrones history, however, is Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer. Initially, Jaime is shown as a cocky, arrogant, oath-breaking, king-slaying man who has a disturbingly close relationship with his sister.
If there’s one thing audiences are suckers for, it is a redemption arc, and Jaime’s in Game of Thrones is one of the best in fiction history. The dynamic between Jaime and Brienne is perhaps the best in the entire show, driven by Jaime’s reveal that his oath-breaking and king-slaying was to save the people of King’s Landing.
Jaime’s worst tendencies come from his embodiment of the way people treat him. The more vulnerable sides to Jaime then become clear, and he never changes from someone we strangely root for from that point. The fact that there is that much more to say about Jaime only reinforces him as the best Game of Thrones character, despite there being so many great ones.
