Releasing on HBO in 2011, Game of Thrones dominated popular culture in the 2010s. Based on the novels by George R. R. Martin, the series followed a complex web of political intrigue and strange magic as noble families vied for power and dominance in an unforgiving world. This cut-throat setting resulted in a number of memorable and well-written characters.
Unfortunately, Game of Thrones ended after eight seasons in one of the most disastrous finales in television history. As the show deviated further from the books, several characters had less than satisfactory conclusions.
10.Yara Greyjoy
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While Theon (Alfie Allen) was a ward to Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) in Winterfell, Yara (Gemma Whelan) remained by her father’s side and became as good of a reaver as any man on the Iron Islands. She supports his rebellion to separate from Westeros, return to the old ways and pick up the cause after his death. However, in trying to ally with Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), she is forced to renounce the old ways, which she does begrudgingly.
Come the end of the show and Daenerys’ death, Yara feels like a passive shadow of herself. At the council to choose a new king, she pointlessly reasserts her loyalty to Daenerys, votes a Stark as the new king, and does nothing for her people when Sansa (Sophie Turner) declares the North’s independence. She doesn’t even ask about Theon’s death.
9.Doran Martell
In contrast to his hot-tempered and wild younger brother, Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig) is a cautious man who doesn’t act without thinking. This earns him the ire of Oberyn’s (Pedro Pascal) paramour, Ellaria (Indira Varma), who wants vengeance against the Lannisters for the death of Oberyn at the hands of Gregor Clegane. However, Doran refuses to harm Princess Marcella, knowing that it would only lead to further bloodshed.
Despite being portrayed by the talented Mr. Siddig, Doran floundered in Season 5 thanks to the rushed and ill-conceived Dorne storyline. Come Season 6, he is instantly killed by Ellaria, who takes over Dorne with no consequence. This is incredibly disappointing to fans of the books, where Doran’s caution masks a long and dangerous game he is playing.
8.Meera Reed
The child of Eddard’s old friend, Howland Reed (Leo Woodruff), Meera (Ellie Kendrick) and her brother Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) are sent to help Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) as he travels to find the three-eyed raven. The journey is arduous and costs Jojen his life, but Meera remains strong through it all. She does everything she can to protect Bran and remind him of his humanity as he delves deeper into the world’s history.
Sadly, Meera’s work is in vain, as Bran is left with the emotional range of a robot by the time they get back to Winterfell. There, Bran dismisses Meera back to her father without a thank you, and she doesn’t come back to help protect him during the Long Night. This makes her feel like a glorified extra and superfluous to the overall story.
7.Rickon Stark
With two older brothers before him in succession, Rickon Stark (Art Parkinson) was allowed to be the family’s baby. However, after Winterfell was invaded by Theon’s Ironborn, the brothers fled and separated, with Rickon and his wolf Shaggydog going with Osha, their Wildling caretaker. With Robb (Richard Madden) dead and Bran going north, Rickon becomes very important as the next heir of Winterfell.
When Rickon does return in Season 6, it’s as a prisoner of Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). He’s given no dialogue and is used to intimidate Jon (Kit Harington) and Sansa into giving up their fight before dying to make Jon blunder during the Battle of the Bastards. All of this makes Rickon come across as a superfluous character, with even Sansa writing him off as dead without a second thought.
6.Qyburn
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Once a Maester of the Citadel, Qyburn (Anton Lesser) was stripped of his rank for performing experiments on living subjects but found a new position of power in the services of the Lannisters. He rose through the ranks to become Cersie’s confidant and restored Gregor Clegane as an undead warrior. Never asking anything for himself, his motives for helping the insane queen remain a mystery.
Sadly, the reason for Qyburn’s actions remains unanswered. His story ends when Gregor refuses his orders to protect Cersei (Lena Headey) and smashes him against a rock before fighting his brother, Sandor (Rory McCann). It’s abrupt, barely focused on despite Qyburn’s importance in recent events, and leaves him as a talented necromancer strangely attached to the losing side.
5.The Night King
From the first scene of the first episode, Game of Thrones hinted at an undead invasion from beyond the Wall, headed by the mysterious White Walkers. Season 4 gives audiences a glimpse of their leader when he transforms a baby into a new White Walker. Devoid of emotion and mercy, it seems like not even the combined forces of Westeros and Esos are enough to stop him and his army of death.
Unfortunately, the Night King’s buildup resulted in one of the worst payoffs in television history. His army didn’t make it past Winterfell, and, despite his longstanding history with Jon Snow, the two don’t get a final showdown. Instead, the conflict sprints to the finish, with Arya anti-climactically killing the King. It’s a total waste of a character and a complete letdown.
4.Petyr Baelish
Since the first season, Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) has been working to destabilize Westeros to seize more power. Using a mask of humility due to his humble birth, “Littlefinger” positions himself as everyone’s friend so that he can learn of their plans and adjust his own. This allows him to stay three steps ahead of everyone and with no trail to make people think he is a culprit.
This makes his death at the end of season seven nothing short of pathetic. After trying to make Sansa and Arya hate one another for some reason, Sansa then exposes his lies, and he has no way to deflect or discredit her accusations except falling to his knees and begging. It feels rushed and unearned, as the characters didn’t out-think Baelish at all.
3.Varys
Known as the Spider, Varys (Conleth Hill) is a master of intrigue and information. He plays all sides to figure out which leader best serves the realm. At first, he thought this was Daenerys, but upon meeting Jon Snow and seeing the dragon queen in person, he begins to bet on a new horse.
Ultimately, Varys’ schemes are uncovered when Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) sells him out to Daenerys. What made this disappointing to fans wasn’t that Vary was caught, but that he had no contingency plan and waited for death. Even Conleth Hill couldn’t hold back his disgust at how his character was treated during a table reading.
2.Jon Snow
Introduced as the bastard member of the Stark family, Jon Snow never fits in, so he joins the Night’s Watch. There, he becomes enrolled in the complex war between the watch and the Wildlings north of the Wall and brokers peace to fight against the White Walkers. He has always fought for the safety of the many and has willingly sacrificed himself multiple times to achieve it.
This makes it all the more aggravating when he becomes passive in Season 8. He does little to nothing during the battle against the White Walkers. Every other moment is spent making excuses for Daenerys’ increasingly rash actions before killing her in the finale. Afterward, he’s banished beyond the wall, meaning he doesn’t get to live in peace with his surviving family.
1.Daenerys Targaryen
The Mother of Dragons began as one of Game of Thrones’ most beloved characters. Audiences got behind her story of a girl sold into slavery to the breaker of chains and wanted to see how she would fix the corruption plaguing Westeros. When she finally arrives, she is met with many setbacks, witnessing the deaths of two dragons and several friends.
After all of that, fans were treated to the image of Daenerys laying waste to the innocent people of King’s Landing after the city had surrendered. Afterwards, she addressed her Unsullied framed by Drogon’s wings with a speech that would feel at home in a World War II film. With more time, her fall to the dark side could have worked, but as presented, it’s too rushed and out of character for someone who cared about innocent life.
