American author William Faulkner once said that “The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.” This quote resonated with George R. R. Martin, who made sure to always make character drama and human struggles the focus of his stories, as seen in his A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the television adaptation, Game of Thrones. While the world might be one of magic, dragons, and undead armies, the main focus is on the various schemes, plots, alliances, and backstabbing done by the people of Westeros as they try to gain more power for themselves or fight to protect their families.
Thanks to television being a visual medium, audiences got to see the characters brought to life by a phenomenal cast. While the later seasons of the show ruined some of the best story arcs, the actors themselves remained committed and gave stellar performances that have buried themselves into popular culture.
10
Eddard Stark
Played by Sean Bean
When his father and older brother were murdered by King Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul), Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) became Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. He rallied his armies in rebellion against Aerys and helped his friend, Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), take the throne, then settled with his wife, Catelyn Tully (Michelle Fairley), to raise their children. Years later, Robert asks him to become Hand of the King, which he only accepts to try and uncover a hidden plot against Robert.
Along with Peter Dinklage, Bean was the first choice for his character, and from the very first scene, it’s easy to see why. He played Eddard with a quiet dignity that hinted at a man who was scarred by past trauma but managed to keep his faith in honor and respect while raising his children to do the same. There was a beautiful integrity to his portrayal: in a world of political manipulation, there was at least one man who focused on kindness and respect, which made his death all the more shocking.
9
Oberyn Martell
Played by Pedro Pascal
As the younger brother of Prince Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig), Prince Oberyn (Pedro Pascal) was free to indulge in life’s pleasures, be they through exploring the world, honing his skills, or taking many lovers. Yet his greatest passion was to avenge their sister, Princess Elia, who was assaulted and killed at the end of Robert’s Rebellion by Ser Gregor Clegane (Conan Stevens, Ian Whyte, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson). He gets his chance when Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) demands a Trial by Combat, which presents the perfect opportunity to face The Mountain That Rides and pry a confession from him.
Pascal surprised everyone with how much charisma he exuded as Oberyn, which quickly made the character a fan favorite. His personality could change from playful to seductive to deadly serious in the blink of an eye, which kept audiences guessing about how he would react to any situation or speak with other characters. He took what he wanted whenever he wanted and wouldn’t let anyone else’s opinion stand in the way of his passions.
8
Jaime Lannister
Played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
From a young age, Jaime Lannister (Nikolai Coster-Waldau) showed proficiency with the blade, which earned him the honor of becoming the youngest Kingsguard in history. During the final days of Robert’s Rebellion, Jaime stabbed Aerys in the back to prevent him from destroying the city, but to the rest of the world, he was seen as a man with no honor. He didn’t do much to challenge these claims by conducting himself with smug arrogance and maintaining a secret incestuous relationship with his twin, Cersei (Lena Headey).
Coster-Waldau was brilliant at portraying every facet of Jaime’s complex character arc. In Season 1, his smug smile and sharp quips made you long to see him taken down a peg, yet you couldn’t help but agree with him when he talked about the hypocrisies of swearing so many oaths. While later seasons ruined Jaime’s arc by having him backpedal hard, we’ll always have his confession to Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) in Season 3, in which Coster-Waldau conveyed such exhaustion and pain while sounding like he was moments away from passing out.
7
Ramsay Bolton
Played by Iwan Rheon
As the illegitimate son of Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton), Ramsay’s (Iwan Rheon) greatest ambition was to win his father’s approval and earn his house name. However, Ramsay also took delight in torturing others through flaying, psychological manipulation, and hunting people in the woods with hounds. He uses his cruel tricks on Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) to break him into an obedient servant, and also torments Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) in one of the show’s most controversial scenes.
It’s amazing how easily Rheon slips into the skin of a man who sees humans as nothing more than playthings. With his euphoric smile and inventive ways of playing with people’s minds, Rheon ensures that you remember every smirk, taunt, and act of cruelty long after the scene cuts away. Yet his best moments are when he fakes being kind or speaks softly, as the audience knows that beneath that pleasant expression, the monster is waiting to be let loose.
6
Theon Greyjoy
Played by Alfie Allen
When Balon Greyjoy’s (Patrick Malahide) rebellion was put down, his last son, Theon, was taken by Eddard as a ward and political hostage. He grew up alongside Eddard’s children and became close with his eldest son, Robb (Richard Madden), but Theon always knew that his life hung by a thread if his father stepped out of line. Thus, when his father launches an invasion of the North during the War of the Five Kings, Theon sides with his family, which leads to a long string of bad choices with disastrous consequences.
Just as Theon is one of the most underrated heroes on Game of Thrones, Allen often gets slept on when discussing the best performances. In the early seasons, Allen walked about with the swagger and bravado of a pampered noble, yet also expressed so much inner turmoil as he’s torn between two worlds and comes to regret his choices. After he is broken by Ramsay, Allen’s talent really shines as he fully embodies a broken man through his cowed expression and the utter terror in his voice whenever he says “reek.”
5
Olenna Tyrell
Played by Diana Rigg
Even in her golden years, Olenna Tyrell (Dame Diana Rigg) was a sharp-minded and sarcastic woman, which earned her the title “Queen of Thorns.” While she didn’t think highly of her oafish son, Mace (Roger Ashton-Griffiths), she was very close with her granddaughter, Margaery (Natalie Dormer), and helped her learn how to play the game. She came to King’s Landing to attend Margaery’s wedding to King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), but when she learned from Sansa how cruel he was, took matters into her own hands to ensure Margaery could be queen and protected.
Rigg was one of the most accomplished British actresses, so it’s no surprise she gave a phenomenal performance. She conducted herself with dignity and grace regardless of the situation, and every word that came from her mouth cut deep. This helps her remain one of the few characters not tarnished by the later seasons, and her final meeting with Jaime may be one of the best sendoffs on the show thanks to the dialogue and Rigg’s powerful presence, even at the end of the road.
4
Cersei Lannister
Played by Lena Headey
Seeing how Jaime was given more duties and privileges compared to her, Cersei longed to acquire power and control. She got her wish when she married King Robert, but their marriage was loveless, so Cersei instead turned to Jaime and had three children with him. When Robert dies, Cersei tries to rule through her children, but a combination of paranoia and overestimating her abilities leads to more trouble than expected.
Headey’s performance goes a long way in making Cersei more complex than her literary counterpart. She was able to convey so many emotions with a simple movement, be it a smug smirk when she’s winning or a slight tremble as she loses control. Her best moments were when Cersei showed compassion for her children, especially when she would fly into a fury if anyone tried to harm them.
3
Joffrey Baratheon
Played by Jack Gleeson
Cersei saw her firstborn, Joffrey, as her golden child, and spoiled him rotten. This caused him to grow into an arrogant and cruel young man who delighted in flexing his princely authority to torment others. Things only got worse when Robert died and Joffrey took the crown, especially concerning Sansa, whom he had publicly beaten and humiliated as a means of getting back at her brother’s victories in the War of the Five Kings.
Gleeson’s performance was so effective that he is still used as the baseline when judging new television villains. With his casual sadism, petulant indignity, and whimpering cowardice, Joffrey becomes the perfect representation of a bully who lords his authority over others, yet cows down the moment someone stands up to him. It’s legitimately shocking to see how friendly Gleeson is in interviews and compare it to Joffrey’s sadism: they feel like two separate people, which is the mark of an outstanding actor.
2
Tyrion Lannister
Played by Peter Dinklage
Tywin’s third son, Tyrion, was overlooked by his father due to being born with dwarfism and killing his mother at birth, even though Tyrion was the closest to his father in terms of cunning and intellect. Rather than grow into cruelty, Tyrion did what he could to help his fellow cripples, bastards, and broken things, while indulging in wine and sex workers on the side. However, no matter how much good he tried to do, Tyrion was always seen as a monster by his family and the people around him.
Early Tyrion was a strong contender for the best character on the show thanks to Dinklage’s phenomenal and nuanced performance, though he fell off as the show went on like everyone else. His memorable lines were delivered perfectly, conveying either the right amount of biting wit, soft compassion, or cold fury depending on the situation. The Season 4 episode “The Laws of Gods and Men,” is peak Tyrion: during his speech, Dinklage taps into decades of festering anger as Tyrion calls out the hypocrisy of all present in perhaps the greatest representation of raw emotion in all of Game of Thrones.
1
Tywin Lannister
Played by Charles Dance
After watching his father, Tytos, almost lead their house to ruin, Tywin vowed that he would make House Lannister feared and respected. He began by wiping out the rebellious House Reyne and House Tarbek—an event immortalized in the song “The Rains of Castamere”—and later ensured that Cersei would marry Robert, thus making his grandchildren the future rulers of Westeros. Although he claimed to do everything he did for the family, Tywin had a hostile relationship with all his children, seeing them as political tools and demanding that they fall in line for the sake of legacy.
No other character could command such respect and focus as Tywin, and no other actor could have played him. Dance’s powerful, commanding voice ensured that every time Tywin spoke, people listened, and his words were well-chosen and articulated so that there was no way you could misinterpret their meaning. Yet it was his nonverbal action that elevated the performance to legendary status: with just a cold, unblinking stare, Tywin cowed anyone who attempted to stand up to him, reminding the characters and the audience who the real power in Westeros was.
