Clashing through the fantastical worlds of The Seven Kingdoms featuring creatures, kings, and crowns, Game of Thrones is a show that also served us some of the most iconic villains in television history. From Cersei Lannister to Petyr Baellish, Tywin Lannister to Walder Frey, these villains have never disappointed us with their clever political conspiracies, jaw-dropping moments of betrayal, and gut-wrenching barbarities.
We brought you a list of the top 10 antagonists who kept everyone on their toes. So, let’s dive right in!
Tywin Lannister
Destroy everything and everyone if it’s a threat to your family! That is a rule Tywin Lannister lives by. The cunning lord of Casterly Rock never stood for anything that stopped him from preserving his ancestors’ legacy and the Lannister name. Throughout the show, Tywin Lannister conspires toward the fall of his enemies and is always one step ahead of them.
Other than projecting his ruthless tactics toward his foes, Tywin Lannister gave a hard time to all his children as well. In the name of ‘doing the right thing’, he used his children like pawns and used them till the end. He was particularly harsh to his son Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf, belittling him on every occasion. Can’t like this guy even if we want to.
Walder Frey
All villains in Game of Thrones had some devilish desires and strong incentives to play the bad guy. Except for Walter Frey. Blinded by ego and superiority, Walder Frey took away some of the most beloved characters from the audience. He was so disgusted over Robb Stark’s marriage with an ordinary woman instead of his daughter that he hosted a bloodbath called ‘The Red Wedding’ where he brutally killed Robb and his pregnant wife. After witnessing the death of her oldest son and his heir, Catelyn Stark slices open her throat, giving us another reason to hate Walder Frey.
Craster
One of the most bizarre and unpleasant characters in the show is Craster. He owns a shelter in the North and is introduced when Jon Snow resides in his home with his companions. It instantly goes dark when it’s revealed that Craster is an old freak with many daughters, all born from incestuous practices. One of the most shocking revelations about him was that he always kills his sons for unknown reasons. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if we knew the reason because he would still be one of the worst characters on the show.
The High Sparrow
Evil can be born from religion as well.
Considering various aspects of the psychological conditions of Game of Thrones villains, The High Sparrow is by far the most interesting one. Imagine feeling bad for someone as vile as Cersei! Yeah, The High Sparrow made us feel that. The manipulation and exploitation of religion in the name of holiness make him a human devil.
Allisor Thorne
Someone who seemed like an idiotic freak at the beginning of the show later transformed into an unexpected villain. As he teased and tormented most of the Night Watchers, especially Jon Snow, no one really liked Allison from the first day he appeared on screen. However, what blew us all away was his murdering Snow one day and officially becoming worthy of our hatred.
Petyr Baelish
How far can your smart yet traitorous tricks get you? Ask Petyr Baelish. Also known as “Littlefinger”, Baelish is that one character who fans have a love-hate relationship with. From Ned Stark to Sansa Stark, he betrayed and fooled the people around him at every given chance. But even when the fans figured out his poor intentions and foul play, they couldn’t stop admiring his way with words. On some level, that makes him one of the most formidable villains in the show.
Cersei Lannister
Just like Petyr, we remained forever mystified about whether to like Cersei Lannister or loathe her wholeheartedly. Fabricating intelligently orchestrated plans coming from a place of pure darkness, she carried the entire show by being the ultimate villain. She not only betrayed her husband by producing children incestuously but also planned the death of thousands of people at the Great Sept of Baelor. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how the Lannisters have a wicked philosophy of throwing everyone under the bus if it’s about self-interest.
Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey showing his true colors after his coronation was a plot twist in Game of Thrones that no one saw coming. Right when he ordered Ned Stark, we knew what was lurking under that innocent demeanor Joffrey carries all the time. After the first season, Joffrey established himself as a terrorizing force but as the show progressed, it was no surprise that his reckless decisions made him some great enemies who didn’t hesitate to murder him.
The Night King
Let’s talk about that one frightening monster who had no sense of humanity whatsoever. Simply because he wasn’t a human. The Night King was born to kill. All that he was capable of was turning everyone into an army of the walking dead. From the first time he made an appearance in the show, he ignited fear in the eyes of the spectators.
Ramsay Bolton
How can we end this list without talking about the nastiest of them all? Ramsay Bolton, the son of Roose Bolton, took over the North and initiated his series of atrocities upon the Northerners. During the show, he abused many characters including his wife Sansa Stark, and Theon Greyjoy. Emotion is a concept alien to Ramsay and that shows when he ends up killing his entire family to avoid risking his position as the king. That distinguishes him from all the other villains of the show as his motives for attaining power are purely narcissistic and selfish.
Overall Thoughts
The world of Game of Thrones is full of lots of characters that left lasting impressions. When you think back the show is rich in jaw-dropping moments and heart-pumping excitement. There were characters that were both heroic and villainous, but which one of them was the worst? Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
