Updated rankings for heroes and villains on Game of Thrones
As season 5 concludes, it has dramatically altered who we love and hate the most on HBO series
Season 5 of Game of Thrones has taken viewers to stomach-churningly reprehensible depths and captivating, epic peaks. As the season wraps on Sunday (9 p.m. on HBO) with the highly anticipated finale, what better time to review the show’s most loved and hated characters?
We wrote a10 most loved and hated list for the Star in April, just before the season premiere, but the ensuing episodes have drastically altered it.
Herewith, our updated list of GoT’s best and worst people. As always, spoilers, like the relentless sickle of death that pervades the series, are everywhere.
Characters’ previous rankings on the love/hate scale are in parentheses. 10 Most Loved Characters 10. Wun Wun (not previously ranked): The last remaining giant made it with Jon Snow past the Wall and to safety this year. As a gruff, obscenity-spouting endangered species, he’s quickly endeared himself to us. 9. Varys (not ranked): “The Spider” is about self-preservation.
But he’s saved Tyrion, helped get him to Daenerys and actually cares about preserving life across the realm. Hates Littlefinger. Underrated good guy.
8. Jaime Lannister (No. 6): Each season the arrogance and carelessness that defined Jaime Lannister in the beginning has been slowly stripped away.
Our sympathy remains for this insecure, directionless man who loves his family despite complicated relationships. He did threaten his brother Tyrion, though.
7. Ser Bronn of the Blackwater (No. 8): He’s a crass mercenary with unquestionable morals (there’s no question, he has none), but Bronn’s devil-may-care attitude brings needed lightness to a show that darkens by the minute.
6. Davos Seaworth (not ranked): Stannis Baratheon’s right-hand (but not right-fingered) man was his conscience as he tried to take the Iron Throne, but Davos will be disgusted to learn Stannis murdered his own child. Odds-on-favourite to kill Stannis. Go, Davos, go!
5. Jorah Mormont (not ranked): Jorah’s had a roller-coaster existence on GoT. In Season 5, he’s been banished by Daenerys, contracted the fatal skin disease greyscale, brought Tyrion Lannister to Daenerys, been banished again and helped save her life. A pushover for Daenerys? Sure. A hero? Definitely.
4. The Stark sisters (No. 2): Arya remained GoT’s most kick-ass female, but the real story this season was the evolution of Sansa from petulant teen to emboldened woman. New Sansa is darker, smarter, stronger and has role-player/gamechanger potential.
3. Daenerys Targaryen (No. 3). Last season, we balked at Dany’s immaturity as an idealistic ruler. This season she’s regained our faith by relinquishing her narrow perspective, showing a new willingness to compromise and taking on Tyrion as an adviser.
2. Jon Snow ( No. 2): It’s been a productive season for our favourite son-out-of-wedlock. He became lord commander of the Night’s Watch, ended a war that raged for generations and killed his first White Walker. “You have a good heart, Jon Snow, it’ll get us all killed,” Ser Alliser told him. Virtue isn’t its own reward on GoT, but Jon teems with it.
1. Tyrion (No. 1): Our favourite Lannister returned to Season 1 form, drunkenly stumbling deeper into our hearts with nihilistic fervour and a hockey-playoff beard. But being unable to abandon all hope, he’s aligned himself with another favourite, Daenerys. We’re excited to see them break wheels together.
10 Most Hated Characters 10. Cersei Lannister (previous rank: No. 1): This season, Cersei tumbled down our most-hated list, falling from powerful royal to prisoner with a mouthful of mud. A mother desperately trying to stay relevant, she became relatable and pitiful. We’re not Team Cersei yet, but our hearts are softening after seeing her vulnerable side.
9. Ellaria Sand( not ranked): We feel your pain, Ellaria, but there’s no wrongdoing to avenge here.
Oberyn offered himself as Tyrion’s trial-by-combat champion and the implosion of his head was entirely legal. Abandon your murder-an-innocent-girl plot and mourn him appropriately.
8. Sons of the Harpy (unranked): Indignant ex-slave owners intent on reinstating the status-before-Daenerys-quo, these murderous babies hide behind creepy gold masks to slit throats, spear dragons and do whatever evil it takes to return to their privileged lives of leisure.
7. High Sparrow (not ranked): As mysterious leader of the “Sparrow” religious protest movement — some might call it a fanatical cult, but hey, semantics, right? — the top Sparrow persuaded Cersei to vest him with power, then used it to strip her of all hers. He made us like Cersei! Quietly evil.
6. Walder Frey (No. 4): Frey hasn’t appeared in a single Season 5 scene but remains the man behind Season 3’s gruesome Red Wedding. The North remembers . . . that he’s still got it coming.
5. Littlefinger ( No. 3). Petyr Baelish drops a few spots, as he wasn’t personally involved in killing a king this year. But he handed Sansa to the Boltons and is loyal only to himself. He’ll more than likely rise back up next year’s hated list.
4. The Night’s King (not ranked): A.k.a. the White Walker-in-Chief, this nasty piece of work turned a baby into a zombie last season and made his big return in Episode 8 this year. His “How You Like Me Now?” arm gesture after slaughtering thousands of innocent Wildlings was chilling (and a little funny).
3. Melisandre (No. 7): Stepping up her evil game, the Red Witch reached new depths this season, persuading Stannis to burn his young daughter alive. At this point, she may be GoT’s most dangerous character.
2. Ramsay and Roose Bolton( No. 8 for Roose, No. 2 for Ramsay): The Boltons are as heinous as father-son combinations get. Papa Roose is a vicious turncoat, cruel father and pathetic husband; and his psychotic, foaming-at-the-face son Ramsay makes him look like Jon Snow. The new Lannisters.
1. Stannis Baratheon (not ranked): Team Stannis fans disband, as it is impossible to cheer someone assessed a You Burned Your Daughter Alive penalty.
Mostly maintaining an equal balance of like/dislike, Stannis tipped the scale right off a cliff when he committed filicide.