Question Of The Month: Who Is The Best Game Of Thrones Character?

If there is one thing Game of Thrones does better than any other show out there, is give us such a large cast, that we find you rarely have the same favourite character as the person next to you. With House, everyone’s favourite character is House. With Arrow, everyone’s favourite character is Arrow. However, with Game of Thrones, people cannot even decide who is the person in the right. Who should be the rightful heir to the throne? Is it the royal family, the Targaryens, kicked out of the throne, due to some nasty ancestors, but finally back on the straight and narrow, thanks to the awesome Daenarys? Should the Lannisters keep the throne, especially with the genuinely kind Tommen sitting on it? Or maybe the cruel, yet surprisingly honest Stannis, deserves to re-take the throne for his brother? Todya, let’s swipe the moral implications from the table and just talk about who is the coolest, most awesome and… well… best Game of Thrones character. Spoilers have been redacted from the answers, so feel free to read this if you haven’t watched the show. Also, if anyone’s answers have been rewritten slightly to accomodate my no spoiler rule, I apologise.

ORACLE OF FILM – CERSEI LANNISTER

Few people like Cersei Lannister. She is one of the few characters we can point at and go: yep, she is a bad guy. She is the Queen Regent, the mother of the current King, who is sitting on the throne until he is of age to rule. She is surprisingly bitter and cruel, often earning hate from the audience because she is always tormenting our other favourite characters. She hates Margaery simply because she is likeable, and seems to do what she always found impossible, and get praise from the citizens of her city. She fills her closest followers with yes men, rather than people who politely disagree with her opinions. Her alliances are often not thought through well and only really have immediate bonuses, which, as the last few episodes proved, turned quite nasty for her in the end. So no, not many people like her character. But Cersei, unlike other villains in the show like Joffrey and Ramsey, has something that the other baddies don’t have. Deep down, you can trace her origin back and figure out why she is so horrible and that is where I begin to sympathise with her.

Cersei is one of three siblings in the most powerful family in the show, but the only woman. Arguably, she is the most intelligent of the three. Her twin brother, and secret boyfriend, Jaime, is more suited to swordsmanship than intelligence, and her other brother, Tyrion Lannister’s intelligence is more cunning. He also would rather spend his time with whores and wine rather than ruling the country. Cersei wants to rule, something that makes her the most suitable heir out of her family’s generation. However, being a woman, she never can. When we first meet her, she is as close to ruling, as she will ever get, married to the current King. She hates him and there is no love in their marriage, rather their betrothal being a means to combine their two powerful families. Her bitterness here stems from the fact, she is as close to achieving her dream as she ever will be and she is still miles away from actually having any true power. She shines with small beats of awesomeness, Season Two’s first episode, seeing her outmatch Littlefinger, by abandoning intelligence and just being in control of her city. However, whenever she needs to do anything that matters, she has no power at all. As the show goes on, she grabs various stages of power, but it is always like sand, slipping through her fingers. She knows it, everyone else knows it. She hides in her anger and there is a sense she is addicted to inflicting misery on others. When she randomly decides to take a treasured possession from another character or scupper someone’s attempts to do a kind act, this is only because that small act of cruelty is the only satisfaction she ever seems to be able to get. No matter how nasty Cersei Lannister gets, I always pity her and that makes me one of her biggest fans, out of all of the hundreds of people who think she deserves everything she gets.

SPORADIC CHRONICLES OF A BEGINNER BLOGGER – TYRION LANNISTER

Alright, after much tossing and turning and so much back and forth on this, I am going to have to go with Tyrion Lannister. I expect that he is a favourite of many viewers, and I almost picked another character because I was sure that many would write about him. The other option would likely be either his father Tywin (for being an epic warmonger, sharp and exact) or brother Jaime (for being a dweeb but never hiding it, and actually having an awesome nature underneath it all). However, I settled on sharing my love for the little man. While Tyrion may be tiny in stature, he is ridiculously brave, sharp witted, hilarious, has such intellect about him that he is constantly putting to use, understands the use of sarcasm like few do, and has not had an easy life. Instead of playing the victim like he could, Tyrion has grown into something so complex you cannot help but admire him. He has a lot of love for Jaime, who treats him well, and has always done his best to please his father to no avail, and is one of the few that will take absolutely no nonsense from Joffrey and can definitely play that bitchy game with Cersei. Tyrion is also fair but sly and always has an angle, is ambitious, and has an honour code that suits him and works. I love how he is a firm believer in being able to be anything you want to be, or do anything you want to do. He is not one to allow people to hold him back, and does his best to persevere despite the odds.

CINEMA PARROT DISCO – DAENARYS TARGARYEN

I’m going to be really unoriginal and obvious but my choice for my favorite Game Of Thrones character has to be Daenerys Targaryen. I, of course, also love Tyrion Lannister and, as horrible as the Lannisters are, you can’t deny that they make for great TV. I’ve liked the character development of Jaime Lannister (is it just me or did the actor get more attractive as the show went on?), plus there are loads of great female characters, which is a big part of the reason why I love Game Of Thrones (and helps make up for the fact that the show is far too rapey and there’s a total inequality when it comes to female nudity vs male nudity).

Some of my female favorites are Arya Stark, Catelyn Stark, Olenna Tyrell, Shae (at first), and Talisa Maegyr (plus it’s cool that she’s Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter). Oh! And of course Brienne of Tarth! She kicks ass. But no one kicks ass like Daenerys. She’s the mother of DRAGONS, people! You can’t beat that – that’s beyond cool. I love how she totally turned things around for herself after being treated so horribly at first. She takes no shit but at the same time has so far managed to remain kind and true to her beliefs. She rules in a way she thinks is fair and humane. There’s so much cruelty in this show that I (and most people, I assume) can’t help but like the few characters that seem to show a little bit of humanity. Plus, I want to BE Daenerys. Of course I do! She’s beautiful but strong. Her outfits are cool. Her boyfriend is sexy. And she has DRAGONS, people! DRAGONS!!!! Screw all the other characters – they don’t have DRAGONS! Jon Snow?? PAH! Boring! He doesn’t have DRAGONS! 🙂 (Editor’s note: sorry, I’d take Jon Snow’s Ghost over three dragons any day of the week!)

TIM THE FILM GUY – JON SNOW

My reason why? Well he is quintessentially a good guy. He’s heroic, strong and Honourable. Of all of Eddard Stark’s children, Jon takes after him the most. He also had it worst of the children being a bastard. His father loved him but his “mother” hated him because of what he represented. Also this isn’t a spoiler because it’s a theory that goes around and only George R. R. Martin could know. But Jon’s lineage could be extremely relevant to the series future plot. AS the theory goes… (Editor’s Note: Sorry, Tim, I am going to cut you off, there just in case 😉 haha).

SILVER SCREEN SERENADE – TYRION LANNISTER

Okay, I’m going to pick someone that probably a million other people are going to pick, too, but it would break my heart to call anyone else my favorite GoT character. Because let’s be real: Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is where it’s at. He may be small, but he has a personality bigger than any other character on the show. Tyrion has had to wear many different hats throughout the seasons–hats that I will not tell you about for fear of spoilers–but he has always handled every obstacle with a delightfully bitter sense of humor, a sharp tongue, a surprisingly tender heart, and a clear, clever mind. Don’t let the raging alcoholism and dependence on prostitutes fool you–Tyrion is going to outlive them all. If he takes the Iron Throne, I will die a happy woman.

…However, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight Daenerys Targaryen and Oberyn Martell as my honorable mentions. God, how can one show have so many badasses??? It’s incredible.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE – BRIENNE OF TARTH

It’s hard to pick just one favourite character for Game of Thrones especially when it’s so full of strong female characters… something very rare for prime time television. Take Cersei Lannister. I mean she’s a stone cold beeyatch but she’s complex, interesting and absolutely deadly. Then there’s the Tyrell women. Olenna Tyrell is the ultimate matriarch. While she might not wield a sword, she managed to successfully sort out the most hated character in the show and get off scott free, placing her protege and fellow total badass schemer, Margery on the road to controlling the Iron Throne using both her wits and her incredible rack… because in an era where women are mostly considered to be little more than sparkly adornments you have to use everything you’ve got at your disposal. And you can’t count out Arya Stark, who has the survival instincts of a cockroach, the vocabulary of a sailor and the honour of a Klingon.

But I digress because my favourite Game of Thrones character is Brienne of Tarth. I love Brienne because she has made a place for herself in a world where she is such an anomaly that she almost shouldn’t exist. She has taken the jibes, hatred and disrespect of her peers and turned them into an emotional suit of armour that is just as powerful as her physical suit of armour. Basically she hasn’t let the bastards grind her down. I love the fact that is an almost unbeatable swordperson as well as being as smart as a whip. Plus she has honour but is able to use her sense to realise when there is a better or more logical course to follow and change her path.

JUST B MOVIES – STANNIS BARATHEON

From the very beginning of the show, I’ve had a growing love for Stannis Baratheon. Sure, he’s not as charismatic as some of the more popular characters, like Tyrion, but Stannis is a fucking badass. I’ve always respected the character and his persistence and his stern, but fair, attitude. Forgetting for a second that Robert Baratheon stole the throne from the Targaryens, like it or not, Stannis is the rightful heir, and he’s not giving that shit up easily. He’s definitely got flaws, and he lets Melisandre manipulate him sometimes, but his intentions are always straight forward. He doesn’t have ulterior motives, he doesn’t hide behind sarcasm or prance around in gaudy attire. He uses his intelligence, his unmatched skills in military leadership, and maybe a little bit of black magic here and there to get what he wants, and what he wants is the Iron Throne. That’s it. He’s a simple guy living in a world with a bunch of two-faced snobs.

“I had fun once. Hated it.”

Stannis is also quite possibly the manliest man in Westeros. He’ll cut off your fingers if you steal, kill a conniving brother with a creepy shadow baby, throw himself right to the front lines in battle, and won’t hesitate to show his dominance by burning a man alive. His influence is strong, and why wouldn’t it be? Even Jon Snow takes a few pointers from him in the justice department. But Stannis also has a heart, as anyone who’s caught up with this current season will see. He has a genuinely sweet moment with his daughter in one of the episodes and it cemented his place in my heart as one of the best characters on the show. I wouldn’t be disappointed if it ended with him sitting on the throne. Honestly, I kind of hope Stannis kills everyone.

SIDEKICK REVIEWS – VARYS

If there’s a secret whispered in a private room, chances are his network of “little birds” are listening in. Varys is the Master Of Whisperers, a spymaster who provides valuable information to the king. Known as “the Spider”, Varys pulls the puppet strings without people suspecting they are caught in his web. He is a power player but comes across as non-threatening; he’s bald, pudgy, dresses in long robes and talks in a slightly effeminate voice. Perhaps his secret weapon is the “non-existent bump” between his legs. Since he’s an eunuch, he’s immune to desires that could betray a lesser man. Varys is cunning but he’s not without morals and claims to be working for the good of the realm. Varys’ best qualities are most apparent in his interactions with Tyrion: witty, loyal to his true friend and highly intelligent. Here’s one of his best quotes: “Power resides where men believe it resides, it’s a trick, a shadow on the wall, and a very small man can cast a very large shadow”.

SNAP CRACKLE WATCH – THEON GREYJOY

My favorite Game of Thrones character of all time thus far has been Oberyn Martell, but, today, let’s talk about someone else. Right now I am crazily enough liking and kinda loving Reek. Otherwise known as Theon Greyjoy and was for many years Ned Starks ward and treated him like a son. As the Starks slowly began losing their place in the Game of Thrones, Theon turned into a real pain in the ass. He ended up turning around, betraying the family that took him in and became despised by all of Westeros. Wow, he is really sounding like a great character to love at this point. Eventually he became Ramsey’s pet and Theon emerged as Reek, a horrible version of himself, filthy and dumb witted. Now that he is at Winterfell, bits of his old self are starting to come through and seeing the devastating things that have happened to Sansa have softened him up. Reek makes me sad at points, but I also like that he is starting to maybe come to his senses his bit which is making me root for him even more. The interactsion between him and Ramsey are interesting to watch and a part of me feels like he may redeem himself in Sansa’s eyes. We shall see how this all plays out. Good luck Reek!

MOVIE ROB – TYRION LANNISTER

To create a character who despite starting off as supposedly a whoremongering dwarf, he has proven himself to be one of the most intelligent and sharpest characters of the series. As Yoda would say “size matters not”. His character arc has changed so much over the season and he continues to be riveting to watch because no one ever knows what he will do next. Peter Dinklage is great in this role and it’s unfortunate that he hasn’t won more awards.
It’s too bad he died last week… just kidding :p

THE IPC – ROBERT ARRYN

It’s hard to latch on to a particular character since we have to live in fear that they will all die eventually and I don’t mean from old age. The only one who seems safe is Ned Stark forchristssake. Anyway, for this round of QOTM, let’s go with the kid that got to suck on Kate Dickie’s tit. I’ve been a big fan of hers for a while now and that seems like it would be a good gig.

EXHIBIT A:

I also wouldn’t mind putting my face on this:

But not this:

EMMA K WALL TELLS IT ALL – DARYL DIXON

I don’t watch Game of Thrones – YET. But my favourite character would have to be whoever is most like Daryl from The Walking Dead but ONLY Season 1 at a push Season 2 Daryl because he turned into a poncho wearing melt Daryl after that. Also – where are my dragons?

THE FLUFF IS RAGING

Ser Pounce.

WHAT ABOUT THE TWINKIE – WAIT… WHAT WAS THE QUESTION???

Having never seen an episode of Game of Thrones, this month’s QOTM has me a little stumped. Not wanting to let Luke down however, I will do my best to come up with a creative answer.

Looking at the cast list on Google, it is clear that Game of Thrones likes to come up with some very exotic names. We have Tyrion, Arya, Khal (surely Carl in another life?), Joffrey, Ygritte, Jorah, Bronn and then we have a Robb, so I’m guessing they ran out of names by that point? And apparently Jon Snow from Channel 4 News has gone into acting! Is that still funny, no?

All the girls: His writing. It’s just so… beautiful.

Two Sarah Connor’s exist in this show, as does the new Aquaman, Lily Allen’s brother is here, at least two Bond villains show up, Liam Neeson’s son from Love Actually is still acting and there’s a Jerome but no Robson which makes me sad, and makes me pine for the days when they sang unchained melody.

I’ve heard there’s lots of sex in this show, and there’s also dragons, but hopefully those two elements don’t ever combine. Looking on Wikipedia, apparently there’s a house of Tully, does this have anything to do with Louis Tully? Cause I can definitely see the potential in a GoT/Ghostbusters crossover.

I’m no closer to picking a favourite character, but I really like Lena Headey, for multiple reasons, so we’ll go with her. I don’t know if that’s an answer, I don’t even know if what I’ve wrote make sense. I should’ve took Luke’s advice and just wrote Frodo Baggins.