The 16 Worst 'Game of Thrones' Villains, Ranked
By Gina Carbone
The gods have favored "Game of Thrones" with many beloved characters, but there are some absolute bastards as well -- and we don't mean Jon Snow. Most of the people of Westeros and Essos fall somewhere in the spectrum between "hero" and "villain," but here are 16 characters we'd be fine sacrificing to the White Walkers, ranked from just annoying jerks to the soulless faces of pure evil. Warning: SPOILERS from the Seasons 1-6 episodes that have aired to date.
Randyll Tarly
There are a lot of mean daddies on "Game of Thrones" and this guy earned himself a spot on our dartboard with his vicious (and rude, during dinner!) attack on his son Sam and Sam's best girl Gilly, who happens to be a wildling. As far as we know, the Lord of Horn Hill is not completely evil, but he bullied his eldest son into ing the Night's Watch and he's just a giant arse in general.
Euron Greyjoy
Uncle Euron hasn't been around long enough to rank high on this list -- which probably ticks him off since he fancies himself a god -- but he has potential to move up. He killed his own brother to rule the Iron Islands, but we never liked Balon much anyway, so no great loss. However, his sexist rant against his niece Yara and nephew Theon proved he's an accomplished d-bag, and his plan to marry Daenerys Targaryen just makes us hope she sets him on fire next.
Lysa Arryn
Creepy, crazy Aunt Lysa and her super-messed-up son turned the Eyrie into a house of horrors. Her obsession with Petyr Baelish made her insanely jealous of both her sister Catelyn Stark and her niece Sansa Stark, and she almost killed Sansa for it. She did kill her own husband and framed the Lannisters, to please Littlefinger, 'cause she was just that desperate.
The Sand Snakes
Super annoying. They really shouldn't be -- we should be on their side in their desire for revenge for Prince Oberyn Martell. But we're not sorry their storyline barely exists at this point, beyond killing Myrcella, Trystane, Areo Hotah, and Prince Doran, who may be grateful just to be free of them.
Viserys Targaryen
This tool felt up his own sister then sold her in marriage, right in his first episode on the show. So, yeah, we knew right then we'd never be fans. (And it's not like they're Lannisters, she was definitely not into him.) The egomaniacal, jealous, childish, vastly inferior Targaryen child spent years beating and controlling Dany, and he got what he deserved in that golden crown.
The Waif
What exactly was her problem? Jealousy? Was Jaqen H'ghar her man or something? This chick just had a massive attitude from the jump and never gave Arya Stark a chance -- beating the crap out of her at every turn and taking great enjoyment out of stabbing her to what she had hoped was death. And that smirk. As usual, Arya had the last word, but man. The Faceless Men need better hiring practices to avoid crap representatives like this.
Meryn Trant
It was bad enough that he probably killed Syrio Forel and hit Sansa on Joffrey's command, but then it turns out he's a pedo/hebephile who likes to beat up young girls? If only Arya could've killed him twice.
Alliser Thorne
Thorne was always a nasty piece of work, belittling Sam as "Lord Piggy," and mocking Jon as "Lord Snow." He was also jealous and vindictive, constantly undermining Jon's authority. However he wasn't a coward like Janos Slynt (who doesn't even deserve a spot on this list) and his anti-wildling stance was understandable after years of battling them. Thorne probably wouldn't have made this list at all if he hadn't led the mutiny to stab Jon to death. That's not OK.
Cersei Lannister
The Cersei of Season 6 is just a sad victim of her own dumb choice to empower the Faith Militant. But we're not quite ready to forgive Cersei for 1) raising Joffrey, 2) having Lady killed, 3) having King Robert killed, 4) bringing down Ned Stark, 5) enabling Sansa's torture, 6) wanting to kill Tyrion for stuff he didn't do, 7) and really just being awful. She never wanted Ned Stark to be executed, and she does love her kids (and her brother), and she has been punished quite a bit for her sins by now. But still.
Craster
There are some major sickos on this show but only Craster married his own daughters and, if he got them pregnant with sons, gave the boys away to the White Walkers. That is just next level bad parenting.
Walder Frey
Worst wedding host ever. This gross old lech who keeps marrying terrified teen girls had his pride hurt when Robb Stark married a non-Frey, so he retaliated by breaking the protection of guest right to initiate the Red Wedding. He breaks his word as much as he wants -- Lord Tully called him the "late Lord Frey" for not quite taking his oath seriously -- so we can add hypocrite to his long list of faults. His own family are counting the days till he's dead, but he'll probably outlive us all.
Tywin Lannister
We never saw Papa Lannister kill anyone himself, but his fingerprints were behind every dastardly deed from sending his pet, The Mountain, to kill the child Targaryens and brutalize the Riverlands, to party planning the Red Wedding. But maybe it was the acting prowess of Charles Dance, or GoT's decision to have Tywin bond with Arya Stark (not knowing she was Arya) in Harrenhal, or the fact that he stopped Gregor Clegane and The Tickler's torture, or that he could actually see Tyrion's intelligence and potential -- something about Tywin made us respect The Great Lion of the Rock even when we should've hated him more.
Roose Bolton
The Lannisters send their regards, do they? Cute. Robb Stark's murderer had ice-water in his veins. He killed with cold precision for the advancement of his house. He didn't seem to feel anything at all about his evil deeds, unlike his son, who reveled in them. That son was a product of rape: When a miller got married without Lord Bolton's permission, Roose hanged the man and raped his wife. And we got Ramsay. Roose betrayed the Starks at the Red Wedding, then cut ties with the Lannisters. He got what he paid for when Ramsay sent his own regards.
Gregor Clegane, aka The Mountain
He burned his own brother's face. He killed Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell's young children. He raped and killed Elia Martell. He went on a rape, raid, and torture rampage across the Riverlands. And then he went and failed to die. Prince Oberyn Martell almost finished him off, but Gregor pinned him and gouged out his eyeballs in a gruesome death that still haunts us. The Mountain was set to die of poison anyway, but Qyburn revived him and now he's Cersei's protector. The Hound needs to hurry up and end the other Clegane.
Joffrey Baratheon
There were fan celebrations around the world on King Joffrey's wedding day, and not to wish him well. We never thought we'd see a character more hated than this cruel, cowardly, dim-witted brat who had Ned Stark killed, kept Sansa Stark like a torture pet, cared nothing for the poor people of King's Landing, and was such a disrespectful arse to Tyrion on the day of the Purple Wedding that it made his choking death all the sweeter. Tyrion wasn't really to blame for Joff's death, he just wishes he could take credit.
Ramsay 'Snow' Bolton
The official WORST in capital letters, Ramsay has set a new standard of evil. He's a sadist who enjoys inflicting pain for sport -- flaying for fun, torturing Theon and chopping off his manhood, hunting young women in the woods, raping Sansa Stark, stabbing his father to death, killing Osha, and sending his hounds to kill both his stepmother and his newborn half-brother. His only redeeming quality seems to be his love for Myranda, but she was just as terrible. Thankfully, his demise was a perfectly satisfying example of the punishment fitting the crime.
