Game of Thrones Characters Tier List, Ranked
Eight seasons, hundreds of named characters, and more backstabbing than a Braavosi alley at midnight. We pulled together what fans and critics agree on across forums, reviews and endless Reddit arguments to rank 34 of the show's biggest names, from the ones who earned every bit of their arc to the ones the writers completely fumbled.
This is a fan-fiction-free zone: no "well in the books" tangents, just how these characters played out on screen. Disagree with where we put your favorite? That's half the fun. Rank them yourself and see how close you get.
The tier list
The community’s tier list fills in as members vote. It appears once 5 members have ranked or voted on these.
Think you can rank them better?
Make your own tier listFree account. Your ranking stays private unless you share it, and it counts toward the community tier list.Vote
SS Tier: The best the show ever did
Tyrion Lannister
The best talker in Westeros and, for most of the show, the best-written character too. His trial speech in the Red Keep is the kind of scene people quote years later, and his dynamic with Tywin and Cersei gives the early seasons their bite. Even the shakier later seasons can't undo how much he carries this show on his shoulders.
About Tyrion Lannister
The dwarf son of Tywin Lannister, known for his wit, his drinking, and serving as Hand of the King at various points. Played by Peter Dinklage.
- House
- Lannister
- Played by
- Peter Dinklage
Arya Stark
From a scrappy kid with a sword named Needle to the woman who ends the Night King's whole deal, Arya's journey is the most consistently satisfying on the show. Her Braavosi training arc drags a little, sure, but the payoff (that list, that moment at Winterfell) makes up for it. Few characters get both a clean emotional arc and the single biggest kill of the series.
About Arya Stark
Ned and Catelyn's younger daughter, trained as an assassin by the Faceless Men, who returns to Westeros to settle old scores. Played by Maisie Williams.
- House
- Stark
- Played by
- Maisie Williams
Cersei Lannister
She's horrible, and that's exactly the point. Cersei's descent from scheming queen mother to someone who'll blow up a cathedral full of people to win is one of the show's clearest, most chilling character lines. Lena Headey sells every ounce of the contempt and the fear underneath it.
About Cersei Lannister
Queen and later Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, fiercely protective of her children and willing to do almost anything to keep power. Played by Lena Headey.
- House
- Lannister
- Played by
- Lena Headey
AA Tier: Excellent, with maybe one bad season
Sandor Clegane
The Hound starts as muscle for the Lannisters and ends up one of the only honest men left in Westeros, which is a hell of a turn for a guy introduced slapping around a kid. His road-trip chemistry with Arya is some of the show's best odd-couple writing, and "cleganebowl" actually happening gave fans exactly what they'd been begging for.
About Sandor Clegane
Known as the Hound, a scarred knight who serves the Lannisters before becoming an unlikely protector and ally of Arya Stark. Played by Rory McCann.
- Nickname
- The Hound
- Played by
- Rory McCann
Jaime Lannister
Pushing a child out a window to protect an affair is one of the show's all-time dark opening moves, and then the show spends years making you understand, if not forgive, the man who did it. Losing his hand and gaining Brienne's respect is one of the best redemption arcs TV has done. The finale's walk-back to Cersei still annoys plenty of fans, and that's fair.
About Jaime Lannister
Cersei's twin brother and a famed knight known as the Kingslayer, whose arc runs from villain to one of the show's more redemptive figures. Played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
- House
- Lannister
- Played by
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Ned Stark
He's only around for one season, and he still shapes the entire show that follows. Ned's execution is the moment Game of Thrones told everyone the old rules didn't apply here, and Sean Bean plays him with exactly the stubborn honor that gets him killed.
About Ned Stark
Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, called to serve as Hand of the King in season one before his execution changes the shape of the whole show. Played by Sean Bean.
- House
- Stark
- Played by
- Sean Bean
Olenna Tyrell
The Queen of Thorns steals every scene she's in with a one-liner and a raised eyebrow. She orchestrated Joffrey's poisoning and went out on her own terms, telling Jaime to his face that she did it. Criminally underused given how good she is whenever she's on screen.
About Olenna Tyrell
The sharp-tongued matriarch of House Tyrell, known as the Queen of Thorns, famous for her blunt wit and political cunning. Played by Diana Rigg.
- Nickname
- Queen of Thorns
- Played by
- Diana Rigg
Tywin Lannister
Cold, brilliant, and terrifying without raising his voice. Tywin's scenes teaching Tommen or Joffrey about kingship say more about power than most of the show's battles do. His death, on the privy, at his own son's hand, is one of the most quietly perfect endings the show gives anyone.
About Tywin Lannister
Patriarch of House Lannister and former Hand of the King, a ruthless strategist obsessed with his family's legacy. Played by Charles Dance.
- House
- Lannister
- Played by
- Charles Dance
Daenerys Targaryen
Freeing Slaver's Bay and hatching dragons made her one of the show's most compelling figures for years. The turn to "Mad Queen" in the final season is the single most argued-about choice the show made, and plenty of fans think it came too fast rather than feeling wrong. We're putting her in A because the seasons of buildup were genuinely great, even if the ending split the fanbase down the middle.
About Daenerys Targaryen
Last scion of House Targaryen, exiled queen who raises three dragons and conquers Slaver's Bay before turning toward Westeros. Played by Emilia Clarke.
- House
- Targaryen
- Played by
- Emilia Clarke
Jon Snow
The reluctant leader who keeps getting pulled into jobs he never wanted, from Lord Commander to King in the North. His arc with the Wildlings and his death-and-return storyline are high points, even if his personality stays a little flat compared to the Starks around him. Still, "he knows nothing" became one of the show's most quoted lines for a reason.
About Jon Snow
Ned Stark's supposed bastard son, raised at Winterfell, who joins the Night's Watch before becoming King in the North. Played by Kit Harington.
- House
- Stark / Targaryen
- Played by
- Kit Harington
Brienne of Tarth
A knight in every way that matters, in a world that refuses to call her one because of her gender. Her duel with the Hound, her oath to Catelyn, and her knighting by Jaime are all moments that land because the show actually earns them. One of the few characters who never does anything that makes you wince.
About Brienne of Tarth
A tall, skilled warrior sworn first to Renly Baratheon and then to Catelyn and Sansa Stark, determined to prove herself a true knight. Played by Gwendoline Christie.
- House
- Tarth
- Played by
- Gwendoline Christie
Oberyn Martell
The Red Viper shows up, flirts with everyone in the room, delivers one of the best monologues in the show about Tywin's family, and then dies in the most stomach-turning fight scene in the series. A short run, but an unforgettable one.
About Oberyn Martell
A prince of Dorne known as the Red Viper, who comes to King's Landing seeking justice for his sister's murder. Played by Pedro Pascal.
- House
- Martell
- Played by
- Pedro Pascal
BB Tier: Strong characters, flawed arcs
Sansa Stark
Sansa goes through more abuse than almost anyone on the show and comes out the other side as a genuinely sharp political operator. Some fans never forgave the writers for how the Ramsay storyline was handled, and that criticism is fair even as her later Winterfell scheming is some of the show's smartest politics.
About Sansa Stark
Ned and Catelyn's eldest daughter, who survives captivity in King's Landing and manipulation at the hands of Littlefinger before becoming Lady of Winterfell. Played by Sophie Turner.
- House
- Stark
- Played by
- Sophie Turner
Petyr Baelish
Littlefinger's "chaos is a ladder" monologue is the show's cleanest statement of theme, and for years he's the smartest guy in every room. The final season needed him to finally lose to someone smarter, and Sansa and Arya teaming up to end him is satisfying even if his actual downfall feels rushed.
About Petyr Baelish
Known as Littlefinger, a low-born lord who rises to power through manipulation, information, and a long-held obsession with Catelyn Stark and later Sansa. Played by Aidan Gillen.
- Nickname
- Littlefinger
- Played by
- Aidan Gillen
Varys
The Spider plays every side so well you're never quite sure who he's really working for, which is the whole point of the character. His scenes with Tyrion over wine are some of the show's best dialogue. His ending, burned by the dragon he bet against, is abrupt but thematically on point.
About Varys
The eunuch Master of Whisperers, a spymaster who serves multiple kings while claiming his real loyalty is to the realm itself. Played by Conleth Hill.
- Title
- Master of Whisperers
- Played by
- Conleth Hill
Theon Greyjoy
Few characters get a redemption arc this brutal. Theon's betrayal of Robb and the Starks makes him easy to hate early on, and then Ramsay's torture turns him into Reek, which is genuinely hard to watch. His final charge at the Night King gives him the ending the writers clearly wanted fans to cry at, and it mostly works.
About Theon Greyjoy
A Stark ward raised at Winterfell who betrays Robb to reclaim his birthright, then suffers brutal torture at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. Played by Alfie Allen.
- House
- Greyjoy
- Played by
- Alfie Allen
Samwell Tarly
Sam's not a fighter, and the show never pretends otherwise, which makes him one of the more relatable people in Westeros. He kills a White Walker out of sheer panic, steals books from the Citadel for Jon, and basically invents the idea for the Great Council in the finale. Quietly important in a show full of loud characters.
About Samwell Tarly
Jon Snow's loyal friend in the Night's Watch, better suited to books than battle, who ends up helping shape the realm's future. Played by John Bradley.
- House
- Tarly
- Played by
- John Bradley
Davos Seaworth
The Onion Knight is the moral compass for half the show, pulling Stannis back from his worst instincts and later doing the same for Jon. Liam Cunningham plays him with a steadiness that's rare on this show. He never gets a flashy death or a big twist, he's just reliably decent, which is its own kind of achievement here.
About Davos Seaworth
A former smuggler turned Hand of the King to Stannis Baratheon, known for his honesty and loyalty. Played by Liam Cunningham.
- Nickname
- The Onion Knight
- Played by
- Liam Cunningham
Stannis Baratheon
Stannis is rigid, humorless, and absolutely convinced of his own righteousness, and that's exactly what makes his fall so grim. Burning his own daughter for a战 he still loses is one of the bleakest turns the show pulls off. Divisive among fans: some find him a dry, underused presence, others think it's one of the show's most tragic arcs.
About Stannis Baratheon
Robert's brother and a claimant to the Iron Throne, a rigid, rules-bound man convinced of his own destiny. Played by Stephen Dillane.
- House
- Baratheon
- Played by
- Stephen Dillane
Jorah Mormont
Forever in love with a queen who doesn't love him back, Jorah's loyalty to Daenerys defines basically his whole arc. His greyscale subplot drags, but his death protecting her at Winterfell gives him the ending his devotion always pointed toward.
About Jorah Mormont
An exiled knight of House Mormont who becomes one of Daenerys Targaryen's most devoted advisors and protectors. Played by Iain Glen.
- House
- Mormont
- Played by
- Iain Glen
CC Tier: Fine, but never quite clicked
Gendry
Robert's bastard son spends years rowing a boat, forging weapons, and mostly reacting to things happening around him. He gets a nice moment proposing to Arya and an even nicer one getting legitimized as a lord, but he's never quite a main character so much as a guy who keeps showing up.
About Gendry
Robert Baratheon's blacksmith bastard son, who spends the show running from his royal blood before eventually being legitimized. Played by Joe Dempsie.
- House
- Baratheon (bastard line)
- Played by
- Joe Dempsie
Missandei
Loyal, smart, and clearly meant to matter more than the show ever let her. Her friendship with Grey Worm and Daenerys has real warmth, but she mostly exists to support other people's arcs until her death becomes fuel for Daenerys's final turn.
About Missandei
A former slave who becomes Daenerys Targaryen's trusted advisor and translator, and Grey Worm's partner. Played by Nathalie Emmanuel.
- Role
- Advisor to Daenerys
- Played by
- Nathalie Emmanuel
Tormund Giantsbane
Big, loud, and a lot of fun whenever he's on screen, Tormund is basically comic relief with an axe. His crush on Brienne gets some of the show's better laughs. He never gets much of an arc beyond "good guy who likes to fight," but honestly, that's enough.
About Tormund Giantsbane
A boisterous Wildling leader and ally of Jon Snow, known for his booming laugh and his crush on Brienne of Tarth. Played by Kristofer Hivju.
- Affiliation
- Free Folk
- Played by
- Kristofer Hivju
Margaery Tyrell
Sharp and politically savvy, Margaery plays the game about as well as anyone not named Tyrion or Olenna. The show never quite lets her becomes more than "the clever queen," and her death in the Sept explosion ends her arc more than it concludes it.
About Margaery Tyrell
A shrewd political operator from House Tyrell who marries her way through several kings while building popular support. Played by Natalie Dormer.
- House
- Tyrell
- Played by
- Natalie Dormer
Catelyn Stark
Catelyn's fierce protectiveness of her kids drives a lot of early plot, including the Tyrion kidnapping that kicks off the war. Her character gets flattened a bit by grief after Ned's death, and then the Red Wedding turns her into one of the show's most haunting images rather than giving her a real final arc.
About Catelyn Stark
Lady of Winterfell and mother to the Stark children, whose actions help trigger the war between the Starks and Lannisters. Played by Michelle Fairley.
- House
- Stark (born Tully)
- Played by
- Michelle Fairley
Robb Stark
The Young Wolf wins every battle and still loses the war, mostly because he follows his heart over his head with the Frey marriage pact. He's a likable, principled leader, but the show spends more time on the consequences of his choices than on him as a person.
About Robb Stark
Ned and Catelyn's eldest son, declared King in the North, who leads a rebellion against the Iron Throne before his death at the Red Wedding. Played by Richard Madden.
- House
- Stark
- Played by
- Richard Madden
Robert Baratheon
A great king gone to seed, Robert is funny, pathetic, and weirdly sympathetic all at once, especially in his scenes with Ned reminiscing about the war they won together. He's mostly there to set the plot in motion by dying, and the show knows it.
About Robert Baratheon
King of the Seven Kingdoms at the show's start, a former war hero gone soft on wine and women. Played by Mark Addy.
- House
- Baratheon
- Played by
- Mark Addy
Melisandre
The Red Woman is genuinely unsettling, whether she's birthing shadow assassins or burning children alive for a god who may or may not be listening. Her resurrection of Jon Snow is a huge swing. Her actual beliefs and motivations stay frustratingly vague for most of the run.
About Melisandre
A priestess of the Lord of Light known as the Red Woman, who uses magic and prophecy to guide Stannis Baratheon and later Jon Snow. Played by Carice van Houten.
- Nickname
- The Red Woman
- Played by
- Carice van Houten
DD Tier: Wasted potential or just annoying
Roose Bolton
Quietly menacing in a way that works well in small doses, Roose's betrayal of Robb at the Red Wedding is one of the show's most shocking moments. Beyond that one gut-punch, he's mostly a cold, flat presence who disappears once his son takes over the family business of being horrible.
About Roose Bolton
Lord of the Dreadfort and later Warden of the North, a quiet, calculating man best known for orchestrating the Red Wedding. Played by Michael McElhatton.
- House
- Bolton
- Played by
- Michael McElhatton
Bran Stark
Bran's slow transformation into the Three-Eyed Raven drains almost all personality out of him, to the point where the finale twist of making him king lands as confusing rather than earned. Fans are genuinely split here: some think the warging visions are some of the show's most interesting world-building, others think his character basically stops existing after season 4.
About Bran Stark
The youngest Stark son, crippled early in the show, who becomes the Three-Eyed Raven with visions of past and future. Played by Isaac Hempstead Wright.
- House
- Stark
- Played by
- Isaac Hempstead Wright
Joffrey Baratheon
You're supposed to hate him, and the show succeeds completely, which honestly makes it hard to rank him higher. Jack Gleeson plays bratty cruelty so well that his death at his own wedding is one of the most satisfying moments in the whole series. There's just not much character under the sadism.
About Joffrey Baratheon
The cruel boy king, nominally Robert's son though actually Jaime and Cersei's, whose reign is defined by casual sadism. Played by Jack Gleeson.
- House
- Baratheon (biologically Lannister)
- Played by
- Jack Gleeson
Night King
Visually one of the coolest things the show ever put on screen, and dramatically almost a non-entity. Seasons of buildup turn into a single season where he barely speaks or does anything beyond stare ominously, and then Arya ends him in about ten seconds. A missed opportunity fans still argue about.
About Night King
The leader of the army of the dead and the White Walkers, an ancient, near-silent threat to all of Westeros.
- Role
- Leader of the White Walkers
FF Tier: The writing actively failed them
Gregor Clegane
The Mountain is pure, uncomplicated brutality with basically zero interiority, even after he gets turned into a zombie super-soldier. He's a weapon the plot points at people, not a character with wants or history worth exploring. Effective as a monster, forgettable as anyone you'd call a person.
About Gregor Clegane
Known as the Mountain, Sandor's monstrous older brother, a hulking knight infamous for his brutality and later resurrected as an undead enforcer for Cersei.
- Nickname
- The Mountain
Ramsay Bolton
Ramsay has no depth, no arc, and no goal beyond inflicting pain for its own sake, which makes his scenes (especially with Theon) feel like torture-porn rather than drama. Some fans find him a necessary evil, a true monster the story needs. We land on the side that thinks the show leaned on his cruelty as a crutch way past the point it had anything to say.
About Ramsay Bolton
The sadistic bastard son of Roose Bolton, infamous for torturing Theon Greyjoy and for his brutal rule of the North. Played by Iwan Rheon.
- House
- Bolton
- Played by
- Iwan Rheon
How we ranked them
We weighed how well each character was written across the full run, not just their best season, along with how much they drove the plot, how memorable their moments were, and how their ending landed. A great season 1-4 run couldn't save a character who got botched later, and we gave real credit to arcs that stuck the landing. Where fandom is genuinely split, we picked a side and said so.
Think we got it wrong?
Drag all 34 game of thrones characters into your own tier list, then download the image or share a link.
Rank these yourselfFAQ
Who is the best written Game of Thrones character overall?
Tyrion Lannister gets the most consistent praise from fans and critics alike, thanks to his wit, his arc across all eight seasons, and that trial speech.
Why is Daenerys Targaryen ranked A and not S?
Her build-up across most of the show is excellent, but the speed of her final-season turn to the 'Mad Queen' is the most debated choice the show ever made, and it's enough to keep her just below the top tier.
Is Jon Snow overrated?
Plenty of fans think so, since his personality stays fairly flat compared to Starks like Arya or Sansa. He's still a genuinely strong character, just not quite top tier by consensus.
Why does Ramsay Bolton rank so low despite being a popular villain?
He's memorable as a monster, but critics and many fans point out he never gets real depth or motivation beyond cruelty, which is why he lands in F despite his notoriety.
Who had the most divisive ending among fans?
Bran Stark being crowned King of the Six Kingdoms and Daenerys's turn to tyranny are the two endings that split fandom the most.
More rankings
Image credits
- Tyrion LannisterCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Arya StarkCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Cersei LannisterCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Sandor CleganeCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Jaime LannisterCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Ned StarkCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Olenna TyrellCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Tywin LannisterCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Daenerys TargaryenCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Jon SnowCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Brienne of TarthCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Oberyn MartellCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Sansa StarkCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Petyr BaelishCover: Wikipedia · Source
- VarysCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Theon GreyjoyCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Samwell TarlyCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Davos SeaworthCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Stannis BaratheonCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Jorah MormontPhoto: Kosika, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- GendryCover: Wikipedia · Source
- MissandeiCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Tormund GiantsbaneCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Margaery TyrellCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Catelyn StarkCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Robb StarkCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Robert BaratheonCover: Wikipedia · Source
- MelisandreCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Roose BoltonCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Bran StarkCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Joffrey BaratheonCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Night KingCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Gregor CleganeCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Ramsay BoltonCover: Wikipedia · Source