The Five Most Evil Characters in the ‘Game of Thrones’ Universe
Ahead of the season finale of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’, here’s a look at the worst of the worst from all the ‘Game of Thrones’ shows.
Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Game of Thrones fans have a complicated relationship with the franchise's villains. On one hand, few shows have ever had a more loathsome rogues gallery; across all three HBO series, these are some of the most vile and cruel characters in television history. Nevertheless—and it pains us to admit this—these characters are a huge part of the series’ appeal. Fantasy epics like these require compelling villains, and in the high-stakes world of Game of Thrones, actions have consequences for heroes and villains alike.
Besides, the shows also have a complex and nuanced take on its heroes as well. After all, Game of Thrones ended with its ostensible protagonist Daenerys Targaryen turning the city of King’s Landing into a barbeque pit, and Jaime Lannister eventually became a fan favorite despite throwing a child out of a window in the very first episode. Like those of us who live in the real world, its characters are often a mix of good and bad, admirable and dishonorable.
Except for these guys. They stink like the back alleys of Flea Bottom. Here are the five most evil characters in the world of Game of Thrones. To watch Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO and HBO Max with Sling, follow the link below to subscribe today.
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Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
https://youtu.be/tti2Cn44SWw?si=hIwIjir8r66gTwtz
When A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was first announced, we all knew there would be a loathsome Targaryen and/or Lannister amongst the show’s cast. Enter Price Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen (riding in on a high horse, no less). While initially coming off as merely smug and superior in the typical high-born manner, he soon reveals himself to be much worse, first by “accidentally” spearing Ser Humphfrey Harding’s horse in a jousting match, then by attacking Tanselle the puppeteer. Finn Bennett is so convincing in this role, we didn’t even place him as the actor who played the ernest, dull Officer Peter Prior in another HBO hit, True Detective: Night Country.
Lord Walder Frey - Game of Thrones
https://youtu.be/O-PiFvnTkOI?si=Yq4HNiO0QTnO3czz
The head of House Frey and “Lord of the Crossing” – a strategically important castle complex known as “The Twins” – Walder Frey (portrayed by a memorably vile David Bradley) beat out a number of strong GoT contenders for this dishonor. His greatest crime is clearly his role at the head of the table for the Red Wedding, but his transactional treatment of his daughters is egregiously misogynistic, even in a world that frequently mistreats its women. It’s with a measure of delicious irony, then, that Frey meets his end at the blade of Arya Stark, who then exacts her vengeance on the entire male line of the Frey family.
Prince Aemond Targaryen - House of the Dragon
https://youtu.be/gYGp5BQ69UM?si=8LvoeuEO8uTJEXUQ
If part of the success of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can be attributed to its personal stakes among the so-called “smallfolk,” House of the Dragon is focused on the power struggles at the very top of the Westeros hierarchy. Accordingly, a lot of the show’s dramatic tension touches on how small misunderstandings and petty interpersonal disagreements can have devastating downstream consequences. Which is to say, there’s a lot of this energy in House of the Dragon. But there is one character who sucks unambiguously – Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), aka Aemond One-Eye. Not only does he steal the mighty dragon Vhagar from his cousin Rhaena, but he provokes a full scale war by killing his other cousin Luke. House of the Dragon intentionally toys with the audience’s loyalty between the “Greens” and the “Blacks,” but despite the color of his mother’s wedding dress, Aemond is a black hat through-and-through.
Ramsay Bolton - Game of Thrones
https://youtu.be/oUjaljMMy2M?si=BWHVxvk6jmcNm0B5
While his bastard blood may have prevented him from inheriting any official royal titles, there’s no doubt that Ramsay Bolton is the King of Sadism. His moral transgressions and myriad cruelties are too perverse (and legion) to type out here, but Ramsay – played with incongruous glee by Iwan Rheon – has the sick distinction of being the most unapologetically deranged character in the whole of the realm. When he meets his end following the Battle of the Bastards by getting torn apart by his own starving hounds, it’s almost too gentle of a death.
Prince Joffrey Baratheon - Game of Thrones
https://youtu.be/z1xA4fQX8zk?si=EkvK-qbVeg5J5VGT
Despite what we just wrote about Ramsay Bolton, Prince Joffrey takes the title as the most despicable character in the Game of Thrones universe. It takes a special kind of evil for audiences to celebrate getting murdered on your wedding day, but nothing speaks to Joffrey’s unlikability more than the rumor that Jack Gleeson – the actor who portrayed him – retired from acting due to all the hate he received. While Gleeson has since qualified that this was not the case, it felt entirely plausible – few characters this side of Pennywise the Clown are more universally reviled than Joffrey.
To watch the season finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max with Sling, use the link below to subscribe today!
https://main--sling--aemsites.aem.page/aemedge/fragments/try-sling-combo-max