14 'Game of Thrones' Villains You Love to Hate, Ranked
"Game of Thrones" is a show full of characters that don't neatly fall into either hero or villain category. But there are a select few whose deeds are so dark -- and so foul -- that they practically beg to be despised. Or poisoned. Or set on fire via dragon. From Cersei to the Night King himself, here are all the "GoT" villains you love to hate. Mostly hate.
Honorable Mention - Time
The villains of "Game of Thrones" come and go, but the true enemy is always there -- time. The wait between seasons (especially 2019's final one) grows more unbearable each year. And as always, there's nothing to do but wait and rewatch old episodes a few dozen times.
14. Maester Qyburn
"Game of Thrones" is home to plenty of schemers, but none do it quite as skillfully and quietly as Maester Qyburn. This soft-spoken villain has so far managed to climb his way up the political ranks, resurrect The Mountain, and help Cersei slaughter her way to the Iron Throne. Worse, we suspect the show is saving the worst for last when it comes to this guy.
13. Ser Alliser Thorne
If this epic series has a hero, it's definitely "know-nothing" Jon Snow. And this jerk-face is one of the few people who can't seem to recognizer that fact. Throne was a thorn in Jon's side for season after season, ultimately betraying and murdering his new Lord Commander out of jealousy. Good thing Jon was able to return the favor.
12. Craster
Craster is the greedy, incestuous tyrant who rules his tiny hovel with an iron fist -- and he also reluctantly offers shelter to the Night's Watch. It's just as well this jerkface didn't stick around too long, or he might have evolved into one of the show's all-time worst.
11. Septa Unella
It takes a special kind of evil to make us actually sympathize with a woman like Cersei Lannister. That's the power of Septa Unella, a self-righteous religious zealot ("SHAME!") who delighted in physically and psychologically tormenting Cersei for an entire season. Thankfully, even Unella learned that you cross the Lannister family at your own peril.
10. The Waif
of the Faceless Men are supposed to live without attachment, feelings or a personal sense of identity. Yet that never seemed to stop this nameless girl from carrying on a feud with Arya during her stay at the House of White and Black. We don't know what the Waif's beef with Arya was about; we were just glad when Arya finally brought it to a decisive end.
9. The Mountain
Most residents of Westeros speak of Gregor "The Mountain." Clegane in hushed whispers, when they mention him at all. Yet it seemed like his reputation was overblown when he was soundly defeated in a duel with Oberyn Martell. That is, until the Mountain turned the tables and gave us the single most sickening and gruesome death scene in the show's history. Even as the Mountain carries on as a silent, undead enforcer, we can't wait for someone to finally avenge Oberyn's death.
8. Euron Greyjoy
There are plenty of bad, bad people in Westeros. Euron Greyjoy is one of the only people who seems to legitimately be having fun being bad. That keeps us from putting him higher on this list, even though he's managed to become quite the nuisance to Daenerys and the gang lately.
7. Tywin Lannister
There's an argument to be made for the idea that Tywin Lannister is directly responsible for most of the misery and suffering that goes on in "Game of Thrones." If he were a little nicer to his children as they were growing up, maybe we wouldn't have constant civil war and throne-usurping distracting everyone from the threat of the White Walkers. He may be well-mannered, but he's as dark and twisted as anyone in this series. Fitting he got crossbow'd by his own son while atop a toilet.
6. Littlefinger
Politics is a game, and few play it better than Peter Baelish. Over the course of seven seasons, this sneaky advisor has managed to betray and deceive just about every person in Westeros. And while it's always fun to watch Peter play his little game, we were glad to see him finally push his luck too far with the Stark family and get dead.
5. Cersei Lannister
Oh, Cersei. You might just be the most despicable person in all of Westeros. You've plotted, schemed and murdered, and that's not even counting the whole incest thing. The only thing that keeps Cersei from dominating this list is the fact that she does it all to protect her family. Twisted as she is, at least she has her reasons.
4. The Night King
He may look like the offspring of Darth Maul and an angry icicle (Angry Icicles are playing at the Forum, FYI), but the Night King is the true face of evil in Westeros. This malignant villain has been lurking in the shadows from the show's beginning, quietly building his army -- which now includes a zombie ice dragon! -- and preparing to march on the rest of the continent. Heck, he's earned his spot on this list just by killing and turning one of Dany's dragons into his personal flying blue flamethrower. That hurt.
3. Walder Frey
Over the years, "Game of Thrones" has taught us that no character is truly safe. And no villain has proven a harsher teacher than Walder Frey, the bitter, evil old man who orchestrated the infamous Red Wedding. Even seeing Walder given his just desserts in Season 7 can't completely wipe that bad taste away.
2. Ramsay Bolton
Early on, Theon Greyjoy made his mark as one of the biggest backstabbers and betrayers in all of Westerns. But after spending a few seasons at the mercy of Ramsay Bolton, we can't bring ourselves to feel anything but pity for poor Theon. Ramsay is as cruel and sadistic as they come, and there's been no more satisfying moment on the series than when he finally faced the vengeance of the Stark family.
1. Joffrey Baratheon
How could anyone else top this list? Joffrey is a character designed from the ground up to be as unlikable and evil as humanly possible. He's petulant, selfish and every bit as cruel as one would expect from someone raised by Cersei. Joffrey eventually got what was coming to him, but we sure wish that fate had arrived sooner.
