Game of Thrones: The 50 Best Villains

There are a lot of bad eggs in Westeros. These fifty are the best of the worst.

Published March 28, 2019Lists, TVBy Meg ShieldsDisclaimerWhen you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission.

In this series…

Before season 8 starts, read our guide to where every character left off.
The most beautiful shots of Game of Thrones, curated by One Perfect Shot.
Every episode of Game of Thrones, ranked by our own resident Maester.
Read our in-depth breakdown of the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer.
We rank the best duels in Game of Thrones.
Explore our guide to the best Game of Thrones scenes by season.
We rank the 50 most important props from Game of Thrones.
Gather your tunics and explore Game of Thrones in 50 Costumes.
Brush up on who’s left on Arya’s kill list.
We try to answer the unanswered questions of Game of Thrones season 8.

Separating baddies from goodies in Game of Thrones is, like most things, a matter of whose flag you fly. There are plenty of pretenders to the Iron Throne to root for, and pretty much all of them have done terrible things. Even the most protagonist-y of the bunch have some modicum of blood under their nails. Lest we forget: Jon, Daenerys, and Theon have all killed children at one point or another. And yet we stump (no offense, Jamie). Speaking of Jamie: there’s also no shortage of pivoting heels now enjoying full-blown redemption arcs. All to say: War is full of messy bitches. Ethical gray areas just come with the territory.

However, lest we continue to wallow in the moral ambiguity swamp: it needs must be remarked that Game of Thrones has some of the best big bads in the small screen business. Evil-doers with their flags firmly planted in the villainy camp.

In order to separate the Reek from the chaff and rank these malefactors, I did the evilest thing of all and made a spreadsheet do it for me. I came up with five factors that make a perfect villain, scored each factor on a five-point “what makes a good villain” rubric, then leaned back, rubbing my hands together while automated maths wrought their dark magic. In the event of a tie, a kill count was consulted.

Factors for villainy included notoriety, aka the reach of one’s reputation for eeeeeevil. You could be bad to the bone but if no one’s heard of you, sorry, you’re going to lose points. Next up is panache aka The “Look.” Think of these as style points; good villains have good branding. Their status as a worthy adversary was also up for consideration; the degree to which their physical and/or mental prowess could be considered a veritable threat. A good villain’s evilness has to be understandable to the audience. We need to be able to look at what twisted them and go “oh god, in similar circumstances that could have been me.” Great villains are great because we understand where they’re coming from. They see themselves as the hero of their own story and are convinced that what they’re doing is right. Finally, there’s the elusive “fun factor.” When a villain fucks you simultaneously dread and anticipate their screentime. No matter how many dicks they chop off.

And so, eviscerated appendages and all: here are the top 55 Game of Thrones villains, so far, ranked for your pleasure.