Game of Thrones, the fantasy saga on HBO has become a part of pop-culture. It achieved the level of success, fandoma and popularity that a show can ever dream for.
And apart frorm the whole mythology and legendary world-building of the show, characters were the driving force in the narrative that made peope fall in love with the show in the first place.
Recently with the spin-off release show House of Dragons, the GOT universe has been expanded. There is also a potential Jon Snow sequel in the bags as well.
Even though overall quality of the show has dropped and become all disappointing and controversial at the climax, the character was always fan-favourite.
When we go to rank the best characters of Game of Thrones, you remember the obvious ones like Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Cersie Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen and others.
But according to Ranker users, the best GOT characters are the surprising ones, few who may not have been the obvious ones but certainly to think over.
So, let’s go through this fan-voted, live and ongoing voting system of Ranker to see the 10 best GOT characters as per them.
10/10 Bronn
Bronn was not the character you were looking forward to but sneakingly it become one of the most entertaining characters on the show.
Just his interactions with Tyrion Lannister was so fun to watch. He was initially just a skilled sellsword who came to contact with Tyrion Lannister after he decided to fight for him in his trial by combat at the Eyrie.
After that, Bronn was brought to Tyrion’s permanent service as his personal bodyguard, enforcer or assassin.
But eventually he was more than that, somebody around friends, however it wasn’t actually addressed and the dynamics were clear due to his characteristics about being loyal to just money.
With Tyrion, he rose to become Commander of the City Watch for a brief time and later even awarded with knighthood for his pivotal role in the Battle of Blackwater.
He also assisted Lannister initially during the war of Daenerys Targaryen for Westros but after the coronation of Bran Stark, he became the new Lord of Highgarden, Master of Coin and Lord Paramount of the Reach as well.
There is such a wavy graph in his character throughout the show but he never waver from his primary traits and motivations.
He is quite hedonistic, easy-going and snarky, a best fit companion for Tyrion. He certainly a joy to watch on the screen.
9/10 Davos Seaworth
You would have never thought this character would become such a crucial player towards the end of the show.
Game of Thrones is good at killing off characters which you thought to be very important and uplifting the ones you thought to be not important.
Also known as the Onion Knight, he initially served as Hand of the King to Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone and claimed the Iron Throne, after leaving his earlier career as landed knight and smuggler.
When Stannis was defeated and dead at Winterfell, Davod stayed at Castle Black where he was caught inbetween the mutiny amongs the Night’s Watch leading to the death of Lord Commander Jon Snow.
He sided with Jon, helped him revive from the dead by persuading Melisandre to ressurect Jon.
Davos always had a likeable quality, compassion and kindness but eventually he grew to one of the most pleasant characters to be around in the show, and quite pivotal towards the end war.
He eventually sided with House Stark and proclaimed Jon Snow as the King in the North, and served him as his right=hand man until he was exiled.
He later ends up sitting in the small council of Brandon Stark as Master of Ships serving King’s Landing.
8/10 Jamie Lannister
Very few characters on a TV or film have the ability to challenge the audience about what perception you made about them and make you question. Jamie Lannister is one of them!
Ser Jamie Lannister is the elder son of Lord Tywin Lannister, younger twin brother of Queen Cersei Lannister and also older brother of Tyrion Lannister.
He was introduced in the show as Kingslayer and within the first episode, the things got established about him, was him being having incentous relationship with his sister, he’s one who killed the Mad king and at end, he pushed a seven-year old kid from castle.
So, everything to make the character unapolegetically negative and even sometime straight-up evil. It becomes hard to see any layers or other shades in him.
He was the straightway hatable character with a punchable face with so much lack of empathy and care for anything except his gross obsession with Cersei.
But soon, season after season, the character gets more fleshed out through different circumstances, interactions and personal journeys.
He also becomes more of a likeable villain or gray character in the show who you somehow relate to or just understand at some level.
It won’t be wrong to say that he was one of the best well-crafted characters in teh show if you compare according to the character arcs and layers.
His interactions with Brienne of Tarth brought a completely different side of him when he was captive under her, and was sent to Cersei for a deal to get Sansa and Arya back.
Then, he also choose to fight the army of undead and night king being honarabe knight and already made the promise, even though Cersei backed out.
7/10 Tormund Giantsbane
It’s not that Tormund is not likable or an enjoyable character in the series but it is still surprising to see him in top 10 from Ranker as there are many potential alternatives as well.
Basically, he is on the list not because of a great character arc or layered shades or some crazy backstory but just being the funniest character in the whole show.
Anyways, he is called Tormund Giantsbane, known to be a renowned warrior and raider in a loose group often referred to as the Free Folk.
He was also one of the key leaders who supported Mance Rayder, respected him as King Beyond The Walls, thought he would be the man who led them through the long night.
But once he learned that Mance was killed off on Stannis Baratheon’s order, he turned towards his recent enemy-turned friend, Jon Snow to be this propehsized messiah, the warrior.
Tormund becomes a crucial part of Jon’s journey to become more than just a bastard or even a Night’s watch.
And more importantly, he became a good friend to him and an interesting character towards later seasons in the show.
Tormund was always there with Jon, and wildlings, also the Night’s watch fighting against the army of undead and Night King in the long winter.
In fact, after Jon was exiled to live beyond the walls along with wildlings, he was still there with him in his new journey.
Since he was an important character in Jon Snow’s journey. With so much talk going on regarding the Jon Snow sequel series, Tormund certainly going to be in the show to make the series more fun and light.
6/10 Eddard Stark
Perhaps the most honorable man in the Westros or entirely in Game of Thrones story, so much that even characters hate him acknowledge that fact about him.
Lord Eddard Stark also known as Ned Stark was the head of the House Stark, Lord of winterfell, Ward of the North and also later become Hand of the King to King Robert I Baratheon.
He was the father of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon, and also uncle of Jon Snow who he raised as his bastard son.
His character was noble, honest, kind and loyal. We started the story through his perspectives and his family.
He always felt too good to be part of this world and that was the vibe you can get leading upto his unfortunate and shocking execution in earlier episodes of the season.
Him dieing in the show was completely unexpected throwing off the audience and establishing what kind of show we are into.
Ned Stark’s character was brillianty portrayed through his principles, values and how he took care of his family and friends.
Every aspect of his character was highlighted in the show until the episode of his execution making him a caring and dedicated husband and father, a loyal friend, and honrable lord.
In a way he was completely opposite of what Lannisters are generally to be portrayed in the show or at least there is a contrast to these both houses.
His children, his legacy went on to shape Westeros for the future where his eldes son Robb claimed to be the King in the North, conquesting kingdoms one after another until him too dieing in an another shocking event of Red Wedding.
5/10 Ghost
Certainly one of the cutest and most likeable characters in the Game of Thrones, even though not a human but still adorable enough to get voted at top rank.
Ghost was one amongst the six direwolf pups that were given to Children of House Stark after getting found in the forest.
Ghost was a albino with beautiful white snowy fur and red eyes, he was given to Jon Snow, and raised by him as well.
Even if he was the runt of the litter at the time he was born and found among other five direwolves, still he gew to be as big as the rest of others.
Jon took the Ghost with him when he went to Castle Black to join the Night Watch. He was the one who helped him threaten Rast so he cannot prevent him from bullying his friend Sam.
Ghost always remains side by side with Jon through thick and thin.
He also climbed the Fist of the First Men with Black Brothers, however later on, he got seperated from Jon, and eventually disappeared.
Ghost re-appears after the attack of the White Walkers on the Night’s Watch at the Fist where he saves Sam from a wight.
Even if he accompanies them to the Craster’s keep but doesn’t enter this time and goes back to the haunted forest.
At the time when he was confined to the quarters at the Night Watch for threatening Ser Alliser Thorne, Ghost started whining at the door in the middle of the night.
That’s helped Jon finding that something is wrong and helped him find the Lord Commander’s quarters by sniffing.
Ghost was even there when Jon was killed, sleeping near his body and also was the first to witness his revival.
This majestic direwolf also participated in the final war between the North and Army of undead and Night King which he survived.
Jon has to part his ways from Ghost once again when he left for King’s Landing wit Danaerys to take the Iron Throne, to custody of Tormund who is leaving for true north.
However, Ghost gets reunited with Jon after he get exiled from Night’s Watch for assasinating Danaerys and both went together to beyond the wall along with wildlings.
To say the least, Ghost has such a great journey and an essential role to play in the Game of Thrones throughout.
4/10 Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
Sandor Clegane is a populary known as ‘The Hound’ who is basically a younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane, the personal bodyguard of King Joffrey Baratheon.
Despite not being a knight, he was named into the Kingsguard but later, he deserted his post during the Battle of the Blackwater.
And later on, we learned a lot about him during his travels as a fugitive and meeting with Arya Stark.
He also almost died with his encounters with Brienne of Tarth and was presumed dead but later on, due to popularity the character was brought back, was rightly so.
Later we see him reluctantly joining the Brotherhood Without Banners in hope to have a greater purpose.
His character certainly was unexpectedly likeable and gradually sneaked upon the audience and became fan-favourite. There is so much character arc explored with him that is brilliantly written.
3/10 Jon Snow
Jon Snow is a typical underdog morally-stranding character which you can rely on.
He is one of the most likable characters in the show, more like a white knight amongst all the darkness, politics and immorality going on in the people.
In some sense, he was the true son of Eddward Stark because he stood by what believed in.
He is, however, later to be revealed, is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, the late Prince of Dragonstone and Lyanna Stark. Later on, he was presented to Lord Eddard, Lyanna Stark’s brother, as his bastard son.
This fact was kept secert to everyone including Jon himself in order to protect him from those who were trying to annihilate House Targaryen.
Jon’s character arc in the story from an underdog to rising great ranks as leader, as Night of the Watch, as Lord Commandar and eventually King in the North is astonishing.
He was also destined to become the King, the actual heir to the Throne. He was also betrayed and brutally murdered in mutiny but later resurrected by the witch Melisandre.
The overall journey of Jon is something we can all relate with at core level, being an underdog, someone who is trying to find its place and also reluctant to lead but destined to do greater things.
2/10 Arya Stark
Another underdog character in Game of Thrones which people root for, since the beginning of the show.
Arya Stark, to begin with, is a delight to watch, especially her transformative journey from being a little, naive but fierce tomboyish girl to badass assassin.
She almost became Batman at the end of the show. There are complaints that her abilities as projected weren’t completely utilized in the show.
Princess Arya Stark is the third and second daughter of Lord Eddard Stark, sister to Westrosi monarchs – Sansa, Queen of the North and Brandon, King of the Andals.
Her journey begins from when she was separated from her family after decaptiation of her father Ed Stark by King Joffrey in King’s Landing.
Right from there, throughout the show, she faces difficult situations and comes out of it like a survivor, fighter and eventually becomes a trained warrior.
A crucial moment in her journey was getting trained by Jaquen H’ghar and beating them, outsmarting them and eventually becoming a ‘faceless’ warrior.
Arya Stark has become the character who every fan is rooted for and she also becomes crucial in war to come against the dead.
She also got a lot of great kills, the most satisfying ones including Walden Frey for Red Wedding. She was also the one who killed the Night king.
1/10 Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion Lannister isn’t a surprise to be at the top of the list of the best Game of Thrones characters. Certainly, something to agree with the voters at Ranker.
Not just he is the most likable character in the show with obvious faults and dark side but also the one to carry the very heart of the show throughout.
Lord Tyrion Lannister is the youngest child of the Lord Tywin Lannister, also younger brother to the another popular character in the show Jaime Lannister.
He is sarcastic, snarky, witty but also smart. More than that, unlike other Lannister, he is kind and compassionate toward others.
Tyrion definitely uses his intellect and wit to overcome his physical shortcomings and the prejudices he faces.
Tyrion became quite detrimental in the journey of Westros rule and guided the rulers being at the position of Hand of the King twice.
Even though he always gets mocked for being dwarf for derogatory name-calling like ‘Imp’ or ‘Half-man’ but he tries to embrace who he is and keep his self-esteem high.
Like few other characters in the show, his loyalties lie with the ruler but not the ultimate, and hence more to the people of Westeros.
He has the capability of diplomacy and politics which he uses as Hand of the King under the rule of various Kings/Queens he served.