Characters Of Game Of Thrones Ranked By Their Political Prowess

When you play the game of thrones you win or you die.

Tommen Baratheon (1/10)

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Hardly anyone was surprised to find out that the newest "King of the Andals and protector of the realm did not make it out alive in the Season 6 finale. Tommen's story is a tragic one; sheltered by his mother from the day he was born and forbade from participating in the vicissitudes of Kingslanding court until he was crowned, Tommen grew up to be a weak, inept and manipulated by all who surrounded him. Following the untimely death of his brother, his grandfather tried to pull him out of the tenured bubble he had grown up in, "A king has to be wise" and yet as anyone would tell you, taunting a lioness like Cersei is anything but wise.

Joffrey Baratheon (2/10)

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Despite the fact that many would tell you that Joffrey's favorite pastime is torturing animals and handing out punishments, Joffrey did unlike his brother relish his position as king and the power that came with it. However he was as stupid as he was cruel. Joffrey just like his mother did not like being crossed and his solution to all that would oppose him was "kill them all". it's a marvel he did not meet his untimely end during the riot of Kingslanding. Yet he did in rare occasions exhibit the ability to think like a power player such as when he refusied to give up the alliance with the Tyrells in-spite of his mothers loathing for them.

Oberyn Martell (3/10)

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Oberyn Martell was a terrible player of the Game of Thrones for the same reason everyone loved him. Unlike anyone else in Kingslanding, Prince Oberyn was not afraid to speak his mind and make his intentions clear. The only reason he had come to Kingslanding was to seek retribution for the injustice that was done to his sister and her children and he was ready to take every opportunity he was presented to him to achieve it. But perhaps as his brother probably warned he should have thought of a better way to seek vengeance than to engage in combat with a homocidal psychopath the size of Everest. In the end he should have thought of digging two graves.

Eddard Stark (4/10)

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Despite the fact that most of us were shocked by his impromptu execution, perhaps we shouldn't have been. Despite the fact that Eddard stark was a natural at the game of thrones just like Jon Arryn before him, there were several reasons he only lived one season. Eddard just like Oberyn refused to hide his motives. when warned that spies may be following his every move his solution was to let them look. And as opposed to use the power Robert left him to lock up Cersei and their kin as renly suggested, he started a confrontation with a lioness. his only assurance being the word of the man who coveted his wife. In general a lust for power and less fixation on honor would have gone a long way.

Cersei Lannister (5/10)

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Cersei once told Ned that she was good at destroying her enemies and I am guessing none of you who watched the Season 6 Finale have doubts that she is able to do just that. Yet perhaps the wisest thing her father told her was "Sometimes you have to work with your enemies as opposed to destroying them". In the last episode she managed quite spectacularly to turn each of the seven kingdoms against her, with the exception of the Freys, who couldnt even keep the castle they had been given. I honestly look forward to seeing her fight off a dothraki cavalry, a trio of dragons and the largest fleet and army in westeros (both owned by the Tyrells) with a disgraced maester, estranged brother and an undead giant.

Sansa Stark (6/10)

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"In my experience girls like her don't last very long" said Jaime in the eighth episode of season six. Jaime was probably thinking of season one Sansa who dreamed of being rescued by a knight in shinning armor. However during her time in court and back at Winterfell Sansa has learned that no such knight exists "no one can protect me". In this season Sansa has proven adept to play game of thrones, refusing to kill her only ally and saving her brother from almost sudden death. Her actions this season prove that she is a woman to be feared not the naive and love sick child that went south six years ago.

Margaery Tyrell (7/10)

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"Show your men too much kindness and they wont fear you, if they don't fear you they wont follow you" said the greatest military commander in the seven kingdoms, and yet Margaery proved her self quite capable of disapproving Machiavellian theory. Despite being even more cold and calculating than Cersei herself, Margaery managed to maintain a harmless and friendly self image. She managed to manipulate her way to the top and for a second nearly exiled the queen who preceded her. Yet the fatal flaw in Margaery is that she preferred to obtain power by manipulating her spouses which tended to backfire because they had less power than she presumed. When arrested her solution was to yell "Tommen" thinking that her spineless 18 year old husband would come to her aid. As a final gambit she allied herself with a septon who didn't have the foresight to know that the last thing Cersei intended was to be tried, and that became the tale of her untimely demise.

Tyrion Lannister (8/10)

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Tyrion Lannister's performance in season two was one of the most riveting performances of the show. Knowing he had signed up for the most dangerous office in Westeros, He managed to lure each of the people who had betrayed previous hands out of the woodwork and neutralized them. He organized the city's defense and destroyed the fleet of Westeros' best commander all the while managing along with Podrick and Bronn to be the funniest trio in the seven kingdoms. Besides when Varys thinks you're good at ruling then you are definitely doing something right.

Varys (9/10)

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Varys is perhaps one of the most mysterious man in Westeros. Six seasons in and many are still unconvinced on what he intends for the seven kingdom, or where his loyalties lie. He He managed to outwit the traps Tyrion lay for him in the second season and continued to be in the Lannisters good graces by feeding them information while actively undermining them behind the scenes and then turning on them when they least expected it.

Petyr Baelish

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Despite the fact that many in Westeros undermine him for his humble beginnings Littlefinger is a god among men. After taking an Oberyn style approach to getting what he wanted and falling flat on his face he soon learned that there is only one way to thrive, on chaos. He single handedly instigated the death of Jon Aryn, the war of the five kings and the purple wedding making sure each time he came out with more power. First as master of coin, then as lord of Harrenhal and now as the Lord Protector of the Vale. And now after sinking his claws into the vale and the Riverlands he has set his sights on the north and with the help of Sansa now actively seeks to rule the ashes that he has left in his wake.