Fictional Men From The Fantasy Genre, Ranked By How Much Angsty Brooding They Bring To The Screen

So. Much. Angst.

If you're a fan of fantasy television, the moment is now. We've been spoiled with epic series by way of House of the Dragon and Rings of Power, which feature every nerdy element we could ever wish for: drama, dragons, battles, and angsty warriors who are plagued with the weight of the world.

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Because every good story in this genre has a brooding man who simply can't be bothered to smile, I'm ranking these stoic souls from "sometimes brooding" to "literally couldn't stop brooding if he tried" (looking at you, Jon Snow).

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11. Westley (The Princess Bride)

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While Westley is a simple farm boy at heart, he spends much of The Princess Bride disguised as a mysterious man in black. As this persona, he duels and outsmarts enemies, and helps rescue the girl he loves from terrible things like condescending princes and ROUS (rodents of unusual size). Though Westley has a couple of 'brooding fantasy hero' moments, wit is where his true talents lie.

10. Jaime Fraser (Outlander)

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This Scottish soldier is just minding his own business in the 1700s when he meets a time-traveling woman from the 1940s. Naturally, they fall in love, and he becomes fiercely protective of his Sassenach. He might not be the broodiest man of the bunch, but Jaime still has plenty of moody scenes where he feels he must fight in honor of his lass and his country.

9. Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)

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Aragorn walked so the Geralts and Jon Snows could run. When we first meet 'Strider' in The Fellowship of the Ring, he's lurking creepily in a dimly lit corner of a tavern, spying on the main characters before introducing himself. With the ability to wipe out half an army, an angsty love interest awaiting his safe return, and a throne he doesn't want, Aragorn is the embodiment of fantasy character angst. He has a sense of humor and cracks a few jokes throughout the trilogy, but he also delivers the most dramatic monologues.

8. Ser Criston Cole (House of the Dragon)

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Criston Cole was a good time until he wasn't. If you've officially dedicated your Sunday evenings to House of the Dragon, you know this guy has undergone quite a shift in character. We first meet Cole as an ambitious and brave knight who can't help but fall in love with Rhaenyra Targaryen. Amidst this whirlwind romance, he asks the princess to abandon all royal duty and run away with him, to which Rhaenyra gives him a big fat no thanks. Eternally bitter about this, Cole has resorted to conspiring with Rhaenyra's arch nemesis, Queen Alicent, and spends most of his days brooding around the castle.

7. Edward Cullen (Twilight)

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A sad vampire who sulks around a rainy Washington town stalking his crush? Sounds like brooding to me. Edward fits this mold so well that he set the precedent for other brooding, tortured vampire souls (such as The Vampire Diaries' Stefan Salvatore and True Blood's Bill Compton). Immortal souls like Edward have apparently just seen too much. They simply cannot bear it without the company of a drab mortal who gets them.

6. Arondir (Rings of Power)

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Arondir is proof that being a broody dude doesn't make you a villain. This Rings of Power protagonist has spent every episode so far trying his best to save Middle Earth. When your land is being overtaken by orcs and an evil force threatens to whip out all good in the world, I suppose it's reason enough not to seem very chipper. With the season finale just around the corner, Arondir is sure to have plenty of heroic moments — and brood about it along the way.

5. Thorin Oakenshield (The Hobbit)

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After Smaug the dragon terrorizes his city and people, Thorin becomes bitter, angry, and, well, brooding. In many regards, he is the Aragorn of The Hobbit trilogy, rising as a natural-born leader among the rag-tag band of misfits who embark on a perilous journey. Throughout the movies, he takes himself very seriously and likes to be dramatic about literally everything. In the end, however, he proves to be a noble and honorable leader.

4. Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

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The Fire Nation's prince begins The Last Airbender as the bad guy, which means he's brooding to the max. He's mad because his father won't accept him unless he captures Avatar Aang, throws countless tantrums at poor Uncle Iroh, and even has a scar on his face to elevate his moody moments. Eventually, Zuko comes around to the good side and joins Aang in trying to restore peace among the nations. He is a brooding fire-bending king with lots of character development, and I'm here for it.

3. Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)

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He hates sand; he hates Obi-Wan... Anakin Skywalker can't catch a break. He is the epitome of a dude who thinks the entire world is out to get him and that everything in life is completely unfair. As he becomes the anti-hero of the Star Wars saga and enters Darth Vader territory during Revenge of the Sith, his brooding levels fly off the charts. He's probably brooding under that Vader mask. 

2. Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

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When it comes to woefully wandering across a magical land, this character has it down pat. Geralt of Rivia spends his existence hunting monsters, chasing after his on-again-off-again love interest, Yennifer, and trying to be rid of Jaskier, a troubadour who follows him on his quests and documents his adventures in song. The Witcher is continually plagued by inner — and sometimes outer —  demons and, therefore, is peak vibes for this ranking. (Plus, much of his dialogue is just melancholy grunting.) 

1. Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)

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This man has mastered the art of being a moody and brooding fantasy character. Jon has been through it. He joins the Night's Watch in order to escape feeling like an outcast amongst his siblings, he gets killed and resurrected, he has miserable luck with women (RIP Ygritte and Dany), and to top it off, people keep trying to make him king when he doesn't want it. So much to brood about, so little time! Not only is he King in the North, but he's king of this list whether he wants it or not. We bend the knee. 

Who would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

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