The 50 Best Game of Thrones Characters, Ranked
49. King Stannis I Baratheon
It’s odd that Stannis’ sigil was a stag on fire, when outwardly he’s one of the coldest characters in Westeros. Even though he is the rightful claimant to the Iron Throne, his only real shot at taking King’s Landing ended in a hail of wildfire. If anything, Stannis is a representation of what happens when brute force relies on blind faith. Although he followed the Lord of Light, Melisandre kept him in the dark a lot, ultimately leading to his downfall.
Stephen Dillane delivers a phenomenal performance of a character who’s hard to love but also difficult to hate. Stannis is an incredibly strong leader and commands a great deal of respect and loyalty. But there’s a constant dark cloud around him. He lacks the qualities needed for a beloved leader, and a land under Stannis Baratheon’s rule looks as bleak as his roost on Dragonstone. His role in the War of Five Kings earned him a spot here.
Now that Stannis is gone, House Baratheon is officially extinct. You had a good run, Stannis. But that whole “killing your adorable daughter” thing was just too hard for us to get over.