The 50 Best Game of Thrones Characters, Ranked
47. Theon Greyjoy
Poor, poor Theon. This guy couldn’t catch a break if someone tossed it to him from three feet away. What could we talk about first? The failed occupation of Winterfell? The torture at the hands of a sadistic psychopath? The fact that he doesn’t have a wiener anymore? Take your pick. I’m not saying Theon deserved anything that happened to him—no one deserves to become Reek. But I’ve got to be honest: there was always a part of me that just wanted to throw things at this guy’s face.
Theon has a bad habit of expecting everyone around him to kowtow to him just because he exists. He’s very haughty, but easily breakable. Tyrion, Ros, and Osha were able to tear through his tough exterior with just a smart phrase. Theon’s the guy in the platoon who would give up all the secrets to the enemy, and in this universe, he pays dearly for that. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get a shot at redemption.
There’s an incredible moment in Season 6’s “The Broken Man” where Yara Greyjoy has to deliver that Ironborn brand of tough love to her brother, who’s having understandable trouble shaking off his experiences as Reek. Alfie Allen should be given tremendous credit for his performance in this scene. There’s a moment he looks up, and all traces of Reek are officially gone. You can see the old Theon on his face. Balon Greyjoy’s last living son has returned. He’s been through a lot, and that earned him a spot on the list. We can expect to see a new Theon emerge in the upcoming seasons, one that hopefully has the same confidence, cunning, and cockiness in all the right places. Oh, sorry, was that too soon?
