The 25 Best Power Players on Game of Thrones, Ranked

Westeros is full of power players, but who plays the game best? Here’s our list of the 25 best politicians and strategists on Game of Thrones.

The world of Game of Thrones is packed with amazing fantasy elements. White Walkers prowl beyond the Wall, dragons fly by Daenerys Targaryen’s side and Bran Stark plumbs the depths of the past as the Three-Eyed Raven. And yet somehow, the most consistently interesting part of Game of Thrones is the engrossing human drama. At every turn, power players forge new alliances and stab each other in the back. As fans, we inevitably become invested in finding out which House will come out on top in the end, thanks to how its members play the political game.

On Game of Thrones, dragons exist, but realism reigns. Sometimes the good guys are able to cleverly negotiate their way out of a conundrum, as when Tyrion talks his way into a trial by combat at the Eyrie. Other times, it’s the villains who make the best moves, as when Tywin Lannister conspires with Walder Frey to end Robb Stark’s reign before it really has a chance to begin. None of these characters is much good in a fight, but they can still get ahead, because they know how to play the game of thrones.

Of all the great political players in the show, who’s the best? Who knows how to balance ambition with temperance? Who knows how to pick their battles? Check out our breakdown of the 25 best politicians and strategists on Game of Thrones. Perhaps the survivors will give us a clue as to who will finally sit the Iron Throne in the series finale.