The 25 Best Power Players on Game of Thrones, Ranked

19. Jorah Mormont

Jorah Mormont knows how to do a lot with a little. After his exile from Westeros, he took up work as a spy for the crown. When he realized Daenerys could be a great ruler, he shifted his allegiance to her, and often provided her with the most pragmatic counsel of anyone in her inner circle. When she, too, exiled him, he captured Tyrion and used him as a bartering chip to get back in Daenerys’ good graces. When that didn’t work, he fought in the fighting pits in an effort to gain her attention and earn her trust once more. The man doesn’t know the meaning of “quit.”

Jorah is not one a major players in the game of thrones, but he’s a crucial behind-the-scenes adviser. His social skills are lacking, particularly around Daenerys, but he’s intelligent and knows how to make the most of her personal relationships.

Jorah’s biggest strength may also be his biggest weakness: he’s a devoted realist. Jorah sees the world as it really is, and advises Daenerys accordingly. He wants her to flee the Dothraki after Khal Drogo’s death, he warns her not to give away her dragon to a slaver in Astapor, etc. Daenerys bucks him in both of those cases and things work out okay, but it would have been hard for anyone to see those twists coming. Perhaps if Daenerys had Jorah by her side in season 5, she would have been better equipped to deal with the guerrilla tactics of the Sons of the Harpy, who specialized in fighting dirty. Jorah was a better match for them than the high-minded Barristan Selmy, great man though he was.