The 25 Best Power Players on Game of Thrones, Ranked

18. Ellaria Sand

Despite the tragic deaths of her lover and daughter, there don’t seem to be many Game of Thrones fans rooting for Ellaria Sand to come out on top. She lives at the extremes. More than anything else, vengeance guides her actions and frequently clouds her judgement. Although she had some good moments, she ultimately became something of a one-note character, unlikeable on account of her tunnel vision.

Still, you have to give Ellaria a little credit. As a bastard, she wasn’t born into power, but she still accomplished a great deal. Her position as Oberyn Martell’s paramour granted her certain privileges and, after his death, she made great use of them.

Her first few attempts at vengeance, such as the murder of Myrcella Baratheon, may have faltered, but she fooled the right people into thinking she’d reformed and soon effectuated a coup in Dorne. She then used her new position to forge an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen and Olenna Tyrell. Ellaria may lack finesse, but in this case she found what she and Olenna had in common — hatred — and doubled down on it.

Unfortunately for Ellaria, she’s now a prisoner of war and out of the game. Will she survive to the end of the series? She’s proved that she’s scrappy more than a few times before.