7. Qyburn
When you think of Game of Thrones power players, the quiet and shifty Qyburn probably isn’t the first to come to mind. It’s hard to get a bead on this guy, and his mild-mannered demeanor keep him on the periphery. It’s easy to forget how much influence he has, particularly on Cersei Lannister. In fact, many of her biggest maneuvers happen thanks to his quick thinking. He wins her approval by torturing her prisoners and later by reanimating Ser Gregor Clegane. She views him as a faithful follower and gives him Varys’ old seat on the Small Council. As the new Master of Whisperers, he converts Varys’ network of “little birds,” and uses them to do his bidding, orchestrating assassinations and blowing up septs.
He seems very devoted to Cersei. When she’s imprisoned, Qyburn is the only person to visit her, apprising her of the charges against her and providing her with counsel. Why the continued loyalty? Perhaps he actually believes in her, or perhaps he’s smart enough to know that no ruler but Cersei would ever let him get away with the twisted human experiments he likes to perform. Either way, he comes out ahead.
Qyburn succeeds in the game of thrones because of his quiet ruthlessness. His ability to slip under the radar is exactly what makes him such a dangerous player. While he often comes to Cersei’s aid, his actions also serve his own purposes. Under the old order, he was kicked out of the Citadel. Under Cersei’s rule, he is Hand of the Queen. He’ll do whatever he can to pursue his scientific ambitions, ethics be damned.