Game of Thrones: Top 10 most evil villains from the books

3. Joffrey Baratheon

Although Joffrey is not as smart as other characters on this list, he’s reckless, has a short temper, enjoys cruelty and is quick to blame everyone else when stuff goes wrong. Combine that with the power that comes with being king, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Throughout the first book, we see Joffrey through the rose-tinted glasses of Sansa Stark, who has a crush on the 12-year-old boy. But we quickly see his dark side when a dispute involving a butcher’s son leads to Arya Stark’s wolf Nymeria biting Joffrey on the arm. When everyone is taken before King Robert, Joffrey lies to save his own skin and get the Stark girls punished. It’s then implied that he orders the Hound, who is Joffrey’s personal bodyguard at the time, to kill the butcher’s boy.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, as by the end of A Game of Thrones Joffrey is made king. After Ned Stark’s attempt to out Joffrey and his siblings as incestuous bastards is foiled, Joffrey is instructed by everyone around him to let Ned Stark join the Night’s Watch. When Ned plays ball and admits to trying to usurp the throne, Joffrey shocks everyone by calling for his head. In retaliation for Ned’s death, the War of the Five kings escalates significantly and the Northerners crown Robb as King in the North.

For every victory Robb secures, Joffrey abuses Sansa and has his kingsguards beat her. When Robb is killed in the Red Wedding, he plans on serving his head to Sansa at his wedding feast. This never comes to fruition. Joffrey is eventually killed via poison at his wedding feast to the delight of many, whether they admit it or not.