8 Game of Thrones characters who were secret villains

Betrayal, murder, and manipulation are commonplace on Game of Thrones. The show keeps viewers on the edge of their seats episode after episode and delivered some of the best and most shocking moments in the history of TV.

None of those big moments, good or bad, would be possible without the work of the secret villains of Game of Thrones. These are the great and terrible characters who said one thing and did another, which often resulted conflict, murder, war, and more.

To celebrate all that treachery, here are eight secret villains from Game of Thrones who were responsible for much of the backstabbing that escalated into full-scale war. Let’s get started with the woman who basically started it all, Lysa Arryn.

Lysa Arryn

We can’t have a list of the secret Game of Thrones villains without including Lysa Arryn. She’s one of the main reasons why the conflict between the North and the South, the Starks and the Lannisters, even begins in the first place.

It starts with Petyr Baelish’s manipulation of Lysa. They’re in love, or so she thinks, and he convinces her to poison her husband Jon Arryn and write a little letter to Catelyn and Ned Stark, warning them not to trust the Lannisters and suggesting they were the ones who actually killed Jon. Jon’s death opens up the King’s Hand position, which Robert offers to Ned Stark, and the biggest Civil War since Robert’s Rebellion kicks off without a hitch.

Not only does Lysa kill her own husband, but she betrays her own blood, her sister. The depth of her betrayal goes as low as anything on Game of Thrones.

Later, Lysa tries to kill her own niece, Sansa! Lysa isn’t nearly as bad as they come on Game of Thones, but she’s still more than willing to betray people if she thinks it will help her.

Next up on the list is one of my favorite Game of Thrones characters: