Top Ten Tuesday-Game of Thrones

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/

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In honour of the return of Game of Thrones to our screens, I'm doing a list of ten fascinating Game of Thrones characters in the books, as some have lived longer there! These lists contain spoilers for the TV series so read with caution if you aren't up to date.

MOST FASCINATING CHARACTERS IN THE BOOKS

1) Tyrion Lannister
I loved his humour and sarcasm as he dealt with people around him, his sharp mind and that vulnerable side to him when his family are out to get him. His chapters are always interesting, funny and often emotional. My favourite moments for Tyrion were his two trials-that confession to Lysa was hilarious-and his revenge before he fled King's Landing. I always feel bad for him every time someone treds on his feelings.

2) Stannis Baratheon
He is the same cold character in book and film but I find him fascinating. By right he has a claim to be King on the Baratheon side but he is ready to do bad things to win, like kill his own brother and other claimants. I'm mad at him for cursing Robb as he wasn't trying to take the Iron Throne, just avenge Ned. Stannis is never quite the bad guy though, despite what he does and is the only one to help the Night's Watch. I love how complex he is.

3) Ser Barristan Selmy
Very much under-used in the TV series, I've enjoyed seeing more of him in the books. He is a man of honour who does his best for whoever he serves, with a long history of loyal service. I loved following his story in A Dance With Dragons as he serves Dany and finding out more about when he served her family. I really hope he has a different fate in The Winds of Winter than he received in the TV series! 

4) Jaime Lannister
From the moment he tried to kill Bran, he fascinated me. It is great to get inside his head in the books-his complex relationship with Cersei, his history as Kingslayer, his dealings with Brienne and his love for Tyrion while not living up to Tywin's hopes. It is easy to paint him as a bad guy but he isn't really and his redemption story is one of my favourite plots in both books and series. He is one of my favourite characters.

5) Varys
I love this guy! He may well be the smartest man in the land, with his network of spies and the way he almost seems invisible when he wants to be. His back story is interesting, rising from mutilated boy to trusted member of several small councils. I enjoyed his interactions with Tyrion and how he tried to help both Tyrion and Ned. He can also be surprisingly ruthless like what happened at the end of A Dance With Dragons! 

6) Littlefinger
The guy is a total snake and I hated him so much! The cleverness of his plots has to be admired and the fact that he started an entire war because he wanted to take down Ned for marrying Catelyn was horrific. He is the social climber from hell and a monster. I did enjoy his rivalry with Varys and the way his plots unfolded. Not a character you could ever like but he was always interesting.

7) Cersei Lannister
She is another character that is complex. I hated the way she treated Tyrion but I can understand that it came from the prophecy, and she wanted to kill him before he killed her. Her redeeming quality was her love for her children and she did try to stop Joffrey killing Ned. However once it looked like Margaery was taking Tommen from her, Cersei turned ruthless and is now just plain evil. I'll be interested to see how it plays out in the book.

8) Tywin Lannister
I really found him such an interesting character! I despised the way he treated Tyrion and the schemes he did against his son for things that aren't Tyrion's fault. However he was a shrewd military man with a good brain and the common sense to know what not to do when running the country. I liked the way he deals with his family at times especially those tantrums from Joffrey! I was glad Tyrion killed him but sorry to lose his character.

9) The Hound
He starts as the hired thug that kills Arya's friend based on Joffrey's lies but in his interactions with Sansa you can see his decent side early on. I loved the way he tells Joffrey to shove it when he leaves and his travels with Arya are fun. His back story with his brother is also really interesting. He has a good redemption story as well in the TV series and I'm looking forward to seeing where his story goes in The Winds of Winter.

10) Davos
I really loved The Onion Knight and his strange devotion to Stannis. I like the way he is the only one to stand up to Melisandre, which puts his life in danger several times. I think she might even admire his guts. He is determined to save those with royal blood from being sacrificed whatever the personal cost to himself. I like that he ends up joining Jon in the TV series and I'm curious to see what happens to Davos in the books.


SADDEST HUMAN DEATHS IN TV SERIES

1) Hodor
I loved his character and it was fascinating to see how Bran's interference in the past actually caused his mental health issues. It was so clever how it evolved from Hold The Door to Hodor and I cried buckets watching the episode. He was so brave and heroic and I've held a terrible fear that he is now in the Army of the Dead and I don't want to see that unless they can cure him! Poor Hodor!

2) Shireen Baratheon
This was the second worst death in the series for me. The one thing Stannis seemed to care about was his daughter so to allow her to be sacrificed so callously so he could win a battle was shocking and heartbreaking. I loved seeing that cold front of her mother finally break as she vainly tried to save her daughter. It was a very hard episode to watch and I wonder if this is going to appear in the books.

3) Ygritte
The relationship between Ygritte and Jon was fun and she was smart enough to know that Jon was playing both sides, but hoping his feelings for her would beat out any mission he had. That emotional reunion between them in the battle at Castle Black brought a lump to my throat and then she is killed. It was so sad and her inevitable final words to him were just perfect. You know nothing Jon Snow. *whimpers*

4) Maester Luwin
I was so angry with that turncoat Theon Greyjoy in season two, the way he took over the castle and killed Ser Rodrik Cassel. I was mad at him hunting down Bran and Rickon and killing the innocent boys. Maester Luwin did everything to rehabilitate him and help him and all he gets is being murdered for his troubles. Those dying scenes in the godswood were so sad as he gave his goodbyes and asked Osha to put him out of his misery.

5) Maester Aemon
Is this the only character who has actually died of natural causes due to his age? He was such a great character who stood by Jon through everything and got Sam under his protection. He was intelligent and kind and I liked his character. His demise was incredibly sad in the series but at least he wasn't brutally murdered. I liked his backstory and how he turned his back on the throne to become a maester.

6) Randyll and Dickon Tarly
This may seem like a strange choice but I found this one very emotional. Randyll was a dreadful father to poor Sam and I really couldn't stand the guy but watching him die with his son by dragon was horrific. Those final scenes where he stood by his honour and tried to save his son and the way they faced death together was actually really sad. I think it was more emotional seeing the horror in Tyrion as he watched it unfold.

7) Ned Stark
Poor Ned! He was a good honest family man who wanted to live in peace in the north instead of being dragged into the dirty politics in King's Landing. He was too kind in offering to let Cersei flee and not telling Robert the truth, which ended up costing him his head. I just wanted him to stand up to Robert, refuse to kill Lady and take his family home! I loved his character and was sad at his expected death.

8) Khal Drogo
This was the death that shocked me the most in season one as I wasn't expecting it. I had loved how the relationship between Drogo and Dany evolved so it was sad so see the way the witch slowly destroyed him. You just knew that Dany was doing the wrong thing in trusting her and seeing her having to kill her beloved husband to put him out of his misery was truly heartbreaking to watch.

9) Myrcella Lannister
The poor innocent girl never deserved having Cersei as a mother or being born into the family. She loved her uncle Tyrion and he decided to protect her from Stannis by sending her to Dorne where she found safety and love. The death of Oberyn led to the poor girl being murdered by the sand snakes just because she is a Lannister. Her final scenes with dad Jaime in the TV series were so sad-we haven't got to this part in the books so I don't know what happens to her.

10) The Red Wedding
This really shocked me when I was watching it. I got a bad feeling seeing Catelyn's reaction to the band striking up that song and it just launched into pure horror inside and outside the hall. It was terrible seeing Robb fall apart like that and inspiring to see that Catelyn battled to the end to save her son. Seeing that Frey scumbag just sit and grin his way through a massacre he organised because his feelings were hurt were just sickening.


MOST SATISFYING DEATHS IN THE TV SERIES

1) Joffrey 'Baratheon'
The little sod got everything he deserved! I was celebrating his death and I'm glad it was a brutal and painful one.

2) Tywin Lannister
I was so pleased that Tyrion finally got to confront his father over his treatment and for a man like Tywin to die in such an undignified manner in the toilet was somehow fitting.

3) Shae
I never liked this bitch and the way she had tantrums about Tyrion marrying Sansa. Her courtroom betrayal and sleeping with Tywin broke Tyrion's heart and I'm glad he killed her.

4) Olenna Tyrell
I loved her acid wit! The reason I'm calling her death satisfying is because she got a painless death from Jaime and in her final moments confesses to killing Joffrey!

5) Littlefinger
I hated this guy so much and couldn't wait to see him die. I loved seeing him whine and plead for his life and then see him die at the hands of the Starks! Justice for Ned!

6) Septa Unella
OK I hate Cersei but those nasty Septa's enjoyed their punishments too much! Seeing The Mountain give her a taste of it was fun! Shame! Shame!

7) Ramsay Bolton
I thought Joffrey was evil until I saw the games this guy played. Killing his own father was a shock and seeing Sansa deliver her revenge to him was good. Wonder how he goes in the books?

8) Walder Frey
I got so much pleasure out of seeing him die at Arya's hands! I also liked that glimmer of humanity at realising the fate of the sons he never previously seemed to care about.

9) Viserys Targaryen
One of my favourite moments of season one, watching this guy finally get his golden crown from Drogo!

10) Lysa Arryn
What this evil bitch did to her sister's family meant I was so pleased to see her fly through her bloody moon door!