10 Most Hated ‘Game Of Thrones’ Characters, Ranked
10. The High Sparrow
The High Sparrow was a different kind of villain: a religious zealot. He weaponized "the common people" and faith to strip the ruling elite of their power, but his methods were rooted in shaming, imprisonment, and torture. His calm, soft-spoken demeanor masked a terrifyingly rigid morality that lacked any sense of mercy. Watching him humble Cersei was briefly entertaining, but his holier-than-thou attitude and suppression of all joy in King’s Landing made him an exhausting and hated presence.
9. Ellaria Sand
While Ellaria began as a passionate and grieving lover to Oberyn Martell, her character arc in later seasons frustrated fans. In an attempt to "avenge" Oberyn—who died in a trial by combat he chose—she murdered the innocent Myrcella Baratheon and executed the rightful rulers of Dorne. These actions felt inconsistent with Oberyn’s own values ("We don't hurt little girls in Dorne"), and her involvement in the widely disliked "Sand Snake" subplot made her a target for fan frustration.
8. Alliser Thorne
Ser Alliser was the quintessential "miserable boss." As the Master-at-Arms at Castle Black, he spent years relentlessly bullying Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly. While he argued his cruelty was meant to "harden" the men for the Wall, it often felt like petty bitterness from a man who had been on the losing side of Robert’s Rebellion. His leadership in the mutiny against Jon Snow was the final straw, proving that his personal grudges outweighed his oath to the Night's Watch.
7. Stannis Baratheon
Stannis Baratheon is a divisive figure, but he earned a permanent spot on the "hated" list during the final stages of his journey. While many respected his rigid sense of duty, his decision to burn his young daughter, Shireen, at the stake was a bridge too far for almost every viewer. Watching a father sacrifice his innocent, screaming child to a "Red God" for the sake of a crown he would never wear stripped away any lingering sympathy the audience had for his cause or his loss of his elder brother, Robert Baratheon.
6. Olly
Olly is perhaps the only character on this list who started as a sympathetic figure. After watching his village be slaughtered by Wildlings, his resentment toward Jon Snow’s alliance with the Free Folk grew into a murderous obsession. The image of Olly delivering the final "Et tu, Brute" stab to Jon Snow turned him into an overnight pariah. Fans found his betrayal particularly galling because Jon had taken the boy under his wing as a steward, making the act feel like a personal violation.
5. Walder Frey
Walder Frey earned a special place in hell for violating the sacred "Guest Right" of Westeros. The Red Wedding remains the most traumatic event for the Game of Thrones audience, and Walder’s petty, vengeful motivation—feeling slighted by a broken marriage pact—made the massacre of Robb and Catelyn Stark feel especially cruel. He was a bitter, lecherous old man who traded his honor for a momentary sense of importance, resulting in the near-extinction of the Stark line.
4. Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish
Littlefinger was the architect of almost every tragedy in the series. While he lacked the physical menace of a Clegane or the overt cruelty of a Bolton, his "chaos is a ladder" philosophy led to the deaths of thousands. He betrayed Ned Stark, murdered Lysa Arryn, and "sold" Sansa to the Boltons. His smirking, manipulative nature made him particularly loathsome because he never got his hands dirty, preferring to whisper in ears and watch the world burn from the sidelines.
3. Cersei Lannister
Cersei is a more complex brand of villain, driven by a fierce, borderline pathological love for her children and a deep resentment of the patriarchal world she inhabited. However, her arrogance and willingness to "burn cities to the ground" to maintain power made her impossible to root for. From her role in Ned Stark’s downfall to the literal explosion of the Great Sept of Baelor, Cersei’s trail of bodies was long and distinguished, fueled by a narcissistic belief in her own intellectual superiority. Her brutal end was anticipated by all of Westeros.
2. Ramsay Bolton
If Joffrey was a spoiled brat, Ramsay Bolton was a clinical psychopath. Ramsay took the show’s capacity for violence to uncomfortable levels, specifically through his prolonged psychological and physical torture of Theon Greyjoy. Unlike other villains who sought the Iron Throne, Ramsay seemed to find genuine, ecstatic joy in the suffering of others. His treatment of Sansa Stark and his cold-blooded murder of his own father and infant brother made his eventual demise one of the most satisfying moments in television history.
1. Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey remains the gold standard for "the character you love to hate." A product of incest with a penchant for sadism, he was a cowardly bully who used his absolute power to torment everyone around him, most notably Sansa Stark. Jack Gleeson’s incredible performance made Joffrey feel visceral; he wasn't a calculated villain, but a spoiled child with the impulse control of a predator. His execution of Ned Stark was the spark that ignited the War of the Five Kings and cemented him as a permanent villain.
