List 'GAME OF THRONES' Characters UP TO SEASON 3

as Lord Walder Frey

Devoid of honour and mercy, the Head of House Frey is a real pig, and is responsible for one of the most tragic events in the entire series.

as Craster

A man who wives his daughters and kills all of his baby sons, Craster is another form of the lowest life.

as Lord Roose Bolton

Another head of House, this time House Bolton, Roose is a backstabbing, deranged man without sympathy or emotion.

as Balon Greyjoy.

His young son Theon is taken away from him following a foiled attempt to claim the Iron Throne, and when Theon returns he is no longer considered Balon's son because he has been with the Starks, the enemy house, for too long. Balon is a repulsive character, completely self-interested and obsessed with an Iron Island's 'band of honour' that no longer exists. It's no wonder Theon turns out the way he is.

as Xaro Daxos. Never an engaging character, Xaro constantly reminded those that were around him how good he was to get to the position he was in from next to nothing. He didn't do much more than that. So it's no surprise that he's ranked so low when we found out that not only was he arrogant, but also a complete fraud.

Grand Maester Pycelle. He gets what he deserves. A greedy and seedy old man, he appears to be frail in public but has no hesitation losing that personna in bed with prostitutes. The fact that he is a spy for Cercei Lannister does not help his lack of appeal either.

as Pyat Pree. *SPOILER* For a while he was a really cool character in Season 2, being one of the first magicians that we see. His evilness was not a drawback either, I thought that the build up to Episode 20 was very suspenseful and his characterisation was almost scary. It's a real shame then that almost all of Pyat's awesomeness is diminished in one of the weakest scenes of the Season 2 Finale, where he just stands there while Daenarys's dragons burn him alive. Did he know they were dragons? Shouldn't he have moved after the first fireball? He was a magician, no? An anticlimactic finish for the scene AND for his character.

as Lancel Lannister. A rude and obnoxious character who tricked us all by seemingly being a poor victim of Robert Baratheon's drunken mistreatment. Undeniably it's fun to watch Lancel sleaze around with Cercei, and creep around King's Landing without anyone (but Tyrion) suspecting his true motives, but it's difficult to call him a 'likeable' character.

as Shae. It's nice to see a female character as spirited and active as Shae. And yet, there's something about her that I don't seem to trust. Despite my admiration for Tyrion, and Shae's support for him, there always seems to be some underlying benefit in Shae's relationship with Tyrion. Maybe I will be wrong, and Shae will move up this list later on. But her courage is admirable.

as Rakharo. He's a character that we don't know all that well, and yet he has always been there to support Daenarys in her travels. His uncharacteristic kindness for a Dothraki is a welcome change.

as Theon Greyjoy. Initially seen as a spoilt brat, but still a loyal member of the Stark household, Theon was changed and manipulated into a different person altogether, and now he knows that he can't go back, despite a touching sequence where he calls Eddard his "true father". In fairness, he has had to make some of the most difficult choices of any character on the show, and is placed in a terrible position, but that cannot excuse his violent bursts of anger and his ambition for power in Season 2.

I believe that his characterisation is pretty good though.

as Mirri Maz Duur. Mirri is an interesting character because she is one person who potentially exposes Daenarys as a villain, rather than a hero. Despite Daenarys's attempt to stop the Dothraki from raping the women from Mirri's town, Mirri has her revenge against Daenarys and the Dothraki people for what they did. Therefore, its up to personal opinion to decide whether to have sympathy for Mirri or not. I think that her character is very interesting, as is her fate.

as Gilly. A rather boring character, Gilly is uneducated and is rescued from her incestuous father by Samwell. Gilly has her moments of kindness, but her relationship with Sam is often hard to watch due to her lack of interestingness and unappreciation for Sam.

as Irri. One of Daenarys's handmaids, Irri was always loyal and supportive of the Khaleesi, even when the rest of her people weren't. However, she is sometimes jealous of fellow handmaid Dorreah, and is at times emotionally fragile.

as Yoren. The character who stops Arya from watching her father's death, and dies defending both Arya and Gendry. Yoren doesn't have the screen time to be all that well developed, but the glimpses that we see of him come to show his loyalty and incredible bravery. If he were a more important character he might have been further up on this list.

as Sandor Clegane a.k.a "The Hound". An entertaining character to watch, The Hound is a mighty warrior who came from a violent background. Although he serves the King, he despises Joffrey, and most other people. His enjoyment in killing people is an off-put though, and even if he is a fun character to watch, we have only just started to see his layers unfold and his acts of kindness towards members of the Stark family.

as Doreah. Despite her, perhaps, unrealistic modern-day sexy looks, Doreah actually starts out as a reasonable and helpful character towards Daenarys. She teaches Daenarys a lot of things, seems to genuinely care for the Khaleesi and her dragons and is always loyal. *SPOILER* That is, until there is a change in Episode 20. Who saw THAT coming?

as Podrick Payne, a mysterious character who has not been developed beyond the point of having some secret with the ladies in bed, and saving Tyrion Lannister's life. However he provides some entertainment and comic relief.

as Osha. A character I never really understood. One minute she's trying to kill Bran, next minute everything is forgotten and forgiven by Bran and the others from Winterfell, and they suddenly let go of her chains and trust her with their lives. ??? How did she change in personality, and the other people change their minds, so quickly? But that aside, NOW she is a loyal and kind bodyguard of Bran, and she has to be admired for that.

as Edmure Tully. He provides some comic relief, but is a generally pathetic character. However, being Catelyn Stark's brother you can tell that he comes from a kind and trustworthy family.

as Yara Greyjoy. I have little love for the Greyjoy's, and Yara is no exception. However we see a new layer to Yara in the season 3 finale episode, and it's possible that she will become a character that we should root for in the future.

as Daario Naharis. The good looking potential love interest of Dany, Daario seems loyal on the outside, betraying the 'Second Sons' in order to be closer to Dany, whom he deems to be beautiful, but is there some other hidden motive?

as Jaqen H'ghar. A mysterious character, Jaqen is one of those great characters that you cheer for when they succeed (in his case, all the time). And yet for all his heroics, there is something dark and sinister about him, as he does not seem like a character you can trust. A curious and entertaining one to follow.

Hodor.

as Orell Skinchanger. A warg, with the power to control animals, Orell provided a few awesome moments in Season 3, and if only he served the people we rooted for.

as Missandei. Dany's new handmaiden, Missandei was a slave and interpreter, and entertainingly translated the Slaver's Bay leader's foul language into more suitable words. Now she is a loyal friend and handmaiden to Dany.

as Meera Reed. A character I certainly want to see more of. Meera is the brawn of the Reed siblings, being Jojen's protector, brother and friend. Her aggressive nature but loyalty and heart all make her a likeable character and one to watch out for.

as Bronn. Tyrion's sidekick, and a character that has definitely been growing in appeal, but still seems a little brutish and unsympathetic as a character. Like The Hound, he seems to enjoy killing, though his constant support of Tyrion (though even this is starting to wane), is however a credit to his character.

as Lord Baelish, "Littlefinger". His dishonourability is a tad frustrating, and Littlefinger is one of the least sympathetic characters, but for all his treachery and deceit, there's no denying he's pretty cool. His calmness and wit in the way that he approaches and deals with every other character, even the most dangerous, is commendable. All in all, he really only serves himself (and, possibly Catalyn Stark?), but this is what makes him so dangerous and intriguing.

as Brynden Tully. A character not yet truly developed, he is nevertheless a beacon of hope for the North, a warrior who still fights for honour and supports the Houses that we have been rooting for throughout the series.

as Lysa Arryn. A very enjoyable character to watch from Season 1, Lysa is a mad and strange character. Still breastfeeding her young son and ignorant of the war going on around her, she has pride in her family and her castle but not in her extended family.

as Robert Baratheon. He is such a vulgar King, but with so much potential. Robert succumbed to wine and women in the last years of his rule, and the fact that he was almost always drunken made him one of the most unpredictable and complex characters in the First Season. One second he could be joking and happy, the next he could snap. For this reason, he is one of the most intricate characters in the series, and a fun one to watch.

as Rickon Stark. The least focused-on character of the immediate Stark family, Rickon has become an internet meme thanks to his lack of input to the story- but he is still an innocent young wolf with a lot of potential to uphold the Stark family name.

as Samwell Tarly. Initially starting off as a frustratingly incapable character, Samwell may still at times seem like a pointless and useless addition to the story, but he is also exceptionally kind and good-willed. He is a slice of reality in a dark fantasy world.

as Barristan Selmy. It's hard to take him seriously as "one of the best fighters in the Seven Kingdoms", when he really just looks like an old man, but he has great moments in the show. His open defiance of King Joffrey and welcome inclusion into Dany's inner circle bring him up the list.

as Thoros of Myr. A grounded character, Thoros says that he did not believe in a true religion until he saw with his own eyes the magic of the Lord of Light.

as Viserys Targaryen. He may not be as gleefully deceitful as the Lannisters, but Viserys's pure unlikeablity make for a fantastic villain. Viserys is one of those characters, like Joffrey, that you can't wait to watch suffer. It doesn't hurt, too, that his incredible delusion and stupidity almost make him funny.

as Maester Luwin. It's not until Episode 2x20 that we realise just how valuable Luwin was for the Starks. Luwin was wise, fiercely loyal, and very protective and loving towards the Stark children. His meaningful but tragic story is one of the highlights of the second season.

as Stannis Baratheon. A heavily manipulated and power hungry King. Stannis may be the rightful heir to the throne, but the way he goes about it is not a commendable effort. He burns the statues of his old gods, trusts the lives of thousands of his men to a fiery Priestess of Light and shadily assassinates his brother to rid himself of that threat. At the same time, he has an adorable daughter, is becoming a last hope for the Northeners and is showing a bit more humility now that he realises Davos Seaworth's worthiness.

as Mance Rayder, the King beyond the Wall. Mance in cunning and seemed like a good enough character until he was cut off from Season 3. Where is he?

as Beric Dondarrion. Similar to Thoros of Myr, Beric does seem like a grounded character and despite his betrayal of Gendry, seems like a character who may become important and one to follow as the story goes on. He's also pretty cool, with his ressurection and all.

as Ros. The most intelligent and compassionate of the prostitutes in the show, Ros does well on her own and does what she needs to do to get by. However despite her quick wit and forwardness, we see more than once that she is still a fragile character with a heart. For this reason we are led to care for her safety and well-being.

as Varys. At first I thought Varys was similar to the character Wormtongue from the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy; slithery, deceitful and overly observant. It turns out he is all of these things, but all for the good of the realm (which often ends up benefitting the characters that we root for). His calmness and occasional kindness are welcome traits and are unusual for a person from King's Landing.

as Shireen Baratheon. A little angel in a world of violence and betrayal, Shireen is deformed, but has a kind heart. She supports Davos Seaworth when he's in prison and teaches him how to read in one of the most touching scenes in the entire series.

as Loras Tyrell. He started off as a character who we as an audience had little sympathy for. Arrogant and frustratingly grim, his character has nonetheless changed since Season 3 (with the development of Margaery's character also), and now we can see that he is in fact a good person, and we should have sympathy for him.

as Jojen Reed. He's a powerful warg and is a very compassionate character, and therefore one whose development will be interesting to watch.

as Khal Drogo. A character who goes through a massive change in the first season, from being a potential villain, to one of the characters that we actually cared for. Khal Drogo was extremely tough, and held an incredible position of authority and power. Despite his violent nature, the soft spot that he held for the fragile Daenarys made his character very interesting and layered.

as Ygritte. Tough and unforgiving, Ygritte starts off as a villain, but becomes closer to Jon Snow in Season 3 and the two develop a close relationship. Despite me wanting their relationship to work, and some good moments between the two, they play a dangerous game in the Wilding camp where Jon is still a possible enemy.

as Talisa. It's not hard to see why Robb risked everything to marry her. Talisa demonstrates the qualities of selflessness and a will to do good and help others. Her personality is quick to draw us in, as the audience, just as it did for Robb.

as Joffrey "Baratheon" *cough* 'Lannister'. Joffrey is an incredible character. How can a character be so unpopular? So sadistic? Maybe the reason he's turned out so bad is because he is the product of a incestuous relationship, and now he is a dog without a leash. I could have put him further up the list simply because he is such a brilliantly constructed 'love-to-hate character', but I couldn't bare to have Joffrey further up this list. Credit to the writers, and actor Jack Gleeson, for that.