This article contains mentions of rape and torture.

There are plenty of sympathetic, well-liked, and impressive characters in both House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Although Westeros is an undeniably terrible place, there are a few individuals who earn the viewers' admiration through their honesty and kindness. However, not all characters can become instant fan favorites.

On the contrary, there are plenty of characters in both shows who are widely disliked by the audience. This hateability factor might be intentionally woven into their character arcs; people like Ramsay Bolton and Joffrey Baratheon are eminently objectionable. At the same time, there are a few characters who just fail to hit the mark. Whether it's due to personal flaws, irredeemable actions, or feeble writing, there are some characters fans simply can't stand.

Updated on July 8, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: Throughout eight seasons, Game of Thrones has introduced a range of multilayered characters whose moral compass is often put at stake. However, while some characters are easy to fall in love with, others are absolutely detestable. This list was updated to include more disliked Game of Thrones characters.

20 Grand Maester Pycelle Played a Dark Game in the Shadows

Grand Maester Pycelle might be the sneakiest villain in Game of Thrones, wearing the semblance of a humble, meek old man who only wishes the best for Westeros. He outlives six kings — evidence of his self-serving maneuvers, positioning himself as someone who likes to stay out of conflict while plotting vile schemes in the shadows.

Grand Maester Pycelle is a terrific actor, fooling most members of the court with his feeble facade. What he isn't able to hide is his perverted nature, acting like a typical depraved old man when the subject is women. In the books, it's even suggested that Pycelle molested Sansa once, shortly after Ned's execution, making his true nature crystal clear. He's a certified hypocrite, but since most of his corrupt actions don't appear onscreen in Game of Thrones, he lands at the bottom of the list.

19 Bran Stark Became Far Less Sympathetic As The Show Went On

Bran Stark is one of the principal protagonists of Game of Thrones from the very first episode and is initially every bit as likable as his siblings. However, he begins to lose fans in the latter half of the show, particularly in its last two seasons, due to the radical changes his character undergoes beyond the Wall.

After transforming into the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran becomes a monotonous and dispassionate individual, bearing none of the charm he'd once possessed. Despite his lack of contribution to the plot, Bran is unanimously elected King of Westeros, irritating many of the show's fans.

18 The High Sparrow Ignited Game of Thrones' Most Tiresome Storyline

Game of Thrones was at its peak in Season 4 until the High Sparrow showed up at the beginning of Season 5 to drag the show into its most frustrating storyline: the Faith Militant. The High Sparrow is brought into command by Cersei, with her influence granting him the High Septon position and an army of believers. The start of this religious cult is already upsetting for most fans, as it signals Cersei is only getting stronger. When it finally backfires on her, however, it doesn't get any more interesting.

The fault of a lackluster storyline shouldn't fall upon a single character, but the High Sparrow represents everything that makes this arc so tiresome. From his passive-aggressive attitude to the calm with which he carries out his evil goals, the High Sparrow is a villain indifferent to his wickedness: he sees it as a given. He deserves credit for turning the tables on Cersei, but is ultimately a character easy to hate.

17 Alliser Thorne Made Jon Snow's Life Hell

From the moment Ser Alliser Thorne first lays eyes on Jon Snow, he decides, for no particular reason, that he will hate him until one of them is dead. It turns out that both of them die, but Jon Snow comes back to life to take revenge on the vicious traitor that Thorne proves himself to be.

Castle Back hosts some of the most morally corrupt men in Westeros, yet no one deserves to share space with someone as despicable and self-centered as Alliser Thorne. What starts as meaningless contempt towards Sam and Jon turns into something more dangerous; following Jon's Lord Commander election, Thorne leads a sneaky mutiny against his new leader, resulting in a deserved execution for treason.

16 Tywin Lannister Saw His Family As A Burden

For the most part, it's difficult not to see the Lannisters as the biggest villains in Game of Thrones. This perception only changes when Tywin Lannister is finally killed, showing how he singlehandedly ensured the success of his House in terms of strategy, long-term planning, and influence. However, Tywin's success in making the Lannisters the richest folk in Westeros comes as the result of being a truly detestable character.

Tywin's cruel treatment of Tyrion alone is enough to put him on this list. He hates Tyrion (his own son) for having been born a dwarf; frames him for the murder of Joffrey only to get rid of him; and despite humiliating Tyrion for his sexual activities, engages in a nocturnal life with Tyrion's lover, Shae. The fact is that Tywin sees his entire family as a burden to his greedy objectives, which explains why Cersei and Jaime went on to become a diabolical couple.

15 Stannis Baratheon Lost All Respect With A Single Decision

The three Baratheon brothers of Robert's generation couldn't have been more different, each one possessing a unique and contrasting personality. With Robert's death and the revelation that his children are actually Jaime and Cersei's progeny, the Iron Throne should legally have gone to Stannis, the eldest surviving brother.

Stannis initially won some favor among Game of Thrones viewers, not because of his prickly and uncompromising personality but because he was willing to fight against the Lannisters. His adherence to honor made him seem like a harsher version of Ned until the Season 5 episode "The Dance of Dragons," where he completely lost the fans' respect by burning his young daughter at the stake. Stannis earns the number 15 on this list because he once was a good man, but Melisandre corrupted his soul.

14 The Waif Goes Out Of Her Way To Make Arya As Uncomfortable As Possible

The Waif is one of the Faceless Men of Braavos, serving under Jaqen H'Ghar at the House of Black and White. She never really takes a shine to Arya, deeming her to be an overindulged member of the Westeros. As such, The Waif goes out of her way to make Arya's stay in Braavos as uncomfortable as possible.

More importantly, the Waif is a weakly written character who doesn't have the oomph required to become a genuine nemesis for Arya. The Waif frequently breaks the rules she claims to protect, explaining why the fandom doesn't enjoy her presence very much.

13 Meryn Trant Has Always Been A Vicious Coward

From his introduction, Meryn Trant demonstrates that nothing was too low for him. He accrues the audience's wrath when he helps kill Syrio Forel, and it only gets worse from then on. As a Lannister family henchman, Trant seems to revel in his cruelest assignments and never reveals anything resembling a moral compass.

Very few characters in Game of Thrones display such blatantly evil designs. The fact that the fandom was unmoved by his death speaks to Meryn's shameless and savage personality. In fact, audiences probably cheered when Arya murdered him in one of the series' most brutal scenes.

12 Lysa Arryn Wantonly Attempted To Murder Sansa

Although Lysa did love her sister Catelyn at one time, she metamorphoses into a resentful wretch as a result of Littlefinger's machinations. She breastfeeds her son Robin despite his relatively advanced age, thereby hampering his emotional development. Lysa's love for Littlefinger can best be described as an obsession, as she zealously craves the life Catelyn used to have.

Lysa grudgingly accepts Sansa into the Eyrie but then blows a fuse when she catches Baelish kissing her niece. Rather than confront her so-called beloved, Lysa threatens to fling Sansa from the Moon Door. Her atrocious behavior notwithstanding, fans were still horrified when Littlefinger decided to kill her.

11 Ellaria Sand Was Both Cruel And Ineffective

Simply being a villain doesn't necessarily make characters a target for fan hatred. Plenty of bad guys were admired by the fanbase, such as Sandor Clegano. However, Ellaria Sand rarely hits the morality benchmark, not to mention triggering several harebrained schemes that ultimately backfire. Rather than garnering sympathy due to her ties with Oberyn, fans assumed her to be a one-note villain with pointlessly cruel aims.

In sharp contrast to her counterpart in George R.R. Martin's novels, Ellaria championed the murder of the innocent Myrcella Baratheon in revenge for Oberyn's death and demanded a war Dorne had little chance of winning. Killing the well-liked Doran Martell only made fans think of her as one of the worst characters in Game of Thrones who the show failed spectacularly.

10 Gregor Clegane Was A Monster From Beginning To End

The towering brute known as the Mountain, Gregor Clegane is a true Game of Thrones monster in every sense of the word, even before his twisted transformation into a zombie bodyguard. While the crimes he committed aren't always depicted on the show, it's clear just how evil he was from the very beginning. Oberyn Martell, for example, made sure that no one would forget how the Mountain raped and killed Elia Martell after murdering her son Aegon.

The Mountain is even more disliked by fans because of his brother Sandor's opinion of him. In fact, the Hound is never able to move past his traumatic childhood, especially after the Mountain burns his face in a hearth. His role as a truly hated character is cemented in "The Mountain and the Viper," where he kills fan-favorite Oberyn in a truly gruesome way, making the Mountain the best character to open the top 10 most hated Game of Thrones characters.

9 Viserys Targaryen Represented Everything Wrong With His Family

Initially, the young Viserys Targaryen appears to be on the path to major villainy in Game of Thrones. He's willing to do anything to retake Westeros, including selling his own sister to Khal Drogo in exchange for a Dothraki horde. However, Viserys is entirely unable to live up to his overblown self-image.

Unstable, egotistical, and prone to impotent fury, Viserys Targaryen echoes the worst aspects of the Targaryens, making him far worse than his namesake in House of the Dragon. He's needlessly cruel, regularly abusing his sister and threatening to murder her unborn child. Many fans deem his death in the first season a cause for celebration.

8 Janos Slynt Treated Both Subordinates And Superiors With Disrespect

A truly hated Game of Thrones character is Janos Slynt. Mediocre individuals constantly get elevated to prestigious positions in the show, and Janos Slynt is no exception. He spends a few years as the Commander of the City Watch, but Tyrion consequently packs him off to the Wall.

Although technically disgraced, Janos continues to browbeat the inhabitants of Castle Black, treating both subordinates and superiors with hypocritical disrespect. This character has zero positive traits, as seen when he pompously insults Jon Snow after the latter is elected Commander of the Night's Watch. Fans were unquestionably excited to see Janos receive his just deserts.

7 Petyr Baelish Tried To Manipulate Everyone And Failed Miserably

Not many Game of Thrones characters are slimier than Petyr Baelish, otherwise known as Littlefinger. Though he puts on a suave and clever demeanor, he simply refuses to let anything get in the way of his self-centered goals. Baelish is successful for the most part, managing to steer the politics of the Iron Throne for quite some time.

However, Baelish's plans slowly unravel in the show's later seasons, when his manipulations finally catch up with him. In the end, Littlefinger finds himself begging for mercy from the newly empowered Sansa Stark, who has finally had enough of his endless trickery. No one sheds a tear for Littlefinger.

6 Walder Frey Threw Away Any Shreds Of Honor At The Red Wedding

Though the Lannisters are the least likable House in Game of Thrones for obvious reasons, House Frey is a close second due to its starring role in the Red Wedding. There's no hope for the dishonored Freys when they betray and murder Robb, Talisa, and Catelyn Stark. Unfortunately, Walder isn't the kind of man who seeks redemption anyway.

In other words, it can be argued that Walder Frey is singlehandedly responsible for the utter destruction of House Frey. Having lost all esteem and gained little else in return, Walder's fitting death at the hands of Arya Stark is a glistening moment of well-earned revenge for her family's humiliation and death.

5 Joffrey Baratheon Was A Petty Tyrant With A Penchant For Unmitigated Brutality

Viewers learned that the cruel Prince Joffrey was not truly a Baratheon at all in the very first season, but his illegitimacy isn't a source of fan hatred. Even his feigned charm and feeble attempts to woo Sansa fail to disguise his wickedness, which rears its ugly head early in the series.

From ordering Ned Stark's execution to abusing his then-betrothed Sansa, Joffrey is an unforgivable monster in every way imaginable. Many fans took great satisfaction during this hated character's death at the Purple Wedding, even if Tyrion ended up paying the price for Olenna's assassination plot. It's difficult to measure how vile of a villain Joffrey would have become had he survived any longer, earning him a spot at number 5.

4 Euron Greyjoy Was Nothing More Than An Arrogant Killer

Euron of House Greyjoy is the epitome of an Iron Islander — a man of salt and iron, and a reaver with grandiose ambitions. In Game of Thrones, he is first introduced by killing his own brother and taking the Salt Throne for himself. This act of deceit and brazen murder paints Euron in a despicable light.

Many other characters earned the ire of fans because of what they did to fan-favorite characters. Euron was unlikeable simply because of his sheer arrogance and lack of empathy, which were put on display any time he appeared on the screen. He even tries to kill his niece and nephew to secure his legacy.

3 Craster Rapes His Daughters And Sacrifices His Sons

Craster lives just beyond the Wall, making him effectively immune to the laws of Westeros. Commander Jeor Mormont states that the Night's Watch relies on Craster's hospitality, and therefore cannot accuse their host of undignified behavior. Any visit to Craster's place is an atrocity exhibition, as he forces the Castle Back folks to witness his immoral lifestyle without a word of rebellion.

In addition, Craster consistently mocks and demeans the hungry soldiers of Castle Black, preventing them access to basic amenities like warm food and blankets. The fandom particularly abhors this character because he essentially enslaves women. Craster "marries" and rapes his own daughters, subsequently offering any newborn sons to the Night King. Thankfully, he meets a horrifying fate.

2 Ramsay Bolton Took Cruelty To Newer And Newer Heights

Quite possibly the cruelest character in the entire series, Ramsay Bolton was a villain through and through, capable of committing truly shocking acts with no stain on his conscience. There was never the slightest gleam of compassion in Ramsay's eyes; he's a bastard product of rape, a background he works hard to erase through blood and torture.

The malevolent crimes committed by the Bastard of Bolton are numerous: he murders his father and baby half-brother, rapes Sansa, and nonchalantly dismembers Theon Greyjoy. One of the most satisfying Game of Thrones death scenes takes place in "The Battle of the Bastards," where viewers gleefully watch Ramsay get torn to shreds by his own hounds.

1 Despite Her Nuanced Origins, Cersei Lannister Soon Became The Queen Of Hate

Nobody in Game of Thrones is quite as hateful as Cersei Lannister. Despised from the very beginning, she spends the entire series building herself up as the story's true villain, committing many terrible acts along the way. At the same time, Cersei is a nuanced character whose unpredictability makes her a dangerous person to have as an enemy.

Many of Cersei's early actions were fueled by her dedication to all three of her children. After their deaths, however, her bitterness and hatred transform her into a vengeful Queen, one who desperately wants to see House Lannister triumph over everyone else in Westeros. This makes Cersei the most disliked Game of Thrones character.