Throughout its eight seasons, Game Of Thrones has introduced and explored a huge array of characters, of all shapes, sizes, and moral inclinations. With its core being about war and the scramble to determine who will sit on the Iron Throne, Game Of Thrones has seen plenty of betrayals and those acting in their own best interests.
GOT's main villains are generally the ones that ignite the fires of vengeance within the heroes and instigate the various conflicts throughout the series. Some villains are given redemption arcs with serious room for character growth, like Jaime Lannister and the Hound. Other characters show no remorse for their despicable actions and are completely irredeemable right up until their deaths.
10 Gregor Clegane Was Responsible For The Gruesome Deaths Of Countless Innocents
Gregor Clegane, known as the Mountain, was considered by many to be Tywin Lannister's personal lapdog and executioner. He carried out many questionable excursions and orders while keeping Tywin's hands clean of responsibility. The Mountain was responsible for killing Prince Oberyn Martell in The Mountain And The Viper, confessing to butchering Oberyn's family as he killed him.
The Mountain didn't have as much of a prominent role as his brother Sandor. After the fight with Oberyn, the Mountain was left for dead. He was rendered a zombie guard to Cersei after a disturbing transformation from Qyburn. Gregor never sought redemption but sought destruction, right up until his final fateful encounter with his brother in the final season.
9 Meryn Trant Had His Own Horrific Pleasures
Meryn Trant was introduced as a knight of the Kingsguard under King Robert Baratheon. He continued his allegiance to the crown after his death, to both Joffrey and Tommen. While Sandor Clegane (known as the Hound) was once considered to be Joffrey's sword, Meryn Trant grew into the role as Joffrey descended further into pure cruelty.
It was left to be believed that the Trant killed Syrio Forel, Arya's teacher. He also struck and assaulted Sansa Stark on Joffrey's command. In GOT's fifth season, Meryn Trant accompanies Mace Tyrell to Braavos. He's then shown to be even more despicable, with him visiting brothels and insisting on abusing young girls. Arya Stark happens to be there and recognizes him, with her eventually finding a way to end his life and get justice for her "dancing master."
8 Tywin Lannister Was The Master Orchestrator Behind The Misery & War
Tywin Lannister was played perfectly by the iconic actor Charles Dance. Tywin was one of the main villains of GOT, managing to orchestrate a number of the bad things that happened to beloved characters throughout the show.
Tywin, as a father, rarely showed any sort of affection for his family, only for the name itself. Tywin especially tormented Tyrion, because his birth caused the death of Tywin's wife. Despite this, it never garnered Tywin any sympathy with fans. Tyrion eventually snapped and killed his father after finding his former lover in his father's bed, and for all the years of mental and verbal torture.
7 Petyr Baelish's Constant Manipulation Of Everybody Eventually Erased Any Future Trust
Petyr Baelish always thought he was playing the "game of thrones" perfectly. But, by furthering his own standing, he was gradually accumulating enemies. His complex relationship with Sansa Stark would later come back to haunt him, with his manipulations and teachings ending up being his death sentence.
Despite his final moments showing his desperation and cowardice, Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish had lost all shreds of trust or possible redemption by the time Arya killed him.
6 Cersei Was Too Far Gone From All The Bad Things She Had Done
For someone who suffered as much loss and humiliation as Cersei Lannister, she rarely received or deserved much sympathy for the consequences of her actions. She lost all three of her children and was eventually killed by Daenerys Targaryen's rage, which Cersei had antagonized and indirectly encouraged.
Cersei died in the arms of fan-favorite Jaime, in what is widely considered an underwhelming death. It is still difficult to see how she could have ever been redeemed or forgiven for any of her horrific deeds.
5 Daenerys Became The Mad Queen And Had To Be Stopped
Having been positioned as one of the main protagonists of GOT for years, the descension of Daenerys becoming like her father (the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen) was tough for fans to watch and endure. With her suffering several devastating losses and discovering that Jon Snow was the true heir to the Iron Throne, she eventually snaps and unleashes her rage on King's Landing.
She completed her mission of setting foot back on Westeros and claiming what is rightfully hers, only for her to become the bad reputation that her father had previously brought to her house. Fans may not be entirely pleased with how the events transpired, but Daenerys could not be redeemed after these events, with Jon ending her life.
4 Walder Frey Was Vile & Unpleasant
Walder Frey will always be remembered among the most despicable of the GOT villains, despite never actually leaving his main hall. Walder Fray was a disdainful and disturbing old man, finding joy in insulting people and making them uncomfortable.
When Robb Stark broke his oath to House Frey by marrying another woman (instead of one of Walder's daughters), Walder and Roose Bolton conspired to betray the Starks by setting up the Red Wedding massacre. Even with Walder's horrific death by the vengeful hands of Arya Stark, no viewers felt pity or sympathy for him as he died for his sins.
3 Euron Greyjoy Was Unpredictable & Chaotic, Making Him Too Dangerous To Reason With
Euron Greyjoy arrived in GOT's sixth season. He murdered his brother and the despised King Balon and capitalized on the ensuing situation. His arrival split the Ironborn, forcing Yara and Theon to leave the Iron Islands for their own safety.
Euron was already showing signs of being a new villain and player in the "game of thrones," even before he aligned himself with Cersei Lannister. Euron's psychopathic attack on the fleet carrying allies of Daenerys, including those Ironborn that opposed him and the Sand Snakes, established him as a useful weapon for Cersei to have. His arrogance only grew until his eventual death.
2 Power Quickly Corrupted Joffrey, Making Him A Cruel King
When fans think of the best and most hated villains in GOT, the first two names that come to mind are Ramsay Bolton and Joffrey Baratheon. Joffrey was shown to be a spoiled and despicable child even before Robert's death and his immediate rise to becoming the next king. Power quickly went to his head and he became even more despised.
Joffrey was a coward at heart but hid behind the power and protection that the crown gave him. He found a way to berate and torment all those who uttered even a bad word his way. His impulsive decision to have Ned Stark executed and his subsequent treatment of Sansa were two of the many reasons why his eventual death was celebrated by fans.
1 Ramsay Bolton Thrived Upon Chaos & Suffering
Ramsay Bolton was another despicable villain that was portrayed perfectly, making him one of those characters that people love to hate. While fans weren't especially fond of Theon when Ramsay brutally tortured him, it quickly introduced Ramsay's twisted nature and would continue to showcase his perverse and ruthless tendencies.
From his awful treatment of Sansa and Theon to killing his father and mother-in-law, Ramsay even stooped as low as killing Rickon as he was about to reunite with his brother, Jon. GOT has had a handful of villains that have redeemed themselves with certain actions or explanations, but Ramsay was rotten to his core. Redemption was never an option for him.