The series finale of our favorite HBO show, Game of Thrones, finally premiered earlier this year in 2019. Still, we'll never get over the dynamic and incredible characters of this show. Over the course of the series, we met tons of villains - some totally horrible, some even lovable, and some that we couldn't wait to see meet their demise.
The Lannisters fit this bill pretty well, but of course, there can only be one best villain. This list is here to help settle the debate. Here are 5 reasons that Cersei Lannister is the best GoT villain, and 5 that it's actually Joffrey Baratheon.
Joffrey: He's Impulsive
Joffrey is the better villain for the complete opposite reasons of his mother. For starters, he's impulsive. There's nothing more terrifying than a character that is totally unpredictable and is willing to kill and slaughter on a whim.
Joffrey is definitely spontaneous, which makes him a pretty intimidating leader and villain. Being impulsive isn't necessarily smart, but it does make people fear you, and it also makes you a pretty scary villain.
Cersei: She's Patient
On the contrary, Cersei proves she's an incredible villain by being the exact opposite. Cersei is patient. She rarely does anything on a whim, but she's always calculating her next move.
She knows the consequences of every action, and frankly, her son's impulsive nature is probably what causes the most tension in their relationship. It's arguable that being patient and calculating is actually more dangerous than being impulsive. Cersei doesn't rely on constant fear, but she's the snake that lashes out at the perfect moment.
Joffrey: He's Heartless
Joffrey has pretty much zero morals. He doesn't really care about anyone but himself, and this includes his wife, family, and Kingdom. He wants power - and he'll do literally anything to maintain his role as the King.
A heartless villain is terrifying, and this definitely gives him a leg up on his mother. We've seen what Joffrey can do, from killing prostitutes with a crossbow to drowning a man in wine. His complete lack of emotion makes it hard to find his weak spot since he's not very vulnerable in terms of his relationships.
Cersei: She's a Mother
Cersei's weakness is that she is a mother, and that she cares deeply about her family. However, this also makes her one of the most interesting villains on television, because she has something to fight for. She can be heartless, too, but she lives and breathes for her children.
What that means, is that you should be absolutely terrified if you even lay a hand on one of her babies. We saw what happened to Ellaria after Marcella's death. Plus, it's kind of amazing that this maternal figure is incredibly badass and cunning.
Joffrey: He Scapegoats
Joffrey utilizes the #1 strategy of a totalitarian: scapegoating. Of course, we're not convinced that Joffrey is smart enough to know he's actually doing this, but it's still impressive. When Ned "betrays" the Crown, he puts his head on a stick to show the world (and, of course, Sansa).
Scapegoating and blaming is a powerful tool to fear monger citizens, and in a backward way, points their anger at the traitors, and not the Crown. Of course, this also makes Joffrey extremely terrifying and helps ensure that nobody crosses him.
Cersei: She's Playing the Long Game
Cersei is playing the long game. This kind of ties into her patience, but we think it's worth mentioning by itself. Joffrey acts on immediate pleasure, while Cersei calculates what's next for years to come.
Every move she makes is thought to be part of a domino effect, and Cersei has a vision of the end. Of course, this kind of blinds her sometimes, but it definitely makes her the smarter villain. As well, we don't want to ruin her game, because there will definitely be consequences.
Joffrey: He's Motivated by Pleasure & Power
Joffrey has two motivators: pleasure and power. If it doesn't give him immediate satisfaction or give him a power boost, he's not interested. Again, this makes him dangerous. He kills because he likes it and it makes him feel powerful.
That means he's looking for pretty much any excuse to chop your head off. This makes him an incredible villain by making him a pretty terrifying one. A leader motivated by personal gain is definitely one that deserves the title of a villain, and maybe even the best thereof.
Cersei: She's Motivated by Duty & Power
Cersei differs from her son in this way, too. While it's pretty clear that Cersei also desires to sit on the Iron Throne (and be powerful), she also feels like she has a duty to the Lannister name. Joffrey doesn't care about any of that, but rather, Cersei does, and is motivated by her duty and role as Queen. She doesn't really care about the people, but she does care about having the respect and loyalty of all of her followers.
Cersei operates discretely on fear, but she's more motivated by being a powerful and brilliant leader. This makes her a more dynamic villain, and also makes her pretty terrifying, since she's good at getting what she wants.
Joffrey: He's Sadistic
Joffrey is one of the best villains on the series because he's completely and totally sadistic. Much like Ramsay, this man gains immense pleasure by being, well, morbid.
From making prostitutes hurt each other to undressing Sansa in front of everyone, to slaughtering Ros with a crossbow, this man is horrifying because of his sadistic inclinations. Joffrey is the better villain because there is NOTHING to like about him. He's sadistic and morbid, and this makes him only terrifying and horrible. If you're in for a 100% villain with no redeeming qualities, than Joffrey may just win as the best.
Cersei: She's Underestimated
Cersei is the opposite to Joffrey in what makes her a good villain. Mainly, some people like Cersei. Sure, she is certainly evil, and she can actually also be pretty sadistic. However, she's underestimated, and there are many viewers who were cheering for this brilliant lady to just burn the rest of the world to the ground. Cersei is a better villain because she has redeeming qualities, she has morals, loyalty, and a desire to prove herself as the best Lannister in spite of being a woman. We think she proves this pretty well, and Cersei could be the best villain because people actually want to see her succeed.
At the end of the day, both of these characters are dynamic and different and seek power in very different ways. They're both incredible villains, but we'll leave it up to you to decide who really should be crowned the best of the series.