HBO's House of the Dragon is becoming an international hit, and as the succession crisis under King Viserys gets increasingly more convoluted, it looks like the show is heading towards a war. While its predecessor, Game of Thrones, had its fair share of wars, it looks like the toll of House of the Dragon is going to be devastating.
Of course, part of the problem in the world of Westeros during Viserys' reign was that there was no true ruler. Though Viserys was the clear king, he was weak and undependable. A strong leader could have prevented the succession issues entirely, and many fans have been speculating wildly about if Lord Tywin Lannister could have been that ruler. It's an unpopular opinion, of course, along with many others about Tywin Lannister.
The Best Ruler
Though Lannister rule undeniably fell apart after Tywin's death, some fans still see him as an extraordinary leader. "Tywin Lannister would have made the best ruler for Westeros," says Reddit user strikerwoma. "It didn't seem like he had this insane drive to conquer and rule, he was just good at it."
Whether Tywin actually deserved the throne is a matter for debate. After all, he committed many brutal atrocities through the years and made uncountable enemies against his House. Still, his strong presence and demanding nature meant that no one could possibly control him like Otto Hightower controlled Viserys.
Morally Superior
Despite being a man who tormented his children, incited the Red Wedding, and rendered multiple Houses extinct, some fans believe he is actually a morally sound man. "In the series, Tywin is morally superior to a lot of other characters in action," says Redditor RudyRumbucket.
It's an incredibly difficult explanation to swallow. After all, even if Tywin was doing it all out of the goodness of his heart, it's easy to sum up House Lannister and Tywin as monsters and murderers. They slaughtered children numerous times and killed them in the most brutal ways possible. Tywin even continued to employ the horrific Mountain, which is all that needs to be said against his morals.
The Harrenhal Changes Were Terrible
While the scenes between Tywin and Arya were one of the best changes the show made, some fans can't stand them. "I regret that Harrenhal scenes had Tywin and his cringey 'bonding scenes' with Arya," says Reddit user ImmaNotDrnk. "He should've interrogated her as soon as he realized she is actually a highborn."
It's an understandable grievance. After all, Tywin rarely showed a soft side even for his own children, let alone a Northerner who was seemingly threatening to kill him. So for Tywin to actually protect the girl and display affection to her was somewhat ridiculous.
Not Cruel
There's an argument that Tywin made after the Red Wedding that seemed to change the opinions of many fans about how justified the slaughter truly was. "When Tywin killed the Starks at the Red Wedding, it wasn't cruel," says a now-deleted Reddit user. "It was smart."
The Red Wedding was one of the best twists in Game of Thrones, but that doesn't justify it. Though Tywin claimed to have saved many lives, the slaughter in the Riverlands was his own doing. Besides, given that he didn't just kill Robb and Talisa, it's hard to say he saved anyone. Thousands still died at the feast for no reason at all.
Most Interesting Character
Though Tywin was always a brutal man with a cold heart, those same qualities made him an incredibly interesting character. The contradictions within him made him extremely complex. "None of the remaining characters are nearly as interesting as Tywin was," says Redditor Gasserlhab.
Having a character yearning to ensure safety for his House by making enemies of Houses was genuinely fun. Though Tywin believed he was good at the game of thrones, he was damning his family as soon as he died. It made him compelling, even if it meant the show lost a fascinating character after his death.
Kept The Kingdom Safe
Despite causing multiple wars and fathering Cersei and Jaime Lannister, who had a relationship that plunged the realm into civil war, some fans see Tywin as the link holding Westeros together. "Before Tywin's death, it was literally fear of Tywin Lannister that kept the kingdoms in line," says Redditor random_guy12.
Of course, Tywin contributed to Joffrey's downfall, so it's hard to view him as a genuine leader and heroic grandfather. His tolerance of a sadistic king and willingness to resort to brutality to get his way made him threatening, but it also meant the realm was doomed as soon as he died. In a way, considering the fact that the realm split even before he died, the situation was worse than it seemed.
Terribly Missed
Despite being a man without friends in his world, some members of the audience enjoyed Tywin more than anyone else. "I miss the hell out of Tywin," says Redditor Kashmiiir. His cold nature, cynical view of the world, and strong presence made it difficult not to.
Of course, Tywin's presence also added significant conflict to the show. After all, without him Cersei and Jaime might have been well-adjusted. Without them, the War of the Five Kings would never have happened. It makes sense to miss a character who brought untold conflicts.
A Short-Term Ruler
Despite often being viewed as a strong leader who kept Westeros and the Westerlands in line, some fans see Tywin as a short-term leader like King Viserys. "The North still respect Stark and rallies on their name," says Reddit user farrellykw. "Tywin's legacy died when he died."
As Tywin was one of the most evil villains in Game of Thrones, it's hard not to agree. After all, he was a man who alienated numerous powerful Houses in Westeros. The Targaryens, Starks, Tullys, and Baratheons utterly despised him, which made it particularly difficult to keep House Lannister in power without Tywin there to hold it together.
Deserved A Better Death
Despite being a brutal man, some fans were extremely upset to see Tyrion kill Tywin in such an insulting way. "I think he is such an intelligent and noble character, and that seeing him on the toilet, with Shae and begging for mercy, really gave us a lower opinion on such a great character," says a now-deleted Reddit user.
Of course, that was the intention of the scene. Whereas Tywin always saw himself as a hero deserving of a noble death, Tyrion proved that he wasn't. He caused trouble everywhere he went and never faced any consequences for it. That he would die at his son's hands in such an embarrassing position was his comeuppance.
Huge Hypocrite
Considering everything that happened in the show, some fans have an incredibly low opinion of Tywin. "Tywin is the biggest hypocrite on the series," says Redditor Faryshta, before going on to call him worse than Littlefinger. "At least LF doesn't go around giving a holier than thou speech to anyone he meets."
Given that Tywin often complained about Tyrion's nights with sex workers like Shea, it is incredibly hypocritical that he would employ Shea himself. The fact that he also didn't remarry for decades, yet expected Cersei to remarry is also singularly hypocritical. Not to mention that Tywin losing his hated son made him launch a war against the Starks, yet he was perfectly happy to capture and kill the son and daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen freely. It was extraordinarily hypocritical, and it's why so many fans despise him.