HBO's Game of Thrones is one of the most popular and talked about series of the past several decades. Adapted from the book series by George RR Martin, Game of Thrones is a subversion of the fantasy genre that contains some of the most venomous characters in all of fiction.
One house that held some of the most astute and venomous in all of Westeros is House Lannister. With the Lannisters often playing the villain in the series.
Joffrey
Naturally, Joffrey was going to rank lowest on this list. Prior to the introduction of Ramsay Bolton, Joffrey was the worst character to have appeared on Game of Thrones. At first, he just appears to be a spoiled brat, but then he morphs into a sadistic and cruel king with far too much power.
Not only does his behaviour lead to the death of Sansa’s direwolf, but he also executes Ned Stark (despite protestations from Cersei), essentially tortures Sansa, and mocks Tyrion. While some may say that he is a Baratheon by name, it is clear he is a product of incest.
Cersei
This may be harsh on Cersei as she was one of the most compelling characters on the show. The audience actually got a chance to sympathise with her character during her walk of atonement and, to some extent, in season 8.
However, there’s no denying that she is also one of the most hated characters on the show. Not only did she blow up the Sept of Baelor, but she also refused to honor her promise to Jon and Daenerys to defend Westeros against the White Walkers.
Lancel
Lancel Lannister was only a minor character in the earlier seasons, before he then morphed into more of a main character after he became embroiled in the plots of the High Sparrow later in the series.
While the character didn’t really do much, he was certainly annoying during the Sparrow-arc of the series and this earns him a low rating on this list.
Tywin
Tywin Lannister may be one of the most underrated characters in the series. He is the archetype of the Machiavellian character, showing a shrewd and ruthless attitude in political dealings, with the Red Wedding being the best example of this.
However, he also showed himself to be a good ruler. While he was certainly a harsh man, he was hardly a sadistic or evil character. Furthermore, he succinctly explained his method of rule to Joffrey in a Storm of Swords: “Joffrey, when one's enemies defy you, you must serve them steel and fire. When they go to their knees, however, you must help them back to their feet. Elsewise no man will ever bend the knee to you.”
Kevan
Kevan Lannister may always be in his brother’s shadow. While Kevan Lannister doesn’t have the reputation of Tywin, he still proved himself to be a fair and capable ruler, with Kevan taking over as Hand of the King after Tywin’s death.
During his rule as Hand, Kevan brought peace and stability to King’s Landing. Perhaps it was for this reason that, in the books, Varys kills Kevan in the epilogue of A Dance With Dragons.
Myrcella
The audience doesn’t get to see too much of Myrcella as she spends most of her time in Dorne. As a consequence, not much is known about the character. That being said, she does appear to be a sweet and intelligent young woman who is easily one of the more pleasant Lannisters.
The character unfortunately met her end before she could return to her mother, with Myrcella being poisoned by Ellaria Sand in order to get revenge on Cersei.
Tommen
While Joffrey is a cruel and sadistic character, Tommen is a sweet and pleasant young man. While he certainly made mistakes during his time as King, these are largely due to both his own inexperience as ruler and the overbearing actions of his mother, Cersei.
Perhaps, with better tutoring, Tommen would have became a great King of Westeros, ruling over a peaceful and stable land with Kevan Lannister as his Hand.
Jaime
Jaime Lannister, arguably, had the best character development in the series. When the audience is first introduced to Jaime, he is seen to be an incestuous twin who tries to murder a young boy in order to keep his incestuous affair a secret.
However, the character goes on a journey that eventually results in the character becoming one of the most honorable in the show. It’s a shame that the writers had to spoil this by having Jaime return to Cersei in season 8.
Tyrion
Who else was going to top this list? Tyrion Lannister isn’t only the most likeable Lannister in the show, he’s also one of the most likeable characters in the series. Almost immediately he sets himself apart from the other Lannisters; he slaps Joffrey, cares for Sansa, and ultimately ends up joining Daenerys’ side.
While he is certainly a morally grey individual, with his murder of Shae being the most obvious example of this, he was also one of the most entertaining characters and easily deserves first place on this list.