Game of Thrones fans have taken to social media to discuss which villain from the series is truly the most evil. The show, which is based on the George R. R. Martin fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, originally premiered on HBO in 2011. It is set in a fantasy world on the continent of Westeros, in which multiple bloodlines clash over who deserves to sit on the Iron Throne and rule. The warring factions include House Targaryen, of whom only Danaerys is left standing in season 1, House Stark, who rules Winterfell, and House Lannister, which includes twin siblings and lovers Cersei and Jaime Lannister.
One of the things that Game of Thrones is most known for is its huge cast of memorable characters. Even those who haven't seen the series would be familiar with many of its iconic figures including Jon Snow, Brienne of Tarth, and Arya Stark. Although nearly everyone in the show was faced with complicated ethical decisions at one point or another during the long fight for control over the Iron Throne, there are only a handful of people in Westeros who are true villains from start to finish.
Spurred by a July 15 Tweet from Farouq Yahaya, fans have started a hot debate about who is the most wicked villain in Game of Thrones. The original tweet asked fans to compare Cersei Lannister (who behaved in a consistently callous manner while attempting to use her son Joffrey as a figurehead) and Ramsay Bolton (the illegitimate son of Roose Bolton who eventually squared off against Jon Snow's army in the Battle of the Bastards). However, some fans quickly diverged from the prompt and introduced other potential villains who have earned the designation of being the absolute worst, especially Joffrey Baratheon. Check out selected fan Tweets debating the villains below:
By a landslide, it certainly seems that Cersei has been lauded as the ultimate villain of the series. In fact, there were many fans that rejected the very premise of the question, supporting her beyond any shred of doubt. There were, however, still factions in support of Ramsay and his unpredictable nature, though they were but a vocal minority.
One thing that probably pushed this Game of Thrones debate toward Cersei's direction is the way her presence looms over the entire run of the show. Actress Lena Headey, who portrayed Cersei, appeared on 62 episodes of the show's 73, the second most featured player behind Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister). Iwan Rheon, who played Ramsay, only appeared in 20 episodes, so while he may have been a solid villain, he had much less impact on the series overall.
Source: Various (see above)