When it comes to playing the titular game in Game of Thrones, there are few characters who are more adept and naturally talented than Tyrion Lannister is. Although everyone underestimates him and typically writes him off, it's rare that he doesn't come out on the winning end of things, for better, but sometimes for worse as well.
However, despite his knack for figuring out how to defeat his enemies and get what he wants, Tyrion made plenty of terrible decisions throughout his character arc too. But in eight seasons of Game of Thrones, what were the most disastrous decisions Tyrion ever made?
Standing Up To Joffrey
Joffrey is the cruelest, most insufferable child in Game of Thrones, and it's entirely understandable that Tyrion couldn't resist dragging him whenever the opportunity presented itself. But ultimately, Tyrion would have been much better off if he had played things closer to the vest.
Tyrion's behavior made the accusations that he assassinated Joffrey too easy to believe, and even when Joffrey was still alive, typically antagonizing him was more trouble than it was worth.
Sending Myrcella To Dorne
While Tyrion's logic behind sending Myrcella away from King's Landing did have some merit, sending her to Dorne and the Martells, a kingdom and family who had a terrible relationship with the Lannisters, was an obvious mistake.
Myrcella's murder was unfortunate and completely undeserved, but it was incredibly predictable, and using his own niece as a political hostage in a dangerous place with dangerous people was an awful decision on Tyrion's part.
Trusting Cersei
By the time season 7 of Game of Thrones came around, the consistency of the characters really started to fall apart, and it was incredibly noticeable with characters like Tyrion because he's supposed to be one of the smartest people in the game.
Despite the fact that the apocalypse is nigh, Daenerys is adamant that a truce be called with Cersei. Tyrion makes some compelling arguments for Cersei, but it's honestly a little baffling that he actually believes she's telling the truth when this truce is completely out of character for her.
Going To War With Cersei
Tyrion's exceptional intelligence got him pretty far in life, but one of his greatest blind spots is his mistaken belief that intelligence trumps everything else.
He oftentimes antagonized Cersei and felt comfortable doing so because he's smarter than she is, but because of Cersei's ruthlessness, brutality, and complete mistrust of Tyrion, he wound up on the losing end of their showdowns pretty often, and lost a lot because he insisted on winding her up.
Killing His Father
After everything he's done, Tywin Lannister truly did deserve to die, and after everything he endured at his father's behest, Tyrion deserved to be the one to kill him. But that momentary satisfaction of revenge not only cost Tyrion dearly, but it was also the beginning of the end for House Lannister.
It meant Tyrion had to go on the run, but it also led to a lot of death and destruction for the Lannisters, which were consequences that Tyrion mostly didn't want his family to suffer.
Killing Shae
Game of Thrones presented Tyrion's murder of Shae as if he was defending himself and had no choice but to do it. But that's a pretty dubious point of view, given that Tyrion didn't even have to confront her in the first place.
Not only was Shae likely undeserving of such a fate, but Tyrion having to live with the fact that he killed someone he loved must have been rough, and he would have been much better off had he just walked away.
Turning In Varys
Tyrion's genuine friendships were few and far between, and not only was Varys one of the few people who truly cared for and liked Tyrion, but Varys literally risked his own life and gave up nearly everything to help Tyrion when he was about to die.
Not only were Varys' suspicions about Daenerys proven right in the most brutal way possible, but Tyrion owed it to him to give him another chance at survival.
Not Heeding Varys' Warning
Not only did Tyrion turn in his best friend for a guaranteed death sentence, he didn't even heed Varys' final warning, a warning that wound up being tragically true. At certain points, Tyrion's dogged commitment to Dany's cause really doesn't make any sense, and taking her side in this instance is one of his most illogical choices.
Not only is Varys his bestie, but he knows that Varys is incredibly intelligent and truly wants to protect as many people as possible. Tyrion should have at least considered what Varys was saying.
Backing Dany's Claim To The Throne
Granted, by the time he makes it to Essos, Tyrion is sort of out of options. If he ever wants to return home, he'll need the backing of someone like Daenerys. But the fact that he backed her claim to the throne is still a bit strange.
He even points out why Daenerys taking the throne makes no sense to Jorah before he even meets Dany. She's never been to Westeros, and her claim rests on her relationship to the Mad King, who was one in a long line of mostly terrible Targaryen rulers.
Helping Daenerys Invade Westeros
Tyrion's advice for Daenerys doesn't always go as planned, but it's safe to say that he does a lot to facilitate her invasion of Westeros.
He knows that Westeros likely does not want to be invaded by another Targaryen conqueror, he sees many signs that Daenerys might be dangerous, but he soldiers on by her side and only quits after she's committed mass genocide. Of all of Tyrion's bad calls, this is clearly his worst.