Jump to content

Ranking Prominent Villains (Poll - Closed / Results posted)

Bustard

By Bustard,
in General (ASoIaF)

Recommended Posts

Annara Snow Council Member

Annara Snow

Posted
Posted

1. Roose Bolton - he's utterly evil in a cold, emotionless, calculated way, but there's something funny and great about his calm self-awareness and matter-of-fact attitude about being a greedy, ruthless, calculated dick. No self-pity, no "daddy didn't love me/I'm doing everything for my family" justifications. which is pretty refreshing. And yet he doesn't come off as a mu ha ha villain, because he's so calm about it, like it's the most normal thing ever.
2. Ramsay - don't get me wrong: Ramsay is absolutely horrible,with no redeeming traits whatsoever, and probably the most evil person in the series. But he's still a convincing character, which makes him even scarier. He's got a lot of interesting psychological issues, like the whole thing about hating being a bastard, his complicated daddy issues, his relationships with the original Reek and Theon/Reek... But none of those things make him less of a monster or make him any more likable. I like the way that proves, with everything new we find out about him, that the idea that adding some backstory and complexity to a villain makes him more likable/sympathetic/less evil to is not true. Even his fans don't try to argue that he's not a complete evil bastard.
3. Littlefinger - interesting villain with intricate plans, a developed backstory, complex motivations, who's also evil and super creepy all the more for being relatively subtle (well, in the books, anyway). Definitely someone I love to hate. Would be higher if it wasn't for the fact that I imagine him being all self-pitying and telling himself how he was so mistreated when the girl he wanted didn't want him back, and her fiancee beat him in a duel after he idiotically challenged him, or how the society has done him so wrong by not letting him marry Catelyn (despite the fact she didn't want to marry him anyway) after he's been raised in more privileged conditions than most people in Westeros. Yeah, none of us has suffered an unrequited love/crush, that's enough to make you want to destroy everyone. :rolleyes: I hate when people try to make him into a woobie, like "poor nerd who didn't get the girl".
4. Tywin - like LF, an interesting character and an utter bastard who I really love to hate. He's not higher because the self-justifications combined with justifications of some of his fans drive me nuts.
5. Joffrey - super-annoying and evil and yet utterly convincing as a sadistic brat who should have never been allowed anywhere close to power. Not incredibly complex (though there are moments, mostly things Cersei thinks about Joffrey in her POVs), but hating him is so much fun.
6. Walder Frey - complete asshole, who is additionally annoying for his idiotic motivations and justifications. Still, he is funny in a dark way.

7. Gregor Clegane - Unlike Vargo, has little in the entertainment value, but is scary as fuck. Therefore I was in two minds who to rank higher, him or Vargo, but I went with who the scarier villain is.
8. Vargo Hoat - somehow never got to be as scary as he should be, considering the horrible things he does, maybe because it's hard to take him seriously. Nevertheleph, he phertainly provideph the entertainement factor

9. Euron Greyjoy - someone on Tumblr called him "anime villain". Something about him just doesn't click for me, maybe he'll work better as a character in the future, but right now I have trouble seeing him as a real human being. He's the only one of these villains who doesn't quite work as a character for me yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
King Tommen Baratheon Squire

King Tommen Baratheon

Posted
Posted

  1. Petyr Baelish (I'm still rooting for him to win)

Tywin Lannister (Shae was totally a Varys plant)

Euron Greyjoy (is the dusky woman. And Benjen.)

Ramsay Bolton (Don't you dare call him snow!)

Gregor Clegane (He has a cool name)

Roose Bolton (I just find him a little boring)

Joffrey Baratheon (Not especially interesting, but not really very evil either)

Walder Frey (Pies... yum)

Vargo Hoat (Ugh. I guess I should give him credit for making Jamie a better person... but still.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fat Mac Council Member

Fat Mac

Posted
Posted

9. Euron Greyjoy - someone on Tumblr called him "anime villain". Something about him just doesn't click for me, maybe he'll work better as a character in the future, but right now I have trouble seeing him as a real human being. He's the only one of these villains who doesn't quite work as a character for me yet.

Exactly the reason I put him last. Right now he's just a crazy wizard pirate, and for me doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the Ironborn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
King Brandon Ice Eyes Council Member

King Brandon Ice Eyes

Posted
Posted

1. Roose Bolton - I find him terrifying and very entertaining as opposed to smarmy and self righteous as most other villains.

2. Euron Greyjoy - I like his role in the narrative as an unkbown threat. A man with great ambition and a despicable personality who feasts on the dead Westeros after a bloody war.

3. Ramsay Snow - maybe shares with Rorge the title of most heinous monster inhabitting Westeros. His actions are essential for Theon's story and he is terrifying.

4. Walder Frey - I find him funny and I find lecherous old men as fictional characters very entertaining for how outrageous they are. He is still nauseating and hateful, of course.

5. Littlefinger - I find myself liking him less and less but he still drives large portion of the narrative and he is very unsettling and uncanny.

6. Tywin Lannister - by far the one I hate the most in this list but he is a really good creation, no doubt about it and GRRM dedicated a lot of pages writing about him, so it makes sense this self righteous hypocrite to be in this position even though I despise him.

7. Joffrey - he always provided tension, outrage and fuel for hatred. However I think his father and mother issues could be further explored.

8. Gregor Clegane - he is beyond terrifying and essential for Sandor's story but still not that interesting as his own person.

9. Vargo Hoat - I liked him a lot as a villain as well but he received the least characterization among these so I put him in the last position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bustard Noble

Bustard

Posted
  • Author
Posted

1. Roose Bolton - I find him terrifying and very entertaining as opposed to smarmy and self righteous as most other villains.

2. Euron Greyjoy - I like his role in the narrative as an unkbown threat. A man with great ambition and a despicable personality who feasts on the dead Westeros after a bloody war.

3. Ramsay Snow - maybe shares with Rorge the title of most heinous monster inhabitting Westeros. His actions are essential for Theon's story and he is terrifying.

4. Walder Frey - I find him funny and I find lecherous old men as fictional characters very entertaining for how outrageous they are. He is still nauseating and hateful, of course.

5. Tywin Lannister - by far the one I hate the most in this list but he is a really good creation, no doubt about it and GRRM dedicated a lot of pages writing about him, so it makes sense this self righteous hypocrite to be in this position even though I despise him.

6. Joffrey Waters - he always provided tension, outrage and fuel for hatred. However I think his father and mother issues could be further explored.

7. Gregor Clegane - he is beyond terrifying and essential for Sandor's story but still not that interesting as his own person.

8. Vargo Hoat - I liked him a lot as a villain as well but he received the least characterization among these so I put him in the last position.

Just so you know, Littlefinger will count as your #9 unless you want to add him elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DavosBolton Squire

DavosBolton

Posted
Posted

1) Ramsay Snow

2) Roose Bolton

3) Tywin Lannister

4) Euron Greyjoy

5) Walder Frey

6) Petyr Baelish

7) Vargo Hoat

8) Gregor Clegane

9) Joffrey Baratheon

The fact that a genius like Baelish only makes #6 on this list is a testament to the quality of the villains in GRRM's works.

I like Ramsay a lot because many of his scenes gave me chills.

The scene at Winterfell where the Dreadfort men slaughtered a Northern army 3 times their size, with Reek revealing himself to be Ramsay Snow, really made my jaw drop.

Ramsay magnified my surprise when he revealed how he gave his rich clothes to the real Reek, then smeared himself with feces to disguise himself. Those 2 scenes are such a magnificent display of cunning, improvisation, valor and leadership.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DavosBolton Squire

DavosBolton

Posted
Posted

1. Roose Bolton - he's utterly evil in a cold, emotionless, calculated way, but there's something funny and great about his calm self-awareness and matter-of-fact attitude about being a greedy, ruthless, calculated dick. No self-pity, no "daddy didn't love me/I'm doing everything for my family" justifications. which is pretty refreshing. And yet he doesn't come off as a mu ha ha villain, because he's so calm about it, like it's the most normal thing ever.

2. Ramsay - don't get me wrong: Ramsay is absolutely horrible,with no redeeming traits whatsoever, and probably the most evil person in the series. But he's still a convincing character, which makes him even scarier. He's got a lot of interesting psychological issues, like the whole thing about hating being a bastard, his complicated daddy issues, his relationships with the original Reek and Theon/Reek... But none of those things make him less of a monster or make him any more likable. I like the way that proves, with everything new we find out about him, that the idea that adding some backstory and complexity to a villain makes him more likable/sympathetic/less evil to is not true. Even his fans don't try to argue that he's not a complete evil bastard.

3. Littlefinger - interesting villain with intricate plans, a developed backstory, complex motivations, who's also evil and super creepy all the more for being relatively subtle (well, in the books, anyway). Definitely someone I love to hate. Would be higher if it wasn't for the fact that I imagine him being all self-pitying and telling himself how he was so mistreated when the girl he wanted didn't want him back, and her fiancee beat him in a duel after he idiotically challenged him, or how the society has done him so wrong by not letting him marry Catelyn (despite the fact she didn't want to marry him anyway) after he's been raised in more privileged conditions than most people in Westeros. Yeah, none of us has suffered an unrequited love/crush, that's enough to make you want to destroy everyone. :rolleyes: I hate when people try to make him into a woobie, like "poor nerd who didn't get the girl".

4. Tywin - like LF, an interesting character and an utter bastard who I really love to hate. He's not higher because the self-justifications combined with justifications of some of his fans drive me nuts.

5. Joffrey - super-annoying and evil and yet utterly convincing as a sadistic brat who should have never been allowed anywhere close to power. Not incredibly complex (though there are moments, mostly things Cersei thinks about Joffrey in her POVs), but hating him is so much fun.

6. Walder Frey - complete asshole, who is additionally annoying for his idiotic motivations and justifications. Still, he is funny in a dark way.

7. Gregor Clegane - Unlike Vargo, has little in the entertainment value, but is scary as fuck. Therefore I was in two minds who to rank higher, him or Vargo, but I went with who the scarier villain is.

8. Vargo Hoat - somehow never got to be as scary as he should be, considering the horrible things he does, maybe because it's hard to take him seriously. Nevertheleph, he phertainly provideph the entertainement factor

9. Euron Greyjoy - someone on Tumblr called him "anime villain". Something about him just doesn't click for me, maybe he'll work better as a character in the future, but right now I have trouble seeing him as a real human being. He's the only one of these villains who doesn't quite work as a character for me yet.

As a Ramsay fan, I completely agree that he's evil to the bone. I think the only person he was generally "not that cruel" to was the original Reek. Even to his mother, I have the impression that he did enough nasty things that she feared him (but still loved him). As for adding more backstory to Ramsay, I would like to see a scene of him with his mother. Does he send her some money or gifts? Does he show some gratitude to her? Stuff like that.

I wonder why he sort of have an inferiority complex about being a bastard. Did people mock his heritage when he was a young? He's described as a big, strong guy, so he could have just beaten up anyone who mocked him. His mother said that he was wild and unruly, suggesting that he was strong even in his youth. It seems that he only became abnormally cruel during his teenage years, after Reek joined him, as Roose does not know whether Ramsay corrupted Reek, or vice-versa.

I concur concerning Walder Frey's humour. Those heh and that insolence he showed King Robb, that was hilarious :lol:

I felt guilty for ranking that perv so low as I really like this character. He reminds me of Aegon IV, someone who enjoys unbound lust. But at least he generally cares about his descendants. Walder is extremely conservative and petty, but when others treat him like family, he returns the favor, as shown by the big military support he gave to King Robb. And when they slight him, he returns the slight, albeit with an exorbitant interest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...