As House of the Dragon leaps back 200 years before the events ofGame of Thrones, it’s worth remembering how many brilliant characters the original show had.
Some went through huge changes across the seasons, such as Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), who went from annoying teenager to battle-worn ruler of Winterfell.
Others established themselves as some of the best villains to have ever been depicted on screen, the twisted King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) perhaps being the best example.
Then there are those characters who were only around for one or two seasons, yet they still had a massive impact on the show. Perhaps the best example is Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), who quickly became a fan-favourite before reaching a splattered demise.
There were over 40 main characters (those where the actors have “main” billing) and dozens more series regulars on Game of Thrones. The Independent has ranked all the main players from the show – along with a few others for good measure.
Flick through the below gallery to see the 70 best Game of Thrones characters, ranked.
This article was originally published on 14 September 2019, ahead of the show’s eighth season
