When talking about Game of Thrones, it’s easy to think of epic storylines, wild plot twists, and characters getting killed off without warning (except for the ending, which didn’t sit well with fans). But behind every battle and every betrayal, there’s one constant: the game for power. Over 8 seasons, different characters tried to control the fate of Westeros – some with brute force, others with brains, and many through quiet manipulation. Still, figuring out who truly held power in the show is trickier than it looks. A dragon might turn the tide of war, but a whispered secret at the right moment can decide the fate of entire kingdoms. So which characters made the biggest impact and really stood out as powerful?
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These are the 10 most powerful characters in Game of Thrones, not just for their fighting skills or fancy titles, but for how much they actually affected the plot. Power, after all, comes in many forms.
10) Lord Varys
Lord Varys is another character who embodies silent power. With no army, no noble house, and no territory, all he has is his information. Yet that is enough, because his network of spies shapes the decisions of kings and councils. He anticipates betrayals, spots fragile alliances, and tries, until the very end, to serve the good of the kingdom.
But what’s most striking is that, despite being a manipulator, Varys acts with an ethic many others lack. This could also be said of Tyrion Lannister, for example, but what pulls Varys out of the shadows and places him among the most powerful is his impact on strategic decisions. Unlike Tyrion, who falters as Hand, Varys helps Daenerys reach where she does, tries to protect Jon Snow, and recognizes dangers before everyone else. His end is tragic but fitting somehow: he loses because he plays too clean in a game where everyone is brutal. Still, until the last second, he influences the board.
9) Tywin Lannister
Here, we have the archetype of traditional power: war, strategy, discipline, and absolute control. Tywin Lannister is the real mastermind behind the Lannister reign. While Cersei remained unpredictable and Jaime acted on impulse, Tywin ruled with an iron fist. He manipulates alliances, orchestrates marriages, and eliminates threats with ruthless efficiency.
At first, he might not seem like one of the most powerful characters, but even after his death, his decisions continue to shape the course of Westeros. He’s the kind of figure who never needs to raise his voice or fight to be feared. Tywin commands through respect and fear, which in Westeros can be worth more than many armies. After his death, his absence is naturally felt as if something essential is missing, destabilizing House Lannister – a clear testament to how powerful he truly was.
8) Sansa Stark
At first glance, Sansa Stark seems powerless. She doesn’t start out strong, quite the opposite. However, maybe that’s why many underestimate just how much she grows. By the end of the series, she becomes one of the most solid political figures in Westeros. Unlike Cersei, for example, she learns from the mistakes of others. Sansa manages to survive dangerous characters like Littlefinger, Ramsay Bolton, and even the political game of King’s Landing, ending up with total control of the North – which she turns into an independent kingdom.
She doesn’t kill anyone, cast spells, or lead armies, but she knows how to lead with wisdom, diplomacy, and firmness. In the end, Sansa becomes a true queen, achieving what many tried to force: political freedom without war. Her power is silent but real. And while many others fall, she rules.
7) Cersei Lannister
Cersei Lannister is driven by ambition and trauma, and unlike other Game of Thrones characters who inherit power, she conquers the throne using extreme methods: destroying the Great Sept of Baelor with wildfire, eliminating rivals, and manipulating allies with precise intelligence. She doesn’t have armies loyal out of devotion; she has them because she knows how to play the game better than most. That takes power.
Cersei’s reign is built on fear and manipulation, which fits perfectly with her trajectory. Even surrounded by enemies, she survives far longer than expected. Most impressively, she remains a threat until the very last episode. In terms of political power and territorial control, she is undeniably one of the most dominant characters in the show – even without leaving the throne to fight battles.
6) Melisandre
One of the most hated characters in Game of Thrones is Melisandre. She swings between fanaticism and strategic vision, but no one can deny she is powerful. Her connection to the Lord of Light makes her responsible for acts that completely change the course of the series, such as the murder of Renly Baratheon and, of course, the resurrection of Jon Snow. She also anticipates Arya’s role in the fall of the Night King and has a presence that always unbalances any situation she appears in.
She may not always be right in her prophecies, but her influence easily crosses kingdoms, armies, and even death. Melisandre is a reminder that magic can be as decisive as politics or force (if not more so). Unlike other users of this kind of power, she understands the cost of her actions, which makes her even more complex and dangerous.
5) Petyr Baelish
Here comes another type of power, but one that is far too dangerous. Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish has no dragons, no army, no magic, nor a name from a great house. Yet he manages to influence the course of history in a significant way because he is the driving force behind several major crises: the War of the Five Kings, the collapse of the Starks in King’s Landing, and even the tension between Sansa and Arya. He survives for years by manipulating everyone around him with an almost cynical calm.
If the criterion is manipulation and political game-playing, he is one of the best in the show, and only falls when he finally underestimates the Starks. Until then, he moves pieces with a coldness that makes even Tywin Lannister seem impulsive. Baelish proves that power doesn’t come only from the sword, but also from the ability to predict everyone’s next move before they themselves know what it is.
4) Arya Stark
Arya Stark started the show as a rebellious child, but ended up as one of the most lethal assassins. Training with the Faceless Men turned her into a walking weapon, capable of silently killing any target – even the most protected. And unlike other characters with military or political power, Arya is a force of direct action. With her, there’s no small talk. She doesn’t command, she eliminates without mercy.
However, what really secures her place on this list is the fact that she kills the Night King. No other character, no matter how magical or strategic, came close to achieving this. In short, she literally saves everyone and redefines the course of the war. That alone would be enough, but there’s more: the fact that she does it on her own, without anyone’s help, only reinforces how much of a decisive piece she is in the whole game.
3) Night King
The great villain of Game of Thrones, the Night King is, objectively, the greatest physical and supernatural threat in the entire series. He commands an army of the dead, is practically invulnerable, and has the absurd ability to resurrect thousands of bodies with a simple wave of his arm. The Wall, which stood for thousands of years as a line of defense, simply falls when he decides to cross it with the help of a corrupted dragon. That’s no small feat.
The worst part is that he doesn’t speak, plot, or form alliances, yet he’s the only character who manages to unify almost all the kingdoms under a single goal: defeating him. The fact that he was killed in a single blow may seem like a hasty resolution, but until that moment, the Night King had redefined the priorities of all of Westeros. The terror he represents is enough to place him among the most powerful, without question.
2) Daenerys Targaryen
Probably the character who concentrates the most different types of power throughout the show, Daenerys Targaryen has dragons, a relentless army, leadership charisma, and a clear mission. Few characters move so many people and dismantle so many systems the way she does. When Daenerys arrives, the political game shifts – and she doesn’t ask for permission. Her rise is built not just on strength, but also on idealism and presence.
The problem is that, by the end, this power spirals out of control. She is powerful, yes, but her downfall shows how unchecked power can destroy everything around it. Still, she belongs to that select group of characters who truly shaped the fate of Westeros, whether through the fear or the hope she inspired. Daenerys was reborn from the ashes, destined for greatness, and remains undeniably powerful.
1) Bran Stark
Bran Stark may seem apathetic for much of the series, but there’s no denying it: as the Three-Eyed Raven, he becomes one of the most powerful figures in the Game of Thrones universe. His ability to see the past, the present, and the future (more vaguely) gives him access to information no other character has. He doesn’t need swords, armies, or alliances to be decisive. Knowing everything that has happened and is happening in Westeros is a kind of power that transcends any other.
Besides, Bran is the one who ultimately wins the game and takes the throne – although not because he sought it, but because it was inevitable in the absence of better alternatives. That alone justifies his place on this list. His victory marks a drastic shift in the concept of power in Westeros: domination by force gives way to domination by knowledge. Whether you agree with the choice or not, Bran ends up on top.
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