The eighth and final season of HBO‘s hit fantasy series Game of Thrones thoroughly disappointed many fans, as the series did not end the way they wanted it to. As HBO’s next outing in the world of Westeros is right around the corner with House of the Dragon set to premiere on August 21, 2022, let’s take a look at one of the things that let fans down the most.
Season eight of the series was a ride, to say the least, with characters who were introduced in season one dying like they were nothing. It also delivered on an expectation that we had been waiting for from the first season, on who would rule the Iron Throne. The show’s conclusion gave us Bran, son of Ned and Catelyn Stark, as the King of Westeros. Many fans were not happy with that choice, especially seeing as – in most people’s opinions – there were far better options still alive.
Let’s take a look at some of those options, along with characters long-deceased, with ten characters who would have made a better ruler of Westeros, instead of Bran.
Jon Snow
Jon Snow would have made an excellent choice for the ruler of Westeros, had he not been exiled to the Wall. Played by Kit Harington, Snow was originally known as the bastard of Ned Stark, the former Lord of Winterfell, Snow was really Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Jon rose to the ranks of Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch before traitors led by Alliser Thorne murdered him. Jon was subsequently resurrected by Melisandre, a Red Priestess.
Snow managed to convince the Wildlings from beyond the Wall to fight with him against the White Walkers, and managed to, with the help of Sansa Stark and as the King in the North, unite the armies to fight against the White Walkers in the Great War. He stated multiple times throughout the last season that he did not want the throne, which is a great quality in a leader. He also had a genuine claim to the throne and had a great military mind, which would have made him a great King. If only he wasn’t exiled for killing our next choice.
Daenerys Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen would have been the perfect choice for Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, had she not gone down the path of vengeance and destruction. The daughter of Aerys and Rhaella Targaryen, Daenerys, played by Emilia Clarke, was taken out of Westeros after the murder of her family by the Baratheon and Lannister forces. She lived with her abusive brother and then with her arranged husband Khal Drogo, and through a series of events, she managed to become the mother of three dragons. With them, she freed the Unsullied and made Mereen free by conquering it. She then united the Dothraki and sailed across the sea to conquer Westeros.
After two of her dragons were killed, along with her best friend Doreah, and advisor Missandei, Daenerys went mad and leveled King’s Landing. Seeing the madness she had wrought was enough to convince Jon Snow that she didn’t deserve to be Queen of Westeros, so he killed her. However, her story throughout the entirety of Game of Thrones showed character growth that didn’t feel addressed in the last season, and we feel that if she had stayed true to her character, she would have made a great ruler.
Yara Greyjoy
Yara Greyjoy, the Lady of the Iron Islands, would have been one of the best rulers Westeros had ever seen. Yara, played by Gemma Whelan, was the daughter of Balon and Alannys Greyjoy and sister to Theon Greyjoy. After Theon was taken as a ward – and captive – by Ned Stark, Balon raised Yara to be a reaver, and one of the strongest of all the Ironborn.
Yara’s claim to the Iron Islands was challenged by her uncle, Euron, who killed her father. Euron went on to build up the Iron Fleet, working with Cersei Lannister to destroy Yara’s forces. Yara crossed the seas to Mereen to convince Daenerys that she could help her conquer Westeros while defeating Euron’s forces. While their ideas did not go as planned, traveling to Mereen showed diplomacy at a critical time, which is a great trait for a ruler to have.
Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark
The Warden of the North and the Lord of Winterfell, Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark would have made a great king. As Warden of the North, Ned never backed down from his duty. He also cared about his family and attempted to do what was best for them, including Jon Snow, his sister’s son. Ned Stark was played by Sean Bean in the series.
Ned Stark was the catalyst for the game of thrones in the first place, uncovering the secret behind Jon Arryn’s murder, that Cersei Lannister’s children were not Robert Baratheon’s children, but the children of her brother, Jaime Lannister. Unfortunately, exposing this information, and letting Cersei know that he knew the truth, resulted in his execution, which started the War of the Five Kings. He never wanted the throne – like his bastard son Jon Snow – but he still would have made a great ruler, as he was a great Warden of the North.
Olenna Tyrell
Lady Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thornes, would have made for an excellent ruler, but there was no way she could have sat upon the Iron Throne. Lady Olenna was played by the late Dame Diana Rigg. She was the widow to Luthor Tyrell, mother to Mace Tyrell, and grandmother to both Margaery Tyrell and Loras Tyrell.
Olenna was the last Tyrell, with Mace, Loras, and Margaery all perishing in Cersei’s bombing of the Great Sept of Baelor. So, when she took the poison offered to her by Jaime Lannister, the Tyrell line became extinct. But not before she told Jaime that she was the one who poisoned Joffery. Even in her last moments, she showed more courage and tenacity than most of the Kings who sat upon the Iron Throne in the entire series.
Tywin Lannister
Tywin Lannister is probably the worst person on this list, but he still would have been a better pick for the Iron Throne than Bran. Portrayed by Charles Dance in the series, Tywin Lannister was the head of the Lannister house, and father to Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion.
Even though Tywin despised Tyrion and not only dissolved his first marriage, but wanted to kill him at almost every chance he had, he was a good Hand of the King under Tommen and, briefly, Joffrey. He also not only managed to successfully lead Casterly Rock, but he also steered House Lannister to the highest positions in Westeros. Unfortunately, Tyrion killed Tywin while he was sitting on a toilet. Although, on second thought, maybe that was for the best.
Robb Stark
The King in the North, Robb Stark would have made an excellent Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, had Walder Frey not betrayed him. Robb Stark was played by Richard Madden in Game of Thrones. The eldest son of Ned and Catelyn Stark, Robb was the Lord of Winterfell after Ned was executed in King’s Landing. During the War of the Five Kings, Robb proved he knew how to rule, showing military aptitude and becoming the King in the North.
Robb Stark, along with his mother, Catelyn Stark, his wife Talisa Stark, and her unborn child, were all brutally murdered at the Red Wedding. Robb was stabbed by Roose Bolton and took a number of arrows to the body, and that put an end to the King in the North, and one of the better choices to rule the Seven Kingdoms.
Lyanna Mormont
Lyanna Mormont might have been the bravest person in Westeros and Westeros could have used a brave ruler. Lyanna Mormont was played by Bella Ramsey in the series. When her mother, Maege Mormont, died during the War of the Five Kings, Lyanna took her place as Lady of Bear Island.
Lyanna was only ten when she received the title of Lady of Bear Island, and she managed to earn the respect of the entire North. She was not only outspoken, but courageous, standing up to Jon Snow, and fighting in the Great War. Unfortunately, during the Great War, Lyanna was crushed by a giant, but not before she drove a dragonglass dagger through its eye. Many great characters were lost in the Great War, but Lyanna’s death was heartbreaking because of the future should could have cherished.
Mance Rayder
Mance Rayder was the King-Beyond-the-Wall, and just as he united the Wildlings to move against the Night’s Watch, he could have united the Seven Kingdoms, had he been given a chance on the throne. Rayder was played by Ciarán Hinds in Game of Thrones. Mance Rayder was a ranger of the Night’s Watch before he fled north of the Wall and set down roots among the Wildlings.
While Westeros might have had no respect for him, and what he accomplished, leading the Wildlings would have been more difficult than leading the Dothraki or any other army in Westeros. If he could convince the Wildlings to unite, imagine what he could have done to unite the people of Westeros. He was taken out of the running for King early when he refused to bend a knee to Stannis Baratheon, so he burnt him alive for it. Jon Snow prevented his prolonged suffering by killing him with an arrow.
Jaime Lannister
Who better to be King of Westeros than the man dubbed Kingslayer? Jaime was played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the series. He was the eldest son of Tywin Lannister and Joanna Lannister and brother to Tyrion and Cersei. He was also the father of Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, through an incestual relationship with his sister Cersei.
Jaime Lannister was in the Kingsguard for a number of years, serving a number of different Kings and one Queen. He earned the name Kingslayer after killing King Aerys Targaryen when he threatened to burn down King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellion. Alongside Tyrion as Hand of the King, Jaime could have been a fantastic ruler. Even though Jaime Lannister definitely had his flaws, he truly showed the most character growth throughout the series, right up until the end. If he had not decided to go to Cersei’s side to die alongside her, he would have made a great King, not that he ever would have been given the chance.
There were many Lords and Ladies who would have made for a better ruler than Bran, but unfortunately, HBO did not see it that way. Maybe George R. R. Martin’s version of events will turn out differently, if and when there’s a live-action adaptation of his next novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series: A Clash of Kings.
House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO on August 21, 2022.
