In Game Of Thrones, which family a person is born into will play a significant role in deciding their fate. However, an individual’s own ability to use their status, or overcome it, often depends on how clever they are and how well they can use their knowledge.
While Game Of Thrones features plenty of cunning manipulators and skilled tacticians, it also has its fair share of characters who rely less upon their brains and more upon their brawn. Those characters are so dedicated to duty that they can’t make the smart decisions they need to.
10 Not Smart: Robert Baratheon Drank Away His Kingdom
Robert Baratheon was a great warrior in his youth. But when the weight of the Seven Kingdoms fell upon his shoulders, he quickly began to crumble. Turning away from the realm and his family, he was smart enough (or lazy enough) to leave the kingdom in the hands of Jon Arryn, his Hand of the King.
Not necessarily a stupid man, Robert proved on many occasions that, instead of learning to rule, he would turn to alcohol and expect others to handle matters for him. It was this attitude that would eventually lead to his death.
9 Smart: Olenna Tyrell Managed To Pull Off Some Of The Best Schemes
Few would suspect that the kind Olenna Tyrell is one of the realm’s most able and cunning masters of intrigue. However, the Queen of Thorns proved she was not a person to cross. Her grasp of the game of thrones and her dedication to helping her family made her one of the most dangerous people in the Seven Kingdoms.
It became exceedingly clear in later seasons just how smart Olenna was, being the mastermind behind Joffrey’s death and her granddaughter’s marriage to the next king. She even got the last laugh on Cersei and Jaime at the end, even though it would cost her her life.
8 Not Smart: The Mountain Was A Brute And Little More
Few characters in Game Of Thrones developed as fearsome a reputation as Gregor Clegane, otherwise known as the Mountain. As a servant of House Lannister, he was sent by Tywin to cause death, destruction, and fear amongst their enemies. He took to this role exceedingly well.
Despite his terrifying nature, there was little else to the Mountain other than a sadistic monster who delighted in the pain and misery of others. After his transformation at the hands of Qyburn, his transition into a mindless minion of destruction was complete.
7 Smart: Petyr Baelish Used His Cunning To Climb The Ladder
One of the more detestable characters in Game Of Thrones, Petyr Baelish valued nothing more than himself and would do anything to overcome his lowly origins to rise to the top. Few acts were too dishonorable for him to engage in. He would not hesitate to manipulate anyone who he thought could benefit him.
However, it’s clear that Petyr was intelligent, cunning, and resourceful. He evolves from a minor Vale lordling to one of the most powerful positions in the Seven Kingdoms. His constant manipulation would eventually catch up with him, however, when he ended up on the wrong side of the Stark sisters.
6 Not Smart: Joffrey Was Foolish And Cruel
One of the most hated characters in all of Game Of Thrones, Joffrey was a petulant and arrogant child with a sociopathic streak. Even worse, Joffrey was enabled by his equally corrupt mother.
Along with being a monster in the garb of a king, Joffrey also displayed a certain lack of awareness and aptitude that was present in most other members of his family, some of whom counted among the skilled manipulators in all of the kingdom.
5 Smart: Sansa Learned From Some Of The Best
Though she may have started Game Of Thrones as something of a spoiled child, Sansa faced hardships that would force her to grow into a cunning survivor. Along the way, she learned from some of the savviest individuals in the Seven Kingdoms and she would later put those skills to use.
Her rise to Queen of the North was not something that came about naturally. Instead, it was a result of her own ability to play the game. She found supporters, culled her enemies, and eventually positioned herself as a powerful woman that few would dare challenge.
4 Not Smart: Jon Snow Was A Good Leader But Was No Genius
There is a reason that one of the most famous lines in Game Of Thrones is “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” While Jon may have been a skilled and charismatic leader, he certainly lacked some common sense.
This isn’t to say Jon is a stupid man, but rather one who thinks with his heart rather than his head. This would get him in trouble on more than one occasion, but would also help him remain as one of the few heroic characters in Game Of Thrones.
3 Smart: Samwell Tarly Understood The Importance Of Knowledge
Sometimes forgotten among the more prominent members of Game Of Thrones, Samwell Tarly was a member of the Night’s Watch and studied under one of its oldest members, Aemon Targaryen. Throughout his time, he would prove that he was one of the smartest characters in Game Of Thrones and that his claim of being a coward was unfounded.
Sam displays on several occasions that he understands just how important knowledge will be in saving the realm from the Night King. He did all he could to search for solutions to the dangerous threat they faced, playing an instrumental role in the survival of all the Seven Kingdoms.
2 Not Smart: Edmure Tully Was Mocked For His Foolishness
Edmure Tully is often presented as something of a bumbling, inept fool in Game Of Thrones, and he rarely does anything to dissuade viewers of that notion. He shows on several occasions that he lacks the political awareness needed by someone in his position and rarely seems aware of his own failings.
Though he may not be a smart character, Edmure seems a good-hearted one. He may be somewhat of an embarrassment to the House he leads, but he remains as one of the few honorable lords in the realm.
1 Smart: Tyrion Lannister Was Cunning, Clever, And Well-Read
Tyrion Lannister is one of the smartest characters in Game Of Thrones, with few characters able to match him. Although, in the early seasons, Tyrion loved drinking and spending time with women more than pursuing any intellectual endeavors.
Tyrion is more than just clever. On several occasions, he shows that he has a wide breadth of knowledge and the skills to put his brains to use. In many ways, this is what helped him survive throughout Game Of Thrones. It’s also why, despite his setbacks, he could find a way to claw himself out of the terrible situations he found himself in.
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