Feats N' Faults, GOT: Lannister
Always Pays Their Debts
Welcome back to Feats N’ Faults, where we use our Tiered Point System to rank and record our favorite characters based on their achievements and deeds. For a more in depth look on how points are awarded, please check the About page. Below is our Tier System for quick reference. Spoiler Warning!
The Lannisters enter the Feats N’ Faults arena to see if anyone from their house will make it into the Top Team for Game of Thrones. There are only so many spots to fill to create the statistically best ruling counsel. Will the Lannisters secure any of these positions? Let’s find out. This week’s challengers include Tyrion, Tywin, Jaime, Myrcella, Tommen, Joffrey, Lancel, and Cersei. If anyone wants to play at home, go ahead and list these challengers from least to greatest, and let me know how your lists turned out in the comments.
Let’s Get Started!
8th Place, Lancel Lannister: 0 FN’F Score (2011-2016) 16 ep.
Lancel tried his best to forge his own path. The expectations and success of his family were too much for him to bear. Lancel was left broken after Cersei used him and tossed him aside in Jaime’s absence. Searching for new meaning he found himself in the company of the High Sparrow. Here he found his conviction and grew a spine. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. He ran away from the battle before he captured the High Septum. These Feats and Faults cancel each other out and he is still left with a 0 score.
7th Place, Myrcella Baratheon: 0 FN’F Score (2011-2016) 15 ep.
Myrcella is the only Lannister who did nothing. Sure, her official name is Baratheon, but we all know she has the blood of a Lannister. Like, a lot of Lannister blood. Jaime is her true father and is the only one who actually went to try and rescue her. In the end, Myrcella is killed with a poisoned kiss to get back at Cersei. She never had a chance to get married, rule a kingdom, or make any lasting change. She was also in the least number of episodes when compared to anyone from her family, so her score tracks.
6th Place, Tommen Baratheon: 4 FN’F Score (2011-2016) 24 ep.
Tommen throws his crown into the ring. While not the longest-lasting Lannister, he was one of the best people in the family. He was one of the only ones who was not self-centered and actually wanted what was best for the kingdom. If it was not for his mother's meddling, he would have been a great king under the advice of his wife Margery and his grandfather Tywin. Cersei could not stand losing her grip on power and had to interfere. She blew up her own son’s wife and created the high sparrow occupation. In the end, she became Queen but forced poor Tommen to take his own life. I honestly think Tommen would have been the best King in the Seven Realms and been a contender for our king position in the top ruling council.
5th Place, Joffrey Baratheon: 12 FN’F Score (2011-2014) 26 ep.
This little monster was the terror of Westeros during his admittedly short reign. This pompous ass drove the Stark family to scatter in the wind, tortured prostitutes, and was eager and willing to kill his own subjects. Almost drowning a man with wine during his coronation. While his little brother might have been the best ruler, there is no doubt that Joffrey would have been the worst. His death is one of the best moments in the series and sticks in everyone’s mind. He might have been king, but not my king! We are blessed that his score is this low, as it gives us a better chance of avoiding him for our top ruling council.
4th Place, Cersei Lannister: 18 FN’F Score (2011-2019) 62 ep.
Up next is Cersei, who wants the crown more than anyone. It might surprise you all to see her with this low of a score. She is a force to be reckoned with in GOT, but much of her power comes from threats and being associated with those in power. She rarely got her hands dirty or backed those threats up. They were pivotal moments in the season but still few and far between if she did. Even these pivotal moments were met with consequences. She created the High Sparrow and caused most of her own suffering in the last seasons. Shame, Shame, Shame.
There are just so many characters in this series that she had to share screen time with. However, saying that she was in 62 episodes. She is one of the few that lasted from the first episode to the last season. In the end, she acquired her kingdom. She sacrificed her children to do it and pushed the one man who cared about her away, but she did it. Wait she only had power for like a week? Yay….good for you…I guess?
3rd Place, Tywin Lannister: 20 FN’F Score (2011-2015) 27 ep.
I don’t know if Tywin would be proud or disappointed that he scored less than his two sons. On the one hand, his sons created a more significant impact on the world, but on the other hand, he was overshadowed by his embarrassment of a son. What the hell am I saying? Of course, he’d be furious. His legacy was killed while sitting on the toilet. You know what they always say: Tywin is the Elvis of Game of Thrones.
Even with his poopy death, Tywin was a force. He commanded the Lannister army and never did anything to earn him a fault. 27 episodes in a show of backstabbing and hard decisions, and still, not a bad move in sight. He destroyed houses, saved Kings Landing, and became the Hand of the King. Not too shabby of a legacy.
I always appreciated Tywin. He ran a lean kingdom. Some of my favorite scenes in the show are when he interacts with Arya whom he captured unwittingly. The mind games they play grip you and dare you to look away. They have mutual respect for one another even though they’re enemies at the time. I would love to see Tywin on our final council. He would be a tremendous asset to our Top Tier Kingdom. Let’s look at some other IPs for context on Tywin’s achievements. He beat another fantastic politician, Leia Organa, from Star Wars. He also overcame another royal family by defeating Kili from The Hobbit.
2nd Place, Tyrion Lannister: 26 FN’F Score (2011-2019) 67 ep.
Tyrion overcame the most hardship to get where he is. Sure, he had the family name on his back, but he was still a dwarf. In this world, he was constantly looked down on and hated by society and his family. He used this to his advantage by letting people underestimate him. Clawing his way to the top of two different kingdoms. he was hand to the king and hand to the queen. He was also one of the few who was in the first and final episode. He survived war, white walker invasions, and dragons. Tyrion knew how to get around from the top of the wall to as far south as Mareen. He traveled the most, talked the most, and definitely drank the most. Not the best with a weapon but he crafted words to turn the tides of battle. He would be an asset to any council, so it is no wonder he found himself on the winning side. He even shown brighter than his father. Not beating some nephew of a king but tying with Thoran Oakenshield himself.
1st Place, Jaime Lannister: 36 FN’F Score (2011-2019) 55 ep.
The Kingslayer is the top of the Lannister family. He was able to lead armies… unless they were attacked by dragons. He was also the greatest swordsman in the land….well, until he got his hand cut off. Well, at least he had a terrific survival instinct… unless his sister was underneath falling rubble. Hmm, ok, so he doesn’t have the best judgment skills, but he was good at killing people. He also had the guts to go and fight the Night King instead of waiting and hiding in Kings Landing. He has some questionable faults, but his feats make him stand out among his family and all the representatives from Game of Thrones. He was a kind guard, and with this score, he stands a good chance of keeping that role for our Top Tier Council.
Thanks for tuning into another Feats N’ Faults. We are cruising through the Game of Thrones houses. We’ll be ready to build our statistically best council in no time! If there are any IPs that you want covered, let me know in the comments. I appreciate all the support, so don’t forget to subscribe and tell a friend! I hope you all have a beautiful week.
Until Next Time!
Jaime beating Tyrion was certainly unexpected! Also, I'd argue Cersei deserves a few points for successfully carrying out a coup in s1, killing Robert and installing her son on the throne all on her own without Tywins interference. Sure, some of it was on Ned for not making smarter choices, but she did get Robert killed. She's not the best strategist but s1 Cersei had a plan and the will to carry it out.