The top half of our “Game of Thrones” rankings has only a little, because most of those in the top 10 are getting ready for next week’s massive battle. The bottom half, on the other hand, got a big shakeup this week. Some plans bore fruit, other plans failed hard, and two people were killed off. Before we dive into the rankings, let’s say goodbye to those who are making a permanent departure from it.
Farewell to…The Waif (Last week’s ranking: 11).
The Waif’s brutal tutelage and control over Arya put her high in our rankings for some time, but now that her face is on permanent display in the halls of the Faceless Men, thanks to Arya, she leaves the Top 20 for good.
Farewell to…Brynden Tully (15).
Ah, Blackfish. You were a marvelous warrior, but the stubborn refusal to back down that allowed you to claim Riverrun ended up costing you your life. (You’re probably OK with that.) Ser Brynden even got the dignity of dying offscreen, which is better than what many members of his house got at the Red Wedding.
Also dropping off:
Benjen Stark (18)
Lyanna Mormont (19)
20.) Cersei Lannister (20) — Once again, Cersei’s attempt regain power in grandiose fashion is casually swatted off by the Faith Militant. She has Clegane decapitate a man with his bare hands? Well, then the HS will just take away her ability to use him in trial by combat. Cersei only remains on the rankings because there’s the chance she might now know about Aerys’ secret wildfire stashes.
19.) Tyrion Lannister (13) — Season 6 has not been kind to the Imp. Since freeing the dragons, Tyrion has struggled to gain the trust of Missandei, Grey Worm, and the freed slaves. Now his plans to negotiate with the slavers have failed hard, and Queen Dany has to clean up his mess. Tyrion’s drinking and comic relief may win him fans, but the strategic brilliance he displayed in earlier seasons is M.I.A.
18.) Brienne of Tarth (16) — Despite her best efforts, Brienne failed to get the help of the stubborn Blackfish or to help the Tullys hold on to Riverrun. Now she and Pod must head back to the North empty-handed, only hoping that Jon and his forces will prevail when they arrive.
17.) Varys (NR) — Varys dodged the upcoming Battle of Meereen by getting on a ship back to Westeros to find more people who would support Daenerys. Could he end up crossing paths with Yara Greyjoy, and creating an alliance with her?
16.) Kinvara (NR) — The Red Priestess’ plans to convert Essos to the ways of R’hllor are in full swing, which could prove useful to Daenerys when the time comes for another locker room speech to rally everyone into battle.
15.) Walder Frey (NR) — The scumbag Walder and his incompetent house didn’t do anything to earn it, but Riverrun is back under Frey control. Considering the importance of that stronghold to the Starks’ attempts to reclaim the North, that’s an important power shift. Thanks to Jaime, Frey gets back into the rankings.
14.) Euron Greyjoy (10) — Another week without Euron means he keeps dropping down the ladder. With things coming to a head in King’s Landing, Meereen, and the North, we might not see Euron again until next season.
13.) Sandor Clegane (17) — The Hound is definitely back, taking the axe he once used on wood… to chop skulls and genitals. Now, in an ironic twist, he’s a full-fledged member of the group that once wanted him dead, the Brotherhood Without Banners.
12.) Jaime Lannister (NR) — Finally, one of the Lannisters figured out how to roar again. While his siblings flounder, Jaime found a way use Edmure Tully to retake Riverrun without any bloodshed (well, except for the Blackfish). His speech to Edmure about how he rationalizes what he does is uncomfortably true. When you get down to it, Sansa and Jon would burn down the world to save those they love, just like the Lannisters would.
11.) Petyr Baelish (12) — With Brienne failing to rally the Tullys, Littlefinger’s control over the Knights of the Vale becomes even more critical to next week’s battle. Will he respond to Sansa’s letter in time?
10.) Arya Stark (14) — Yeah, some fans rolled their eyes at how we were denied a final showdown between her and the Waif, and how she was surprisingly mobile for someone who got stabbed repeatedly, but Arya is indeed back. She’s returning to Westeros with the knowledge of an assassin, and a few Stark enemies might find some poison in their cups very soon.
9.) Davos Seaworth (8) — Davos has survived wildfire, dungeons, and Stannis’ folly. Now can he survive the Bolton forces? We’ll find out next week.
8.) Yara Greyjoy (7) — Yara is currently on a ship to Meereen to find Daenerys, who’s a little tied up at the moment. She may encounter Varys, however, and since they are both in desperate search for some allies, they may find what they need in each other.
7.) Bran Stark (6) — Another week without Bran, but it’s hard to think that we’ve seen the last of him this season. Bran’s visions have had huge implications for the story so far. Executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss may have one last vision to make us drop our jaws in the season finale.
6.) Sansa Stark (3) — She has done everything she could to get Jon the men he needs. Now all she can do is wait on the edge of the battlefield and see if she’s done enough to stop Ramsay.
5.) Jon Snow (9) — Though he didn’t appear in this episode, Jon jumps a few spots because next week, he will take center stage in the “Battle of the Bastards.” In the preview, we heard him ask Melisandre to not revive him again if Ramsay cuts him down. Will Jon’s return to the land of the living be short-lived?
4.) Ramsay Bolton (5) — He’s coming with a massive army and a soulless hunger for blood. If he wins next week, it may very well be the death knell for House Stark. Will Ramsay carry out the vicious promises he made in his letter to Jon? Next week, come and see.
3.) High Sparrow (4) — Any move Tommen makes that screws over the Tyrells and Lannisters has to be credited to the HS. By removing the right to a trial by combat, the High Sparrow has removed another one of Cersei’s pieces from the board. He doesn’t have many more moves he needs to make until it’s checkmate for the Queen Regent.
2.) Margaery Tyrell (2) — Queen Marge remains at No. 2 for the clever plans she’s developed over the last few weeks. However, if Cersei does indeed plan to use Aerys’ stockpile of wildfire against the Faith Militant, the greatest threat to Marge might not be the High Sparrow. It may be her mother-in-law.
1.) Daenerys Targaryen (1) — She’s back, y’all, and not a moment too soon. Meereen is under attack, as the slavers try to quash the Unsullied Rebellion for good. Even with the Dothraki reinforcements, victory is not guaranteed. But three fully grown dragons might tip the scales in her favor…that is, if Rhaegal and Viserion are willing to forgive their mom for chaining them up.