10 Times Tyrion Lannister Was Game Of Thrones’ Real Main Character

Game of Thrones may not be on screens anymore, but it will never be forgotten. Although other series have or will explore Westeros further, fans don’t think the spin-offs could compete with Game of Thrones due to the amazing plot points and beautifully complex characters. One of the most well-known characters is Tyrion Lannister. Although there’s no true main character in the series, Tyrion is the protagonist in many ways.

Tyrion is a rich man with many privileges in life, but he has been neglected and despised by those who were supposed to love him, and he suffers greatly because of it. He has a complicated story and some of the best scenes in Game of Thrones, making some fans believe that Tyrion is the real main character.

10 Tyrion Tries To Slap Sense Into Joffrey

Even though Joffrey becomes the king and ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, he is still Tyrion’s nephew. As fans know, Joffrey is despicable, entitled, and evil. However, there is no one to truly put him in his place, as he is heir to the throne and has been coddled by Cersei his entire life.

However, Tyrion doesn’t shy away from Joffrey, and when he refuses to be diplomatic, Tyrion slaps him. He slaps Joffrey again in another season, proving that the incident wasn’t a one-off. Tyrion truly feels no fear of the possible repercussions.

9 Tyrion’s Leadership At The Battle Of The Blackwater

Tyrion stands up, rallies the troops, and gives an impassioned speech before leading them into the Battle of the Blackwater. If he didn’t, it seemed nobody else would, and the outcome of the war could’ve been entirely different.

Tyrion and the troops decimated Stannis’ forces, pushed them back, and kept the city safe. Tyrion always had more of a military mind, as he was impeccably intelligent, but he still fought hard. He bravely stepped up when he was needed, which is the effort of a main character.

8 Tyrion’s Trial By Combat And The Aftermath Drove The Narrative

The iconic plot point of trial by combat between Oberyn and the Mountain surrounds Tyrion, as he is the one on trial. A trial by combat leaves the decision of the court up to fate. Unfortunately, fate wasn’t on Tyrion’s side.

This proved that Tyrion was the real main character of Game of Thrones, as his role in this situation drove a lot of the narrative. Oberyn dies, which leads Ellaria to enact revenge and kill Myrcella. Additionally, the Mountain’s poisoning leads to his resurrection, his siding with Cersei, and doing her bidding, as well as his end while fighting his brother.

7 Tyrion Escapes Imprisonment At The Eyrie

Tyrion repeatedly proves his impressive ability to survive throughout Game of Thrones, and it is put on full display when he is imprisoned at the Eyrie. Tyrion manages to convince the guard watching over him to hear him out through trial and error and many beatings.

Even against impossible odds, and while he’s far away from family or anybody he can trust, Tyrion is still victorious. He wins his trial by combat with Bronn as his champion and keeps his promise to the guard by paying his debts.

6 The Interaction With Daenerys’ Dragons

The fact that Tyrion was able to safely approach, touch, and free Daenerys’ dragons shows there was a lot of trust. It seems that Targaryens can bond and interact with their dragons due to it being their birthright and in their blood. Therefore, Tyrion had many fans convinced that he might actually be a Targaryen.

Dragons are highly intelligent creatures, so they must’ve seen something in Tyrion to allow him to enter their space. It also proved to fans that he was a major player in Game of Thrones and Westeros.

5 Tyrion Brings Everybody Together

Tyrion has such a huge influence because he is a smart man with a good reputation for logic and decision-making. So, when he proposes capturing a wight, Tyrion manages to get everybody on board with the mission and secure a meeting. He even brings Daenerys and Cersei face-to-face, which is pretty impressive considering they have both declared themselves queen.

Daenerys loses one of her dragons, Viserion, while enacting Tyrion’s plans. Everyone has faith in his diplomacy to the point where they all end up coming to an agreement regarding the upcoming war. Of course, Cersei has no intention of actually helping, but for a moment, it seems he has solved things.

4 The Courtroom Scene Proved Tyrion’s Tenacity

After being accused of murdering Joffrey, Tyrion is put on trial for his alleged crimes against the king. However, Tyrion is innocent. While his father knows this and could easily put an end to his trial, Tywin chooses not to.

Tyrion tells Tywin that he wishes to confess, faces the court, and tells them that he should have let them all die. Tyrion then turns to his father and delivers a fantastic speech about his guilt, even expressing that he wished he had killed Joffrey. In the end, Tyrion demands a trial by combat, ending one of the greatest episodes of Game of Thrones.

3 Tyrion Killed Shae And Tywin

The best characters in Game of Thrones aren’t the most morally good. They’re the ones who have suffered and struggled, compromised their morals, and had a complex life. Even so, the best characters grow and develop through it all.

Tyrion kills his lover, Shae, and his father, Tywin. Killing possibly the most powerful man in Westeros was already grounds to declare Tyrion the main character of Game of Thrones. Tyrion really steals the spotlight with his emotional interaction with Shae, and ultimately put an end to his father’s abuse.

2 The Trust Tyrion Builds With Daenerys

Tyrion manages to convince Daenerys to trust him. Considering the history between the Targaryens and Lannisters, this is a phenomenal feat, and it seems to be overlooked. The Lannisters and Targaryens have a complicated history.

Jaime Lannister, Tyrion’s brother, killed Aerys Targaryen, Dany’s father. Cersei Lannister married Robert Baratheon, who killed Dany’s brother Rhaegar, and Robert sat on the throne that belonged to the Targaryens. Lannister’s children then sat on the throne before Cersei took it for herself. With all this, Tyrion still manages to earn Dany’s trust and even becomes Hand of the Queen.

1 Tyrion Brings About Dany’s Death And Bran’s Reign

Jon Snow was very much in love with Daenerys. He dedicated himself to her as both his lover and his queen, and they had a passionate relationship. Yet, Tyrion was still able to convince Jon to put all of that aside and end Daenerys’ life. That is Tyrion’s influence.

Even after being declared a traitor and having played a part in the murder of the queen, people still let Tyrion speak. Tyrion gets Bran elected as king in an astonishing turn of events and changes the entire system of how rulers are chosen. That is an incredibly impressive amount of influence, and it shows Tyrion’s main character energy.

NEXT: 10 Times Tyrion Lannister Made Stupid Decisions In Game Of Thrones