Admit It, 'Game of Thrones' Ruined Tyrion

Publish date: 2024-09-25

The Big Picture

Peter Dinklage initially charmed in Game of Thrones as the brilliant Tyrion Lannister who divides his time between sex and drinking. Always ready with a quip, Tyrion is instantly the most endearing of the Lannisters and famously describes himself by saying, "I drink, and I know things." On top of being a clever tactician and someone who understands the political games of Westeros, Tyrion is beloved for his kindness and empathy for others (a trait not normally found in Lannisters). Tyrion starts as a central character who plays a pivotal role in the Battle of the Blackwater in Season 2 and shoots his father with a crossbow in Season 4 after coming to a breaking point with his family's betrayal. However, showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff ruined Tyrion Lannister in the final seasons of Game of Thrones by wasting his potential, relegating him to a less active role, and giving him an unexplored antagonistic relationship with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

Game Of Thrones

Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.

What Made Tyrion So Likeable at the Start of 'Game of Thrones'?

Tyrion endears audiences while still maintaining an interesting and active role in the early events of Game of Thrones. Among the rest of the Lannisters, Tyrion stands out as the most sympathetic. In Season 1, professing his fondness toward "broken things," Tyrion gives a riding saddle to Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) after his fall leaves him unable to use his legs. Tyrion also bonds with Jon Snow (Kit Harington), giving him the sobering advice, "Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not."

Luckless in love, Tyrion often seeks out sex workers for company. However, he remains faithful to Shae (Sibel Kekilli) during their secret relationship, seemingly possessing a genuine love for her. During a game of truths, Tyrion's tragic past with his first love, a commoner named Tysha is revealed, further driving home the Lannisters' disregard for Tyrion and his happiness. When Tyrion is ordered to marry Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), he demonstrates how honorable he is, as one of the few men close to the teenager who refuses to take advantage of her.

Although Tyrion loves books, he doesn't simply value brains over brawn. Tyrion steps up to fight when others won't. He rallies the hill tribes in the Vale to fight alongside the Lannisters, and he makes wise tactical calls and rallies troops during the Battle of the Blackwater, which leads to King's Landing holding out long enough for Tywin (Charles Dance) to arrive with Lannister and Martell reinforcements.

When Tyrion is wrongfully accused of killing his nephew, he condemns the populace of King's Landing for betraying him when he was prepared to die for them. Full of surprises and unexpected depths, after his betrayal by his father, Tyrion kills Tywin and Shae. His apologies to his dead paramour further deepen his character in compelling, yet morally gray ways, indicating new darker depths.

Tyrion Fails as Hand of the Queen in Final Seasons of 'Game of Thrones'

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In Season 6, not long after he arrives in Meereen, Tyrion makes a terrible peace deal with slavers that backfires spectacularly. Later, Tyrion's early moves during Daenerys's conquest in Westeros cost her dearly, losing Daenerys her alliance with Highgarden when Tyrion fails to anticipate that his brother, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), will move on the Reach instead of defending the Lannister ancestral seat at Casterly Rock. In another poor move, newfound sympathy for his sister Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) clouds his judgment further, giving Cersei even more advantages when she lies that she will send soldiers to the fight at the Wall. None of this writing feels consistent with Tyrion's demonstrated intelligence. Daenerys even rightly blames Tyrion for his poor calls as her Hand of the Queen, but inexplicably still keeps him in the position of power, which comes across as more confusing writing.

Although the similarities between Tyrion and Tywin could have foreshadowed his eventual betrayal of Daenerys, his early missteps during her conquest in Westeros speak more to incompetence than deliberate scheming. For example, letting his brother Jaime Lannister free before King's Landing's walls are breached only gets both of his siblings killed. None of his plans stick, with little indication of why the show's cleverest character is suddenly being outsmarted at every turn. One of the most active calculations Tyrion makes in Season 8 is when he plants the suggestion in Jon Snow's head that led to his betrayal of Daenerys, a controversial move that rightfully didn't sit well with fans of the characters. Despite the relative battle proficiency Tyrion demonstrates in earlier seasons, he also pointedly sits out the Long Night under Winterfell.

'Game of Thrones' Ignored Tyrion's Potential

Tyrion Lannister began as a fan favorite and survived Game of Thrones. After his disastrous missteps in the final seasons, Tyrion emerges from the ashes as Bran's Hand of the King, though inconsistent writing makes this achievement feel unearned. George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books laid further groundwork that went ignored, including the reveal before Tywin's death that Tyrion's first wife Tysha wasn't a hired sex worker, but was actually a commoner girl genuinely in love with Tyrion. Alternately, it would have been interesting if instead of making miscalculations, it was made more deliberate that Tyrion uses his cleverness to thwart Daenerys from inside her close circle. Instead, showrunners disappointingly have Tyrion sit out the climactic final battles and make missteps uncharacteristic of the cleverest of the Lannister siblings.

Game of Thrones is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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