Game Of Thrones: 10 Most Idiotic Mistakes Characters Made
1. Jaime And Cersei Engaging In Twincest
Imagine a Westeros wherein Cersei and Jaime were not engaging in a long incestuous affair that produced her only three children. Imagine if Cersei were a loyal wife to Robert and had borne him legitimate children to serve as true heirs to the Iron Throne. Imagine if Jaime served his position as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard with dignity and honor, holding Robert in the high regard that one should have for their king. Can you imagine it? Me neither. But it sounds extraordinarily boring.
Seriously, though, all the death and grief and overall terrible events that have befallen Westeros can be pinpointed to these two not being able to keep it in their pants. The knowledge that Joffrey is the son of his mother and his uncle, and not of Robert Baratheon ultimately ends in the deaths of Jon Arryn and Ned Stark. And c’mon, Lannister lovers, if you knew Jon Arryn had found out about your affair and inbreeding, surely you could have at least destroyed the evidence showing that Baratheon children were all black-haired. After all, Grand Maester Pycell seemed willing to lend his book The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms to just about anyone. A little discretion on the Lannister’s part could have spared Westeros from utter chaos.
2. Ned Becoming Hand Of The King
Eddard Stark had things good in the North. Besides being Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, he had a devoted wife, a loving family, and a people that both respected and loved him. So what would possess Ned to accept Robert’s request to serve as his new Hand of the King after the death of Jon Arryn? Well, as I’ve already noted numerous times in this article, Ned is honorable. Oh boy, is he honorable. So in spite of the fact that his old buddy Robert is a drunken sleaze who has no business being king (or perhaps because of it), Ned accepts the position, uproots his daughters, splits up his family, and sets into a motion a series of events that would leave Westeros in chaos for years to come.
Granted Jon Arryn had already deduced that Robert’s heirs were the children of incest between Cersei and Jaime. But who’s to say someone else wouldn’t have picked up the trail Arryn left and also been able to deduce the truth? Or not. Either way, Ned would have saved his family and the realm a whole lot of grief if he’d listened to his wife and stayed in Winterfell. Then again, you try to say no to Robert Baratheon and see how that turns out.
3. Ned Alerting Cersei To His Plan
Now Ned made a lot–and I mean A LOT–of mistakes during his tenure as Hand of the King, but this is absolutely, 100 percent, the coup de grâce of horrible, horrible mistakes. Ned reveals that he has discovered the truth that cost Jon Arryn his life and that he plans to tell Robert as soon as he returns from his hunt. He gives Cersei the opportunity to flee King’s Landing with her children to spare their lives from Robert’s wrath. Cersei is unfazed by this, of course, as she has been playing this game for some time and isn’t about to lose this battle of wills to an opponent who is inexperienced enough with the way of things in King’s Landing as to show her mercy. She warns him, “when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”
You can point to a lot of Ned’s decisions and make a legitimate case for each one as being his worst mistake. But this one really the cake. Before he even has the chance to reject Renly’s offer, before he even decides to confide in Littlefinger and secure the aid of the City Watch, he reveals his plan to the very person he is ousting as an incestuous traitor. I get that Ned’s trying to do the right thing and allow them the opportunity to flee with their lives, but this is just a poor decision. He gives Cersei ample time to prepare for Robert’s return and to protect herself and her son. Even if Ned had taken Renly’s offer, it’s likely Cersei would have been prepared for an impending attack in the night. And Littlefinger coming through with the City Watch? That was never going to happen–ever. Ned may not have had much hope in deposing the king with only the truth he had discovered and Robert’s will, but what little chance he had went out the window with this blunder.
4. Ned Trusting Littlefinger
Look at Ned choking the life out of Littlefinger, a man he knows to be an untrustworthy sleaze who took every opportunity to ogle his wife and otherwise plot to steal her away from him. What happened to that Ned? Westeros needed that Ned. Unfortunately, Ned heeded the advice of his wife to trust her old friend and suitor, Lord Baelish. Littlefinger aids Ned in his search for Robert’s bastard sons and Ned seems to gain some confidence in the thoroughly untrustworthy Baelish. When Ned discovers Joffrey’s true parentage, he reveals the truth to Littlefinger, who suggests they use the information to influence Joffrey’s rule from behind the scenes. If Joffrey proves to be too unruly, they can reveal the secret and install Renly Baratheon as king. Ned, of course, rejects this treasonous plan and Littlefinger agrees to sway the City Watch to their cause.
Of course, Littlefinger does not do this but rather employs the City Watch to turn on and murder Ned’s men. Littlefinger himself puts a blade to Ned’s neck reminding him, “I did warn you not to trust me.” Ned had numerous opportunities before it got to this point–most of them, of course, not meeting his ridiculously high standards of honor–but trusting Littlefinger was the decision that led to his arrest and imprisonment and inevitably to war between the North and the Iron Throne.
5. Ned Rejecting Renly’s Plan
Everyone has an opinion about who is the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. I just so happen to side with Ned on this one–since Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella are not Robert’s true heirs, the line of succession goes to Stannis. But even the extremely loyal Ned Stark had to think about this offer. Upon finding out that Robert had named Ned Protector of the Realm, Renly asks to speak to Ned in private. He warns Ned that Cersei will not care about Ned’s new title as long as she is protecting Joffrey. He offers Ned 100 swords to strike during the night and take Joffrey into their custody and away from Cersei. He advises, “he who holds the king, holds the kingdom.
If you watch this scene, Ned actually seems to be considering Renly’s plan. And why not? It’s not a bad one. With Joffrey in his custody and Robert’s will naming Ned Lord Protector, Ned ensures that he himself can take command of the Iron Throne, at least until Stannis arrives to take his rightful throne. Renly, however, goes on to explain why he would make a great king and suggesting that Stannis inspires no love or loyalty in the kingdom. This seems to put Ned off and he declares that he “will not dishonor Robert’s last hours by shedding blood in his halls and dragging frightened children from their beds.” Oh Ned, why were you so hell-bent on getting yourself killed?
6. Joffrey Executing Ned
While Catelyn’s arrest of Tyrion might have started a war between the Starks and Lannisters, the execution of Ned Stark surely kicked the war into full gear. After Ned’s failed coup to depose Joffrey as King of the Seven Kings and rightfully take his place as regent as willed by Robert, he is arrested and imprisoned in the dungeons of King’s Landing. Varys convinces Ned to confess to treason in exchange for exile in the Night’s Watch in order to ensure the safety of his daughters Sansa, whom the Lannister’s hold hostage, and Arya, who has escaped. Ned does so but Joffrey ignores his mother’s counsel that Ned be exiled, and instead orders his execution. Ned chooses not to protest in order to save his daughters and is killed.
The move is a mistake by Joffrey for a number of reasons. Firstly, Ned was a man of his word and would have surely taken the black if it would ensure his daughters’ safe return to Winterfell. Secondly, because of the fact that he had already sent word to Stannis about Jaime and Cersei’s incestuous relationship and the illegitimacy of Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella, Ned would have dropped his own accusations against the Lannisters with the full knowledge that Stannis was sure to make his claim to the crown. Instead, Ned’s death infuriates Robb and empowers his bannermen to name him King in the North and fires up his army to fight for the North’s independence from the Iron Throne. Of course, as I mentioned before Joffrey could have been dead already had Ned told Robert the truth
7. Catelyn Arresting Tyrion
More so than most other characters on Game of Thrones, Catelyn Stark has drawn the most vitriolic ire from fans. She receives an unbelievable amount of hate on message boards about her decision to release Jaime, about her absolutely abysmal treatment of Jon Snow, and about how she single-handedly started the war by arresting Tyrion Lannister. Her arrest of Tyrion for orchestrating an assassination attempt on her and Bran Stark, which was based on purely circumstantial evidence, may not have been the trigger that started the war, but it certainly didn’t help her or her husband’s cause.
Catelyn makes the mistake that far too many people in Westeros have made: trusting Littlefinger, in this case with the knowledge that the dagger used by the assassin once belonged to him but had been lost in a bet to Tyrion. Littlefinger’s is telling the truth in this case, but Catelyn takes that information and runs with it. She and her bannermen apprehend Tyrion and, without even questioning him about the matter, take him to the Eyrie to stand trial for the crime. This move draws the ire of Jaime, who leads a group of Lannister guardsmen to assault Ned and his men in King’s Landing and of Tywin Lannister, who organizes his army to march against the Starks. Okay, so maybe Catelyn did start the war.
8. Ned Not Telling Robert About Joffrey’s Parentage
By following the trail of clues left by Jon Arryn, the previous Hand of the King, Ned is finally able to deduce that Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella Baratheon are actually not Baratheons at all but the children of an incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jaime. Ned has every intention of alerting Robert to this fact upon his return from his hunting trip. Unfortunately, Robert is mortally wounded by a boar and is near death upon his return to King’s Landing. Ned decides to let his king and friend die in peace rather than reveal the truth to him in his dying moments.
Ned made a lot of mistakes while playing the game of thrones but you’ve got to think that telling Robert the truth right then and there was one of his gravest mistakes. Robert would have become infuriated and gathered the strength to order the immediate executions of Cersei, Jaime, and probably even his children. Perhaps that would not have been fair to Tommen and Myrcella (Joffrey, he could’ve executed and we wouldn’t have minded one bit) who didn’t ask to be the children of incest. Of course, this is a moot point since Ned had warned Cersei to flee the city with her children (and I’m certain, he actually expected her to do so). Ned probably knew that Robert’s wrath would be severe and that he wound find them nonetheless, but surely the death of a few traitors would be preferable to the countless deaths caused by the ensuing War of Five Kings. Ned could have averted that all with the truth.
9. Robb Marrying Talisa
On the surface, Robb and Talisa make for a great love story. The young, energetic King in the North, commander of the army of the North meets a noblewoman from the Free City of Volantis, serving as a nurse to a wounded Lannister. Robb assists her. The two strike up a conversation. She criticizes the war and Robb’s involvement in it. She challenges him and he likes it. She travels with Robb’s army and the two become closer. After Catelyn betrays Robb by releasing Jaime Lannister in the hope of retrieving Arya and Sansa, Talisa comforts Robb. The two sleep together. Because he genuinely loves her and cannot bear to see her dishonored by his own indiscretion, Robb marries her. It’s a beautiful story. Except for one thing: Robb had previously promised Walder Frey that he would marry one of his daughters in other to grant his army passage across the Twins. And Walder Frey is not going to be to happy about Robb’s marriage to another woman.
Yes, Robb marrying Talisa was the single biggest mistake of his life and would ultimately lead to his death, along with the death of his wife, mother, and most of his army. With this one boneheaded move, the Young Wolf who had previously won every battle his army had engaged in during the War of Five Kings would doom House Stark’s claim to Winterfell, the North’s involvement in the war, prevent Arya from being reunited with her family, and ensure Joffrey and House Lannister’s hold on the Iron Throne. And all for “firm tits and a tight fit.”
10. Robb Executing Karstark
It’s hard to fault Robb for this one. Lord Rickard Karstark had, in fact, committed treason by murdering Martyn and Willem Lannister, whom Robb was keeping prisoner in Riverrun as leverage to potentially retrieve his sisters from King’s Landing. Of course, Jaime Lannister had murdered Karstark’s son Torrhel during his escape attempt from Robb’s army’s camp. When Jaime was recaptured, Karstark demanded that Jaime be executed as justice for the death of his son. Catelyn manages to convince Karstark to respect his king’s decision to spare Jaime’s life with the promise that he would be punished. Karstark is robbed of his chance for retribution when Catelyn releases Jaime in Brienne’s custody to return him to King’s Landing in exchange for her daughters.
Robb’s decision to execute Karstark is understandable given his continued insubordination and that pesky honor his father instilled in him. Unfortunately, Karstark was Robb’s most influential bannerman and just as his wife, mother, and military advisors predicted, House Karstark’s soldiers withdraw from Robb’s army, leaving him in dire straits. With not enough men to continue his war effort, Robb has no choice but to seek reinforcements from Walder Frey. And we all know how that turned out…
Honorable Mention: Robb Trusting Theon
The Ironborn have a reputation for being a fierce, seafaring people. Even worse, the Ironborn have a reputation for being a rebellious, fierce, seafaring people. So it should have been of little surprise to anyone that with the outbreak of war between the new King in the North and the Iron Throne, along with claims to the throne by both Stannis and Renly Baratheon, that the Ironborn would take advantage of the situation. Nine years prior to the start of the series, Balon Greyjoy led a rebellion to secure the Iron Islands’ independence from the Iron Throne. The Greyjoy Rebellion was crushed rather quickly and Ned Stark kept Balon’s only living son Theon as a hostage to keep him in line from rebelling again. With Ned executed, Robb’s army marching south, and the North left virtually defenseless, House Greyjoy saw a new opportunity for rebellion.
Theon spent more of his life as a ward of House Stark than as a Greyjoy and was raised as a brother to Robb and the other Stark children. When Theon offers to serve as an emissary to the Iron Islands to seek his father’s ships to aid Robb in an attack on King’s Landing, it sounds like a good strategic move on paper. But whatever thoughts or hopes he may have had about Theon’s loyalty, he should have known not to trust Balon Greyjoy. Even Catelyn Stark warns rob not to trust the Greyjoys. Although the Ironborn were already planning to attack the North, Theon took it upon himself to take Winterfell. This move ultimately cost House Stark its seat of power at Winterfell, forced Bran and Rickon to flee into the wilderness, and earn Robb the dubious nickname the King Who Lost the North.
Honorable Mention: Robert Getting Drunk While Hunting
All Robert Baratheon wanted to do was “crack skulls and fuck girls.” Oh, and get shit-faced drunk 24-7. It was his drunkenness and debauchery that made him one of the most fun characters to watch in season 1 of Game of Thrones. We chuckled as Robert taunted Lancel Lannister to find his breastplate stretcher. We snickered as he made Jaime Lannister stand outside his door as he slept with countless whores. We all but cheered as he “honored” his queen Cersei with a slap to her smug face. Unfortunately, Robert’s penchant for inebriation was also his downfall.
Robert gets so drunk during his hunting trip that he is mortally wounded by a boar. Varys later insinuates that Lancel was a little too free with that wine but in reality it’s Robert’s own fault for being so used to being sauced. But had Robert successfully killed that boar and avoided a tusk to the belly and survived any other potential “accidents” on his way back to King’s Landing, he would have woken up with far worse than his usual hangover. He would’ve awoken to Ned informing him about Cersei’s tryst with her brother, the fact that his heirs were not really his heirs, and would’ve ordered their immediate deaths. I hope that wine was worth leaving your kingdom in chaos, Robert.
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