Top 10 Best Tyrion Lannister Moments

It’s no surprise that after this short speech, we all fell in love with Tyrion Lannister. It comes in the very first episode of the show, when Tyrion is outside with Jon Snow. He tells a brooding Snow to wear his bastard title as armor, because the rest of the world will never forget his heritage. Of course, Tyrion speaks from experience, as the rest of the world, and especially his family, demeans Tyrion for being a dwarf. But rather than whining about it, Tyrion embraces his weakness and forges other strengths, like his quick wit and intelligence. This speech alone added depth and complexity to Tyrion’s character, and it immediately made us sympathetic to his plight. It’s amazing what just a few words can do.

“Game of Thrones” is a very dark show, but it still finds time for some levity. And most of that levity stems from Tyrion himself. When Tywin calls for the Small Council, he arranges the chairs in such a way as to cause discord amongst its members. Of course, Varys, Littlefinger, and Pycelle suck up and take their respective places. Cersei changes the game and places her chair beside Tywin, but Tyrion decides to be a smartass and loudly drags his chair across the floor to the end of the table. It’s certainly funny, but it also shows that Tyrion can make some power moves of his own. If there’s one thing he loves to do, it’s showing up his sister.

Tyrion’s wedding was one for the ages. Well, it certainly wasn’t as memorable as Joffrey’s, but it was still something else. First, Tyrion gets absolutely wasted and makes a fool of himself by spilling wine and checking his teeth with a dinner plate. Then he declares himself the God of tits and wine, which we can’t really argue with. And to top it all off, he threatens to castrate Joffrey in front of the entire reception before talking about his own small…uh…manhood. We all love witnessing a good Joffrey takedown, but we can’t help but feel bad for Tyrion as the man is clearly suffering, and all he can do is drink away his problems.

Now is this the best job interview ever, or what? In this scene, Tyrion talks at length with Daenerys and eventually worms his way into her service as her political advisor. And his first task sees him convincing Daenerys to banish Jorah from Meereen. It’s both an uplifting and heartbreaking sequence, depending on whose point of view you value. For Tyrion, this is a rousing and literally life-changing moment, as he lands himself a respectable and powerful job with his new Queen. But for Jorah, this is a death sentence, as he fails to earn forgiveness from the woman he loves. The morose music encapsulates the bittersweet nature of the scene, and we don’t know whether we should cheer or cry.

Tyrion slapping Joffrey will never get old. The first instance comes in the show’s second episode, when Joffrey refuses to grant Ed and Catelyn his sympathies. The second, and much more vicious, slap comes in the second season, after Joffrey orders the deaths of civilians and instigates a riot. Joffrey was by no means a good person, so it’s always satisfying to see him get his comeuppance, and it’s even more satisfying to see it come from Tyrion himself. Tyrion was one of the few people who had the guts to face Joffrey, and he was never afraid to publicly show his dissent. He may not be a fighter, but Tyrion Lannister is one of the bravest characters in the entire show.

Hot damn, do we love a good scheme. In the episode What Is Dead May Never Die, Tyrion successfully roots out Pycelle as Cersei’s spy. He does this with the old canary trap – giving different people different pieces of information and seeing which one gets leaked. For his trap, Tyrion tells Pycelle that Myrcella will marry Trystane Martell. Meanwhile, he tells Varys that Myrcella will marry Theon Greyjoy, and he tells Littlefinger that she will marry Robin Arryn. Cersei then confronts him about marrying Myrcella to the Martells, and Bob’s your uncle. It’s a brilliant showcase of Tyrion’s intelligence and cunning, and it proves that he can play the game of thrones with the best of them.

Tyrion knows that sometimes you just need dragons on your side, and In the sixth season episode Home, Tyrion ventures into the catacombs with Varys to meet Viserion and Rhaegal. Here he tells them a sad story from his childhood about wanting a dragon of his own before unshackling their neck chains. It’s a fantastic moment, as we get both a sad, introspective look into Tyrion’s childhood and the amazing visual of Tyrion unchaining the dragons. They later break from the catacombs and help destroy the slavers’ fleet alongside Daenerys and Drogon. It’s a moment worthy of a fist pump, and it makes Tyrion look like an utter badass.

The Children is one of the best episodes the show has ever produced, and Tyrion’s character arc is a major reason for its acclaim. After he is freed by Jaime, Tyrion makes his way to the Tower of the Hand, where he regretfully strangles Shae with her own necklace. He then makes his way to the privy and shoots his own father with a crossbow. It’s one of the most shocking and unpredictable deaths of the show, although it comes from a place of understanding and deep tragedy. We understand why Tyrion committed patricide, but this isn’t a death to be cheered. Tywin’s demise was a long time coming, but it came at the expense of Tyrion’s humanity.

The Battle of the Blackwater encapsulates everything great about Tyrion. For one thing, he shows an immense amount of bravery by being there – he is not a soldier, yet he led the defense of his city. This is made even more impactful after Joffrey retreats to safety, allowing Tyrion to inspire the troops with a rousing speech. He also shows strategic knowhow by blowing up Stannis’s fleet with wildfire. Oh, and then he gets his signature scar after being sliced across the face by Ser Mandon. And to top it all off, we see Tyrion at his most vulnerable, as he is denied recognition by Joffrey. He’s a hero, yet no one knows it. Now isn’t that just a perfect representation of this tragic character?

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Hiding with Sansa
“The Long Night”

Passing the Time
“Oathbreaker”

Bran’s Saddle
“Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things”

Banishing Janos
“The Night Lands”

Saving Sansa from Trant
“Garden of Bones”

Is Tyrion a part of every iconic “Game of Thrones” scene? It certainly seems like it. Tyrion’s trial is often considered one of the best sequences of the entire show, and his scathing speech became an instant classic. Here, he lambasts the citizens of King’s Landing, states that Joffrey’s death gave him immense pleasure, and proudly demands a trial by combat. All of this is spoken through gritted teeth and with pure fire in his eyes. It’s an acting masterclass from Peter Dinklage, and it proves that two minutes of drama can be more impactful than an hour of action and spectacle.