Ranking all "A Song of Ice and Fire" POV Characters

On Christmas Day (or night, rather), I finished the 5th, and most recent, title in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. A Dance with Dragons was one of the best reading experiences I've ever had. Sure, it took a few hundred pages to really get going, but once it did, it proved to be an exciting, engaging read that, compared to longer books in this series, never failed to keep me on the line. Now that I've finished, I can now judge every POV character in the series.

The POV structure of the series has always tickled me. The longest of my own works operate with a similar system, except I'm obsessed with the moment in which two individuals' experience's overlap, whereas Martin's works typically forego this kind of repetition in order to prioritize forward momentum. There's only three chapters that truly overlap in the series, and with Martin's literary wit and amazing prose, you can bet that its a totally different read on either end of it.

This list will go in descending order with accompanying explanations for each character. Spoilers included, of course. If character has a particular chapter I want to shout out, for good or for ill, I'll do so in the header. The characters discussed will only include those in the 5 main books, because as much as I would love to talk about Dunk, it wouldn't feel right since I haven't finished Fire & Blood. There's a lot of these folks, so this'll be another long one.

24. Areo Hotah

People usually put Arys Oakheart here (we'll get to him,) but my least favorite POV has to be Areo Hotah. Now, Areo has some things going for him. His love for his "little princess" Arianne, his caretaking of Prince Doran, and his marriage to his axe is all texture for the most boring man in Westeros, but its just not enough. Areo is only a POV character because making Doran one would given up with the Aegon plot, and Doran needs someone in Areo's first chapter to bounce off of. As our introduction to the Dornish plot in Feast, Areo doesn't make a great first impression. His chapter in Dance isn't bad, but its carried by the Sandsnakes and Doran (again).

23. Arys Oakheart

This guy is most people's answer for "worst POV in ASOIAF," but I'd argue he's actually the most forgettable. But Arys Oakheart's one and only chapter isn't bad. His internal struggle concerning his lust for Arianne versus the oaths he's sworn as a Kingsguard is interesting...except that's explored much better with Jon as a Night's Watchman in the previous book. All this chapter really serves to do is establish Arys as a pawn of Arianne Martell. His death strangely got to me, since we knew that he was a truly goodhearted guy trying to navigate a fraught situation, but I was mostly feeling for Arianne, not the man himself.

22. Aeron Greyjoy — (The Drowned Man, Feast)

Aeron Greyjoy, the Damphair, has his fans and I understand why. His perspective as a religious zealot for the Drowned God gives him an interesting perspective. He gets to share page time with Victarion, Asha, Euron, and Theon, some fan-favorite characters, but Aeron is simply my least favorite Greyjoy POV. He just doesn't have enough meat on the bone for me. Yes, he has a sordid past, and knowing how extreme he is now, its funny to image the party boy he used to be, but that's really it for me. I haven't read any Winds of Winter sample chapters, and I know The Forsaken is heralded as a banger, but I'm keeping this list to only published material.

I've also got another bone to pick. This might be my most controversial opinion here, but he should NOT have been the POV for the Kingsmoot. Asha clearly stood the most to lose there. While I was in Aeron's head, I was just wondering what Asha was thinking and planning. Its perhaps the one and only time I've disagreed on a choice Martin has made regarding POV selection in this series.

21. Melisandre of Asshai

Mel's one and only chapter in A Dance with Dragons isn't bad, just disappointing. After reading it, I just thought, "that's it?" In terms of plot, that chapter informs us about the Mance Rayder/Rattleshirt switcheroo and Mance's plan to smuggle "Arya" out of Winterfell is put into motion. Its important, but it really could have been a Jon chapter. We do get some background info about Mel, like the fact that she was likely sold into slavery at a red temple, and about her glamours and powders, but without any more chapters from her, this feels more like a solitary blip on the radar than anything special. Going forward, it wouldn't suprisie me if this, in retrospect, was simply set-up to have a POV already at the Wall after Jon's death. Nevertheless, I'm glad for some new info about Mel, but I'm good. Thank you, next.

20. Quentyn Martell — (The Spurned Suitor, Dance)

Quentyn doesn't make the best first impression, but I think his chapters rise in quality through Dance. At first, he's just a wet blanket, no rizz narrator without much interesting to say, but I quite like the setting and cast of sellswords in The Windblown, and once he integrates into Dany's plot, he goes through some more material changes. Everyone raves about The Dragontamer, which is an amazing chapter, I won't disagree, but I actually like The Spurned Suitor a lot. It brings back the Tattered Prince, an background NPC I grew to like thanks to George's fanastic dialogue, but the plot of the chapter saw Quentyn exercising some agency and actually making decisions. I was glad to see this little frog take a big leap. His final two chapters make up for the hum-drum first two.

19. Davos Seaworth

This might be controversial, but I'm not super into Davos. I'm not the most excited to turn the page and see "Davos" written on the header, especially as the books go on. I think he's at his best in Clash (The Blackwater) and still good in Storm (Edric Storm stuff), but doesn't have a standout chapter in Dance (Manderly's court?). And since he has to leave, he never gets to factor into the plot at the Wall, or interact with Jon, which would have been interesting. Many people say that Davos fills the Ned Stark void after book 1, and while I agree to an extent, I'd argue that Barristan fills that role far better.

Davos provides an interesting perspective as a commoner on the come-up, but that's about it. He doesn't do this nearly as well as Dunk does in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, where Dunk's commoner status and "fake it till you make it" gambit creates tension in every scene he shares with a noble. Davos is much older than Dunk, so he wouldn't make the amateur mistakes he does, but those mistakes are what make that highborn vs lowborn dynamic interesting, while with Davos, it fails to really manifest in interesting ways.

The only reason I'm not putting Quentyn above Davos is respect for his Clash chapters as well as the fact that I'm high off of finishing Dance. Davos has an interesting future in sailing to Skagos to retrieve Rickon, but otherwise, he isn't the most exciting POV character.

18. Victarion Greyjoy

I don't have much to say here other than Dance really salvaged this guy for me. In Feast, he's by far the worst Greyjoy, even getting beaten by Aeron. I just simply couldn't find much to enjoy about this guy, but his reluctant team-up with Moqorro and his fire hand all give Victarion his own vibe. "The most beautiful woman in the world has urgent need of my axe" is one of Martin's best lines and its one of this stupids man's stupidest thoughts.

17. Baristan Selmy — (The Queen's Hand, Dance)

Ole Barry was one of those Arys Oakheart or Areo Hotah POVs for me at first. I figured he got a POV after Dany had ridden off on Drogon, and he definitely starts that way. His first two chapters truly feel like he's just a pair of eyes to observe how Meereen is declining in Dany's abscence, but more of his character come through in his last two chapters. The Queen's Hand is my favorite since its Barristan in his element: war. Here, it feels like circumstances have allowed us tog et to know Barristan more fully. Like I said before, Barristan is a lot like Ned, which might be way I like him so much. Barry at least knows he's bad at poltics, but in his latter chapters, we see that he's good at spotting schemers, avoiding them, and taking advantage of the people he has available to him. Using Gerris Drinkwater and Archibald Yronwood to rope in the Windblown was a really smart move on Barristan's part that shows that the old fella can learn new tricks. I look forward to more war prep with the man in Winds.

16. Asha Greyjoy — (The Kraken's Daughter, Feast)

I really don't want to rate my girl so low, but what can you do? Asha's a character I quite like, yet doesn't have an amazing group of chapters under her belt. Besides Brienne and some Mormonts, we don't have a lot of warrior women in this series, so Asha fills that niche. She's a schemer like anybody else, but isn't morally unsalvageable, which keeps her compelling. Her position as a woman of the Ironborn makes her perspective on its plot interesting in Feast, even though she has a single chapter there. (THIS is why she should have narrated the Kingsmoot). The female characters of this series rarely get to be as adventurous as Asha does. She gets to have sex, kill dudes, and lead armies. Catelyn and Brienne are crushed by guilt and duty, Sansa and Arya are too busy experiencing the horrors to have any fun, and we don't have a Val POV yet, so Asha stands in direct contrast by being so liberated. Its refreshing. Sure, we have Cersei, but...let's not get into that.

She's probably the smartest out of the 4 Greyjoy POVs, so even in her slower Dance chapters, where she hardly more than a camera to view what Stannis is up to, she has interesting thoughts. My favorite Asha chapter has to be The King's Prize, since it has Stannis' iconic "Pray harder" line, but truthfully, my liking it doesn't have much to do with Asha herself. The Kraken's Daughter is actually about Asha, her place in Ironborn society, and informative of her backstory and familial connections. Her relationship to Rodrik the Reader is especially sweet; they're both considered outsiders regarding Ironborn values. All in all, Asha is a character I like, but ranks low thanks to some lackluster chapters.

15. Arya Stark — (Arya 11, Storm)

Simply put, Arya has just never been my favorite POV. In Clash and Storm, she's stuck in the Riverlands, and despite getting to meet some neat characters like Jaqen H'gar and the Hound, I found the sheer amount of chapters she has to blend together in my mind. Her time in Braavos is a neat turn for the character, but the House of Black and White just isn't very compelling to me. My favorite chapter of hers comes from Storm, right after my favorite Catelyn chapter. We see the Red Wedding happen then cut to Arya and Sandor trying to get inside the Twins but being forced to retreat. I love how George used the POV structure to produce a new effect. Arya, who has been separated from her family for nearly two whole books, narrowly gets to see her mother and brother but is too late. Its tragic, and the emotional peak for the character for me.

14. Arianne Martell — (The Princess in The Tower, Feast)

I'll admit that this a crazy placement, but Arianne Martell, with only two chapters, is a favorite of mine. Arianne herself is featured in Arys Oakheart's chapter, but there, she's seen from his perspective. A temptress, a femme fatale, a mastermind. But in her own chapters, we see a young political schemer still an amateur in her craft. Seeing her plan crumble through her own eyes in Arianne 1 is delightfully tragic. Its also neat to see 3 POVs (Arianne, Arys, Areo) converge on one another like this. What I appreciate about the Dornish plot in Feast is that it all feels doomed from the start. Arys is hopeless, Areo already feels like he's destined to clash with him, and Arianne was sold out—it was never going to work.

The Princess in the Tower sees Arianne exhibit a rare trait in this series: remorse. I'm so used to political schemers like Varys, Littlefinger, Tyrion, and Cersei be absolutely ruthless in their cunning that Arianne feeling genuine guilt about getting Arys killed, Myrcella maimed, and her friends imprisoned was refreshing. This chapter is a favorite of mine because of that. I also like how once Doran reveals all, Arianna undergoes a rapid, polarity reversing change in attitude about her father that we see more of in Areo's chapter in Dance. I have a feeling that Arianne and Doran will be far more powerful scheming together than against each other. As a POV, Arianna is 2 for 2, and I can't wait to see where she goes.

13. Sansa Stark

Ah, Sansa. Her chapters are nearly always half wardrobe descriptions and half the most horrible situations a 13 year old girl can be in. Oh, and lemon cakes. Unlike her sister, I fan finely recall each and every book's Sansa chapters. Before sitting down to write this, I didn't have too high of a regard for her, but after thinking about it, her chapters capture what its like to be a cog in the feudal system, a pawn in the game of thrones. Daenerys also discusses this, but she at least has her dragons, but Sansa truly has no agency. This is a condemnation of her as a character, but a compliment to George's writing.

Sansa herself is compelling, a character you side always side with and want the best for. Her innocence at the start helps, and her enthusiasm to enter into this patriarchal, feudal system that has greatly altered or harmed the lives of women in her life such as her mother and Cersei, begs for the other shoe to drop. Watching her disillusionment with songs and stories become a hardened, skeptical armor that she uses to protect herself with is an impressive journey. I'm also a sucker for when the title of the chapters follows the name of the character is going by, like the case of "Alayne" when Sansa goes to the Eyrie.

I think Sansa's best run of chapters is in Storm where the POVs are bouncing between she and Tyrion to cover the Purple Wedding. I rank her this low only because I'm never that excited to read a Sansa chapter, but once I do, I'm never displeased.

12. Bran Stark — (Bran IV, Storm)

Bran is one of the characters whose age and attitudes are most noticeably shaping the prose and events of his chapters. Since he's just a kid, the prose becomes more simple to match that fact. I'd say that Bran's parts are made of great moments, not great chapters. Sure, there are exceptions, like my favorite, the one in the Nightfort that crosses over with Samwell, but I mostly remember the time that Maester Luwin died, or Bran warging into Hodor for the first time, or his first flying dream.

Nevertheless, Bran does get to interact with some great characters. In Thrones, one of my favorite little eras is after Ned and Catelyn go South, but Robb is the Stark of Winterfell, so there's some rare Bran and Robb brotherly bonding happening. Bran also gets to hang out with the Reeds, Meera and Jojen, the kids of my favorite ASOIAF Glup Shitto, Howland Reed. (Fingers crossed for a Meera POV in Winds.)

In Bran's chapters does George whip out some of his scariest imagery. The aforementioned Nightfort chapter is what I would consider the scariest sequence of the series, but Bloodraven's cave is nightmarish, as well as the man himself. That, and the existential horror of Bran warging Hodor repeatedly. His chapters can be repetitive in Clash and Storm, since he's either besiged at Winterfell or travelling North, but he has an all-time run in Dance, putting him in the higher ranks.

11. Jon Connington — (The Griffen Reborn, Dance)

Both of Griff's chapters are all-timers, and since he's got only 2, we can talk about them both. For some reason, I'm a sucker for chapters about Essosi mercenary companies, since I like The Windblown, and The Lost Lord even more. The Lost Lord provides more info about who Griff really is. Tyrion calling him "Jon Connington" doesn't mean much until now, where we find that he was close to Rhaegar, was once Hand, and was then exiled for some reason. Bam—stakes! As a fan of the Dunk & Egg books, getting to see the inside of the Golden Company was a treat. And all the names of extinct houses was a fun easter egg hunt, as well. The greyscale reveal is just the cherry on top.

The Griffen Reborn is the better showing. Not much actually happens, as the battle for Griffen's Roost is already won, and easily at that, but Connington's musings about the past, about Rhaegar specifically, are enthralling. "I rose to high, loved too hard, dared too much," is already beautiful, but "I tried to grasp a start, overreached, and fell," is simply dripping with poetry.

Griff is like Ned in a few ways. He's haunted by the past, but with the stakes so high, and Connington's greyscale coming for him, he's like to go off the deep end in ways that Ned never would. Where he and Ned differ is in their moral scruples. To what ends is he willing to go to get Aegon on the throne? What's most fascinating to me is that he's a window into Robert's Rebellion, and could be the key to discovering new information about that shrouded era of Westeros. We have POV characters that were alive then, but none so close to Rhaegar or the Aegon plot. Like Arianne, Connington is batting 1,000 when it comes to chapters, but only time will tell if he can rise any higher.

10. Ned Stark — (Eddard XII, Thrones)

Oh, Ned. You big, gloomy idiot. I just want to clarify, I'm not one of those "Ned is a stupid dumbass" people who thinks that Ned only made mistakes while at court. Ned's "mistake" was his compassion. He didn't want Cersei and her children to suffer the same fate that Rhaegar's did, one that he probably feared happening to Jon. That resulted in him underestimating Cersei and being double crossed, but let's not forget that he would have thrown his honor away (a second time!) to save Sansa. He would have tarnished his name and taken the black if that meant protecting his children. That's why I love this guy.

Ned holds true to fantasy protagonist ideals by being a generally good guy with agreeable values but breaks the mold with his flaws. He's gloomy, uncharismatic, melancholic with regret, and far too trusting of his friend Robert, who was famously cool with child murder. As a POV, being in Ned's head set a precendent that even if a character knows the truth about an event, such as the Tower of Joy, that doesn't mean we get all the answers. Ned is simultaneously haunted by what happened to Lyanna but refuses to think about it, translating on the page to vague impressions and dreams of the past that fade away like ghosts.

Ned makes book 1 special by having a true protagonist. You can argue that the later books have de facto protagonists, like Cersei in Feast, but never has a plot felt like the "main" one than Ned's in Thrones. Furthermore, this makes the book a kind of murder mystery, as Ned chases down who killed Jon Arryn. n retrospect, its hilarious how he teamed up with Littelfinger in this. Jon Arryn's murder in and of itself isn't super interesting, only the way Ned learns information about his father figure and how reacts to the things he learns about Robert and Kings Landing as a result of his inquisition.

Ned's contribution to this series cannot be overstated, which is why he warms the top 10 spot.

9. Catelyn Stark — (Catelyn VII, Storm)

Catelyn, get behind me! Some of you freaks are weird about Catelyn, and I'm tired of pretending you aren't. I'm not saying she's a saint for how she treated Jon, but the truth of the matter is that she is not his mother, and is not obligated to be so for him. Would it have been nice? Of course, but Jon stans on Twitter need to get a grip.

Of the first 3 books, Cat is one of my favorite POVs. She a consistent, solid presence throughout each one, delivering some of the most interesting perspectives we've seen—period. She even escapes from Clash's ocean of meandering by having the memorable chapter at Bitterbridge. George was smart to have us view Robb's war through his mother's eyes, making us feel what she feels and fear what she fears. The audience is just as powerless to stop Robb as Catelyn is. Like Ned, she's haunted the by past, but here, its the the continued reality of having to hold down the fort when it comes to the men in her life, whether that's her brother Edmure, her father Hoster, or her husband Ned.

My favorite Catelyn chapter is the Red Wedding. Obviously, I'm not glad she's dead, but its one of two moments in this series that got me teary-eyed, and the one and only death to do so. Catelyn has so much anxiety and grief bottled up, and the fact she only gets to let it out at the moment of her death truly shook me. The image of it, the crows clawing at her as she laughs hysterically, is the opposite of the poised, composed Catelyn we've known this whole time.

Her reappearance as Stoneheart feels like a totally different character. Only time will tell where Catelyn ends and the Hangwoman begins.

8. Samwell Tarly — (Samwell 1, Storm + Samwell II, Feast)

Sam has a natural advantage over other POVs because cool shit keeps happening to him. The two chapters I've highlighted here demonstrate what I like most about Sam. Even though he's a relentlessly insecure man with cripplingly low self-esteem, he can't help but carry on and do the bravest thing we can do: live. Samwell 1 in Storm, which describes the Watch's march from the Fist of the First Men, is harrowing. Sam is close to death, walking on a razor's edge, but he still finds a way to keep going, and even slay an Other.

Sam's worldview and view of himself greatly impacts the prose. You can see him build up a small percentage of confidence, but his insecurity born from abuse by his father will always be his struggle. We get to see just how bad his thoughts are about himself, but his acts of heroism mean so much more because of them.

In Samwell II, we get Maester Aemon mistaking Sam for his brother Aegon "Egg" the Unlikely, and saying, "Egg, I dreamed I was old." This is the second and only time these books made me cry. I'm a sucker for any Dunk & Egg callback, and we'll talk about those when we get to Brienne, but this was something else. Sam's whole journey in Feast truly pushes him in ways that his adventure in Storm didn't. Getting to the Citadel wasn't just a physical journey, one which Aemon and Dareon to not survive, but also one with emotional hurdles, like Gilly's grief over Jon switchig her son with Mance Rayder's.

Being inside Sam's head isn't always the most pleasant, but he's always placed in situations where the most irony can be generated from juxtaposing his cowardly attitudes with the bravery he must exhibit to survive. George just gets Sam.

7. Daenarys Targaryen

I struggled with Dany's plot after Thrones for a long time. Looking back, Thrones is really a pared down, tight experience when compared to the rest of the series. Except for Tyrion and Dany, all the POVs are Starks, and besides Dany, all the POVs are Westerosi. Dany's plot being so far removed served as a refreshment to the Westeros plots, but as they grew, I felt that Dany's, especially in Clash, were harder to connect to.

It won't come as a surprise when I saw that Dany's worst book is Clash. She has hardly any chapters, and most of them are boring, and only one of them is any good. Storm, though? That's the good shit. Seeing Dany on the war march, weaponizing her dragons, and becoming a liberator felt like the character coming into her own. Her arc in Dance is also amazing, but I was never invested in Meereen as a setting, so if Dany failed, it was more about the personal stakes of her mission, not the city itself, since I knew that this was bascially a trial run for Westerosi rule.

I still feel like Dany's 10 chapters in Thrones are some of her best. There's something about the way that her supporting cast hit that never does quite the same. I'm sorry, but Drogo and Viserys feel like much better, more realized characters than Grey Worm and Missandei, who are basically background NPCs. Sure, she has Jorah until the end of Storm, and Barristan more than makes up for his departure, but that element of her story was strongest at the start.

Dany herself is always delivering. Her dream of being the perfect mother-queen is a admirable one, and watching her get to the point of deciding that dream for herself was a gratifying journey. Her time as Queen of Meereen mirroring Jon's as Lord Commander was perfect. I loved when their chapters bounced between one another, letting me see the parallels between these two kids trying to save the world.

6. Tyrion Lannister

I don't have a favorite Tyrion chapter since they all kind of run together. He's the character with the most chapters in the entire series, so of course a little oversaturated, but I can't complain when he makes such long and interesting arcs and adventures over every book he's in. He peaks in Clash, but his performance in Storm cannot be overstated, and I'm a big fan of his misadventures as Catelyn's prisoner in Thrones. The scene at the Crossroads Inn is a fond one to think back on. Tyrion's literally like "the fuck did I do?"

Even though I'm not the most passionate about this entry on the list, the quality of Tyrion's chapters is undeniable. I might groan when I see his name on the header, but I know I'm at least in for a witty, funny chapter, or maybe one that's gross and horrifying. You never know with this guy. Some chapters, he's a bonafide hero, other times, a monster. That's the kind of un predictability that makes reading one his chapters so fun.

5. Jaime Lannister — (Jaime IV, Storm)

Its hard to put into words why I like Jaime so much. Am I really just a sucker for a bad boy gone good? I am, but what makes Jaime special is the execution. Jaime has done too much wrong to be entirely forgiven, which makes it even more compelling that he's trying. He doesn't get much screentime before he becomes a POV character, but he does have one of my favorite moments in Clash, where Catelyn and Brienne confront him in his cell. "There are no men like me."

Most of Jaime's chapters in Storm are absolutely grueling. The amount of suffering he, Brienne, and the Riverlands go through would be unbearable if it weren't for how witty and funny Jaime is and how well he and Brienne play off of one another. It can't be understated how brilliant of a move taking jaime's hand off was. He defines himself by his sword prowess and his relationship with Cersei, but Storm's narrative challenges that by removing his hand and partnering him with Brienne, who embodies the knightly values that Jaime has abandoned.

Storm is great, and home to some of my favorite Jaime moments, ("I dreamed of you") but I like Jaime's Feast chapters more since his time in the Riverlands, away from Cersei and doing good, resulting in a Jaime that is happier. Hmm. I wonder what that's supposed to mean. Its also filled with some great moments, like Jaime giving Red Ronnet the business, the golden hand, and seeing the first snows of winter.

Regardless of the plot, Jaime is an engaging narrator since his chronic sarcasm and sordid past always sparks interesting thoughts from the man himself and interactions with other characters.

4. Jon Snow

Like with Tyrion, I don't have a favorite Jon chapter, but I do have favorite moments. Those moments are when Jon exhibits he's best quality: his out-of-the-box thinking. Jon is so interesting to follow is because his status as a bastard (like Tyrion's as a dwarf) allows him to think beyond the self-imposed limits the system has put on himself and others. Case and point, Jon haggling in Thrones to make Sam a steward instead of a fighter, since he's better suited as someone who can read and write. A theme in Jon's chapters is about allowing people to flourish instead of putting them in a box.

For being 16, Jon is really impressive. Not just in his accomplishments but his political acumen and self-control. Another theme of his story is about keeping to his vows, even if that means suffering for it. Becoming a turncloak at the end of Clash, living a lie for the greater good, is just like Ned lying to the realm about Jon being his own bastard and now the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar.

Storm's amazing Jon content makes up for the meandering of Clash. Jon getting to meet Ygritte, Mance, and Tormund all bears fruit later in Dance, but the tension of Jon being behind enemy lines is enough for that book. What's even more tense is Jon's return, as he has command of the wall, and for multiple chapters, successfully commands it, only to be viewed with scorn as a turncloak by his mounting enemies. Since the Watch is filled with so many characters, Jon always has the opportunity to have a unique interaction with some rando that serves to characterize him further.

Dance has my favorite run of chapters for our boy. Assuming the title of Lord Commander irrevocably changes him, and the struggles he goes through in bridging the worlds of the Watch and the Wildlings is endlessly engaging. In Dance, and the tail end of Storm, he also gets to interact with more than just Night's Watchmen as Stannis and Melisandre come to the Wall. Jon and Stannis' interactions are electric. They way they bounce off each other, arguing like long lost family, is endearing when Stannis isn't being too cruel.

The Watch's plot is viewed almost exclusively through Jon, so my affection for this plot is forever tied to him. After Ned's death, this plot is the one that feels like the "main" one, and Jon's instrumental position in it is undeniable.

3. Brienne of Tarth

Brienne, thick as a castle wall. In Feast, Brienne doesn't accomplish that much, but her adventures in the Riverlands reveal just how badly the war has torn it up. Like Sansa, her fancy of galant knights from storybooks is broken by the cold, hard reality of war. This series is defined by its complex characters, and Brienne is probably its simplest, but that doesn't mean that her struggle means less. In fact, the struggle to do good in a world that actively discourages it could not be anymore relevant. "No chance, no choice" has earned its legend in the fandom because of its universal relatability.

These chapters in the Riverlands, especially the last one, contains some horrific imagery. Biter gnawing on Brienne's face is the peak, but Pod being hanged is a close second. Brienne's nasty fight at Crackclaw Point just speaks to how bleak things are.

Brienne's connection to Catelyn and Jaime are the bright spots. I like that Brienne's goodness isn't just a way for Jaime to also be good. They inspire one another to be better as knights by placing their trust in one another. Brienne doesn't get much time with Catelyn, but the short time they share in Clash is sweet. Brienne clearly lacks a maternal figure, seeing as she never talks of her mother, and Catelyn misses her daughters. (I know people ship them, just let me do some analysis). Her interaction with Stoneheart is heartbreaking. Brienne has spent this entire book trying to please Catelyn's ghost, but here she is, angry and looking to punish. Brienne's brief cameo in Dance implies that she's chosen to "kill" Jaime (they'll likely make a plan to defeat Stoneheart) to save Podrick.

What truly seals the deal for Brienne's placement is the allusions to Dunk & Egg with Brienne and Pod. GRRM confirmed that Brienne descends from Dunk, so her using his old shield and meeting Jaime at Pennytree is just icing on the cake.

2. Cersei Lannister

Cersei might the best actualized POV in Martin's stable. Like Bran, the world of the story contours to Cersei's worldview in way that has tangible impact. For example, Margarey Tyrell could be a perfectly pleasant young woman, but because we see her through Cersei, (with little to know actual contact between them) the viewer could genuinely believe all the terrible things Cersei thinks about her. We know that Tyrion isn't in the walls, and by Dance, we know he's not even on the continent, yet her anxiety and fears make me second guess myself.

While Cersei isn't a personal favorite of mine, the quality of her Feast chapters, and her harrowing walk of shame in Dance, cannot be denied. Her own personal brand of Lannister ego is distinct from Jaime and Tyrion's because they have a healthy amount of self-reflection that Cersei lacks. I could believe that, despite all those two have done, that they could be good men, because I've seen them do good, but Cersei is evil in a way that doesn't make me angry or want to hate her, but makes me fascinated by her tragedy. I felt the same way Kevan did seeing her after the walk, after she had become so small and subdued, that she had lost something.

That fire of hers is alive and burning in her Feast chapters. Unlike her brothers, or even other POV schemers like Jon and Dany, who are actually smart, Cersei is thunderingly stupid. Her victory over Ned in book one almost seems like a fluke considering how many mistakes and enemies she makes in Feast. All of this contributes to one of the most interesting minds created under George's pen.

1. Theon/Reek — (The Prince of Winterfell, Dance)

The best POV in this series is Theon, without a doubt in my mind. While I consider his Dance chapters to be some of, if not the best example of Martin's writing in ASOIAF, Theon's Clash chapters cannot go undiscussed. His capture of Winterfell is his undoing, but it starts at home when his return to the Iron Islands is met with little fanfare and ice cold welcomes from Aeron and Asha, (who seduces him for some reason?) His own father hardly regarding him compounds Theon's insuecuoity and further pushes his intent on his plan to Winterfell. One of my favorite scenes from this part was that he couldn't wear anything he didn't "pay the iron price" for at a feast, so he has to remove his airs and wear only simple garb to a feast.

Theon's capture of Winterfell highlights his strength and his flaw, his cunning and his insecurity. Also, it reckons with his relationship to the Starks, Ned in particular, as Theon takes his place. He's literally sleeping in his bedroom. Theon is an absolute wreck here. He knows he's in over his head and hurting the people he once loved and for what? The chaos he creates here has a ripple effect through Bran's story but also makes a power vacuum in the North so big that the Boltons can lay claim. And the Ramsay/Reek reveal is simply magnificent.

I often compare writing to a magic trick, and what George does with Theon is more than just pulling a rabbit out of a hat. He disappears for two whole books only to return as Reek, a shattered remnant of the man he used to be. Reek's chapters in Dance are some of my favorite in the entire series. Has there been a character more punished in this series than Theon? His physical transformation is just as stark as his mental one, as his black hair is now white and brittle, his bow-stringing hand missing the necessary fingers. This lithe, vigorous youth is now a shambling old man.

The Prince of Winterfell is my favorite Theon chapter. For one, the imagery here is simply beautiful. Theon walking Jeyne down the isle to wed the man who's made him into this creature is sick, but set in the snowy Godswood where Ned used to polish Ice, so we feel residual warmth from his ghost. ("There are ghosts in Winterfell, and I am one of them.") Additionally, all of Theon's interactions with Jeyne are absolutely heartbreaking. They're both in pain, abused by the same abuser, but Theon doesn't have the courage to give her courage of her own, so there they remain. I love how Theon's lawful relation to the Starks is brought back, as well. Only after Theon failed, "killed" his foster brothers, and destroyed the castle he sought to be Lord of could he finally become its master.

Theon gets to interact with characters like Roose and Barbrey Dustin, but also gets to watch as the whole Winterfell murder mystery unfolds, which is one of my favorite parts of Dance. Winterfell, despite being ruined and haunted, is strangely cozy, especially when reading around Christmas time. When they suspect Theon if being the killer, I felt almost relieved when they concluded that Theon was too broken to retaliate, but felt so bad for Theon when I realized that this is what they all think of him now, what he's been reduced to.

The psychological horror of Ramsay's torture is so oppressive that is makes Roose Bolton look like a warm, doting father in comparison. Roose fucking Bolton. Theon is never not uncomfortable thanks to Ramsay's torture and flaying. The missing digits and teeth injuries leave him in pain when walking and eating, and nearly useless when it comes to weapons. His repetition of "Reek, Reek, it rhymes with freak," reminds us of how deep Ramsay's conditioning has gone. This is what makes his rescue of Jeyne so heroic. Sure, he's kind of forced into it by the spearwives, but he makes it happen. He leaps off the Winterfell walls because even though he knows there's a chance they could die, and he'd welcome that release from Ramsay, he also knows that if there's a chance they could make it, that he could free himself and Jeyne from this life, he should take it.

The latter two books in the series take the most risks with the POV structure, and nowhere is that seen best than with Theon. This kind of bait-and-switch and name header trickery that adds to Theon/Reek's chapters are something Martin never would have done in the first three books. That's just set dressing to the actual content and prose of Theon's chapters, which are simply unmatched by many others. That's why Theon, the Prince of Winterfell, is king of this list.

So this was my list. The POVs are like my children, in that I have clear favorites. This was most influenced by my recent Dance read, so no doubt those chapters were privileged, but I did my best to incorporate my recollection of previous books and their standout chapters. There are no POVs I outright hate, and good things to find in all of them, despite my placements. I hope I got that across.