Originally published here, May 18 2013
It's always hard to pick favourites but here are five characters who steal the scene and the show every time they're on screen.
Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
Olenna Tyrell
Diana Rigg's involvement has created anticipation for something I never thought would happen: a royal wedding I actually want to watch. Olenna's machinations have been utterly joyous this season, and she has had more chances to shine than Peter Dinklage, the other "everybody's favourite character". Grandmother to future queen Margaery (who's doing pretty well in the must-watch stakes herself), she swans around giving the rest of the Westerosi the giant middle finger. She knows how to feed an army, she knows how to keep the people happy and pliant, and she knows how to out-spy the spies. But how will she fare now the rose of House Tyrell isn't smelling so sweet to the Lannisters? By thunder, I hope she gets to have a sword fight.
Richard Madden as Robb Stark
Robb Stark
After his remarkable progress through series two, series three hasn't been too kind to the King in the North. His grandfather, Hoster Tully, died, and his Uncle Edmure ditched battle plans to raid a mill because it made him feel tough. He's still on bad terms with his mum and had to execute Lord Karstark for war crimes. Now he faces the challenge of convincing jilted father-in-law Walder Frey to help him take Casterly Rock, while staying alive long enough to see he and Talisa's pup born. Good luck, Young Wolf. We really don't want you to die.
Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr & Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion
Beric & Thoros
I include these two together because they seem to be the Blues Brothers of Westeros – with the charismatic but flippant drunk Thoros playing well against the stoic and steely Beric. They're on a mission from God too – mostly to hand out the Lord of Light's justice against the cruel and the brutal. They live by a flexible honour code: strong enough to let the murderous Hound go, but avaricious enough to trade Gendry to Melisandre. It'll be interesting to see whether they do trade Arya back to her family, or keep her to bolster their own reputations.
Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister
Tywin Lannister
That man is such a deliciously evil villain. And what's great is that he keeps his most messed-up punishments for his own children. And what's even greater is that we LOVE him for that because we hate Cersei, and we HATE him for that because we love Tyrion. We're complex creatures, aren't we, Throners? Tywin still has to make good on his threat to bring Joffrey into line, and boy aren't we waiting for that like a slavering direwolf. Or lion. Whatever, just somebody punch Joffrey in the neck.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jaime Lannister.
Jaime Lannister
It sucks to say it, but it has to be said – we're kind of on Jaime's side right now. Sure, he's a twincestous oathbreaking sonofabitch, but when he lost his hand he gained vulnerability. And we all know the ladeez love a reformable bad boy, don't we? Sarcasm aside, it's really Brienne we have to thank for Jaime's apparent change, she's the boss of him now, boo-yah.
Honorable mentions: Jojen Reed; Missandei; Jon "Cherry Popped" Snow; Daenerys "Moses" Targaryen and of course Tyrion Lannister.