10 Best Supporting Stars Of ‘Game of Thrones’, Ranked

The world of ‘Game of Thrones’ brought together a large international cast and filmed across multiple countries, which meant supporting performers carried major storylines alongside the leads. Many of these actors anchored crucial political turns, battlefield outcomes, and family power shifts that defined the series across eight seasons. Their characters connected rival houses, moved armies, and altered the fate of the Seven Kingdoms in ways that were central to the plot.

This list focuses on performers whose roles worked beside the principal leads while still shaping events in lasting ways. You will find details on seasons of appearance, titles held, decisive actions, and in several cases industry recognition for work on the series. Each entry highlights verifiable moments and responsibilities that help map how the story moved from court intrigue to open war.

Conleth Hill

Conleth Hill portrayed Varys, the Master of Whisperers, who served the realm under multiple rulers in King’s Landing. The character managed networks of informants known as little birds, brokered alliances, and coordinated escapes that protected key figures during regime changes. Varys later joined Daenerys Targaryen’s cause as an adviser, working with Tyrion Lannister to plan strategy on both sides of the Narrow Sea.

His arc ended after he opposed Daenerys’s approach to rule, which led to a formal execution by dragonfire in the penultimate episode. Across his run he interacted directly with the Small Council, aided the smuggling of Tyrion out of the capital, and arranged maritime travel that redirected the path of the war. Hill appeared throughout the series with a consistent presence in political scenes that connected the crown to the wider conflict.

Aidan Gillen

Aidan Gillen played Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, who began as Master of Coin and rose to become Lord Protector of the Vale. The character used brothels and financial networks to gather intelligence and influence decisions in the Red Keep. He arranged critical transports for key players, including the covert movement of Sansa Stark, and secured the loyalty of House Arryn’s forces through guardianship of Robin Arryn.

Baelish’s conspiracy around the conflict between Stark and Lannister factions helped trigger the larger war, and his eventual trial at Winterfell documented multiple plots tied to forgeries, betrayals, and assassinations. His execution closed a multi-season thread of manipulation that had stretched from the capital to the North. Gillen appeared from the opening season through the seventh, with sustained involvement in both council chambers and battlefield logistics.

Carice van Houten

Carice van Houten portrayed Melisandre, a Red Priestess of R’hllor whose magic and prophecies influenced the claims of several rulers. She supported Stannis Baratheon with ritual acts that aimed to secure victories, then later traveled to the Wall and to Dragonstone, where her counsel reached Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. Her actions included the use of glamours, prophetic readings of flame, and the interpretation of visions that guided military choices.

Melisandre returned to the North before the long night battle and provided direct battlefield support by lighting fortifications and weapons. Earlier, she performed the rite that brought Jon Snow back to life after his death at Castle Black. Her story concluded after the Battle of Winterfell when she walked beyond the lines, removed her necklace, and passed away from extreme old age. Van Houten received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the show.

Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal played Oberyn Martell, Prince of Dorne, who arrived in King’s Landing as a member of the Small Council during Tyrion Lannister’s trial. He carried a documented grievance against the Lannisters arising from crimes committed in the capital years earlier. Martell pursued legal remedies through council channels and then invoked trial by combat, offering himself as Tyrion’s champion against Ser Gregor Clegane.

The duel took place in the capital’s arena with the full court present, and the outcome directly influenced later Dornish involvement in the conflict. Oberyn’s alliances also connected House Martell to power negotiations beyond Dorne, including informal coordination with Varys and Ellaria Sand. Pascal’s appearance concentrated in one season yet intersected with the crown’s judicial process, the Kingsguard, and multiple noble houses.

Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer portrayed Margaery Tyrell, who became Queen Consort first to Joffrey Baratheon and then to Tommen Baratheon. Through charitable works and court appearances, she built broad public support in the capital, which affected the balance between the crown and the great houses. Her marriage alliances cemented a Tyrell presence at court and linked the Reach’s grain supplies to the needs of the city.

Margaery’s detention by the Faith Militant led to negotiations between the crown, the Tyrells, and the High Sparrow that shaped the legal authority of the Faith in the capital. She was killed in the wildfire destruction of the Great Sept, an event that removed multiple senior figures in a single moment. Dormer’s run covered several seasons and included major scenes with the Small Council, the Kingsguard, and the Faith’s leadership.

Rory McCann

Rory McCann played Sandor Clegane, known as the Hound, who served as a sworn protector to the royal family before leaving the capital. His path took him through the Riverlands, the Brotherhood Without Banners, and the North, where he worked alongside groups defending civilian settlements. He later joined a northern coalition that marched south after the dead were revealed beyond the Wall.

Sandor fought in decisive engagements at Winterfell and in the final assault on King’s Landing. His last confrontation with his brother, Ser Gregor Clegane, happened inside the Red Keep during the sack of the city. McCann appeared across multiple seasons, with an absence and return that marked the shift from court-centered politics to wider warfare.

Alfie Allen

Alfie Allen portrayed Theon Greyjoy, a ward of House Stark who later seized Winterfell while serving the interests of his birth family in the Iron Islands. After his capture by Ramsay Bolton, Theon endured torture and conditioning that produced a new identity as Reek, which altered his behavior and allegiance. He eventually assisted Sansa Stark’s escape from Winterfell and returned to support his sister Yara’s claim among the ironborn.

Theon rejoined the northern cause in time for the defense of Winterfell and died protecting Bran Stark inside the godswood. His journey linked the Iron Islands to northern politics, influenced control of the North, and affected naval operations in the fight for the throne. Allen received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.

Charles Dance

Charles Dance played Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, who became Hand of the King and directed strategy for House Lannister. He reorganized finances through the crown’s debts, commanded field armies in the Riverlands, and negotiated marriages that secured alliances with Houses Tyrell and Bolton. Tywin’s decisions determined troop movements, supply chains, and the composition of the Small Council.

His leadership concluded in the capital when Tyrion Lannister killed him with a crossbow, which immediately reshaped the line of authority within House Lannister and the crown. Dance’s portrayal anchored scenes with battle planning, legal proceedings, and inheritance arrangements that impacted succession and regional control. He appeared from the first season onward with sustained visibility during the height of Lannister power.

Gwendoline Christie

Gwendoline Christie portrayed Brienne of Tarth, who swore oaths first to Renly Baratheon and then to Catelyn Stark, which led to the rescue and protection of key Stark family members. She escorted Jaime Lannister across the Riverlands, completed a prisoner exchange, and later traveled through the North in search of Arya and Sansa. Her combat training and command responsibilities placed her at the front in several engagements.

Brienne was knighted by Jaime Lannister in the North before the long night battle, becoming the first woman in the Seven Kingdoms to receive that title. After the war she joined the Kingsguard and updated the White Book with entries that recorded Jaime’s deeds, fulfilling the order’s duty to preserve historical record. Christie received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for this role.

Diana Rigg

Diana Rigg played Olenna Tyrell, the matriarch of House Tyrell, who coordinated political and economic leverage from the Reach to advance her family’s position at court. She worked with Margaery to secure royal marriages and managed negotiations with the crown that kept supplies flowing to the capital. Olenna’s conversations with rivals and allies documented the Tyrell approach to influence without direct military command.

Her capture during the Lannister campaign in the Reach ended with a final meeting at Highgarden where she disclosed her role in the death of King Joffrey, a confession that clarified responsibility for a major royal assassination. Rigg received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for the role. Her appearances spanned several seasons and tied House Tyrell’s fortunes to the rise and fall of monarchs in the capital.

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