From its very first episode, Game of Thrones presented itself as a fantasy show rooted in realism. Whereas other titans of the genre frequently brought their fantastical elements to the foreground, Game of Thrones felt closer to historical fiction than to fantasy.
Within the authentic world of Westeros and Essos there came an equally authentic cast of characters. Whilst the show did have its fair share of honourable heroes, many of the characters were deeply nuanced, often carrying with them a sense of moral conflict and ambiguity.
However, there were also plenty of characters who were overtly villainous. Indeed, Game of Thrones provided some of the most vile and hateful characters in the history of television.
Though many of these villains were evil from the moment they appeared on screen, others turned out to be deceptively sinister…
After Daenerys’ takeover of Meereen, the Sons of the Harpy adamantly objected to the removal of slavery in their city, and rather than seeking a diplomatic solution, they instead chose to express their discontent by slaughtering their opponents.
Lacking any form of honour or respect, they ambushed the Unsullied in the streets of the city and butchered them, wounding Greyworm and killing Barristan Selmy in the process.
These acts alone exemplify the depths to which the Sons of the Harpy were willing to sink in order to reclaim their city, but they sank still lower by attacking civilians at the fighting pits. Had if not been for Drogon’s timely arrival, they may well have managed to kill Daenerys, and in turn restored the tyrannical practice of slavery.
Far from feeling remorse for their actions, the Sons of the Harpy returned in the latter stages of season six during the bombardment of Meereen. Once again, they had no hesitation in butchering the civilians of the city.
