Game Of Thrones: 20 Greatest Performances

Say what you will about how Game of Thrones ended - there's loads to say and most of it negative - but however badly the final season got, Game of Thrones was still one of the best-acted shows of recent times.

There were bad performances too, but the overwhelming majority of the Game of Thrones cast was remarkable. They all brought the show's complex, fascinating characters to life in a truly spellbinding way and their incredible work is one of the main reasons why the world fell in love with Game of Thrones like few other TV shows before it.

However bad the writing would eventually get, the cast always held it together and never ceased to amaze anyone lucky enough to watch them in action.

So, who was the best of the best? Who wears the crown when it comes to Game of Thrones performances?

Honorable Mentions: Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon), Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), Anton Lesser (Maester Qyburn) and Aidan Gillen (Petyr Baelish).

To hell with Joffrey. Forget Ramsay. And Olly... Olly was a traumatised kid who made a bad decision. No, the most hateful character on Game of Thrones is this guy.

A vile, cruel, petty tyrant who treats everyone with contempt, keeps marrying teenage girls despite being elderly and massacred thousands of people just because someone didn't marry his daughter, Walder Frey is a truly nightmarish figure. He was played by David Bradley, a hugely reliable and talented character actor who absolutely killed it every moment he was on-screen.

Ultimately, he was only in six episodes, but he remains an entirely unforgettable character thanks to how great Bradley was. He was skin-crawlingly repulsive and sent shivers down the spine.

Interestingly, he was also very funny and brought out just how ridiculous and pathetic Walder Frey really was, which helped the character to feel like a human being and not merely a two-dimensional bad guy.

It was a masterful guest role in every way. Just remember that the next time you re-watch Harry Potter you won't be able to watch any scene with Filch (also played by Bradley) without thinking of this horrifying character.