Here's a man with charisma. Rayder forged his own path, evolving from a ranger amongst ex-cons at the Night's Watch to the King-Beyond-the-Wall. The title of "King-Beyond-the-Wall" is bestowed on he who unites the tribes north of the Wall. He was able to unite the vastly different, tough, rough, hardened people of the north by telling them that if they do not move south, they'll die due to the harshness of the coming winter and the presence of the White Walkers. His oratory prowess and his ability to tap into what the wildlings found important (i.e. surviving) demonstrate his charisma as a leader, and his success in uniting the north solidifies it. Thus, in becoming King-Beyond-the-Wall, Rayder seized his own institutionalised power, unlike Cersei who married into it or Stannis who was born into it. At the onset of season four, Rayder commands a formidable force of rough-and-tough wildlings. We have seen the prowess of wildling warriors in Ygritte and Tormund, and that Rayder commands a full army of people like this demonstrates his potency. Furthermore, Rayder is set to move south and is set to invade the rest of Westeros with a force unlike that which the south has ever seen. The thorn in his side, though, remains Jon Snow. Having escaped Ygritte and Tormund after being exposed as still loyal to the Night's Watch, Snow is wandering around just south of the Wall a source of potential disunity amongst the wildlings. Another weakness of Rayder's is one that Snow pointed out: the wildlings may be tough, but they lack order. The lack of order in comparison with other rulers such as Joffrey and Daenerys has resulted in a lower placement on this list.
Joseph is a student at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, double majoring in Ancient Greek and Religious Studies. He has a deep passion for TV and consumes as much of it as possible.
