4. Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey may be an immature, evil boy who is manipulated and thwarted time and time again by his mother, grandfather, uncle, and fiancé, but he's still the King of the Seven Kingdoms. In other words, all final decisions are his. This occurred earliest at the end of season one when he ordered the death of Ned against his mother's unwavering advice. He asserted that he would not rule based merely on his mother's whim. Indeed, Joffrey's weaknesses are exposed when he tries to exert petty demands, such as trying to force a bedding ceremony between Sansa and Tyrion. Tyrion asserted that there would be no bedding ceremony. Whenever Tyrion disrespects Joffrey in such a way, Maester Pycelle defends the young king. This is telling in that whether the constituents wish to or not, they are institutionally required to obey Joffrey. Pycelle blindly serves the traditions of King's Landing, and that he honours Joffrey's wishes suggests that he still wields traditional power and is in ultimate command of the Seven Kingdoms. Another factor working in Joffrey's favour heading into season four is Margaery Tyrell. While she has worked her way into a position of manipulation over the young king (more on that in the next entry), she has also earned him public favor. Towards the end of season two, Joffrey was subjected to several populist riots in King's Landing, but Margaery has won the heart of the people. She has also allowed Joffrey to dissociate himself more so from his oppressive mother. In short, despite being controlled by his family, Joffrey is still the de jure king of the seven kingdoms and traditional institutionalization supports his power.
