House Of The Dragon - Every Main Character Ranked From Worst To Best

Criston Cole's abrupt U-turn from white knight and the embodiment of chivalrous nobility to the literal epitomization of toxic masculinity caught many viewers off-guard, who expected the low born Knight of the Kingsguard to slide into a Jon Snow-esque counterpart role for House of the Dragon based on his early scenes.

However, hell apparently hath no fury like a naive knight scorned. Rhaenyra's rejection of the Dornishman following a night of passion together sends Criston off the deep end into a spiral of rage and bitterness, eventually becoming her nemesis Alicent's sworn sword and Rhaenyra's mortal enemy after Alicent saves him from committing suicide in the wake of his horrifyingly graphic murder of Joffrey Lonmouth.

Fabien Frankel is endlessly hammy and the latest installation in a long line of actors who can't play anyone convincingly outside of Game of Thrones - seriously, go watch Kit Harrington in Pompeii if you dare - but he's a treat to watch as the obnoxious Cole because there's nothing complicated about his character. This allows for a cartoonishly evil villain - with an alarming propensity for cracking skulls - that fans absolutely love to hate.

A formidable warrior and an indispensable weapon in the Green's armory, expect the levels of audience hatred for Cole to ramp up as he takes a prominent role in the coming war.