The story of the incredible HBO series, Game of Thrones, is filled with dastardly villains. However, Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, is definitely one of the worst of them. His brand of evil is sinister and hard to detect, making him one of the most dangerous figures in all of Westeros.
Portrayed by Aidan Gillen, Littlefinger was easy to hate, but he was also an extremely compelling character. He was the kind of villain who worked well on the screen because there were moments to hate him and moments to feel bad for him. Just be warned that the rest of this list contains many Thrones spoilers!
10 FELT BAD FOR HIM: Being Unappreciated After The Battle Of The Bastards
When Littlefinger provided the deus ex machina of the Battle of the Bastards, it was a moment of relief for the viewers. Granted, he had his own nefarious purposes for doing it, but it was still a breathtaking scene. That being said, it was easy to feel bad how he earned practically no loyalty from anyone at Winterfell after this.
He clearly didn't deserve it, but one wonders if some kindness and gratitude for his role in the battle might have gone a long way for Petyr.
9 HATED HIM: His Betrayal Of Ned
Littlefinger shows how he is unworthy of the aforementioned trust and kindness from a very early point in the series. With the honorable Ned Stark maneuvering King's Landing, he ingratiated himself to the Lord of Winterfell.
Instead of making good on this vow, Littlefinger instead betrayed Ned and held a knife to his throat. It's Petyr's doing that leads to Ned's death and it's absolutely an unforgivable act.
8 FELT BAD FOR HIM: Bringing Down Joffrey
Fans will surely never get over how Littlefinger betrayed Ned Stark. But the role he played in the death of Joffrey certainly goes a long way to helping assuage those feelings of hate.
By orchestrating the plot to kill Joffrey, Littlefinger officially sacrificed everything tying him to King's Landing. With a character as hate-worthy as Joffrey, fans certainly felt bad that Littlefinger was not able to relish in the immensely good deed he provided to the world.
7 HATED HIM: Setting Up Sansa With Ramsay
Nothing good from Littlefinger was ever done without nefarious intentions. Yes, he killed Joffrey and freed Sansa, but it was only one step in a larger plan. It was a plan that proved even worse for Sansa.
He knew what would happen when he wed Sansa Stark and Ramsay Bolton and he did it anyway. It is an act of pure, selfish cruelty that shows he cares for no person in the world.
6 FELT BAD FOR HIM: "Chaos Is A Ladder"
When Littlefinger departs King's Landing midway through season three, he utters the iconic sentiment: "Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder." He's obviously slightly misguided with that idea, but there are elements of it that undoubtedly resonate.
It's also just really sad that his life is guided by that idea. Fans who have hearts will feel bad that Littlefinger thinks life is nothing more than a game to be conquered. It's a ruthless world and the people in it don't deserve to be cunning to stay alive. They should just get to live. Empathy allows fans to feel bad for Littlefinger never having that opportunity.
5 HATED HIM: Orchestrating The Death Of Ros
While he may have never felt like he had the opportunity to do good, that does not excuse all of the horrible deeds he committed. For example, one of the prostitutes in King's Landing, Ros, ends up being an informant against Littlefinger.
When Baelish realizes that she was the one who reneged on his trust, he acts deplorably. So deplorably, in fact, that he makes sure the sadistic Joffrey murders her. No amount of pity can answer for that. It's a horrible crime and he deserves hatred for bringing about Ros' death.
4 FELT BAD FOR HIM: Killing Lysa Arryn
Another moment of relief comes when Littlefinger pushes Lysa Arryn to her death through the Moon Door. It might be hard to see how this could result in feeling bad for him, but it's true. Lysa was a manic symbol who brought only danger to the world.
One does not need to feel bad for Littlefinger that he was not able to be happy with Lysa or Catelyn. Instead, one should feel bad that Littlefinger had to kill someone just to save Sansa's life. It's a heavy burden that his heartless frame was surely able to handle.
3 HATED HIM: Trying To Pit Sansa Against Arya
While he did kill Lysa to save Sansa, he also did it to push his agenda forward. His agenda always took precedence for him. In one of the most hate-worthy moments, he pitted two fan favorite sisters against each other.
Season seven's arc for Littlefinger sees him trying to convince Sansa that Arya wants her dead and that Sansa should sentence her sister to death. The reunion between these two should have been more joyous and while it was later revealed that they were playing him like a fiddle by acting like they were fighting, Littlefinger still denied the sisters (and fans) of emotional catharsis.
2 FELT BAD FOR HIM: Begging For His Life
Justifiably, this act of betrayal against the Starks results in Sansa, Arya, and Bran teaming up to sentence Baelish to death instead. Quickly, he realizes he is licked and he is facing near certain death.
He takes to begging for his life and shedding his typically cool demeanor. He obviously deserves the comeuppance and it is satisfying for fans to watch him get his. However, it's hard not to feel bad for someone who is in tears over his impending death, no matter how deserved it may be.
1 HATED HIM: Setting The Story In Motion
Ros, Lysa, Joffrey. These are just a few characters killed by Littlefinger. But his most consequential came when he set the death of Jon Arryn in motion. By having Lysa commit the deed and convincing Catelyn that it was the Lannisters, the entire Game of Thrones story is put in motion.
It results in bloodshed, families torn apart, utter heartbreak, horrible wars, and more. Indirectly or otherwise, Littlefinger is responsible for some of the worst things in the entire story, and he did this all in the name of a personal grudge. Whether or not he expected the ensuing chain reaction of death and chaos is debatable, but he was the linchpin nonetheless. This, above all else, seems deserving of hate.
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June 21, 2020 at 05:30AM
