5 moments that prove Joffrey Baratheon is the worst Game of Thrones character

5 moments that solidify Joffrey Baratheon as the worst character in Game of Thrones

In HBO’s Game of Thrones, there is one character who stands out not for his nobility or cunning, but for his sheer cruelty throughout. Joffrey Baratheon, portrayed by Jack Gleeson, is the crown prince of the Seven Kingdoms and is irrefutably one of the worst characters in the entire series!

As a die-hard fan of the show, we have witnessed heroes rise and fall, alliances form and shatter, and epic battles that still give us shivers to this day. Yet, amidst this complex web of characters and storylines, Joffrey’s reign of terror remains etched in our memories as some of the darkest and worst moments in Game of Thrones history.

Join us as we reveal the five particular moments in the series that solidified his status as the worst character in Game of Thrones.

1.  Season 1, Episode 2, “The Kingsroad”

Kicking off Joffrey Baratheon’s worst moments the series is none other than Game of Thrones season 1, episode 2, “The Kingsroad,” which aired on HBO on April 24, 2011. The official synopsis for the episode reads:

"“While Bran recovers from his fall, Ned takes only his daughters to King’s Landing. Jon Snow goes with his uncle Benjen to the Wall. Tyrion joins them.”"

In the episode, like a spoiled brat, Joffrey orders the murder of the butcher’s boy and is responsible for the death of Lady, Sansa’s direwolf. This was probably one of the first times that the audience became aware of the extent of cruelty he could inflict on innocent creatures.

In The Kingsroad episode, Joffrey accuses the butcher’s boy, Mycah, who is a dear friend of Arya’s, of attacking him with a sword. Despite the fact that Mycah is innocent, Joffrey later orders his bodyguard, the Hound, to kill him.

Later on, when Nymeria, Arya’s direwolf, bites Joffrey in retaliation for attacking Micah and then Arya, Cersei demands that a direwolf be executed in retribution, however, when they can’t locate that exact direwolf, Lady is killed in her place. With Joffrey looking on gleefully. So although Cersei gives the order, it was Joffrey who caused the direwolf’s death.