The 'Game of Thrones' universe and the many faces of evil


Maan Jalal
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  • Arabic

It used to be much easier to spot a villain.

Often set up as against the heroes, they would typically be dressed in dark clothing and obsessed with power, acting with no mercy and have no redeeming qualities.

However, over the years, particularly since George R R Martin’s Game of Thrones universe has become a cornerstone for how we tell stories in television, we’ve started to examine the idea of villains and antagonists more closely.

Martin didn't invent the idea of the anti-hero nor anti-villain archetype. But Game of Thrones and the newly popular House of the Dragon have popularised a more nuanced approach to evil characters and good characters who, though well-intentioned, do evil things.

Boiled down to their essence, both are stories about politics and strategy, which makes identifying a villain more challenging, as most characters are acting based on self-interest and survival. That doesn't mean that some characters aren't simply evil.

Across the spectrum, from the most merciless to the understandable, with the ones we empathise with and those we never suspect, we’ve listed all the faces of evil from the Game of Thrones universe.

Warning: spoilers for House of the Dragon lay ahead.

Night King

Richard Brake as the Night King in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
Richard Brake as the Night King in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

No nuance is needed to describe the Night King. He is the personification of pure evil, his only motivation is to turn every living creature into an undead one and create the largest army of the dead.

Far from subtle or discrete, even without uttering a word, his plan and motives were transparent from this first appearance to his demise, never once flinching from his prerogative or betraying any vulnerability, redemption or sign that maybe there is some good lurking beneath his icy exterior.

Walder Frey

David Bradley as Walder Frey in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
David Bradley as Walder Frey in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

Looking closely at the head of House Frey’s legacy and his actions, it’s not difficult to understand why he is one of the worst villains in the Game of Thrones universe.

Not only did Walder Frey orchestrate the Red Wedding massacre, coldly killing Rob Stark, his mother Catelyn Stark and his wife Talisa Stark along with their unborn child, but throughout the show, he displays opportunistic behaviour, a lack of loyalty and no redeeming qualities.

Ramsay Bolton

Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

Ramsy Bolton’s appearances in three seasons of Game of Thrones were enough to solidify him as one of the worst characters on the show.

Sadistic in nature, getting pure pleasure from unnecessarily emotionally and physically taunting and torturing people, whether it was his wife Sansa Stark or the weak Theon Greyjoy, his vicious nature, while impulsive, is also ruled by an intelligent, keen and tactful mind.

Joffrey Baratheon

Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

While vicious, cruel and aggressive, with a sick fascination for torture and power, Joffrey Baratheon was also not very smart.

This didn’t stop him from asserting his power from the very first season when he ascended the throne and beheaded good-guy Ned Stark in one of his first acts as king.

As the show progresses, we see Joffrey become fixated with more cruel, pointless forms of torture, petulant outbursts and unexplainable violence.

Tywin Lannister

Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

Calculating, shrewd, unloving and strong. Tywin Lannister is a good leader in many senses and yet is responsible for the strategy and implementation of evil atrocities that befall many of the characters from the show.

There are no excuses for his actions but it's worth noting that he is a military man, who is duty bound to protect the legacy and survival of his house and his people. While it’s hard to reconcile his decisions, from his perspective, they are necessary.

Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish

Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

While arguably one of the most despicable and conniving villains from the Game of Thrones universe, it's difficult not to also respect Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, for his intelligence and strategic thinking.

At first, his intentions and deceit are subtle, making it almost difficult to understand his motivations. It was he who set many of the actions of the show in motion, by poisoning Jon Arryn, which eventually resulted in the death of most of the Starks.

Despite continuing to profess his love for Catelyn, and seeming to position himself as Sansa’s protector, it became clear that he has no redeeming qualities despite being a master at displaying them.

High Sparrow

Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow. Photo: HBO
Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow. Photo: HBO

Arguably one of the worst villains of the show, High Sparrow is terrifying because he displays none of the cliched tropes associated with evil. He was humble, dressed in plain garb, walked barefoot, helped the poor and was a man of faith.

Yet, he knew how to play a discerning political game, using religion as both a shield and a vehicle to control and destroy people for his own means.

Cersei Lannister

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: HBO

Perhaps the most controversial, complex and legendary villain in the Game of Thrones canon, Cersei Lannister is a force to be reckoned with, and to be fearful of.

The atrocities that Cersei planned and implemented to remain unchallenged in her position are too many to mention. Most memorable would be murdering hundreds of people using wildfire to blow up the Great Sept of Baelor on the day of her trial, for her role in the death of her husband King Robert Baratheon.

Like her father, she is shrewd, viscous cunning and controlling. However, unlike Tywin, Cersei’s motivations go beyond loyalty to her house and people. Her love and dedication to her children is one of her few, most powerful humanising qualities.

Jaime Lannister

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister. Photo: HBO
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister. Photo: HBO

Jaime Lannister is a compelling character whose actions are hard to reconcile with his nature. He is pompous and arrogant when viewers first meet him, and reveals his tendency for evil by coldly pushing Bran Stark off a tower for discovering him and Cersei together.

Yet as the show progressed, Jamie is humbled, his character arc develops and audiences are left conflicted about how to feel about him after witnessing the genuine relationships he develops with other characters and the many acts of good he performs.

Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Photo: HBO
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Photo: HBO

Fiery debates still ensue online on whether or not she was truly a villain.

Daenerys Targaryen was, of course, a complex character. While she started off as a weak, controlled princess with nothing to her name, audiences aligned themselves with her journey as she gained autonomy of herself, her dragons and grew a loyal following.

But slowly, and perhaps too subtly, there were hints and signs as the show progressed that she was willing to kill anyone who stood in her way, causing her transformation into more of a villain than a hero.

'House of the Dragon'

Daemon Targaryen

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO

From the very first episode of the Game of Thrones prequel, Daemon Targaryen displayed arrogant, cunning tendencies, a thirst for violence and a hunger for power. Yet, also, a vulnerability and odd emotional attachments to people.

As the show progresses, we see these dual aspects of his character come into clearer focus, despite opposing each other. In episode eight, his dedication to his wife, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and her children, had audiences praising him.

Ser Otto Hightower

Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO
Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO

In many ways, Ser Otto Hightower, Hand of the King, is an archetypal political villain. This doesn’t make him less complex than other characters. In fact, it makes him more treacherous for the sheer fact his loyalties are only to himself and his own ego.

A combination of Tywin’s shrewd, political thinking and Littlefinger's subtle, deceptive navigation and hunger for prestige, makes him one of the most dangerous characters to cross.

Alicent Hightower

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO

A truly complex character, Alicent Hightower was at first a meek pawn in her father Ser Otto’s game. However, as queen, she’s proved herself to be a formidable villain in her own right.

Whether by “accidentally” ordering the death of Ser Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra’s lover, or attempting to legitimise rumours and gossip about her children's parentage, Alicent is willing to do the necessary to ensure her firstborn sits on the Iron Throne.

Yet, she isn’t without redeeming qualities. Her empathy for the plight of other women and her dedication to her ailing husband makes it hard to discount her as a character worthy of sympathy and respect.

Prince Aemond

Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO
Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond in 'House of the Dragon'. Photo: HBO

Alicent and King Viserys’s secondborn son displays his uncle Daemon’s arrogance and tendency for violence, but is rather a less complex version than one would hope.

He is being set up as an out-of-control, cunning, skilled fighter and dragon rider, but is already presented without any depth and almost like a caricature of a villain with all the cliched tropes — including an eye patch — which makes him less interesting than he could be.

'House of the Dragon' drone show in Riyadh - in pictures

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)

Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)

Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures

Tuesday:

Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)

Second legs:

October 23

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The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

RESULTS

6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)

6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill

7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill

8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELuv%20Ranjan%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Shraddha%20Kapoor%2C%20Anubhav%20Singh%20Bassi%20and%20Dimple%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

Suggested picnic spots

Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)

Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)

Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULT

Wolves 1 (Traore 67')

Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')

Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)

The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Power: 295bhp

Torque: 353Nm

Price: Dh155,000

On sale: now 

Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses

Copa del Rey

Semi-final, first leg

Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')

Second leg, February 27

Name: Colm McLoughlin

Country: Galway, Ireland

Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free

Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah

 

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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It's up to you to go green

Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.

“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”

When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.

He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.

“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.

One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.  

The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.

Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.

But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”

Buy farm-fresh food

The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.

In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others. 

In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food. 

In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra. 

So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?

Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

Results

3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).

3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.

5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.

5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

India Test squad

Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

PROFILE OF STARZPLAY

Date started: 2014

Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand

Number of employees: 125

Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners

Company%20Profile
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Updated: October 12, 2022, 9:06 AM`