Summary
Game of Thronesis one of the most fascinating and well-known shows of all time, having delivered some of the very best writing that has ever been on television. Between the dragons and battles, there were many moments of incredibly well-written dialogue, leading to a huge number of amazing and memorable quotes.
Despite not generally being one of the better fighters in Westeros, Tyrion Lannister has been through a lot,some of it before the show began, and he manages to survive it all. Moving up and down in position and ranking faster than almost any other character in the show, Tyrion is constantly talking his way out of situations, often coming out with excellent one-liners along the way.
Updated on June 02, 2025, by Chris Harkin:Although Game of Thrones has been ended for some time, the relevance of Westeros increases each year as House of the Dragon and other projects continue to impress fans of the original show. While characters like Tyrion Lannister aren’t planned for any more upcoming projects, the legacy he created will live on through the incredible quotes that helped define the legacy of Game of Thrones itself. Having so many characters, it is hard to determine which one is the most iconic, but Tyrion makes a strong case for it being him with his legendary lines.
13“Never Forget What You Are. The Rest Of The World Will Not”
Reminds The Audience Of His & Jon’s Shared Struggle
Many of Tyrion’s words of wisdom are given to Jon Snow, whether it is early in the series when they first meet or near the very end when they come back together. Reminding Jon that he is a bastard but not to shy away from this title, Tyrion is one of the first people in Jon’s life who tells him to raise his head high and be proud of what he is.
Upon being reminded by Jon that Tyrion doesn’t know anything about being a bastard, Tyrion reminds him that all dwarfs are bastards in their father’s eyes. This, coming in the first episode, set the tone for much of Tyrion’s relationship with his own family during the rest of the series.
12“A Mind Needs Books Like A Sword Needs A Whetstone”
Shows Tyrion As Different From Other Men
One of the early quotes that showcased what Tyrion truly valued came in the second episode of the show. Tyrion’s relationship with Jon Snow was intermittent throughout the series, but it was still incredibly important. In one of his first monologs, Tyrion tells Jon that he must provide for the family with his mind, advice Jon needs for the trials ahead of him,including the long night.
As a character, Tyrion has always been great with words. His monologues made for some of the very best moments in the history ofGame of Thrones. Speaking in a matter-of-fact tone about how he would have been left to die if he’d been born a peasant, Tyrion tells Jon that training the mind is more important than most others would ever tell him, helping spur Jon onwards toward the leadership positions he would face in life.
11“Death Is So Final. Whereas Life, Ah, Life Is Full Of Possibilities”
Shows Off Tyrion’s Fun-Loving Side
In the same episode, Tyrion hasa conversation with his brother Jaimeabout Bran Stark being broken. A casual conversation, proving the difference between the brothers early on, would go on to be incredibly important. This was Tyrion saying that Bran’s life could still be great and was worth living.
This proved to be wildly significant, as he would later be the one to advocate for Bran to be King at the end of the series, taking on the role of his Hand. Believing that life is worth living and enjoying was one of the things that Tyrion held onto throughout the series, and it kept him going through some brutally tough situations,especially his relationship with his sister.
10"I Have A Tender Spot In My Heart For Cripples, Bastards, And Broken Things"
Shows Kindness Within The Snarkiness
Tyrion Lannister has a soft spot in his heart, as any truly good person does, and his sympathies lie with those who struggle to gain respect in society, like he always did as a dwarf. This included the likes of Jon Snow, as Tyrion also felt like a bastard in his father’s house, and Bran Stark after he was crippled.
Tyrion returned to Winterfell(at great cost in the end) to ensure that Bran would at least still be able to ride a horse in the future with a design he brought for a special saddle. Despite the distrustfulness of Robb Stark, Tyrion persevered because, as he admitted, he felt a need to help cripples and broken things.
Showed Tyrion’s Disgust For His Own Family
Though Tyrion was a powerful force inGame of Thronesthroughout the second season, he didn’t receive much respect from his family. In turn, he eventually began to show his hatred for certain members of his kin, particularly Joffrey, in moments such as this, when he didn’t hesitate to tell Cersei what he thought of her son and the way she was handling him as King.
Despite being the Hand of the King, acting in place of his father, Tyrion andhis intelligence was belittled by Joffrey, who attempted to ignore and refuse his requests often. Tyrion’s hatred for his family was an overshadowing factor in him eventually siding against them, but he never forgot where he came from or abandoned any member of his family (besides his father) whenever he could help them.
8"I Will Hurt You For This"
Showed Tyrion Reaching His Boiling Point
Shortly after beginning to speak more frankly with Cersei, her innate inability to not fear those around her kicked in, and Cersei threatened Tyrion through the various women he kept around. This was a point that prickled Tyrion, more for the fact that he had no intention of actually hurting any member of his family, despite the way they treated him, and it irked him that the likes of Cersei couldn’t bear to accept that he meant well.
Even Tyrion saying a threat to his family was a shock, and his character before and after this moment showed how empty a threat this was. Tyrion is normally a man of his word, but Cersei is a character who can infuriate him so deeply that he acted out of character, threatening to hurt her in a way he never meant to do and never would.
7“I Try To Know As Many People As I Can. You Never Know Which One You’ll Need”
Shows That Tyrion Understands Where Real Power Lies
Tyrion often had to speak his way out of situations, like mentioning to his lover, Shae, that he knew another prostitute. However, in doing so on this occasion, he also managed to come out with some wise words about how to get ahead inGame of Thrones.
People are the key. The master manipulators in the great game all know plenty of people.Varys, one of the most masterful manipulators, has spies everywhere and knows everybody. Tyrion understands the great game himself and is (almost) always able to come out on top because he ensures he is on good terms with as many people as possible.
6“It’s Not Easy Being Drunk All The Time. Everyone Would Do It If It Were Easy”
Shows That Tyrion Knows Exactly What He’s Doing
Tyrion has several endearing friendships throughout the show. Though many of his relationships don’t work out or end sadly, Podrick Payne remains loyal to him as long as possible, and he even survives and becomes a member of the new Kingsguard in the finale ofGame of Thrones.
One of the great pieces of advice Tyrion gives him is that his drunkenness isn’t everything it appears to be. Tyrion is always a little further ahead of people than they think, and while he likes to enjoy himself, he is also able to force people to further underestimate him via his drinking and lechery, making it easier for him to outwit people.
5"Monsters Are Dangerous, And Just Now, Kings Are Dying Like Flies"
Indicative Of His Stance On Joffrey
Tyrion was never afraid to stand up to his nephew. Joffrey was a poor king, and Tyrion was the only member of his family that would properly stand up to him. Even Tywin didn’t often speak against Joffrey’s torturing of people and misbehaving.
But Tyrion, besides slapping Joffrey and attempting to halt his behavior during several other instances, also threatened him on this occasion, when Joffrey tried to command that Robb Stark’s head be served to Sansa at his wedding feast. Even Cersei and Tywin weren’t really on Joffrey’s side for this one, but it took Tyrion’s brutal threat to wake them to the need to stop Joffrey.
4“I Wish I Was The Monster You Think I Am”
Shows The Frustration Tyrion Lives With
The trial of Tyrion Lannister was Peter Dinklage’s best performance in the role. This episode was the one where Tyrion was put on trial for the murder of King Joffrey, in a very much rigged investigation. His speech starts with a scathing indictment of the people of King’s Landing. It then moves on to him admitting that he is guilty of being a dwarf and screaming at his father about the treatment he has bestowed upon him his entire life.
He turned to the crowd of people in the throne room and proclaimed that he wished he was the person who would commit the acts of murder he was accused of, before shockingly announcing he wanted trial by combat. This ingenious series of moves showed how Tyrion struggled with his conscience, sometimes wishing he was as heartless and cold-blooded as the rest of his family, before showing his father that, even with the deck stacked against him, he could outwit him, and Cersei. For the latter,pushing Tyrion away was a major mistake.
