There’s been a lot of discourse among fans when it comes to Tyrion Lannister on Game Of Thrones. The writers have been accused of playing him down a lot - on the show, he’s painted as the hard done by Lannister, the one who’s the least malicious but receives the most ill-treatment.
It’s not quite this way in the books. Yes, Tyrion’s had a hard life, but he also does some truly messed up stuff in the books that they cut from the show. Even at that though, Tyrion still has his moments on the show where he is undoubtedly the most dangerous Lannister.
When He Used Wildfire
Blackwater Bay was one of the first times we truly see Tyrion being dangerous. When Stannis’ fleet came towards King’s Landing, no one had any idea of what to do - even Cersei seemed to be accepting defeat, to the point where she planned to poison Tommen to spare him any pain of being captured.
But Tyrion was the one who came up with a plan and succeeded, setting the ships alight with wildfire and burning everyone on them alive. Wildfire is a truly horrific substance, and their deaths would not have been painless. But hey, at least it worked. No one can say he isn’t clever.
When He Went To Daenerys
When Tyrion had nowhere to go, it was Varys who pointed him in the right direction. He left the Lannisters after killing Tywin and went to Daenerys, offering to help her. With all of his knowledge about his family, her enemies, under his belt, he was accepted as Hand of the Queen. What made him so dangerous here was his willingness to switch sides, to go against his family, and the sheer amount of insider knowledge he has. Later in the show, they even managed to take Casterly Rock thanks to him.
Safe to say, Tyrion may not be physically intimidating but it’s his mind that makes him dangerous.
His Outburst At His Trial
Tyrion was put on trial for murdering Joffrey and it was a moment of real vulnerability for him. He was finally shown that his sister and father don’t care about him, even truly want him dead, and his outburst about it was very emotional.
This was probably the moment in the show where Tyrion truly became dangerous for the Lannisters, not just for his enemies. They displayed far too brazenly (with the exception of Jaime) that they couldn’t care less about him, after arming him with years and years of knowledge about their family. They couldn’t possibly have expected his loyalty after that.
Marrying Myrcella Off To Dorne
One underestimated moment is earlier in the series, when he married Myrcella off to the Martells against Cersei’s wishes. She was sent off to Dorne, and although the danger Tyrion put her in may have been unintentional, it was her uncle thinking he knew best here that eventually got her killed. Yes, he felt bad; yes, he regretted his decision. But he was dangerous because he was so sure of himself.
And perhaps there was some selfishness in it; perhaps he wanted to hurt Cersei when he sent Myrcella away, despite all his claims to the contrary. He may not have wanted his niece dead, but Tyrion doesn’t always have pure intentions.
His Jibes Towards Joffrey
His jibes towards Joffrey were also particularly dangerous, and Joffrey could have chosen to take his temper out on anyone. Tyrion has always prided himself on having a smart tongue and being quick-witted when it comes to insulting people, but Joffrey was clearly not a very stable man and he was a king. He held a lot of power, and was not a man it was wise to provoke.
Despite this, Tyrion couldn’t help but drop comments and insults that would enrage Joffrey. It was probably hard not to, with Joffrey being such an easy target, but it was also definitely bold considering his power as king.
When He Killed Tywin
One of the moments in the series that undoubtedly made him most dangerous was the moment when he shot his father with a crossbow.
It’s almost understandable. Tywin Lannister treated his youngest son abusively throughout his whole life, and Tyrion grew up to be a very bitter person because of it. But abuse and neglect or not, it was still very cold of Tyrion when he shot Tywin with a crossbow and left him there dead. It takes a certain amount of hardness to shoot your own father, we’d imagine, and was nothing if not proof of what Tyrion was capable of.
And Worse, When He Killed Shae
Even worse than that was when he killed the woman he loved.
Again - there was reasoning behind this, it wasn’t just a random murder. He showed up to his father’s room and found Shae in his bed, implying that she was sleeping with Tywin for protection or money (or both). Devastated, Tyrion strangled her until she was left dead on the bed.
It must have been a horrific moment for him to see her there, sleeping with Tywin, but again - it does take a certain kind of person to be able to strangle and kill the woman they’re in love with. And in the later seasons, he didn’t seem to think too much about it either.
Is He Plotting With Cersei?
This one’s up for debate, but it’s a solid fan theory.
There’s a rumor that Tyrion will betray Daenerys in season eight. It’s sparked by the scene where he was conversing with Cersei about her pregnancy, resulting in her leaving that room and agreeing to make a truce with Daenerys. Fans speculate there was more to that conversation we missed, and Tyrion actually may be turning sides for a second time.
It seems plausible - Tyrion is very unpredictable and, as we’ve established, dangerous enough to pull a stunt like that. We’ll find out in April, when the final season airs.
