Game of Thrones is right around the corner and people are gearing up for the new season. After last year’s storyline, how could things get worse? Somewhere, I think George R.R. Martin is laughing at that thought. Things don’t seem to be going very well for the good people in the Seven Kingdoms and they are in store for more trouble, that’s for sure. One of the things we’ve seen in the previous episodes is that everyone is not as bad as we first thought. Some of the people you initially pegged as downright Evil have some redeeming qualities and when you look at things from their point of view, they really aren’t all that bad. Here is my list of “good” people I thought were initially evil. See if you agree. WARNING: Spoiler alert ahead if you are behind in the TV series.

JAIME LANNISTER

From the very first episode of Game of Thrones, I thought Jaime Lannister was one of the worst humans alive. He is having an incestuous relationship with his sister and he tossed an 11-year old boy out of a tower! How do you go back from that? However, I have since changed my mind. This is due, in part, to the introduction of Brienne and the loss of Jaime’s hand. Prior to this, he was an “invincible” warrior with all of the world at his feet. He could do no wrong. In fact, I would venture to say that he acted like an ass because that is how he dealt with rejection. We see bits and parts of Jaime’s soft side with regards to the Starks. He tells Caitlyn that he’s only been true to one woman his entire life (albeit, it’s his sister). In the video below you get an insight into why Jaime isn’t all that bad.

TYWIN LANNISTER

While we are on the Lannister clan, I don’t think that Tywin all that evil, either. Sure, he is a bad ass, but he has his justifications for his behavior, as well. It’s his family. He’s worried about his family name. He probably has a lot to consider. He’s got one kid who is a dwarf and a womanizer and two others that are having an illegal affair. On top of that, his grandson, Joeffrey, is a total jerk (you won’t see him on this list, he’s evil through and through)! Tywin explains to Jaime that family is the most important thing in life. Here, he explains to Tyrion how it is better to kill a dozen people than 10,000. He also throws in how he’s been good to his impish, youngest child.

VARYS THE SPIDER

This guy is a weasel-like, sniveling tattletale that hides in the corner. Just looking at him tells you that he is not one to trust – but is that the whole story? Every once in awhile, Varys come through and does a good deed. His reasoning is that it is all done for the balance of the crown. While maybe he is not fundamentally a good person, Varys is not evil, either. He’s somewhere in between and only seeks a balance of power in the Seven Kingdoms. Here is a lot of interesting facts about Varys and what you might see in Game of Thrones, Season 4.

MELISANDRE

Melisandre of Asshai is a red priestess of R’hllor and a Shadowbinder. She is one of the followers of Stannis Baratheon, whom she considers the true leader of the Seven Kingdoms. Melisandre will go to any length to help Stannis – even if she has to commit murder or adultery for him to succeed. While these things might seem pretty bad, Melisandre’s heart is in the right place. She is doing exactly what she thinks her religion demands of her. While the outside world may think she’s heartless, inside she is zealous and concerned about bringing her beliefs across the Narrow Sea.

THE HOUND

Sandor Clegane, aka “the Hound”, is one of my favorite good-guy/evil-guy characters in Game of Thrones. Hideously burned by his own brother, he makes no qualms about his love for killing people. The murderer of the butcher’s boy seems pretty evil – especially since he did it in the service of the world’s most evil King Joeffrey. However, once you get to know the Hound a bit better, you come to realize that he believes that the Starks really go a raw deal from the Lannisters and he tries to make good with the two daughters. Maybe he is just misunderstood…