Who's winning Westeros? Euron makes a play in 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Episode 2
Kelly LawlerAll the planning in the world won't help if you lose on the battlefield. Or on the sea.
Euron Greyjoy made a powerful play in Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 2, "Stormborn," interrupting Dany and Tyrion's perfect plan for conquering Westeros. And he wasn't the only one making waves.
We ranked the top 10 characters from Sunday's episode based on how well they're winning the battle for Westeros, and their own survival. See our rankings from the premiere here.
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1. Cersei Lannister
It's good to be the queen. Euron Greyjoy did Cersei a big favor in "Stormborn," taking out a portion of Dany's fleet and capturing her high profile allies, Ellaria Sand (who murdered Myrcella) and Yara Greyjoy. Cersei has never been kind to people who hurt her family, and now she's won the first battle in her war with Dany and has a dragon-killing weapon, thanks to Qyburn. She may not have many allies, but the woman can do more with fewer resources than anyone else on this show.
2. Sansa Stark
Speaking of ruling women, the North is now in the hands of Sansa, after Jon decided to travel south to Dragonstone to meet Dany (more on them below). Sansa has learned a lot through her experiences over the past seven seasons, and as long as she keeps Littlefinger at bay, she should be in a great position to steer the North out of trouble. She did win the Battle of the Bastards for them, if you recall.
3. Daenerys Targaryen
Dany falls down our list due to her own hubris and uncertainty as a ruler. She relied a little too heavily on Tyrion for her first big decisions, and it cost her a battle and Yara, Ellaria and Theon. Hopefully, she'll learn from this mistake, plus she still has those dragons and the Unsullied.
4. Jon Snow
Oh, Jon. Your good intentions have gotten you in trouble before. Let's hope nothing terrible happens as you journey south, OK? The King in the North still has the loyalty of his men and a deep knowledge of White Walkers on his side, but we, like Sansa, can't help but worry about what might happen to him now that he's left the safety of Winterfell.
5. Tyrion Lannister
The Hand of the Queen is finally making moves, though not if not all are successful. Sure, his Dornish plan led to a defeat, but you could almost feel the air being sucked out of Dany's council room when he mentioned the Unsullied taking Casterly Rock. It's a bold plan that might be a little personal, but would be a huge blow to Cersei.
6. Olenna Tyrell
The Queen of Thorns is still plenty thorny. Grieving from the deaths of her family and focused on revenge, Olenna couldn't care less about drama and feelings. But she still has time to advise Dany and has wisdom most characters on this show do not.
7. Euron Greyjoy
Who knew the punk rock pirate would actually do something? Thrones was lacking minor antagonists after Cersei blew most of them up last season, and Euron has taken full advantage of the power vacuum. We'll see if he can keep his mania in check as the war rages.
8. Arya Stark
Arya removed herself from the larger game by deciding not to go to King's Landing to kill Cersei, and instead heading north to Jon and Sansa. She's still powerful, but the ramifications of her actions won't be as big if she continues northward.
9. Samwell Tarly
Sam is making the most out of his time at the Citadel, informing Jon about Dragonglass and saving Jorah's life. He needs to make sure that his surreptitious surgery doesn't cost him a place in the house of knowledge.
10. Littlefinger
He may have an enemy in Jon and little real power at the moment, but Littlefinger is always scheming, always trying to manipulate. With Sansa leading the North he may actually begin to wield influence again.
