Rank 6: Renly Baratheon
We naturally know Renly Baratheon from the first seasons of Game of Thrones. He was the younger brother of King Robert and Stannis Baratheon. After Robert’s death, he actually had no rightful claim to the throne. Nevertheless, he wanted to become king and went to war against his older brother and the other claimants to the throne.
Even though his claim was technically the lesser one, many sympathized with young Renly. He was considered kind, just, and a capable leader. The people loved him, which earned him a large following. Through his marriage to Margaery, he also formed an important alliance with House Tyrell. This allowed him to assemble one of the most powerful armies in all of Westeros.
Renly might have made a good king if he hadn’t been murdered by Melisandre’s shadow creature. But one can hardly blame him for that. Who expects faceless assassins?
Rank 5: Stannis Baratheon
Just before his younger brother, Stannis Baratheon ranks fifth. Yet the two could hardly be more different. While Renly was light and amiable, Stannis always appeared hard and grim. Although he was not quite so adept in social interactions, Stannis placed high value on honor, justice, and duty.
He was also regarded as the most experienced army commander in all of Westeros, not shying away from any enemy militarily. During the war against the mad king, shortly before Robert became king, Stannis fought fiercely by his side and defended Storm’s End.
After Robert’s death, he held firmly to his rightful claim to the throne. Despite initial successes, his endeavor was doomed to fail. He fell increasingly under the influence of Melisandre, and adopted the faith of the Lord of Light. This even led him to sacrifice his own daughter Shireen. His support dwindled further, and ultimately, Stannis was defeated in the Battle of Winterfell by the Boltons. He himself survived the battle, but was then executed by Brienne in revenge for the magical murder of Renly.
