Game Of Thrones: The 10 Best Mothers, Ranked | ScreenRant
Game Of Thrones was a series all about relationships and family ties. While that was surrounded by violence to help make the show incredibly exciting, at its core, it was all about the characters and the differing relationships to each other that would take place over the course of the story.
A big part of the show is about motherhood. There is a real mixed bag of mothers highlighted in Game Of Thrones, some of which were brilliant, others which were vindictive or utterly useless. There are few things more powerful and strong than the love of a mother, and that extends out to Game Of Thrones, but not all of them are equal.
10 Selyse Baratheon
Selyse Baratheon never showed too much of her own personality throughout the series, and she certainly never seemed to be overly connected with her daughter, Shireen. Selyse often just stands in the background, watching Stannis do whatever he likes without having much to say about things.
The icing on the cake was clear when she allowed her daughter to be sacrificed to the Lord of Light. While she did finally show some emotion in that moment, she didn't stop Stannis from burning their own daughter alive, making her a terrible mother.
9 Melisandre
Melisandre gave birth to a shadow demon whose sole purpose was to murder Renly Baratheon, and that was it. It's questionable as to whether or not she was technically a 'mother', and she certainly didn't have to care or raise a child like the other moms on the show.
However, she did give birth so it seems to count. While she obviously doesn't rank as a fantastic mother, there has to be some credit given for the fact that she knows ahead of time what she is doing, and her 'child' fulfills the purpose it was set out to accomplish.
8 Lysa Arryn
It certainly cannot be denied that Lysa Arryn was a loving mother, but there certainly is such a thing as too much love, and that is what Lysa suffered from. She treated Robin like he was a baby right up until the moment she died, and her decision to do that turned him into a character incapable of really becoming the leader he needed to be.
Lysa was one person who could be very easily angered and she certainly didn't have full control over her emotions. But even though she loved Robin with all of her heart, she raised him in a manner that actually harmed him later in life.
7 Catelyn Stark
Catelyn Stark was both a great and terrible mother in Game Of Thrones. The her own children, Catelyn was a fantastic mom. She clearly cared about all of them deeply and she tried her best to protect them in any way possible, all the way until her death.
While she could be a little cold and angry at times, it was always done with love at its core. However, on the flipside of that was her treatment of Jon Snow. While he wasn't technically her child, she did raise him, but he was treated like a true outcast, and her inability to show any love for him shone poorly on her as a person.
6 Daenerys Targaryen
Technically, Daenerys Targaryen never had any human children, but there's no doubt that she was a mother to her three dragons. She loved them deeper than anyone else throughout the series, and her care for them clearly made her a great mother.
While she did use them for their strength when it came to trying to win the Iron Throne, she did always do her best to make sure they were safe. Her only poor moment as a mother was her decision to lock them away, which wasn't something that a good mother would do, but she saw the error of her ways and fixed the issue.
5 Lyanna Stark
Lyanna Stark is spoken about more than she is actually showcased within the series, but there is no doubt that she is a fantastic mother. Her time with her child, which turns out to be Jon Snow, is only very brief, as she dies due to complications with the birth.
However, during her brief time as a mother, Lyanna shows nothing but love and protection. She ensures that he will be protected by Ned Stark, and he stays true to his word in order to protect him as long as he can. But that is all down to the dying wish of Lyanna, proving that she cares about her child more than anything else in the world.
4 Ellaria Sand
Ellaria Sand is a brilliant character who doesn't take issues lying down, and that's exactly what she teaches as a mother as well. She is very much a hands on mother, even with Oberyn's daughters by other women, and that is what makes her so great. She always wants to be with her daughters, spending time together, teaching them the ways of the world.
While she can sometimes be a little too forceful of her own opinions and lust for revenge, she certainly teaches some great skills that are important in the this life. She cares deeply and that alone makes her a fantastic mother.
3 Cersei Lannister
While Cersei Lannister might be one of the greatest villains in Game Of Thrones who does some despicable things throughout the series, she is certainly a good mother. That is arguably her biggest redeeming trait, that everything she does is with her children in mind, always wanting to protect them.
Of course, there are plenty of times when Cersei manipulates her children and pretty much rules the Iron Throne vicariously through them, but there can be no denying of her love for them. She tries her best to keep them all alive and happy, and while she ultimately fails in that regard, it's not for a lack of effort.
2 Gilly
The way that Gilly gets pregnant would provide a very valid excuse for her to not care about her child at all if she wanted to. However, she ends up being the total opposite and becomes committed to giving her child the best life possible.
She is incredibly protective and will not let any harm come of her baby while she is alive. Gilly works tirelessly to improve their quality of life, trying to not only become more intelligent, but to get them somewhere safe, which is what any great mother would do.
1 Olenna Tyrell
Olenna Tyrell is, without doubt, the best motherly figures throughout the series. While she is typically shown more with her grandchildren, she acts as their mother and is the perfect blend between being very sweet and kind to them, while also protecting them with a fierce attitude.
Olenna is incredibly smart and knows how to play the game better than most. She's experienced in the way of the world and reads people well, knowing when to provide great advice and counsel, and when she needs to take matters into her own hands to take control.