This Collider feature ranks George R.R. Martin's most "underrated" villains from A Song of Ice and Fire and its television adaptations, arguing that his best antagonists aren't always the most obvious "Big Bads" but characters whose cruelty or self-interest is more subtle. The piece highlights how Martin subverts typical fantasy archetypes, making even minor or secondary villains psychologically complex rather than purely evil for evil's sake.

The list opens with Alliser Thorne, the Night's Watch trainer whose resentment of Jon Snow's rapid rise curdles into mutiny and Snow's assassination, framed as a man who genuinely believes he's acting for the Watch's good despite his fatal misjudgement. Next is Alicent Hightower from House of the Dragon, described as ultimately selfish and inconsistent, backing her claims to power only when convenient and, through her lack of empathy, alienating her own children, including sons who came to believe she never loved them. The article (an excerpt of a longer ranked list, reportedly including five or more entries) continues in this vein, profiling characters whose villainy lies in self-justification and personal failings rather than overt malice.