Game Of Thrones: The Perfect King Was Standing Right There & It Wasn't Jon Snow

Summary:

• The Game of Thrones finale left most fans frustrated with its incoherent and illogical conclusion.
• Bran Stark was elected the new King of Westeros despite virtually any other lord being a better candidate.
• Gendry Baratheon, the only legitimized son of the last legitimate King, had the best claim on the Iron Throne, but everyone ignored it.

We’ve all long accepted that the Game of Thrones finale would never make sense, unless we take one tiny assumption for canon. But this still can’t prevent us from being completely overwhelmed by the sheer stupidity of most characters by the end; yes, we know it can be easily explained, but it’s still just as infuriating on a rewatch.

The King Election Was A Terrible Joke

The very concept of democratically electing a new head of state was a massive breakthrough for the Game of Thrones’ feudal society, don’t get us wrong. But the choice that was made looked as forced as it could get: even with no chance for the main character to rule, there were many more valid candidates than Bran Stark.

Some of them might have died off despite being arguably the perfect fits, true. But in general, most lords and ladies would have been more optimal choices than the guy with the “best story” who went missing for two seasons and no one even noticed. Seven Hells, they even had the last legitimate King’s true heir among them!

Gendry Baratheon Was Standing Right There

While Tyrion kept going about how Bran Stark had the best story and there were no legitimate heirs anyway, there was literally a legitimate heir standing right next to him. Gendry Baratheon, the legitimized son of King Robert Baratheon, was the new Lord of the Stormlands and the only person who had a rightful heir to the Iron Throne, save for Jon Snow aka Aegon Targaryen himself.

If no one wanted Jon to rule (even though it was just Grey Worm, but anyway), Gendry was the second best thing. Not only was he alleviated from the status of a bastard, he was also a good-natured, brave, and compassionate man.

Seeing how the lord and ladies seemingly wanted to change things up after the Iron Throne’s destruction, he was the perfect candidate, too, since he grew up among the poor.

All Gendry Baratheon needed was a good marriage alliance and a responsible Small Council, and he would have been a great King in no time — at least, much better than his father who, once again, was the last legitimate ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

“Who has a better story” my Flea Bottom.