If you thought the twisted characters in Game of Thrones, which were adapted from George R.R. Martin’s acclaimed novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, were the epitome of evil, think again.
Martin, the mastermind behind the beloved and brutal fantasy series, once took to his personal blog (yes, he still uses it) to give his thoughts on the Emmy-worthy performance of Breaking Bad’s Ozymandias episode. And let’s just say he was just so impressed that, according to him, the episode was the ante in the realm of television monsters.
Martin lauded Breaking Bad and its protagonist, Walter White, as a greater monster than anyone in Westeros. Yes, you read that right. The man who created terrifying characters such as Ramsay Bolton and Joffrey Baratheon acknowledged that there is one supervillain who surpasses them all.
Heisenberg, in Martin’s opinion, is the absolute worst!
Walter White: The Ultimate Villain? George R.R. Martin’s Unexpected View
Recognizing the same genius in others is what distinguishes a great storyteller. George R.R. Martin gave credit where credit was due after watching Ozymandias, the beloved Breaking Bad episode that many deem to be the best in history.
Martin was equally engrossed in the episode. The author of Song of Ice and Fire wrote on his LiveJournal right after it aired in 2013, saying:
“Amazing episode last night. Talk about a gut punch…Walter White is a bigger monster than anyone in Westeros. (I need to do something about that.)”
Martin continued by discussing the respective prospects of Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad for an Emmy when both series were nominated for Best Drama:
“This is the final season of BREAKING BAD. I think GAME OF THRONES may have a shot at upsetting BB for this year’s Emmy (only a shot, though, I think they are the clear favorite), which pits us against their previous season… but there’s no way in hell that anyone is going to defeat BREAKING BAD next year, when their last season is the one in contention.”
By the conclusion of the show, Walter White (Bryan Cranston)—the antihero of Breaking Bad—may be the least likeable character (because of his solid villainous performance). But the program also featured other noteworthy antagonists, such as the eerie Todd Alquist.
However, there are also plenty of villains in Game of Thrones. The most lasting impression of Joffrey Baratheon is that of a spoiled, haughty, cowardly, infantile, and cruel king who severely disrupts the life of his wife, Sansa Stark.
George R.R. Martin Applauded This TV Show’s Finale as a Masterpiece
The expectations for what can be achieved with small-screen entertainment were drastically altered by Game of Thrones. However, George R.R. Martin considers HBO’s 2001 series Six Feet Under to have the best episodes in history.
In 2023, Vanity Fair released a list of the top 25 TV episodes from the previous 25 years, which even featured GRRM’s Blackwater episode from his show. In response, Martin wrote on his Not a Blog website, expressing his opinion that omitting Six Feet Under’s finale from the list was a mistake.
To the best of his memory, that series finale was the best ever, and he said nothing could ever top it. In his words:
“If I had to pick one episode that was even more perfect than all the others on the list… it would have to be the final episode of ‘Six Feet Under,’ I liked that series well enough, though I cannot say I loved it as much as I loved ‘Rome’ or ‘Deadwood’ or ‘Fargo’ or a few other shows missing from the list, but that last episode was far and away the best finale in the entire history of television, and I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly do better.”
This was a daring statement, given that Ozymandias, an episode from Bryan Cranston’s renowned Breaking Bad, is still rated a perfect 10/10 on IMDb.
While Game of Thrones is currently available on Hulu, Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix.
