Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones)

"I wonder if you're the worst person I've ever met. At a certain age, it's hard to recall. But the truly vile do stand out through the years." (Game of Thrones, "The Broken Man")

Spoilers for Game of Thrones

Olenna Tyrell, played by Diana Rigg, is one of the many supporting characters in Game of Thrones. She is the matriarch of House Tyrell, and wields considerable amounts of political power.

Despite being a frail old woman, Olenna's boons come from her almost constant control of every situation. She always plays behind the scenes, toying with the tyrannical Lannisters, whether it be something as minor as a quip or as major as poisoning King Joffrey. Never caught off guard and always seemingly in control of the room, Olenna is an example of playing to a character's strengths and capabilities. She would never charge into battle or swing a sword, but that doesn't stop her from optimizing her impact on the world. This is most effectively encapsulated in her final scene with Jaime Lannister. Her keep has fallen and her armies are defeated. Jaime approaches her, and she knows that this is when she dies. However, she once more keeps control of the room, insulting the Lannisters a few more times, before finally taking a painless poison and revealing that she is responsible for the death of Joffrey (Jaime's son.) While she will never see the outcome of the series, it is no stretch of the imagination to say that in the game of thrones, Olenna Tyrell is one character that won.