Game of Thrones is full of wise-cracking characters trying to beat each other in wars of words, in addition to the actual wars being fought over land and power. There are debates across the Internet on who is the most intelligent character, and much of this intelligence can be judged by their wordplay and snarky comments.
One of the absolute best characters in terms of snarky insults is Olenna Tyrell. She knows exactly how much power she has and wields it, and her words, like the show's fiercest weapon. Here are ten of the best burns she ever said on the show, ranked by how much bite they had behind them and how much more her words said than she let on.
When Sansa and Margaery are discussing who to trust and who deserves their respect, Margaery draws on her father and then brothers' opinions, implicitly claiming that they would know best. On a show where women hold such power, however, that balance of power could never be left standing.
Olenna responds that Loras is very good at using a lance, which makes him honored as a knight, but it does not say anything about his wisdom and intelligence. It's a gentle rebuke, not intended to truly hurt Margaery or Loras, and not digging deep into their character for the insult. It is intended more as a warning against giving men power they haven't earned than as any kind of killing blow.
"The Cheese Will Be Served When I Want It Served. And I Want It Served Now."
While she is speaking with Sansa, Olenna requests that cheese be brought out. The serving boy tells her that it isn't time for the cheese to be served, and she quickly asserts her power over him. As the head of House Tyrell, the servants ought to do whatever she says, rather than telling her what will and won't be done.
Olenna's rebuke is more of a show of power than a burn, but it certainly is meant to put the boy in his place. Olenna draws on the roles they both have, and the extreme power difference between them to explain that cheese will be served precisely when she wants it, not when the servants have decided it should come.
"Why Shouldn't I Take An Interest? She's An Interesting Girl." "Is She?" "No, Not Particularly."
When Varys comes to Olenna about her meeting with Sansa, she initially brushes aside the meeting by claiming that Sansa is interesting. When he pushes her, however, she immediately drops her front, claiming that Sansa isn't particularly interesting after all. Fans might look back on that moment and laugh knowing how interesting the Queen of the North was by the end of the series.
The burn might be at Sansa's expense, but it is directed at Varys, implicitly mocking his need to use wordplay to get his power. Olenna demonstrates that she can play the game, but that she also doesn't have to, putting Sansa down in the process.
"I Wonder If You're The Worst Person I've Ever Met. At A Certain Age, It's Hard To Recall."
One of Olenna's strengths is accomplishing burns without needing to use a cutting tone. One such example is when she wonders if Cersei is the worst person she's ever met. The words are cutting, but the tone is bored.
Olenna references her own age, a sign of her success at playing political games while insulting Cersei in the process. The idea of the worst person she's ever met being disrespected so casually shows a self-assured sense of power, where Olenna knows she can get away with it.
"She's A Disease. I Regret My Role In Spreading It."
When Jaime comes to poison Olenna, she gets in a number of blows about him and Cersei, often insulting one while simultaneously shaming the other.
By calling Cersei a disease, Olenna acknowledges Cersei's power, while also dehumanizing it. But going further, Olenna says she regrets spreading it and shames Jaime for his part in it as well. Jaime had the opportunity to break free of his sister and didn't, and Olenna takes every opportunity to make him doubt and regret that decision.
"Put The Pen Down, Dear. We Both Know You're Not Writing Anything."
Olenna is old enough and powerful enough to be bored by the constant games that get played at court, and she is quick to shut them down on Cersei's end as well. When Cersei pretends to be writing important documents in order to ignore and dismiss Olenna, Olenna unmasks the ploy, forcing Cersei to either continue playing a childish game or speak with her directly.
This burn is meant to cut at Cersei while also getting the open conversation she wants, which is very effective.
"Your Daughter... Old. I'm Something Of An Expert On The Subject"
While Tywin tries to engineer a marriage between Cersei and Loras Tyrell, he and Olenna verbally spar over the comparative benefits and detriments of each other's family members. When Tywin tries to extoll on Cersei's virtues, Olenna cuts him off, emphasizing Cersei's age as a critical part of their agreement.
Being too old to bear more children, or so one would assume, Cersei would be a poor wife for Loras, only serving as a political alliance. Olenna succeeds in making Loras the more desirable of the pair, winning the war of words and getting the satisfaction of insulting Cersei in the process.
"I've Known A Great Many Clever Men. I've Outlived Them All. You Know Why? I've Ignored Them."
When Olenna meets Daenarys, she warns her against depending on Tyrion too much. She focuses on Daenarys's legacy, urging her not to be led by others while simultaneously continuing her revenge plots against the Lannisters.
In addition to being a burn against Tyrion and the other clever men in her life, Olenna is offering Daenarys an important piece of advice: don't lean on clever men much, or risk dying from their foolishness.
"There Are Always Lessons In Failures." "Yes. You Must Be Very Wise By Now."
Olenna is never one to cut corners when it comes to destroying someone with words, and Jaime is no exception. He tries to mock her by referencing failures, and she rebuts masterfully, prompting him to think of his own many failures, including the implied failure of standing by Cersei when he could have easily done anything else, as well as his failures to save his children.
Olenna knows that death is coming, so she isn't concerned with getting what she wants anymore. Instead, she is trying to deal as much damage as possible, and making Jaime think of his failures with his family certainly does the trick.
"Margaery Is The Queen. You Are Not The Queen, Because You Are Not Married To The King. I Do Appreciate These Things Can Get A Bit Confusing In Your Family."
After Cersei's shame walk, she attempts to get the Tyrell family to ally with her against the church and accidentally calls herself the Queen. Olenna has a field day with this, getting to reference all the many ways that Cersei's family is complicated, not least of which includes Cersei's relationship with her brother.
In this case, Olenna is showing off the power of the Tyrell family while also mocking Cersei and implying that she might be having an incestuous relationship with her son as well if she believes that she is queen. This hits at the heart of the Lannister family's shame, all with a casual snide comment.
