Tyrion Lannister

There’s a lot to like about Tyrion. He’s not just smart, but witty, and always has a sharp verbal jab in store for anyone who annoys him—no matter how powerful they may be. He’s fearless, but in an intelligent way that usually helps him to avoid serious harm.

But that’s not why we care so much about Tyrion Lannister. We care about this man because of what he has to work to overcome each and every day.

Tyrion is a “dwarf" in a world where most men are measured by the reach and strength of their sword arm.

Few characters in all of fiction give us such insight into what it means to be physically disabled. Often called an “imp,” and a “half-man,” Tyrion invoke audience empathy by his very stature. As an important member of House Lannister, Tyrion is treated with respect, but only on the surface. Even his father, Tywin, privately remarks on the shame he feels for fathering a “monster” of a son.

But this experience hasn’t made Tyrion bitter, and he isn’t portrayed in the negative light that is unfortunately common in disabled characters. He’s hilarious, hard-partying, and displays respect for others based on their own merits, rather than that of their social status.

He has, as he says, “a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things.” He is disabled, but not defined by his disability, not embittered by it, and most importantly of all, not limited by it in the ways that count.

The realistic treatment of Tyrion’s disability makes us want to root for him as he adventures throughout Westeros and beyond, using his sharp mind to get himself, and his friends, out of trouble.