Ranking the 9 Greatest Game of Thrones Houses by Power

House Tully, from which Catelyn Stark hails, has control of the Riverlands.

If you recall, Catelyn Stark actually hails from House Tully. Of course, House Tully has some strong warriors like Brynden “The Black Fish” Tully.

Tully's headquarters, Riverrun, is nestled in the Riverlands, which is a pretty precarious position. It is an easy target for invading enemies. Riverrun is not heavily fortified nor are there many natural properties protecting it.

House Tully may be the ruling house in the Riverlands, but it's not as wealthy as other great houses in Game of Thrones. However, they have a modest income at their disposal and can forge alliances with more powerful houses in Westeros.

Now, Catelyn's sister Lysa Tully has married into House Arryn, which is how we were introduced to them in Game of Thrones.

House Arryn resides in the Eyrie nestled in the Vale. The Eyrie is the most fortified of all the major seats of the house in Westeros. It is perched on top of an immensely steep ridge. People have died trying to climb the Eagle's Nest.

With House Arryn being so protected, they rarely participate in the affairs of Westeros, except to arrange marriages with suitable counterparts. House Arryn is wealthier than House Tully and, despite its isolated location, manages to keep its house well fed and well clothed.

House Martell is situated in Dorne. Dorne is still part of Westeros, despite being the southernmost part of the kingdom. Dorne could easily fit into Essos.

In any case, House Martell, like House Tully, has some of the strongest fighters in Westeros – Oberyn Martell, for one. However, most of House Martell was totally decimated in Game of Thrones. Essentially, we saw House Martell come to an end. Well, Arianne Martell is still alive and kicking, but she doesn't exist in the TV series.

Furthermore, House Martell lives in a desolate, desert terrain. Most houses in Westeros would not do well fighting House Martell in Dorne. Vice versa, House Martell would find it difficult to gain the upper hand while adapting to the more rocky and unpredictable landscape of Westeros.

We were introduced to House Baratheon when it was the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms. Robert Baratheon claimed the Iron Throne for himself after dethroning the "Mad King" Aerys II Targaryen.

Of course, it's pretty obvious that Robert was a formidable warrior in his youth. His older brother, Stannis, was immensely intelligent and pragmatic when it came to the art of battle. Then there's Robert's younger brother, Renly. Renly had charm and intelligence coming out of his ears.

House Baratheon used to be part of House Targaryen before they finally split and claimed the Stormlands as their realm. They have a lot of coin in their purse and significant connections to the other great Game of Thrones players.

Sadly, House Baratheon was all but destroyed in the show, save for Robert's son Gendry, who revitalized the house's headquarters at Storm's End and breathed new life into its name.

Now, House Tyrell is undoubtedly one of the richest houses in Westeros. Think of them as the billionaire 1%, buying their way out of scandal after scandal. Buying rings and forging marriages left and right.

House Tyrell's seat, Highgarden, is in the Reach. They are known as the Guardians of the South. Highgarden is the most opulent and luxuriously decadent seat in the Seven Kingdoms. Money speaks louder.

Furthermore, House Tyrell has many beautiful people, charisma, and silver-tongued nobles. Loras Tyrell is one of its most notable fighters. They may not have the strongest army, per se, but they do have a powerful ally in House Lannister, which provides capable warriors and makes them nearly unstoppable.

"We do not sow."

“What is dead may never die.”

Mantras of House Greyjoy.

They are not concerned or distracted by the malarkey occurring in the other six realms. They are not obsessed with claiming the Iron Throne. Instead, we see a considerably smaller but still significant battle for the Sea Stone Chair in House Greyjoy's Pyke Seat. All of this takes place on the Iron Islands, where the Ironborn thrive in the seas of their Drowned God.

That's what sets them apart from other houses in Westeros — they do better sailing the ocean. Of course, they're still just as formidable and downright terrifying on land. The Ironborn are considered barbaric and ruthless. Sly. Reckless. Essentially, you wouldn't want to meet an Ironborn in a dark alley.

House Greyjoy managed to promote its own kingdom nearly separate from Westeros. By the end of the series, they got rid of each other completely.

House Lannister's seat is at Casterly Rock, situated in the Westerlands. In fact, they are considered the wealthiest house in Westeros, with House Tyrell not far behind them. Why? Westerlands are full of gold mines.

Furthermore, House Lannister has some of the strongest fighters in the Seven Kingdoms. Jaime Lannister, anyone? Even when he lost his sword hand, Jaime still proved to be as threatening as ever, albeit a little slower in retaliation. Cersei Lannister is, without a doubt, one of Game of Thrones' most cunning minds.

House Lannister is neither lacking in intellect nor devoid of absolute loyalty. They know how to play the game of thrones and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty in the process. This house will do whatever it takes to gain complete supremacy over Westeros. Tywin Lannister is proof positive that House Lannister is not to be trifled with.

Dragons, people. Really, that's all you need to know about House Targaryen. They have the ability to control dragons at will, riding them into battle as they burn small villages and kingdoms to the ground. Not to mention most House Targaryen kin can survive walking through fire. They will come out of the flames unharmed.

Either way, House Targaryen is probably the oldest house in Westeros. They are composed of the "blood of old Valyria". After Robert's Rebellion, House Targaryen was thought to have been wiped off the map. That is, until years later, when Daenerys Targaryen rose from obscurity in Essos and embarked on a journey to reclaim the Iron Throne in Westeros.

Three dragons joined her—in fact, they were the only dragons to rise from the ashes after centuries of dormancy. Daenerys's older brother, Rhaegar, was considered one of the most skilled fighters in Westeros. It is very difficult to defeat your enemy in battle when he is armed to the teeth with dragons that can breathe fire.

“Winter is coming” might be a slogan for Game of Thrones, but it's also House Stark's mantra. House Stark takes the crown and the Iron Throne as the best of the best that Westeros has to offer. The noble seat of House Stark is Winterfell in the North. They are an honorable, just, and generally benevolent house. They believe that justice should be as swift as the edge of a sword.

Jon Snow, the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, was once King in the North. House Stark and House Targaryen share a lineage through him. Arya Stark could change her face at will. Her sister Sansa proved to be calculating, capable and masterful in the game of thrones. Bran Stark eventually sat on the Iron Throne as the Three-Eyed Raven, possessing all the wisdom and visions of the past and future. Additionally, Bran had the warg ability, meaning he could gain control over an animal's consciousness.

House Stark's snowy terrain is also quite intolerable to many houses in southern Westeros. However, this home can weather any storm and survive the coldest of winters. They symbolize survival.