Why Littlefinger’s Best Game of Thrones Quote Endures After 13 Years

If you are a fan of George R.R. Martin and the Game of Thrones fantasy series, you know the story offers many phenomenal quotes. You have the iconic words of House Stark, “Winter is coming,” as well as the unnerving and brutal “Power is power” from Cersei Lannister. No matter which character is your favorite, they eventually say something poetic.

While not as witty or memorable as those quotes, Petyr Baelish delivered one-liners and monologues that stick with us today. Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, was played by Aidan Gillen in the HBO series.

What is Littlefinger’s best quote in Game of Thrones?

Fans know Littlefinger as the soft-spoken manipulator who became Master of Coin during Robert Baratheon’s reign. He helped orchestrate the War of the Five Kings and Ned Stark’s eventual execution, exploiting Ned’s trust to betray him at the last moment in King’s Landing.

Littlefinger proved himself one step ahead of everyone, mostly by preying on people’s weaknesses. He used Lysa Arryn’s desire for love and power to trick her into poisoning her husband.

Yet through his dodgy dealings, Littlefinger dropped some sharp one-liners. The best Littlefinger quote comes during his conversation with Sansa Stark in season 3, episode 5, “Kissed by Fire.”

“It doesn’t matter what we want. Once we get it, then we want something else.”

The line may not be Littlefinger’s most memorable quote, as that honor goes to “knowledge is power.” However, the quote captures the trajectory most characters follow on their personal journeys throughout the series.

How Littlefinger’s best quote sums up the entirety of Game of Thrones

With a cast as huge as the one in Game of Thrones, even minor characters want something. This quote works best when examining the major power players, such as Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister.

Daenerys does not begin the story seeking the Iron Throne. At first, she wants a home and a place to belong, believing she found both as she grows closer to Khal Drogo and the Dothraki. Her outlook changes as she learns more about Westeros and witnesses people being mistreated. Though she finds love and a home among her loyal council, that is not enough. She wants to rule. Viewers know this does not work out for Daenerys.

The same is true of Cersei. Her desire for her brother Jaime takes a backseat when she realizes her heirs’ claim to the Iron Throne will bring her power. Although her relationship with Jaime matters to her, it comes second to her ambition. After her son Tommen dies, when she takes the Iron Throne for herself and the people turn against her, Cersei returns to wanting Jaime and only Jaime. She gains power at a brutal cost to both Lannister siblings.

Littlefinger’s quote sums up the endless cycle of human ambition and our natural unwillingness to stay still and enjoy what we have. It is a cynical view, which makes sense coming from a character from a small house who watches nobility look down on those they perceive as lesser.

However, the quote also exposes the folly of Littlefinger’s own desires. Littlefinger desired power, which explains why he started a war, but he also wanted the love of Catelyn Stark.

They grew up together in Riverrun, and over time Littlefinger’s feelings became romantic. When he asked for Catelyn’s hand, she rejected him and soon after became betrothed to Brandon Stark, a highborn of a much larger house. After a duel went wrong, Littlefinger was humiliated, but his love for Catelyn warped into a yearning for power. Even if Littlefinger had earned Catelyn’s love over time, his humiliation sent him down a darker path. With power, he could just take what he wanted.

Ultimately, Littlefinger’s quote holds up a mirror to every character in Game of Thrones and shows that even the noblest will want more as soon as they get it. It is a hard pill to swallow, but it makes sense in a story where ambition and humanity constantly clash.

Source: Polygon