If you’re a fan of everything George R.R. Martin wrote related to Game of Thrones, you’ll know the iconic fantasy series doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to 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 Game of Thrones character is your favorite, they’ll eventually say something poetic.
While not as witty or memorable as the quotes above, one character in the eight-season epic still delivered one-liners and monologues that stick with us today — Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, played to perfection 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 has proven himself one step ahead of everyone, mostly by preying on people’s weaknesses, such as Lysa Arryn’s desire for love and power, which he exploits to trick her into poisoning her husband.
Yet through his dodgy dealings, Littlefinger drops some epic one-liners, too. The best Littlefinger quote, though, 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.”
While the line may not be Littlefinger’s most memorable quote — that honor goes to “knowledge is power” — it is the one that ultimately captures the trajectory most of the Game of Thrones characters follow on their personal character journeys throughout the series.
How Littlefinger’s best quote sums up the entirety of Game of Thrones
With a cast as huge as Game of Thrones‘, there are plenty of characters, and even the most minor characters want something. However, this Littlefinger quote works best when examining the series’s major power players, such as Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister.
Daenerys doesn’t begin Game of Thrones seeking the Iron Throne. At first, she clearly wants a home and a place to belong, and believes she’s found both as she grows closer to Khal Drogo and the Dothraki. Her outlook changes as she learns more about what’s happening in Westeros and witnesses people being mistreated wherever she goes. Though she finds love and a home among her loyal council, that isn’t enough — she wants to rule. Viewers know this doesn’t 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 still clearly matters to her, it comes second to her ambition. But after her son Tommen’s death, when she takes the Iron Throne for herself and the people begin turning against her, Cersei returns to wanting Jaime — and only Jaime. She gains power, but at a brutal cost to both Lannister siblings.
Littlefinger’s quote aptly sums up the endless cycle of human ambition and our natural unwillingness to stay still and just enjoy what we have. It is a rather cynical view, which makes sense coming from a character from a small house who can see how the nobility look down on those they perceive as lesser.
However, the quote also exposes the folly of Littlefinger’s own desires. It’s obvious that Littlefinger desires power — why else start a war? — but there was something else that he 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, shortly after, became betrothed to Brandon Stark (Ned’s brother), a highborn of a much larger house than Littlefinger’s. After a duel went wrong, Littlefinger was humiliated, but his love for Catelyn didn’t die. Instead, it warped into something else: 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’s a hard pill to swallow, but it makes sense in a series where ambition and humanity so often clash.