Stannis Baratheon

"It is not a question of wanting. The throne is mine, as Robert's heir. That is law. After me, it must pass to my daughter, unless Selyse should finally give me a son. I am king. Wants do not enter into it. I have a duty to my daughter. To the realm. Even to Robert. He loved me but little, I know, yet he was my brother. The Lannister woman gave him horns and made a motley fool of him. She may have murdered him as well, as she murdered Jon Arryn and Ned Stark. For such crimes there must be justice. Starting with Cersei and her abominations. But only starting. I mean to scour that court clean. As Robert should have done after the Trident."

- Stannis to Davos "Sometimes a person has to choose. If a man knows what he is, and a man is true to himself, the choice is no choice at all, he must fulfill his destiny."

- Stannis to Shireen, attempting to justify his following actions

Stannis Baratheon is the head of House Baratheon of Dragonstone, lord of Dragonstone, younger brother of the late King Robert I Baratheon, older brother to Renly Baratheon and a major character in A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as in Game of Thrones. His parents were Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont. Stannis is married to Queen Selyse Florent and has one daughter, Shireen. Although all the other kings refer themselves as "King of the Seven Kingdoms", Stannis considers himself "King of Westeros".

He is the main antagonist of the Lannister POV storyline in book 2 and season 2, followed by Robb Stark.

In the TV series he's played by Stephen Dillane.

Even before Jon Arryn found out the incestuous origins of Joffrey Baratheon, Stannis believed he was the rightful heir to the throne. He left King's Landing after the death of Lord Arryn and stayed isolated in Dragonstone during the events of the first book and the first season. Aligning himself with the Red Priestess Melisandre, Stannis committed several morally ambiguous acts to attain the throne. Despite this, he did nothing villainous enough to distinguish himself from the show's other anti-heroes.

This all changed in season 5, when he sacrificed his daughter Shireen to the Lord of Light, crossing the Moral Event Horizon, and doing something that even someone like Cersei would not. After this act, to many fans Stannis has been solidified as one of the most evil characters on the show, even if his action was intended to be for the greater good.

In the novels however, Stannis remains an anti-hero, and is far less evil than his show counterpart, even prior to season 5.

Villainous Actions

 * Had his brother Renly assassinated.
 * Allowed Melisandre to burn many non believers alive including his own brother-in-law Axell Florent in the TV series or his uncle-in-law Alester Florent in the books, although that was due to treason rather than religious belief.
 * Tried to sacrifice his illegitimate nephew Gendry/Edric Storm in an attempt to gain more power with the Stone Dragons of Dragonstone.
 * Had Mance Rayder burned alive after he refused to kneel. Mance is still alive in the books, because the Lord of Bones "Rattleshirt" was glamoured by Melisandre to appear as Mance.
 * Sent Davos away so he could murder his daughter without any interference.
 * Burned his beloved daughter Shireen alive to ensure his victory against the Boltons.

Trivia

 * Many show fans who supported Stannis throughout the seasons immediately turned against him after he murdered Shireen. The once split fandom almost unanimously agrees that he is a villain now.