Which Game of Thrones character represents your state?

Photo Credit: HBO

30. New Jersey — Stannis Baratheon

If New Jersey is seen by many as the little brother to big and loud New York, is there a better choice for New Jersey than Stannis Baratheon? Stannis always found himself in the shadow of his more popular and successful brother, King Robert Baratheon. Like the bridges and tunnels that link New York and New Jersey to one another, the analogy of Robert and Stannis does not stop there.

Like New Jersey, Stannis could often be blunt and hard-edged, traits shared by Robert/New York as well. Robert was no politician, and neither was Stannis. Robert never seemed to like Stannis much, and that’s another sentiment shared by New York towards New Jersey. New Jersey is a proud state, one that boasts a plethora of natural beauty. That beauty is lost on those who only see New Jersey from the turnpike, with its vast industrial landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see. Likewise, if you only consider Stannis gruff and joyless exterior, one can miss devotion to duty and the desire to defend the Seven Kingdoms from the coming war with the White Walkers.

Stannis’ penchant for correcting the grammar of others, a scion of his high-born education, likely makes the alumni at such prestigious universities as Princeton and Rutgers smile. And our final argument for Stannis best representing New Jersey? The state soil of New Jersey is downer soil. A perfect fit for the king who never smiles.