Tyrion Lannister

— Father, I wish to confess.
— You wish to confess?
— I saved you. I saved this city and all your worthless lives. I should have let Stannis kill you all.
— Tyrion. Do you wish to confess?
— Yes, Father. I'm guilty. Is that what you want to hear?
— You admit you poisoned the king?
— No, of that I'm innocent. I'm guilty of a far more monstrous crime. I am guilty of being a dwarf.
— You are not on trial for being a dwarf.
— Oh, yes, I am. I've been on trial for that my entire life.
— Have you nothing to say in your defence?
— Nothing but this... I did not do it. I did not kill Joffrey, but I wish that I had. Watching your vicious bastard die gave me more relief than 1,000 lying whores. I wish I was the monster you think I am. I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you. I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it.
— Ser Meryn. Escort the prisoner back to his cell.
— I will not give my life for Joffrey's murder. And I know I'll get no justice here. So I will let the gods decide my fate. I demand a trial by combat.

It's easy to confuse what is with what ought to be, especially when what is has worked out in your favor.

Let me give you some advice, Bastard. Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armour... and it can never be used to hurt you.

— Is this some kind of trick? Why do you want to help him?
— I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards and broken things.

Halfman maybe, but at least I have the courage to face my enemies.

That's what I do. I drink and I know things.

I will hurt you for this. A day will come when you think you're safe and happy, and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth. And you will know the debt is paid.

— I've always hated the bells. They ring for horror. A dead king, a city under siege.
— A wedding.
— Exactly.

I'm a constant disappointment to my own father and I've learned to live with it.

— The powerful have always preyed on the powerless. That's how they became powerful in the first place.
— Perhaps. And perhaps we've grown so used to horror, we assume there's no other way.

Eνery time we deal with an enemy, we create two more.

For what it's worth, I've been a cynic for as long as I can remember. Everyone's always asking me to believe in things. Family, gods, kings, myself. It was often tempting until I saw where belief got people.

Death is so final, whereas life... ah, life is full of possibilities.

— Stannis has more infantry, more ships, more horses. What do we have?
— There's that mind of yours you keep going on about.
— Well, I've never actually been able to kill people with it.
— Good thing. I'd be out of a job.