How evil was joffrey really?
This is something I haven't really seen anyone discuss yet so here goes.
Joffrey is remembered as one of the most evil characters in the verse, due to his torment of Sansa, execution of Ned (and others), and pleasure in hunting and killing animals. He is undoubtably an evil person, with little to no empathy to speak of.
But when compared to the other actual monsters in ASOIAF can we really call Joffrey the pinnacle of evil? (or even put him in the same tier as them?
Ramsay for example, is a true sadist. He enjoys breaking people thoroughly (Theon being the biggest example). He doesn't just want to hurt the people he captures or has control over, he takes pleasure in crafting situations that maximise suffering for them.
Tywind and Cersei have killed far more people than Joffrey (albeit with their own reason, but mostly unjustified).
Qyburn preforms grotesque experiments on live subjects - resulting in unspeakable pain I don't even think Joffrey would enjoy watching.
The slavers of Essos dehumanize entire populations for profit and fear.
And the final cherry on top, Euron Greyjoy, who is probably the single most evil character in the entire story. A person who's evil is not focused on individuality (like Ramsay or Joffrey), but rather an evil that is existential. Euron doesn’t just want power, he wants to leave the world in ruin with his blood magic, sitting on top of a kingdom of death and ashes like a deity.
In contrast, Joffrey’s cruelty stems largely from immaturity and unchecked power. His actions are also often framed through the eyes of those he torments, which might make him appear worse to us. And, as Margaery Tyrell proved, Joffrey also wanted to be loved by his subjects which suggests a more complex and insecure character than the purely malicious one he's initially portrayed as.