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House Lannister

Lord Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance)

"The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep."

Father of the three Lannister siblings, and grandfather to Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen Baratheon. Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West.

Tropes:

  • Abusive Parents: He antagonizes all three of his children, but Tyrion gets the worst of it by far.
    • Though he seems to genuinely love Jaime the most.
  • Badass Grandpa: Is a grandfather in-universe (to Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen, twice-over) and is introduced calmly skinning a massive stag. He fought alongside his men at the Battle of Blackwater. He is also the only Lannister able to completely intimidate King Joffrey.
  • Bad Boss: His employees aren't any better, though.
  • Big Damn Heroes/Villainous Rescue: Twice! Once at Harenhall when he stops the torturing and killing of prisoners through Pragmatic Villainy and then again when he and the Tyrells saves King's Landing from being overtaken by Stannis' troops in "Blackwater".
  • Byronic Hero/Noble Demon: While he really isn't a nice guy, he still does have numerous principles, particularly Family Honor.
  • The Chessmaster
  • Cool Old Guy: His scenes in season 2 serve to show him as not some fire breathing psychopath, but rather as a driven, determined and understandable man...who just so happens to be the Big Bad. He still has his darker elements, as he is willing to be surprisingly brutal when he believes someone tried to kill him, and orders Gregor Clegane to brutalize the subjects of his enemies to put pressure on them and deny them resources, but he only does this out of cold-blooded pragmatism, not because he enjoys it.
  • Control Freak: Of the highest, most unhealthy order.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Although not to the level of, say, his sons, and placing particular emphasis on "deadpan". This is most evident during his dealings with his subordinates. For example:

Polliver: (to Arya, while dressed as a boy) What are you looking at?! Kneel! Kneel or I'll take your lungs out, boy!
Tywin: You'll do no such thing. This one's a girl, you idiot.

    • And again in The Old Gods and the New:

Tywin: (to Amory Lorch) My cupbearer can read better than you.

  • Dragon-in-Chief: Hierarchically, Joffery is about as close to a Big Bad as the show currently has (outside of the White Walkers), but since Tywin is out in the field acting as a military surrogate for Joffrey, many people (both in-universe and in real life) view him as a Big Bad figure.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Played with. See Pragmatic Villainy. He isn't disgusted by the torture, but by the waste of resources.
  • Evil Genius: At least when compared to the dumb scumbags that make up his ranks.
  • Fiction 500: Often referred to as the richest man in the Seven Kingdoms; Robert owes him three million gold dragons, and he has no trouble forking over eighty thousand more to provide prize money for a tourney. A common saying is that Tywin Lannister is so rich that he "shits gold."
  • Freudian Excuse: The reason why he's such an hardass is because his father's magnanimity nearly lead to the bankruptcy and ruination of his house. Despite this, he still has very fond memories of the man.
  • Hyper Awareness: Sees through Arya's disguise at first glance. The same disguise she has been using successfully for months.

Tywin: This one's a girl, you idiot.

    • And now has figured out by a bit of her speech and her ability to read that she's highborn, though she gives him a plausible-ish excuse.
  • Inadequate Inheritor: He views Tyrion as this. And it is especially grating for him given that Jaime can't inherit due to being a member of the Kingsguard and Cersei being a woman.
  • Jerkass: It is revealed in "Baelor" that Tyrion once made the mistake of falling in love with and marrying a whore his brother had secretly hired to sleep with him. So when Tywin found out, he ordered his entire garrison to rape her (each soldier paying, of course) and forced Tyrion to watch from beginning to end.
    • Jerkass Has a Point: His criticisms of his family (see So Proud of You) aren't that far off, especially when it comes to Cersei and Joffrey, and he correctly realizes that he'll need Tyrion to try and keep them in line when he can't.
  • Just a Kid: Invoked by Tywin on the verge of war with Robb. Ironic he would fall for this, seeing as how if the Rains of Castamere is to be believed, he was considered to be this by his enemies also.

Tywin: Green boy. One taste of battle and he'll run back to Winterfell with his tail between his legs.

  • Nay Theist: Cersei quotes him in "Blackwater" as saying "The gods have no mercy, that’s why they are gods”, and notes that Tywin does believe in the gods- he just doesn't like them. Along the lines of a typical Hollywood Atheist backstory, he developed this attitude after the death of his beloved wife.
  • Nice to the Waiter: Treats Arya, who is working as his cupbearer, with a suprising amount of respect, largely because he is amused by her, and obviously enjoys the company of a bright youngster more than that of his rather pedestrian retainers and warlords.
  • The Patriarch: His very first appearance has him giving Jaime an impassioned speech about the importance of the family legacy. While skinning a deer.

Tywin: Your mother's dead, before long I'll be dead, and you...and your brother, and your sister, and all of her children. All of us dead, all of us rotting in the ground. It's the family name that lives on. It's all that lives on. Not your honor, not your personal glory, family.

  • Odd Friendship: Not quite a friendship per say, but as noted above, he's developed something of an unusual liking and attachment to Arya.
  • Pet the Dog: To Tyrion and Arya, who show some modicum of competence in the sea of idiots he regularly deals with. He also mentions that when Jaime was young, he couldn't read because of being dyslexic, so he sat down with his son for four hours every night and struggled through the arduous process of teaching his son how to read.

I taught my son Jamie how to read. The Maester came for me one day and told me he wasn't learning. Couldn't make sense of the letters. He reversed them in his head. The Maester said that he had heard of this affliction, and said that we must just accept it. HA! After that I sat Jaime down for four hours every day until he learned. He hated me for it. For a time. For a long time. But he learned.

  • Pragmatic Villainy: One of his defining features, as Tywin saw his house nearly destroyed by his good-hearted, gentle, and very weak father. As a result, Tywin is brutal and vicious, but only when there is a profit to be gained from it. He immediately stops the torture of prisoners in Harrenhal because there was nothing to be gained from it and they were wasting valuable laborers with useful trade skills. But when he suspects an assassin attempting to kill him, he immediately orders a decimation of the garrison, along with torture and interrogation of anyone suspected of aiding or knowing about the assassin.
  • Pride:

Tywin: The lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep.

  • Papa Wolf: To Jaime at least. When Amory Lorch accidentally sends a letter bearing valuable information to a House allied with the Starks Tywin goes (by his standards,) berserk and tells him that should any more harm befall his son as a result of this, Amory will be in a world of hurt.
  • Pulling the Thread: He casually begins picking apart Arya's deception over time, noting small things like addressing him as "my lord" instead of "milord" to figure out that she's actually nobleborn instead of a commoner like she's pretending. However, he seems more amused by how clever Arya is than upset at the deception.
  • Replacement Goldfish: He tells Arya that she reminds him of Cersei when he was young, and something in his voice makes it sound like he regrets how things went. [1]
  • The Strategist: Zigzagged - Able to build the necessary alliances to get the better of Robb Stark but his actual military tactics are nothing more than sending wave after wave of Lannister soldiers to get defeated by the Starks because unlike Rob, Tywin can replace the losses.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money:
    • Implied to be a philosophy of his in particular and Lannisters in general.
    • He does seem to have two unbreakable principles that he's cracked into the skulls of his children and the entire Seven Kingdoms: "A Lannister never breaks his word" and "A Lannister always pays his debts." Of course, he rarely needs to give his word or get into debt in the first place (Note that those two can easily be given a more sinister spirit).
  • So Proud of You: Thoroughly trampled upon. His children are, in descending order: Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, a knight of the Kingsguard, and acting Hand of the King--not to mention his grandson is the King himself--and he's not impressed one rat's ass by any of them. In fact, he seems incredibly disappointed in the lot of them, given their collective penchant for, in his words "madness and stupidity" -- and all things considered, he's not far off with most of that. The only one who isn't a complete idiot is Tyrion, whom he hates anyway for being a dwarf and constantly drinking and whoring (of course, some think the two are related).
  • Surrounded by Idiots: See above. He considers his eldest two children to be insane and stupid in their ways, and he makes it clear when he notices Arya that he considers everyone in the fortress to be the equivalent of blind cattle in terms of intellect, both for wasting good talent and for not noticing a girl dressed as a boy. The only subordinates that he seems to consider remotely competent are Tyrion and, ironically, Arya.
    • [2]
    • His reaction to Lorch's death is less "Guard! There's an assassin loose in the castle!" and more "Guard! Ugh, now I have to replace this moron...."
  • Underestimating Badassery: He totally underestimates Robb's skill as a commander. He wises up after a while.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: The Kingslayer himself turns into a little boy in his father's presence. Tyrion doesn't fare much better.

Tywin: [to Jaime] You going to say something clever? Go on, say something clever.

  • Why Couldn't You Be Different?: Tywin is highly resentful at Tyrion for his malformations (which caused Tywin's wife to die giving birth). What's worse (from his point of view) is that Jaime can't inherit the titles and lands of House Lannister due to being a sworn brother of the Kingsguard.

Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey)

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

Twin sister of Jaime and older sister of Tyrion. Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros by marriage.

Tropes:

  • The Alcoholic: Season two sees an increasing number of scenes where she has a cup close to hand. During the attack of Stannis Baratheon on King's Landing, she's pretty much drunk throughout.
  • Analogy Backfire: When Ned confronts her on her incestuous relationship with Jaime she responds that the Targaryens did the same thing for centuries. The same Targaryens that produced the "Mad King" Aerys... even more of a backfire when Joffrey turns out to be more like Aerys than anyone thought. She even directly lampshades this in the second season when she confesses to Tyrion how sad she is that Joffrey turned out like he did.
  • Anti-Villain: Type I, in contrast with the books.
  • Arranged Marriage: With Robert. She initially saw it as a Perfectly Arranged Marriage up until Robert called her by his late betrothed's name on their wedding night.
  • Better to Die Than Be Killed: In "Blackwater" she obtains nightshade from Master Pycelle and angrily retorts that she knows what 10 drops of it does (kill you) and also has Ilyn stand guard over the women taking shelter for the purposes of killing them if the Red Keep is breached. And at the climax of the battle she opts to sit on the Iron Throne with Tommen and is just about to give them both poison when her father bursts in.
  • Blondes Are Evil
  • Brother-Sister Incest
  • Corrupt Politician: "When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die."
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Despair Event Horizon: Although she doesn't become a monster, after she and Robert have a conversation, where it initially looks like they're going to reconcile and improve their relationship, she is then rejected by Robert. This scene ends with Robert asking her how she feels, and her responding that she doesn't feel anything. Her subsequent actions make a lot more sense in light of this.
    • It's also implied that the loss of her firstborn (which is indicated to have actually been Robert's), drove her to initially seek solace in the arms of Jaime.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She genuinely loves her children and twin brother... but not enough not to hop into bed with Lancel while Jaime's away.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Catelyn.
  • Evil Matriarch
  • Freudian Excuse: Her hatred for Robert stems from him using her as a Replacement Goldfish for Lyanna.
  • God Save Us From the Queen: She is not a pleasant person and is grooming Joffrey to follow in her footsteps. In "You Win or You Die," she fully metamorphoses into this trope when she orchestrates a Hunting Accident for Robert. Tyrion initially assumes it was her who gave the order for the purge of Robert's bastard children, and she doesn't admit that it was something Joffrey really shouldn't have done.
  • Heel Realization: It's begun to dawn on her as of "A Man Without Honor" that doing everything in her power to protect and prop up Joffrey isn't such a good idea any more. She more-or-less admits to Tyrion that she made him a monster, figuratively, and literally, and the guilt is starting to eat away at her.
  • Hot Mom
  • Hypocrite: How dare you promise my baby Myrcella to some unhappy Arranged Marriage like mine and Robert's - oh, I almost forgot, let's poke Sansa again about beheading more of her family members before her wedding to my monstrous son.
  • If Only You Knew: She threatens Tyrion that one day he'll love one woman and she will take her away just to spite him. That's precisely what happened to Tyrion's first love, Tysha. Tyrion's response is to stare at her with utter disdain and leave without saying a word.
  • Infant Immortality: Averted. She mentions to Catelyn and later discusses with Robert how their first child died shortly after birth due to a fever.
  • Jerkass
  • Kick the Dog: An almost literal incident, when she has Sansa's direwolf killed because Arya's direwolf - who attacked Joffrey to defend her mistress - is unavailable. In general, her treatment of Sansa when the latter is a hostage of the Lannisters in King's Landing, though this is strangely mixed with occasional Pet the Dog moments.
  • Kissing Cousins: With Lancel.
  • Love Makes You Evil: Apparently she used to have feelings for Robert when they married, but Domestic Abuse and Robert's love for Lyanna brutally changed that. Her relationship with Jaime doesn't seem to bring out the best in her either.
  • Mama Bear: She goes to extremes when it concerns protecting her children: when it looks like Stannis Baratheon will sack King's Landing, she even prepares to poison her youngest to spare him from getting murdered by the victorious enemy troops.
  • Manly Tears: A cold, manipulative bitch like Cersei, only cries when she's trying to get something. But when she genuinely cries when she realises what her son had become, it almost causes to the viewer feels sorry for her.
  • Manipulative Bitch
  • My God, What Have I Done?: As Joffrey rises to ever new heights of cruelty and perversion, she finally acknowledges that having three inbred children with her twin brother wasn't such a great idea - considering what it did to the Targaryens - to say nothing of putting the most unstable of them on the Iron Throne itself. She breaks down in tears from the sheer knowledge that the son she loves (despite everything) is a psychopath.
  • Not So Different: Not explicitly pointed out in-universe, but Cersei doesn't look quite so morally superior to her philandering husband when we find out that she doesn't love Jaime enough to not quite literally get in bed with Lancel when he's captured by the Starks. So much for their pure Targaryen-esque love. In the second season, she proves to be as much of a bad ruler as he was, if not more so, and rapidly develops a similar fondness for drowning her sorrows in wine.
  • Pet the Dog: She convinces Joffrey to do something nice for Sansa during "Lord Snow," referencing her own unhappy arranged marriage. Also, on the event of Sansa's first menses, she counsels her on how best to survive a marriage to Joffrey.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: Knows full well that a tame wolf is better than a dead one, so she plans to have Ned stripped of titles and lands and sent to the Night's Watch. Her plan fails when her son orders Ned's death. There is an element of Even Evil Has Standards here, albeit expressed in a cruel Ironic Echo- since Ned planned to exile her rather than allowing her and her children to be murdered, it is sort of "fair" to "only" plan to exile the Starks rather than killing them.
    • And in the second season even she seems taken aback by Joffrey's order to kill Robert's bastard children, not necessarily because of personal standards, but because something like murdering children and babies draws the wrong type of attention. She even seems offended that Tyrion initially thinks she was the one who ordered it. [3]
    • Subverted later on, when she withholds the plans for the city's defense from Tyrion just to spite him.
  • Pride: A theme for the Lannisters. They all have a slightly different take on it.

Cersei: He's attacked one of my brothers, and abducted the other. I should wear the armor, and you the gown.
Robert: [hits her]
Cersei: I shall wear this like a badge of honor.

  • Sanity Slippage: She was much more calm, collected and rational in the first season than she is in the second. Her loss of Jaime and Joffrey's increasingly out of control attitude, complemented by her father's suddenly dismissive attitude towards her don't seem to be doing well for her mental faculties. Her despair over daughter Myrcella's impending Arranged Marriage can't help, either. She comes within inches of poisoning Tommen during "Blackwater" when she thinks that Stannis is about to break down the door.
  • Smug Snake: She is not as brilliant as she thinks. Witness her dinner with Tyrion in The Prince of Winterfell, where she gloats over the fact that she's holding Tyrion's whore hostage, while both Tyrion and the viewers know she's got the wrong woman altogether.
  • Twincest: With Jaime.
  • Tragic Villain: In line with the Despair Event Horizon described above. Cersei isn't vindictive or ruthless towards people as a result of being an unfeeling psychopath. Her malevolence actually comes from her sensitivity; she is someone who experiences intense pain, which motivates her to share it with others.
  • Villainous Breakdown: She's in this mode for the entire episode Blackwater, although it's a less hammy example then usual.
  • Villainous Incest: With Jaime.
  • Women Are Wiser: Certainly wiser than Robert and not as impulsive as Jaime. Then she makes a lot of mistakes once she thinks she has become the power behind the throne.
  • What an Idiot!: Paradoxically enough, this is also in effect. Cersei shows herself in several instances to be a terrible ruler and often makes mistakes out of spite or carelessness. Apparently, she cares nothing about public sentiment and doesn't realize that throwing people out of her city will draw their ire and how the ire of the mob is dangerous for kings and queens. Her understanding on the actual military threats posed by Stannis Baratheon and Robb Stark is likewise tenious at best. Of course, a lot of these may be due to her rapidly becoming a not very functioning addict.

Tyrion: Listen to me, 'queen regent'. You're in danger of losing the people.
Cersei: The people? Heh. You think I care?
Tyrion: You may find it difficult to rule over millions who want you dead.

Ser Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)

"There are no men like me. There’s only me."

Twin brother of Cersei, and older brother of Tyrion. A member of the Kingsguard, and Lord Commander after the forced retirement of Ser Barristan.

Tropes:

  • The Ace: Generally considered to be the greatest swordsman in Westeros. This statement isn't entirely accurate, given how he struggled against Eddard Stark (add to that how Stark really had the better of their fight) and also given Ser Barristan's reputation; but Jaime's still in the top 10.
  • Affably Evil: It's kind of hard to remember to hate the guy when he's joking with Tyrion or trading war stories with Jory Cassel. And then he brutally stabs the latter through the eye. Quite the turnaround to further remind the audience of the "evil" part.
  • Anti-Villain: Unlike in the novels, where he seems like a monster for the first two books until he gets a Sympathetic POV in the third, the series is setting up some of his sympathetic traits earlier on and giving him more screen time.
    • Completely and utterly averted on the second season, where he is even more despicable.#
  • Badass See The Ace
  • Big Brother Instinct: Toward Tyrion.
  • Bodyguard Betrayal: The source of his infamous nickname: Kingslayer. Even worse for him, in that it was Aerys that he killed, and while almost everyone is happy for such a Complete Monster to be dead, they still dislike Jaime for having broken his oath to protect the king. Somewhat justified by the high premium that is (at least publicly) placed on honor.
  • Blood Knight: Loves a good fight, but is also courageous and (in most case) honorable, as demonstrated by him sparing Ned after one of his men "taints" the victory by stabbing Ned in the leg.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil
  • Break the Haughty: This trend began for him after the fight with Eddard Stark. After which, he gets berated by his father and defeated in the field by Robb. Now he's a prisoner and is noticeably disheveled. Generally, he's in far less control of the situation than he was at the beginning of the series. Despite this, he remains as much of an arrogant Deadpan Snarker as ever, and if anything he seems more haughty and insulting than before, though this might be some sort of defense mechanism to make himself feel better about his pathetic circumstances.
  • Brother-Sister Incest
  • Crippling Overspecialization: Jaime is good at single combat, and relatively poor at everything else. Oh and insults, though that appears to be a shared Lannister trait.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Why Ned doesn't trust him since he killed King Aerys even though he was supposed to protect the King.
    • It's somewhat ironic that he's seen this way given that his loyalty and love for his family are his most significant redeeming traits. [4]
  • Deadpan Snarker: He tends to slip at least one of these into every conversation he makes. But of particular note;

King in the North! You know, I expect you to leave me at one castle or another for safe keeping but you just drag me along camp to camp. Have you grown fond of me Stark, is that it? I've never seen you with a girl.

  • The Dog Bites Back: It's been implied that his murder of Aerys was a case of this. [5]
  • Establishing Character Moment:
    • Not his first scene, but being able to shove a child out a window with only a flippant little comment about "The things I do for love" is a pretty big moment.
    • Gets a second one in "The Kingsroad" while talking to Jon Snow.
    • His first scene where he gets a significant number of lines to himself, onscreen, in fact, is the scene where he's joking around with Tyrion in the brothel. That episode is Jaime in a nutshell, really -- dangerous, doesn't mind killing children, loves his family.
  • Estrogen Brigade Bait
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He and Cersei are clearly very much in love, and he's very protective of his brother Tyrion.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Knocks down a soldier who unceremoniously stabs Ned in the leg during his duel with the latter. When talking with his father in "You Win or You Die," he comments that this act made him spare Ned's life as killing him in this situation wouldn't be "clean." Tywin basically replies that standards are for pussies.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: He considers himself this.
  • Humiliation Conga: He got thrashed into the ground by Robb and his army was destroyed. Then he's taken as a prisoner and bargaining chip and tied to a pole (which is apparently covered in his own shit) in an unsanitary Northern stockade and then nearly got his head bitten off by Robb's direwolf. Then he manages to break out, but is captured by the Northmen a few hours later and his viciously beaten through a gauntlet of angry, burly men and nearly got his head hacked off by one seriously ticked off Badass Grandpa. And now he's traveling off to King's Landing under the protection of a woman who never misses an opportunity to manhandle him and who he's absolutely terrified of.
  • Hollywood Atheist: He seems to hold no faith for the Old Gods nor the New and seems to be disdainful of religious people, if his exchange with Catelyn is an indication. He even uses the old 'Problem of Evil' thing.

If your gods are real, and if they're just, why is the world so full of injustice?

  • Hot Dad: He is the biological father of Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella.
  • I Have Your Brother: Has been captured by the Starks, who plan to use him as a hostage against Cersei.
  • In-Series Nickname: The Kingslayer. More or less Exactly What It Says on the Tin--he assassinated Aerys, the last Targaryen King, which put Robert on the throne. However, it also gave him a really bad reputation because he was a member of the Kingsguard, who were supposed to defend the king with their lives. This has made the people see him as a man who will quickly change his loyalty when it suits him.
  • Ironic Echo: Jaime is stripped of his title as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in much the same way Barristan the Bold was, even having to discard his armor in front of the throne. It's unclear whether he's been dismissed from the Kingsguard entire or just the Lord Commander position... if he's no longer Kingsguard, he's technically the rightful ruler of Westeros, not Cersei, as of Tommen's death.
  • Jerkass: Consistently arrogant, and has a knack for causing the audience to want to see him killed. Not necessarily all that far from being completely unsympathetic, although he is saved from this by having some standards.
  • Kick the Dog: Throwing Bran out of a tower window, obviously. Also, developing a quick rapport with his cousin Alton, who greatly admires him, only to kill him in order to escape imprisonment.
  • Knight in Shining Armor: A literal knight in literally shining armor, he certainly looks the part. His actions, on the other hand...
  • Knight Templar Big Brother: He seems to be one of the few people who cares for Tyrion and reacts badly when Tyrion's safety is threatened. Cersei also mentions that he would have killed Robert if he found out about the Domestic Abuse in "You Win or You Die."
  • Even Heroes Have Heroes: He admits to having made a fool out of himself as a boy when he got to be the squire of his hero Ser Barristan Selmy for a day.
  • L Is for Dyslexia: When he was younger. Tywin sat him down for four hours every day until he learned.
  • Lack of Empathy: Aside from his immediate family, Jaime has a lot of trouble understanding the emotional state of other people. Or at least taking such into account when thinking. This is either because he's genuinely an idiot in regards to this, or much like his brother, he can't resist a snark.
  • Logic Bomb: Argues this about all the contradictory oaths he swore as a knight and member of the Kingsguard.
  • Love Makes You Evil: "The things I do for love," indeed.
  • Master Swordsman: Ironically, one of the few remaining knights of the Kingsguard who actually earned that position and isn't just a Lannister political appointee.
  • Memetic Badass: In-universe; everyone knows he's an accomplished fighter.

Littlefinger: I bet on Ser Jaime in the jousting, as any sane man would...

  • Moral Event Horizon: In-Universe, many people, including Ned Stark, consider his Bodyguard Betrayal of Aerys to be this.
  • The Oathbreaker: Breaking the oath of the Kingsguard makes many see him as the lowest of the low, though he makes it clear that his oaths were inherently contradictory.
  • Oh Crap: The shadow of this appears on his face in dawning horror as he realizes that Ned is probably capable of beating him.
    • And another instance when Robb interrogates him and brings out Grey Wind, where he's literally seeming as if he's about to piss himself. So much for 'not fearing death'.
  • Pet the Dog: Despite the clear animosity between them, he tells Ned that his father and brother were very brave and genuinely means it.

Jaime: He was very brave, your brother. And your father too. They didn't deserve to die like that.

  • Pride: Often comes across as very arrogant and uncaring of others. However his father Tywin points out this is merely how he wants to be viewed.

Jaime: I could care less [sic] what anyone thinks of me.
Tywin: No, that's what you want people to think of you.

  • Quizzical Tilt: Jaime's reaction after seeing Brienne slay three soldiers without any effort.
  • Single-Target Sexuality: He tells Catelyn Stark that he has only ever been with Cersei and no-one else. Before using that little fact to point out her husband Ned did not show her any such loyalty when he fathered a bastard.
  • Troll: With Brienne. It's amazing that she hasn't strangled him yet. Probably because she swore to get him to King's Landing safely (for a given value of safe) but still, Jaime cannot shut up.

Brienne: I will NOT let you provoke me.
Jaime: I already have!

  • Twincest: With Cersei.
  • Villainous Incest: With Cersei.
  • Worthy Opponent: He seems to regard Lord Eddard Stark as one, considering that Eddard's the only one who's been capable of matching him in a fight.

"Brave man that Ned Stark, but terrible judgment." - Jaime on the man, after receiving a letter demanding that Tywin appear at Kings Landing to explain the actions of Gregor Clegane.

  • Worf Effect. Twice, even. He visibly struggles and is nearly defeated by Ned Stark just to show much of a badass the latter is. And then is utterly smashed by Robb in the field just to show much of a badass he is.

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage)

"My brother has his sword and I have my mind, and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone."

The youngest Lannister sibling, brother of Jaime and Cersei. He has dwarfism. He is currently serving Joffrey's Hand in his father's stead.

Tropes:

  • Abusive Parents: Tywin takes emotional abuse to new levels.
  • Adaptational Attractiveness: He is repeatedly described as horribly ugly in the books, while Peter Dinklage is quite attractive. His Mismatched Eyes have also been removed. On the other hand, he appears to have put on some years in the adaptation; Tyrion is the younger sibling of Jaime and Cersei but looks older than both (which is sensible, considering Dinklage is in his forties). His facial deformity in the books probably translates to looking older than his years onscreen.
    • In keeping with this, while the full extent of the injury he received from the treacherous Ser Mandon Moore at the Battle of Blackwater hasn't yet been seen, he clearly hasn't had his entire nose cut off like he did in the book.
      • There are practical reasons for leaving Tyrion's nose intact; noselessness is very difficult to pull off convincingly with just makeup, and HBO probably cannot afford to use CGI on Dinklage's face for the rest of the series.
  • The Alcoholic: He's definitely very high-functioning, but that doesn't change the fact that he's almost never seen without some kind of booze.
  • Bookworm
    • Badass Bookworm: Who would expect him to beat a highwayman to death with nothing but the point of a kite-shield?
  • Badass Army: Has his own personal force of mountain clansmen, who have proven to be the Lannisters' most effective front-line offense and defense.
  • Badass Boast: "I will hurt you for this. A day will come when your joy will turn to ashes, and you will know the debt is paid."
  • Batman Gambit: The way he fishes The Mole in the Small Council. He feeds each member a different version of the same story and tells them to not tell Cersei, so when he is confronted by Cersei over one of the versions he knows who's the one spilling the beans to her.
  • Berserk Button: Not as obvious as most examples, but Tyrion has a special hatred for people who abuse the weak, as seen by what he does to Janos because he carried out Joffrey's purge of Robert's bastard children, including infants held in their mother's arms and didn't even blink.
    • Reinforced by his outright fury and disgust at Joffrey and Meryn's treatment of Sansa in Garden of Bones, delivering a very subtle, but very dangerous threat to the former and openly threatening to have Bronn kill the latter.
    • Even though Cersei thankfully didn't manage to get hold of Shae, Tyrion is still furious at her treatment of poor Ros, and his Badass Boast of how he'll make her pay for it one day has at least some genuine weight behind it.
  • Blackmail: How he turns Lancel into his mole, by threatening to tell Jofferey that Lancel is playing bedwarmer to Cersei.
  • Bodyguard Betrayal: "Blackwater".
  • The Chessmaster
  • Chivalrous Pervert: Despite his infamous habit of whoring, Tyrion has so far been shown to treat all the women he sleeps with well, and is disgusted whenever he sees them being treated badly. Given his disgust for people who treat weaker people badly and his personal history this makes perfect sense.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Death by Childbirth: The Lannisters mother died when giving birth to Tyrion. Cersei reminds him of this when she is mad at him.
  • Depraved Dwarf: Subverted. Despite his bad reputation and taste for booze and whores, he's a much better person than his siblings and is a fundamentally decent guy.
  • Freudian Excuse: In "Baelor," it's revealed that when Tyrion was sixteen, Jaime hired a whore to pretend to be rescued from rapists and sleep with him. He fell madly in love and married her, but a fortnight later Tywin found out and cruelly told him the truth, and then forced him to watch as she was paid to have sex with/be raped by his entire garrison. It's not difficult to see how he became a wee bit cynical, particularly regarding his family.
  • Friendly Rivalry: With Varys.
  • Genre Savvy: To an exceptional degree. As soon as he sees a slightly unruly crowd in King's Landing, he has guards quickly escort his nephew Tommen to safety before Joffrey angers the mob into violence.
  • Guile Hero: Although his being a Lannister may cause other characters to see him in a more villainous light, there is no doubt of his incredible ability to charm, manipulate, bluff, and talk his way out of a bad situation. For example: laying the groundwork for Bronn to champion him a full episode before he even knew there'd be a trial by combat. He's also able to talk his way from a situation where he's likely to be murdered by hill tribesmen to getting said hill tribesmen to serve as his bodyguards.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: He's dismayed when he discovers that the people blame him for Joffrey and Cersei's actions, who he has actually tried to stop, mostly because he is a dwarf.
  • Hyper Awareness: Likely inherited from his father; Tyrion is very adept at reading people quickly. In "The Old Gods And The New" he actually sees the riot coming just by looking over the crowd and tries to get everyone to safety before it sparks.
  • Indy Ploy: Half his gambits simply seem to come completely off the top of his head, and he gets away through a combination of quick wits, a razor tongue, extensive knowledge of everyone's weaknesses, and sheer balls. The other half are meticulously planned out deceptions.
    • Of note is when he blackmails Lancel into becoming his mole. There's no indication that he even planned it. Lancel shows up at his door, and in the middle of the subsequent conversation, Tyrion just seems to decide "I need a mole. You fit.(blackmail ensues)"
    • Pulls of a masterful one against Cersei in "The Prince of Winterfell", when she tells him that she's captured his whore, and then brings her out so Tyrion can see she's really alive. Thing is, it's actually Ros, not Shae, but Tyrion plays along and pretends she really is the one he loves, keeping Cersei ignorant about Shae. You can actually see the wheels turning in his head as he figures out how to play this.
  • In-Series Nickname: Often referred to insultingly as "The Imp" and "Halfman," not that he's all that insulted. His Hillman allies even take Half-Man as a battlecry as do the Kings-guard during the Battle of Blackwater.
    • The one nickname he's seemed actually bothered by is when a protestor in the street refers to him as a "demon monkey" and only because he's blamed for the King's atrocities.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's cynical, sarcastic, crude, drunk, and a lover of whores, but he is also one of the kindest characters in the series. Witness his interactions with his niece Myrcella and nephew Tommen, Jon Snow, Bran Stark, and Sansa Stark.

Tyrion: I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards, and broken things.

  • Kid with the Leash: Essentially how Tywin views his relationship with the wildling clans.
  • Licked by the Dog: His nephew and niece clearly loving him is our first clue that he is a rare decent Lannister, and he is shown to adore them in return.
  • My Family Right or Wrong: "My dear brother, you wound me. You know how much I love my family." Of course, while he's being entirely sarcastic when he says it, he does tend go along with what's expected of him in the end -- if not exactly in a manner the rest of his family approves of.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: His life story in a nutshell, but especially in "Blackwater".
  • Not So Above It All: The usually cool and snarky Tyrion finally loses it when Joffrey's stupidity nearly gets them all ripped apart by a mob in "The Old Gods and the New".

Tyrion: We've had vicious kings and we've had idiot kings but I don't know if we've ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a king!

  • Not So Harmless: When he kills a man twice his size, using only a shield, by bashing his skull in.
    • He also quickly puts the other members of the Small Council in their place with his Batman Gambit to find Cersei's mole, making it clear that unlike Ned Stark he is not going to go down easy.
    • Tyrion's Planning of, and subsequent participation in The battle of Blackwater Bay.
  • Only Sane Employee: Tywin acknowledges this by appointing him "Hand of the King" in his stead.
  • Only Sane Man: He reached Stage 3 a long, long time ago.
  • Oh Me Accents Slipping: Peter Dinklage's American accent leaks through at times.
  • Pet the Dog: Occasionally has moments of these. He designs a harness for the crippled Bran to allow him to ride a horse, gives friendly advice to Jon Snow, protects Sansa from Joffrey and condemns the massacre of Robert's bastards.
  • Poke the Poodle: He presents several pranks he played as a child as crimes worth confessing before court.
  • Pride:

Tyrion: Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.

  • Promoted to Opening Titles: Sort of. Peter Dinklage has always been in the opening ("...and Peter Dinklage"), but as of Season 2 he is billed first, as opposed to Sean Bean, who was demoted to head on a spike at the end of the first season.
  • Really Gets Around: His love of whores is infamous. Just look at his opening scene.
  • Refuge in Audacity: His confession to the court and most of the times he saves his own life by talking his way out of danger. He even notes that he's always been lucky.
    • This is how he gets away with all but openly insulting Jofferey to his face; as noted above, he even threatened to kill a Kingsguard if he spoke again, in court, in front of the King himself!
    • During "The Old Gods And The New" he not only gets away with calling Joffery an idiot to his face, he then slaps him again (while he's king) and then waves his hand in front of Joffery, saying "And now I've struck a king! Did my hand fall from my wrist?"
  • Rousing Speech: Both times he is forced to go into battle.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Like father, like son. His go-to solution in problematic situations is to attempt to buy his way out. However, his particular skill is offering money in a charismatic and audacious way, which allows him to win the loyalty of those he pays off.
  • The Strategist
  • Talking the Monster to Death: His favorite tactic. When he's put on trial, he delivered a hilarious monologue, which made the nobles of the Eyrie more sympathetic to him and convinced Bronn to come over to his side. His talking also keeps him from being killed by Shagga, and gets him faithful soldiers too.
  • The Unfavourite: "All dwarves are bastards in their father's eyes."
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: Tyrion's expression when Tywin told him he's sending him to King's Landing as his substitute 'cause "You're my son." is heartbreaking.[6]
  • White Sheep/Token Good Teammate: To the Lannister family. Peter Dinklage described him as the "Good Bad Guy" or the "Bad Good Guy."
  • Win the Crowd: Tyrion tries this at the Eyrie to put pressure on Lysa.

Ser Kevan Lannister (Ian Gelder)

Lord Tywin's younger brother and second in command. Uncle to Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion, and father to Lancel Lannister.

Tropes:

  • Adaptational Attractiveness: In the books he's described as being a little chubby and having round shoulders.
  • Badass Grandpa
  • Number Two: To his brother Lord Tywin.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: In "Fire and Blood" Kevan was willing to make peace with the Starks since the Lannisters only went to war with the Starks and Tullys because Catelyn humiliated Tywin by kidnapping Tyrion, which pales in comparison to their bigger problem of Robert's brothers challenging Joffrey's claim to the throne. As Tyrion explains, the peace deal would have worked if Joffrey hadn't killed Ned, destroying any chance of Robb stopping his war efforts.
    • In season 2 he advises Tywin to tell Joffrey and Cersei to flee King's Landing before Stannis attacks, and regroup at Casterly Rock. Tywin completely rejects this idea, and while it would be politically disastrous for the Lannister family if they fled, it is clear that his refusal is largely because of his own pride.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: Is far nicer than his brother, as demonstrated by his relief in seeing Tyrion back safe and sound in "The Pointy End" - a stark contrast to Tywin's own reaction.

(Ser) Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon)

"More wine, Your Grace?"

King Robert's squire and cousin to Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion.

Tropes:

  • Alliterative Name: Lampshaded by Robert, who asks (in his usual "sensitive" manner) if Lancel was named by a halfwit with a stutter.
  • Butt Monkey: He's Robert's squire, which basically makes him a professional Butt Monkey.
    • And Tyrion quickly shoots down any possibility Lancel might've had to use use his position with Cersei to gain power, instead using the relationship as blackmail to essentially make Lancel his bitch and spy on Cersei for him.
    • Even Cersei gets to punch him... right after she was lamenting that nobody ever taught her how to fight!
  • Dirty Coward: Surprisingly, averted. He fights well at the Battle of the Blackwater until taking an arrow wound, and even after that he's still the only Lannister commander save Tyrion and Bronn who still seems to care more about winning the battle then saving his own skin right up to the end. He also tries to oppose Cersei's disastrous decision to withdraw Joffrey from the battlefield, but she shuts him up by punching arrow wound.
  • The Dog Bites Back: He doesn't seem smart enough to have come up with it on his own, but Robert's treatment of him probably made serving him the wine that made him groggy enough for a boar to take him down a lot easier.
    • His attempt to stop Cersei withdrawing Joffrey from the field during the Battle of Blackwater has elements of this, as his tone suggests that even if it wasn't necessary for their survival to oppose Cersei on this, he has gotten fed up with taking crap from her and everyone else.
  • Dude Looks Like a Lady
  • Dumb Blond: Or Jumpy And Easily Terrified Blond, but it doesn't seem to occur to him that a breastplate stretcher isn't a real thing.
  • Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain.
  • Kick the Dog: Insults and spreads lies about Robb Stark and his troops to Sansa's face while Joffery is threatening to kill her for her brother's "crimes", just to twist the knife.
  • Kissing Cousins: With Cersei.
  • The Mole: Becomes Tyrion's to spy on Cersei after he threatens to reveal Lancel's affair with Cersei to Joffrey.
  • Non-Action Guy: Changes in the battle of the Blackwater, where he fights though he's clearly scared shitless, and later works to get Joffrey to safety.
  • Pretty Boy
  • Replacement Sibling: While Jaime is at war and later captured by the Starks Lancel and Cersei become quite close. Incest and all. [7]
  • Small Name, Big Ego: "What's our next move?" Oh, Lancel, it's so cute how you think that you and Cersei are partners in crime. I'm so sure she's sleeping with you for your brains.
  • Snipe Hunt: Robert likes to send him on these. "Go fetch the breastplate stretcher!"
  • Took a Level in Badass: Despite being dragged into the fight by the Hound, he holds his own in battle during Blackwater, retreating only after he takes an arrow wound. He even stands up to Cersei, though the aforementioned arrow wound makes it rather easy for her to put him in his place.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: In Season 2. Tyrion quickly puts him in his place.

Ser Alton Lannister (Karl Davies)

Another cousin to the main three, captured by Robb Stark and used as a negotiator.

Tropes:

  • Ascended Fanboy: Of Jaime.
  • Canon Foreigner: Partly substituting Cleos Frey, to avoid spending time explaining his connection to the Lannisters. Although Cleos didn't get killed by Jaime.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: Killed by Jaime after telling him he's his number one fan and that he would do anything to help him.
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Mauve Shirt
  • Nice Guy: No wonder he's just a distant cousin.
  • Sacrificial Lamb: Killed in the first scene where he is given real dialogue.
  • Shout-Out: When Jaime is trying to locate Alton in the family tree he asks if his mother is "the fat one", only to correct himself by saying "No, there is only one fat Lannister. If she was your mother you would know it." The book counterpart to Alton, Cleos Frey, is the son of Genna Lannister, an aunt of Jaime that is notoriously obese.

House Baratheon of King's Landing

Prince (later King) Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson)

"The king can do as he likes!"

The elder son of King Robert and Queen Cersei. Officially, at least. Jaime Lannister, the queen's own twin brother, is his biological father, and that of his siblings.

Tropes:

  • Bastard Bastard: It's revealed that he's not Robert's son, but the product of Jaime and Cersei's incest. In the second season he learns of it through Stannis' pronouncement and asks his mother about the terrible rumor he's heard about her and "Uncle Jaime". Though he outwardly denies it he might believe it deep down, given that he orders the murder of Robert's illegitimate children as a form of insurance.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Briefly pretends to be a decent guy in front of Sansa.
  • Big Bad: At least one of the candidates to the title.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil
  • Blue Eyes
  • Bondage Is Bad: He gets his rocks off from violence and pain, as demonstrated in "Garden of Bones"
  • The Bully
  • The Caligula: Seems to be quickly shaping up into this after taking the throne.
  • Complete Monster: Played oh so very straight indeed.
  • Dirty Coward: He acts tough, (particularly when he is certain of being in a position of authority) but when Arya points a sword at him he cries like a baby. There's also the scene when Tyrion bitch-slaps him, repeatedly. Then in the second season, not only does he not do anything when Tyrion outright calls him a "vicious idiot king," but Tyrion gets away with slapping him again. He panics very quickly during the Battle of the Blackwater and runs off when he hears that his mother has called for him, his voice visibly cracking as he does so.
  • Evil Counterpart: to Robert's actual (but illegitimate) son, Gendry.
  • Evil Gloating: Doubles as Large Ham.

Joffrey: If we want Robb Stark to hear us, we'll have to SPEAK LOUDER!

  • The Evil Prince: Can you believe this is a subversion? He's a prince, he's evil, but he has nothing to do with his predecessor's death. In fact, Joffrey's sitting next to Robert's deathbed, who he considers his real father, is the character's one starkly single good act done in the show so far.
  • Foil: To Gendry. Gendry's poor, hardworking, clever, brave, kind, and Robert's son. Joffrey's not.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Starts shouting for people to be killed the second they say something that he doesn't like. When he gets hit with a flung cow patty in "The Old Gods And The New" he flips out and orders the entire crowd executed. This....backfires rather spectacularly.
  • He-Man Woman Hater
  • Hypocrite: Responds with scorn when Tommen cries while Myrcella is being sent away, while conveniently forgetting that he was on the verge of tears when King Robert was on his deathbed, and that Arya and Nymeria forced him to tears when the former kicked his ass and the latter bit his arm.
  • I Call It "Vera": His sword Hearteater. He boasts that once Stannis attacks King's Landing, he'll cut him a smile with it and even forces Sansa to kiss the blade for luck. Naturally, it never gets drawn during the battle.
  • Jerkass
  • Joffrey in Leather Breeches: For Sansa, in Season One. Mind you, she wakes up to what sort of person he is once he has her father executed.
  • Love to Hate: Is rapidly becoming a pseudo- Ensemble Darkhorse just because of how much people love to hate him.
  • Madness Mantra: The moment something doesn't go his way, he immediately starts screaming for executions.

Joffrey: Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!

  • Mean Character, Nice Actor: While Joffrey is a jerk, his actor, Jack Gleeson, is a nice, humble kid as seen in this interview.
    • George RR Martin sent him a letter after the first season ended: "Congratulations on your first season of television. Everyone hates you."
    • It can get pretty funny how protective of Gleeson everyone involved with the show can get in interviews, because Joffrey's such a detestable character that they really are concerned that his association with the role will haunt him for his whole life.
  • Prince Charmless: So very much.
  • Open Secret: Thanks to Stannis, his bastardy is known to all.
  • Puppet King: Cersei tried to groom him into one. Horribly subverted two episodes after he takes the throne when he goes off-script in front of thousands of people and Cersei is powerless to stop him. And then in The North Remembers he threatens to have her killed the next time she slaps him and goes over her head to have all of his father's suspected bastards killed.
  • The Purge: In season 2, he orders the Goldcloaks to kill Robert's bastard children, including infants. Even Cersei seems taken aback by this.
  • Pet the Dog: He was genuinely distraught over Robert's death.
  • Royal Brat: His book counterpart was very nearly the Trope Namer.
  • Sadistic Choice: Very fond of giving these to people, such as making a bard who offended him choose between losing his tongue or his hands.
  • Smug Snake: To those he has power over, Joffrey is abusive, threatening, and shamelessly overconfident. However, the instant that someone actually stands up to him, he shows off the cringing coward he truly is.
  • The Sociopath: The only person he's shown even the slightest affection for is his father.
  • Spanner in the Works: His impulsive decision in "Baelor" shatters both Cersei's and Varys' plans.
  • Stupid Evil: Lannisters aren't known for their humanitarian impulses, but most of them are at least pragmatic about their cruelty and know when restraint would further their interests better. Joffrey, by contrast, tends to do the most vicious thing possible in any given situation, even when it amounts to shooting himself in the foot. In fact the cleverer, morally dark Lannisters' immediate problems all come from Joffrey's poor decisions, something Tywin realizes and appoints Tyrion as Hand of the King to try and do a little bit of damage control. It's Discussed by Tyrion in episode 2x06:

Tyrion: We've had vicious kings and we've had idiot kings, but I don't know if we've ever been cursed with a vicious idiot before!

Joffrey: If my uncle attacks King's Landing I'll ride out to meet him!
Tyrion': I'm sure your men will line up behind you.
Joffrey: They say Stannis never smiles. I'll give him a red smile. From ear to ear.
Tyrion: *As Joffrey leaves* Imagine Stannis' terror.
Varys: I'm trying, my lord.

  • The White Prince: Of the pompous, arrogant, and bullying variety.
  • Wimp Fight: "You let a little girl disarm you?"
    • When Sansa makes a threatening comment, he takes a step backwards. He retreats after a comment, made by someone who acted like an obedient puppy throughout the season.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: A tragic and twisted example in that many of the atrocities he commits are actually done in a misguided attempt to gain his father's love and respect. Attempting to act tough and manly and instead actually being monstrous in trying to live up to Robert's standards.
  • Would Not Hit a Girl: Subverted in a way. He doesn't do it himself, because that wouldn't be kingly. So he has his bodyguard Ser Meryn do it for him.
  • You Need to Get Laid: Bronn persuades Tyrion to do this for him by sending two prostitutes to his chamber, hoping that it might reduce his frustrations a bit. Unfortunately, they did not factor in that Joffrey's idea of sexual stimulation was similar to the same brutality he enacts on people in day-to-day affairs.

Bronn: There's no cure for bein' a cunt. But the boy's at that age, he's got nothing to do save tear wings off flies. Couldn't hurt to get some of the poison out.

Princess Myrcella Baratheon (Aimee Richardson)

Robert and Cersei's only daughter, the middle child. Jaime Lannister, the queen's own twin brother, is her biological father, and that of her siblings.

Tropes:

  • Arranged Marriage: To one of the princes of Dorne, once she is of age.
  • Break the Cutie: She's sent away from her whole family to Dorne for her protection.
  • Children Are Innocent: She's nice to Sansa and seems genuinely excited to see her and Joffrey get married.
  • Demoted to Extra: She wasn't exactly a large character in the book, but in the series she's only had speaking lines once, and been on screen a handful of scenes beyond that. [8]
  • Hair of Gold
  • Licked by the Dog: One of the early signs that the audience received that Tyrion is more than a drunken whoremonger is how much Tommen and Myrcella seem to adore him.
  • Nice Girl
  • Pet the Dog: Proves that the Lannister family evil isn't genetic by asking about Bran's condition and being genuinely happy to hear that he will live.
  • Put on a Barge: Sent off to Dorne to be married. [9]

Prince Tommen Baratheon (Callum Wharry)

"Stags aren't evil. They only eat grass."

Robert and Cersei's second son, the youngest child. Second in line for the throne. Jaime Lannister, the queen's own twin brother, is his biological father and that of his siblings.

Tropes:

  • Analogy Backfire: During the Battle of Blackwater, Cersei tells him of a Lion who was meant to be king, who was in a forest filled with evil things such as Stags. Tommen's response is to point out that Stag's aren't evil creatures, they're good.
  • Children Are Innocent: In sharp contrast to his brother, Tommen comes off as a genuinely sweet, nice kid, and is nice to Sansa.
  • Demoted to Extra: Much like his sister.
  • Hair of Gold
  • Licked by the Dog: Like his sister, he's the Dog in relation to his uncle Tyrion.
  • Nice Guy
  • Pet the Dog: He doesn't enjoy the notion of Robb being killed by his brother at all, saying as much in front of his mother and more importantly Sansa.
  • Similarly Named Actors: Not to be confused with Calum Worthy.

Bannermen, Retainers and Household

Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann)

"A dog doesn't need courage to chase off rats."

Called "The Hound," personal bodyguard to Prince Joffrey Baratheon. His face is horribly burned. Now a member of the Kingsguard.

Tropes:

  • Adaptational Attractiveness: His facial burns are much less extensive and gruesome than they are described in the book series. Apparently the actor couldn't see out of a truer-to-the-book prosthetic, which would naturally be rather important when filming swordfights.
    • The prosthetics themselves are actually rather gruesome, it's just that the camera rarely focuses on them and his hair blocks a good bit of it. Rather fittingly his scars get more focus in "Blackwater".
  • Anti-Villain
  • Badass: Goes toe-to-toe with his giant, Ax Crazy brother Ser Gregor and at the "Battle of Blackwater" quite literally cleaves men in half.
  • Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: The Hound's massive, Ax Crazy brother Ser Gregor attacks Ser Loras after losing a joust to him. Sandor jumps in and blocks the blow because he hates his brother, not because he cares about Ser Loras.
    • Goes straight into Big Damn Heroes territory when he saves Sansa single-handedly from an attempted gang rape in "The Old Gods and the New." Heroic music and all.
  • Battle Cry: A particularly vulgar one.

Sandor: "Any man dies with a clean sword, I'll rape his fucking corpse!"

  • BFS: Carries one of these, though only uses it in specific circumstance, such as open battle, or against his brother, who uses an even bigger one. He has a short sword for quick draw.
  • Blood Knight: Insists that "killing's the sweetest thing there is". And he further goes on to say that everyone who has ever done it loves it on some level.
  • The Brute: To Prince Joffrey, on the way of becoming The Dragon. However, his Screw This, I'm Outta Here at the Battle of Blackwater will have put an end to this.
  • Cain and Abel: Abel to Gregor's Cain. Gregor burning his face seems to be only the tip of the iceberg between them and he's more than willing to "defend" Ser Loras.
  • The Champion: Is supposed to serve as one to Joffrey.
    • Actually is one towards Sansa. He offers to protect her from the brunt of Joffrey's malice, but admits he might not succeed.
  • Diagonal Cut: Cuts two people in half during the battle of Blackwater, one like this, one clean across the belly.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: He defends Ser Loras from his brother Gregor when the latter goes batshit and immediately goes on one knee after being told to by the King, and goes against Joffery's orders to protect Sansa. At one point he actually abandons Joffery's side to find and rescue Sansa in the middle of a massive riot.
    • He has no problem with killing children, though.
    • He's somewhat tender to Sansa, after Joffrey shows her her father's head and has her beaten up.
  • Freudian Excuse: It's not exactly used to justify his behavior, but Littlefinger does tell Sansa that the Hound's scars come from his brother pushing his face into a fire when he was eight years old because he played with one of Gregor's toys.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: His horribly disfigured face can be... off-putting to say the least.

Sandor(to Sansa): Look at me! Stannis is a killer. The Lannisters are killers. Your father was a killer. Your brother is a killer. Your sons will be killers some day. The world is built by killers, so you better get used to looking at them.

  • I Will Protect Her: With Sansa. He genuinely despises the abuse she goes through, saves her from an Attempted Rape and clearly states he's going to protect her from Joffrey when they'll eventually marry.

Sandor: You'll be glad of the hateful things I do, one day, when you are Queen and I will be all that stands between you and your beloved King.

  • I Need a Freaking Drink: His reaction to seeing a man burn to death in front of him during the Battle of Blackwater.

"Fuck the water. Bring me wine."

Sandor: He ran... but not very fast.

    • Applies to the Stark bannermen that he butchers in the throne room once Slynt has betrayed Ned. Also a case of Punch Clock Villain.
  • Lightning Bruiser
  • Neck Lift: In "The Old Gods And The New" he does this to one of the men trying to rape Sansa. Then he disembowels the man with his dagger.
  • Pet the Dog: It becomes exceedingly clear that he cares a lot about Sansa; despite being gruff to her, he treats her kindly, and even asks her to flee the city with him in "Blackwater."
  • Punch Clock Villain: Looks like one. While he blatantly admits that he loves killing, he's also completely obedient to whoever he's serving and has a soft spot for Sansa, showing her small kindnesses wherever he can. He also stood up to his brother's attempt to kill Loras.
  • The Rival: Him and Bronn have a lot in common, as he points out. He'd also rather like to rip Bronn's head off for no other reason than Bronn working for Tyrion and being a bit grating on the nerves.
  • Scarily Competent Tracker: They call him "The Hound" for a reason. He's an expert at locating and tracking people. He's even able to find and rescue Sansa in the middle of a riot in King's landing.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: At the Battle of Blackwater.

"Fuck the Kingsguard. Fuck the city. Fuck the king."

  • The Stoic: The most emotion you get out of Sandor comes from brief flickers of expression on his face.
  • Tranquil Fury: A particularly brutal example. Sandor rarely shows any emotion while slaughtering people. When he rescues Sansa from would-be rapists he does so with a grim, emotionless expression while ruthlessly gutting the criminals.
  • Two-Faced
  • Why Did It Have To Be Fire? Due to how he got his own burns, he is uncharacteristically unnerved by the sight of wildfire during "Blackwater". Visibly shaken he then threatens the man leading the fire arrow volleys that he'll strangle him with his own entrails should any land near him. The final straw however is when he sees a man burning alive charging toward him. It causes him to freeze up, quit from the battlefield and demand a strong drink.
    • Probably also the reason why, when its demanded to return to the defence, he tells the King's Guard and Joffrey to go fuck themselves.

Ser Gregor Clegane (Conan Stevens / Ian Whyte)

"SWORD!"

Called "The Mountain", a massive knight in the service of House Lannister and older brother to The Hound.

Tropes:

  • Ax Crazy:
    • Considering we've only seen him for a few minutes of screentime and he's already rammed a lance through a man's throat and gotten a backstory that involves burning half his brother's face off in cold blood when they were children, this wouldn't be a bad guess.
    • After losing a joust to Ser Loras Tyrell, he pulled his sword, beheaded his horse and then tried to kill his unarmed opponent. Just like any sane person would do.
    • [10]
    • Also personally picks out which prisoner is going to be tortured to death every day at Harrenhal.
  • BFS
  • Big Brother Bully: To Sandor.
  • Black Knight
  • The Brute: Seven feet tall (yes, really, both actors are that tall), massively muscular, and apparently psychopathic.
  • Badass: Capable of cutting off a horse's head off with one swing.
  • Can't Hold His Liquor: Tywin advises Arya to not serve him wine. It makes him worse.
  • Cain and Abel: Cain to Sandor's Abel. Apart from being the source of Sandor's burns, the two of them appeared quite willing to fight to the death in full view of the court for very little reason.
  • The Dragon: To the Lannisters.
  • The Dreaded: Feared for his cruelty, especially since he's currently leading a band of psychopaths through the Riverlands.
  • Establishing Character Moment: His first joust and of course, "Sword!"
  • Evil Sounds Deep
  • Giant Mook
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: See Ax Crazy above.
  • In-Series Nickname: "The Mountain."
  • Kick the Dog: Beheading his own horse after he loses a joust.
  • Mook Lieutenant: Reinforced in Season 2, where he wears the usual Lannister soldier garb.
  • Psycho for Hire: Tywin Lannister is his "employer" and unleashes him on the peasantry of those who he feels have harmed the Lannisters.
  • Rape, Pillage and Burn: Seems to be his day job, when he's not "accidentally" killing people in tourneys.
  • The Red Baron
  • Shoulders of Doom: Gregor's armour looks awesome. Alas, he does not have it in the second season, apparently wearing standard Lannister guard gear.
  • The Other Darrin: In season two, Gregor is played by veteran stuntman Ian Whyte, as Conan Stevens is currently in New Zealand filming The Hobbit.
  • The Quiet One: In the first season, he's only said two things, "Sword!" and screaming. As of Garden of Bones, he's had a few more lines, but is hardly what one would call verbose.
  • You Have Failed Me...: Apparently the reason why he beheads his horse after losing to Ser Loras.

Bronn (Jerome Flynn)

"I'm not your toady and I'm not your friend."

A mercenary who accompanies Catelyn and Tyrion to the Eyrie. Afterwards, begins to serve Tyrion as his personal bodyguard, enforcer, and general sword-for-hire.

Tropes:

Lysa: You do not fight with honor!
Bronn: No. [nods at dead foe] He did.

Bronn: There's no cure for being a cunt.

Tyrion: And here we have Bronn, son of...
Bronn: You wouldn't know him.

Sandor: You like fucking, and drinking, and singing. But killilng...that's the thing you love. You're just like me. Only smaller.
Bronn: And quicker.

  • Straight Man: To Tyrion.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Sandor during the Battle of Blackwater.
  • Would Hurt a Child: Depending on the prize, of course. He does directly tell Tyrion that while he'd probably still do it, unlike Janos he'd at least think about it for a moment.

Shae (Sibel Kekilli)

"Don't trust anybody. Life is safer that way."

A camp follower that Tyrion takes a special interest in. Later Sansa Stark's handmaiden.

Tropes:

Podrick "Pod" Payne (Daniel Portman)

Cersei: "Odd little boy."
Tyrion: "I have a certain sympathy for odd little boys."

Tyrion's trusted young squire. Hails from a lesser branch of House Payne.

Tropes:

Ser Amory Lorch (Fintan McKeown)

"This is your last chance. In the name of King Joffrey, drop your weapons."

Another knight sworn to House Lannister.

Tropes:

Polliver (Andy Kellegher)

"That's a fine little blade. Maybe I'll pick my teeth with it."

A man-at-arms under the command of Ser Amory Lorch.

Tropes:

The Tickler (Anthony Morris)

"Is there gold and silver in the village?... Are there any gems?... Where is the Brotherhood?... Who's helping them?"

A torturer and interrogator serving under "The Mountain".

Tropes:

Weasel (Paul Kealyn)

The tickler's torture assistant.

Tropes:

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  1. ↑ He and Cersei were originally quite close, but a series of events including Tywin failing to get her married to Rhaegar Targaryen and instead marrying her to Robert strained their relationship to the point it's at now
  2. ↑ Tywin's first reign as Hand of the King is remembered as one of the most prosperous and peaceful in recent memory. Not impressed? He was hand to fucking Aerys II, and things only started really going downhill once Aerys got rid of him as Hand.
  3. ↑ In the books, the purge of Robert's bastards was all her idea and Joffrey was unaware/uncaring of it, making for another point where Tyrion had to rein her in.
  4. ↑ In fact, one of the main reasons he killed Aerys was because he was forced to choose between his king and his family.
  5. ↑ This is confirmed, since among other things Jaime was forced to stand by and listen as Aerys brutally raped his wife Rhaella, and Jaime would "go inside" his own mind when that happened, implying that it left him with a degree of PTSD
  6. ↑ He's furious with Tywin instead, assuming this means that Tywin is giving Jaime up for dead and is making Tyrion his Replacement Goldfish.
  7. ↑ Lancel is said to resemble a young Jaime, accounting for Cersei's choice of bed-warmer.
  8. ↑ She should get more screentime in season two and on, since by A Storm of Swords, she's become an active piece in the game of thrones.
  9. ↑ In the books she isn't seen again until Feast for Crows, or what will be Season 5 if Dan and Dave have their way.
  10. ↑ His first outstanding act of brutality was during the Sack of King's Landing. He and Ser Amory Lorch made it into the Red Keep, where The Mountain found Rhaegar's wife, Elia of Dorne, cradling her infant son Aegon at the breast. Clegane took the baby and smashed his head against the wall, and then raped Elia with her son's blood and brains still decorating his hands. Oh, and then he killed her, mostly because Tywin Lannister hadn't told him not to.
  11. ↑ The second murder Jaqen H'gar commits for Arya targets an Harrenhal understewart named Weese, for whom Arya works and who hit her. Amory Lorch still dies, but almost a full book later and not at the hands of either Arya or Jaqen.
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