Tywin Lannister

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

Tywin is a tall, slender, broad-shouldered man in his fifties. His arms are thin but muscular. Tywin has kept his head shaved since his golden hair began to bald, but he has grown thick golden sideburns. Tywin has light green eyes flecked with gold. Tywin is a calculating, intelligent, politically astute, ruthless, and controlling man. He dedicates his life and efforts to maintaining the prestige of House Lannister and ensuring that his family is respected, or at least feared. Tywin is a proven battle commander who leads from behind, and has a powerful presence combined with an intimidating gaze. He is stern toward treachery. According to his sister Genna, Tywin is wary of laughter because of how their father, Lord Tytos, was ridiculed; Grand Maester Pycelle was surprised that his late wife Joanna was able to make him laugh three separate times. Though ruthless, Tywin Lannister is a capable and shrewd ruler who brought great prosperity during his tenure as Hand of the King to Aerys II Targaryen. He is especially talented at fundraising, which leads to a persistent joke that he must "shit gold". Tywin is more respected than loved in the westerlands, and is remembered in King's Landing for the Sack. Tywin regards bastards as treacherous by nature and public association with whores as disgraceful to House Lannister.

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

Tywin loves his eldest children, Queen Cersei and Ser Jaime, but despises Tyrion. This is partly because Tyrion is a dwarf, but also because Tywin blames his younger son for causing the death of his beloved wife Joanna during his birth, as well as for bringing shame to the family name with his frequent prostitution. Tywin often confides in his brother, Ser Kevan Lannister. Ser Addam Marbrand is said to be Tywin's boldest commander. Genna's husband, Ser Emmon Frey, is terrified of his brother-in-law. Tywin's steel plate armor is enameled a deep crimson and highlighted with gold, and his roundels are golden sunbursts. Tywin's heavy cloth-of-gold cloak is pinned with miniature golden lionesses, and his greathelm is decorated with a roaring lion with ruby ​​eyes. He also wears a thick ermine cloak. Tywin's longsword has a golden hilt. His steed is a stallion with his own golden armor. The steed has a blanket of enameled crimson scales and a golden crinet and chamfron, as well as crimson silk bardings decorated with the Lannister lion.

HISTORY

Tywin was the firstborn son of Tytos Lannister and Jeyne Marbrand. According to legend, the baby bit the finger of his grandfather, Lord Gerold Lannister. Lord Tytos agreed to marry his daughter Genna to Emmon Frey, the second son of Lord Walder Frey, solely to please the Lord of the Crossing. The betrothal was announced at a feast in 252 AC, with most of the western lords present. After the announcement, Lord Roger Reyne left the hall in anger, and Ellyn Reyne laughed out loud. Only ten-year-old Tywin spoke out against the marriage, as he felt it was an unequal union. Shortly after this incident, Tytos sent Tywin to King's Landing to serve as a royal page and cupbearer at the court of King Aegon V Targaryen, where Tywin befriended the young Prince Aerys Targaryen and Steffon Baratheon, the heir to Storm's End. His cousin Joanna Lannister also served at the royal court as a companion and lady-in-waiting to Princess Rhaella Targaryen from 259 AC. During the War of the Ninepenny Kings in 260 AC, eleven thousand westermen under the leadership of Tywin's uncle Ser Jason Lannister were sent to fight alongside other forces of the Iron Throne at the Stepstones. Tywin, already a knight, joined the Lannister force, as did his brothers Kevan and Tygett as squires. The young Prince Aerys served as a squire throughout the war, and when he gained his knighthood, Tywin was given the honor of knighting his friend.

REYNES E TARBECKS

As Lord Tytos Lannister was a weak ruler who had been taken advantage of by his vassals, Tywin and his brothers sought to restore the prestige of House Lannister upon their return from the Stepstones. Tytos protested weakly before returning to his mistress, Tywin demanded payment of the gold his father had lent him, and those who could not pay immediately had to send a hostage to Casterly Rock until their debt was settled. Ser Kevan Lannister was given command of five hundred veteran knights tasked with ridding the westerlands of robber knights and outlaws. Ser Harys Swyft, the Knight of Cornfield, gave his daughter Dorna into Kevan's custody, but Roger Reyne, Lord of Castamere, reportedly laughed at Tywin's edicts. When Lord Walderan Tarbeck of Tarbeck Hall rode to confront Tytos, who was not present at the Rock, the young Tywin ordered Walderan arrested for disloyalty. Walderan's wife Ellyn responded by seizing Tywin's cousin Stafford and two Lannisters from Lannisport. Lord Tytos ordered the hostages exchanged and forgave House Tarbeck's debt to House Lannister. In late 261 AC, Tywin provoked Houses Reyne and Tarbeck by ordering Roger and Walderan to appear at Casterly Rock to answer for their crimes. When the accused renounced their loyalty to House Lannister, Tywin raised an army without his lordly father's permission. Tywin defeated Walderan in battle and then destroyed Tarbeck Hall, with Ellyn dying in its collapse. Tywin then defeated Roger, who fled back to Castamere. Rather than wait for the underworld castle to surrender, Tywin ended the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt by diverting a nearby stream into Castamere, drowning the Reynes within it. The ruined castles were left as reminders of the fate that awaits those who scorn the power of Casterly Rock, and "The Rains of Castamere" was written as a tribute to the event. When Lord Farman failed to cause trouble,

HAND OF THE KING

HAND OF THE KING

HAND OF THE KING

Tywin had hoped to betroth Jaime to Lysa Tully, the second daughter of Lord Hoster Tully. In 281 AC, however, Aerys elevated the fifteen-year-old Jaime to the Kingsguard to replace Ser Harlan Grandison, robbing Tywin of his prized heir and making Jaime a hostage to use against his father. Citing illness, Tywin resigned and returned to Casterly Rock. He was replaced as Hand by Lord Owen Merryweather. Tywin chose not to attend the great tourney at Harrenhal in 281 AC.

ROBERT'S REBELLION

RECENT HISTORY

After Robert's Rebellion, Lord Tywin returned to Casterly Rock, where he continued to serve as Warden of the West. At the wedding of Robert I Baratheon and Cersei Lannister, the new king appointed Ser Ilyn Payne as the King's Justiciar as a gift to Tywin. When Tywin discovered that his son Tyrion had married a common girl, Tysha, which in Tywin's eyes would make House Lannister a laughingstock again, Tywin taught him a harsh lesson. He ordered Tyrion's older brother, Ser Jaime, to make Tysha a whore and made Tyrion watch as Tywin delivered her to his garrison, having each man pay the girl a silver coin after raping her. He forced Tyrion to do the same, but pay Tysha a gold coin. Tywin earned his son's enmity for this act, but Tywin did not care, as it was in his other sons that he placed all his hopes. When Tyrion was sixteen, Tywin refused to allow him to travel and see the world as Tywin's brothers had done in their youth, fearing that Tyrion would bring further shame to House Lannister. Tywin instead placed his son in charge of the drains and cisterns at Casterly Rock. In 289 AC, Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, started the Greyjoy Rebellion against King Robert I Baratheon by burning the Lannister fleet anchored at Lannisport. After the Greyjoys' defeat, Tywin rebuilt the Lannister fleet and hosted another tourney at Lannisport. Tywin sent men to search for Gerion Lannister after his brother disappeared, but the Laughing Lion was nowhere to be found.

RECENT HISTORY

QUOTES ABOUT TYWIN

"I would rather trust a child to a viper than to Lord Tywin."— Thoughts of Eddard Stark "Tywin Lannister was both a fox and a lion."— Thoughts of Eddard Stark "A fool more foolish than most had once joked that even Lord Tywin's shit was flecked with gold. Some said the man still lived, deep within the bowels of Casterly Rock."—Thoughts of Tyrion Lannister "Lord Tywin Lannister did not shit gold, after all."— Thoughts of Tyrion Lannister "Now and then, Lord Tywin Lannister threatened to smile; he never did, but the threat itself was terrible to behold."—Thoughts of Tyrion Lannister "It is not fitting that Tywin Lannister should die alone. Such a man deserves a retinue to attend to his needs in hell."— Thoughts of Cersei Lannister "I have served six kings, but here before us stands the greatest man I have ever known. Lord Tywin wore no crown, but he was everything a king should be."—Pycelle to Jaime Lannister "Men say Tywin never smiled, but he smiled when he wed your mother, and when Aerys made him Hand. When Tarbeck Hall fell upon Lady Ellyn, that scheming bitch, Tyg claimed he smiled then, and he smiled at your birth, Jaime, I saw it with my own eyes." - Genna Lannister to Jaime Lannister

TYWIN QUOTES

"Release Ser Gregor and send him before us with his marauders. Send Vargo Hoat and his freeriders as well, and Ser Amory Lorch. Each must have three hundred horses. Tell them I want to see the riverlands ablaze, from the Gods Eye to the Red Fork."—Tywin to Kevan Lannister "Tell them they may ride with Vargo Hoat and plunder as they please—goods, cattle, women, they may take what they wish and burn the rest." —Tywin to Tyrion Lannister "Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with feathers and ravens."—Tywin to Tyrion Lannister "Joffrey, when your enemies defy you, you must serve them with steel and fire. When they kneel, however, you must help them rise again. Otherwise, no man will ever bend the knee to you. And any man who says, 'I am the king,' is no true king. Aerys never understood that, but you will. When I win your war for you, we will restore peace and justice to the king."—Tywin to Joffrey I Baratheon Tyrion: Tysha. What did you do with her, after my little lesson? "Tywin: I don't remember. Tyrion: Try harder. Did you kill her? Tywin: There was no reason to, she learned her place... and was well paid for her daily work, I seem to recall. I suppose the steward sent her away. I never thought to ask. Tyrion: On your way to where? Tywin: Wherever whores go."—Tyrion Lannister and Tywin "No man is free. Only children and fools think otherwise."—Tywin to Tyrion Lannister