Oberyn Martell

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Prince Oberyn Nymeros Martell, also known as the Red Viper, is a member of House Martell and is the younger brother of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne. Oberyn has eight bastard daughters called the Sand Snakes, the youngest four of whom are by his current lover, Ellaria Sand. In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Oberyn is portrayed by Pedro Pascal. Aliases:The Red Viper The snake Oberyn Viper Red snake Titles: Prince Acolyte (formerly) To be Loyalties: Martell House Second Sons(formerly) Nationality: Dornishman "Salgado" Culture: Dornish Origin: Sunspear, Dorne, Westeros Religion: Faith of the Seven Born: 257 BC or 258 BC Solar Lances Death: Had their skulls crushed by Gregor Clegane in 300 AC, King's Landing Mother: Princess Martell Lovers: Anonymous lover of Edgar Yronwood Ellaria Sand (lover) Ser Daemon Sand (rumored) Nameless Volantene Noblewoman Nameless septa Anonymous Summer Isles Merchant Children: Obara Sand Nymeria Sans Tyene Sand Sarella Sand Elia Sand Obella Sand Dorea Sand Loreza Sand

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

Oberyn has the characteristics of a salty Dornishman. He is a tall, slender, graceful, and fit man, and has a lined, saturnine face with thin eyebrows, black "viper" eyes, and a pointed nose. His hair is glossy black, with only a few streaks of silver, and recedes from his forehead in a widow's peak. Oberyn is a renowned warrior, quick as a water snake and very athletic. Oberyn has always been fierce. He has a fearsome and notorious reputation. According to Lord Tywin Lannister, Oberyn has always been half-mad. Oberyn's brother Doran described him as "deadly, dangerous, [and] unpredictable", stating that "no man dared set foot on him". However, Doran also claims that Oberyn is rash. A witty and sharp-tongued man, Oberyn has claimed to have been "a monstrous youth" in his youth. Oberyn is a bloodthirsty man who has long sought revenge for his sister Elia, with whom he was inseparable as children. He despises Lord Mace Tyrell, calling him the "Fat Flower of Highgarden". Oberyn is rumored to be bisexual, with his former squire, Ser Daemon Sand, said to have been one of his lovers. Furthermore, Oberyn is said to have "sired bastard girls throughout Dorne", though in reality only four of his eight daughters are Dornish, born to his longtime lover Ellaria Sand. He claimed them and raised them fearlessly, arming them so that they could defend themselves and allowing them the freedom to choose between marriage and pleasure wherever it might be found.

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

Oberyn has an interest in fine horses. His sand steed is a stallion "black as sin", with a mane and tail the color of fire. Oberyn is known for wearing a pale red silk cloak, an armored shirt with overlapping rows of gleaming copper disks, and a tall golden helmet with a copper sun on the brow. His round steel shield is brightly polished and displays the sun and the Martell spear in red gold, yellow gold, white gold, and copper.

LIFE PROGRESSES

As a child, Oberyn Martell played shoulder riding in the pools at the Aquatic Gardens. His older brother, Doran, had long since left the pools when Oberyn was old enough to play, but watched him while visiting his mother. Oberyn fought fiercely and quickly, often knocking down boys much larger than himself. In his youth, Oberyn was raised in Sandstone. As a teenager, Oberyn traveled with his mother, the ruling princess of Dorne, and his sister, Princess Elia Martell, and met several potential candidates for his sister's marriage, visiting castles in Starfall, Arbor, Oldtown, Shield Islands, and Crakehall . Oberyn spent his time mocking Elia's suitors. The last castle they visited was Casterly Rock, where they arrived shortly after Lady Joanna Lannister died in childbirth. According to Oberyn, his mother and Joanna planned to marry Oberyn to Cersei Lannister, or Elia to Jaime Lannister, or both. Lord Tywin Lannister, however, was not receptive to the suggestion, stating that his daughter would marry Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. He offered the newborn Tyrion Lannister as a husband to Elia, which was seen as an insult. At sixteen, Oberyn was found in bed with Lord Edgar Yronwood's mistress, so the lord challenged him to a duel. The duel went to first blood, given the prince's youth and high birth, and both suffered cuts. Edgar's wounds became infected and killed him. Oberyn has been known as the "Red Viper" ever since by friends and foes alike, due to rumors that he fought the duel with a poisoned blade. Afterwards, Oberyn was sent to Oldtown and then to Lys in temporary exile (although no one called him that ) for House Martell to make peace with House Yronwood, and Prince Quentyn Martell was sent as Yronwood's ward.

LIFE PROGRESSES

Oberyn traveled extensively in the Free Cities, where he learned much about poisons and perhaps even darker arts. He studied at the Citadel, forging six links of a maester's chain before growing bored. He served as a soldier in the Disputed Lands across the narrow sea, riding with the Second Sons for a time before forming his own company. He is said to have bedded both men and women, and to have fathered eight bastard daughters, called the Sand Snakes. Oberyn, however, does not let his children grow up wanting: he takes responsibility for them and actively seeks to help raise all of his children (something few lords do when it comes to their bastard children). He teaches them to defend themselves and allows them great independence as they grow up. Prince Oberyn was unhorsed by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Ser Barristan Selmy in a tourney at Storm's End. He was also present during the tourney at Harrenhal in 281 AC, where he danced with Lady Ashara Dayne.

ERA BARATHEON

Oberyn had a close relationship with his sister Elia. It is currently unknown where Oberyn was during Robert's Rebellion. During the Sack of King's Landing, Ser Gregor Clegane raped and murdered Elia and also killed her son, Prince Aegon Targaryen. Another Lannister knight, Ser Amory Lorch, killed her daughter, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. After hearing of these deaths, Oberyn attempted to seize Dorne for the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen. The new Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn, traveled to Sunspear the year after the war and managed to maintain peace, but Oberyn has been bent on revenge ever since. After the war, Oberyn rarely left Dorne. Oberyn is largely responsible for reviving the modern rivalry between his House and the Tyrells, as he accidentally crippled Willas Tyrell in a tourney. Oberyn struck Willas in the breastplate, but the boy's foot caught in a stirrup as he fell, and his horse fell on top of him. Oberyn sent his own maester to help treat Willas, who bore no grudge against Oberyn. The two corresponded via raven message, as they both shared a love of horses. Oberyn and his brother Doran, Prince of Dorne, worked in secret for years to end the reign of King Robert I Baratheon and destroy House Lannister. Oberyn traveled to Braavos, where Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen were living with Ser Willem Darry. Oberyn and Willem signed a secret marriage pact, witnessed by the Sealord of Braavos, promising Viserys the hand of Princess Arianne Martell in marriage in exchange for Dorne's aid in reclaiming the Iron Throne from House Baratheon. Oberyn eventually knighted his squire, Ser Daemon Sand. Prince Quentyn Martell chose to be knighted by Lord Anders Yronwood instead of Oberyn.

ERA BARATHEON

When Prince Doran Martell moved to Water Gardens for health reasons, he trusted Oberyn to look after Sunspear for him. Oberyn reported to his brother twice every fortnight.

THE STORM OF SWORDS

Prince Oberyn arrives in King's Landing to claim his brother Doran's small council seat and finally receive justice for the death of his sister Elia, as had been promised to the Martells by Hand of the King Tyrion Lannister. On the day Oberyn leaves Sunspear, he reminds Doran of how he used to knock over boys much larger than himself while playing shoulder-riding in the Water Gardens, and promises Doran that he will do it again. In King's Landing, whenever Oberyn sees Tyrion, he asks when "justice will be served". However, Lord Tywin Lannister plans to lie to Oberyn and claim that the now-deceased Ser Amory Lorch was responsible for the deaths of Elia, her daughter Rhaenys, and her son Aegon, even though Amory only killed Rhaenys during the Sack of King's Landing. Oberyn is among those whom Lord Tywin Lannister considers as a possible marriage candidate for his daughter, the Dowager Queen Cersei. Oberyn gives King Joffrey I Baratheon a red gold scorpion brooch for the royal wedding. After Tyrion is accused of Joffrey's murder, Oberyn serves as one of his judges. The day before a trial is to be held, Oberyn offers to be Tyrion's champion in a trial by combat against Ser Gregor Clegane if Tyrion will tell him who is guilty of Elia's murder. Tyrion denies any involvement by his father, Tywin, but tells Oberyn that Amory killed Rhaenys and Ser Gregor Clegane killed Elia and Aegon. When Tyrion realizes that the testimony of the witnesses at the trial will surely lead to a guilty verdict, he demands a trial by battle. To the consternation of the court, Oberyn announces that he will be Tyrion's champion. Tywin is angered, but grants Tyrion's request.

THE STORM OF SWORDS

The next morning, Tyrion is given permission to visit his champion. Oberyn plans to fight with a lance and wear only light armor. He specifically warns Tyrion not to touch the weapon. He is confident, but Tyrion is unsure of his choice of weapon. Oberyn invites Tyrion to Dorne after the trial and talks about crowning Myrcella Baratheon. He then changes the subject to the time he visited Lannisport with his mother and sister Elia. His mother and Tyrion's mother, Joanna Lannister, were friends and planned to marry Jaime to Elia and/or Cersei to Oberyn. However, by the time they arrived at Casterly Rock, Joanna had died, and Tywin rejected both suggestions and said that Cersei was destined for Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Since Elia later married Rhaegar, Oberyn assumes that this is why Tywin had Elia killed. Oberyn proclaims that today he will bring justice for Elia and her children. At the trial by battle, Oberyn wounds Gregor several times after finding cracks in his armor, and severs Gregor's hamstring after Gregor tires of chasing him. He smashes his spear into Gregor's stomach, but rather than kill him, Oberyn insists that Gregor confess to Elia's murder. Turning the tide of the battle, Gregor knocks Oberyn down and smashes his armored fist into Oberyn's unprotected face, knocking out his teeth and gouging out his eyes, then crushing the prince's skull. Before killing Oberyn, however, Gregor announces his guilt in the deaths of Elia and Aegon for all to hear.

A FEAST OF CROWS

Oberyn obtains posthumous revenge, while Ser Gregor Clegane dies a slow and agonizing death from poisoning. Oberyn's daughters, the Sand Snakes, seek revenge for his death; Prince Doran Martell orders Areo Hotah to place them under arrest to keep the peace.

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

After Gregor Clegane's skull is taken to Sunspear, Oberyn's family wonders how to be sure it was indeed Gregor's. Tyene Sand claims to know what poison Oberyn used during his duel with Gregor and claims that if her spear had broken Gregor's skin, Gregor could not have survived.

OBERYN QUOTES

"Elia Martell, Princess of Dorne, you raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children."—Oberyn to Gregor Clegane "If you die before you speak her name, I will hunt you throughout the seven hells."—Oberyn to Gregor Clegane "Ellaria: Are you going to fight this? Oberyn: I'm going to kill it." —Oberyn and Ellaria Sand

QUOTES ABOUT OBERYN

"Oberyn was always a little crazy."—Tywin Lannister to Tyrion Lannister "The man is infamous, and not just for poisoning his sword. He has more bastards than Robert, and he sleeps with boys too."—Jaime Lannister to Tywin Lannister "He knew the man only by reputation... but the reputation was frightening." —thoughts of Tyrion Lannister "Oberyn was always the viper. Deadly, dangerous, unpredictable. No man dared tread upon him."—Doran Martell to the Sand Snakes