Tyrion Lannister
| House / Order | House Lannister |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Westermen |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons) |
| Origin | The Westerlands; Essos |
| Born | 273 AC, Casterly Rock |
| Died | |
| Weapon | An axe; his wits |
| Fate | A fugitive in Essos after murdering his father; joining a sellsword company bound for Meereen |
| Portrayed by | Peter Dinklage |
Tyrion Lannister, mockingly called the Imp and the Halfman, is the youngest child of Tywin Lannister and one of the most prominent viewpoint characters of A Song of Ice and Fire. A dwarf of sharp wit and sharper tongue, he compensates for his small stature and the contempt of his family with intelligence, learning, and cunning.
Despised by his father and sister Cersei (who blames him for their mother's death in childbirth), Tyrion nonetheless serves House Lannister ably, governing as acting Hand of the King before his own family turns on him utterly.
Background
Tyrion was born at Casterly Rock, his birth killing his mother, Joanna Lannister. His father Tywin never forgave him and saw his dwarfism as a stain on the family. As a youth, Tyrion fell in love with and secretly married a crofter's daughter named Tysha; Tywin, declaring her a whore, had her gang-raped by his guardsmen and forced Tyrion to watch, a cruelty that scars Tyrion for life. He grows into a reader, a drinker, and a frequenter of brothels, declaring himself the gods' fool.
Biography
A Game of Thrones
Tyrion travels north and visits The Wall, then is arrested by Catelyn Stark for an attempt on Bran Stark's life he did not commit. Imprisoned at the Eyrie, he demands a trial by combat and wins through the sellsword Bronn. Freed, he wins the loyalty of the mountain clans and is sent by Tywin to govern King's Landing as acting Hand.
A Clash of Kings
As Hand, Tyrion proves a deft and ruthless administrator, curbing his nephew King Joffrey, outmaneuvering Cersei, Varys, and Littlefinger, and rooting out enemies. He brings the prostitute Shae to the capital as his secret lover. When Stannis Baratheon attacks by sea, Tyrion's wildfire stratagem and a sortie at the Battle of the Blackwater save the city. He is gravely wounded, his face disfigured, and his deeds are stolen from him by Tywin and Cersei.
A Storm of Swords
Stripped of power, Tyrion is forced to marry Sansa Stark to secure a Lannister claim to the North, though he refuses to consummate the union against her will. When Joffrey is poisoned at his own wedding, Tyrion is falsely accused. At his trial, even Shae testifies against him; he demands trial by combat, and his champion, Oberyn Martell, is killed by Gregor Clegane. Sentenced to death, Tyrion is freed by his brother Jaime, who reveals the truth about Tysha. Enraged, Tyrion strangles Shae and kills Tywin with a crossbow as he sits on the privy, then flees Westeros.
A Dance with Dragons
Smuggled to Essos by Varys and Illyrio Mopatis, a bitter, drunken Tyrion is drawn into a plot to restore the Targaryens. He travels down the Rhoyne with Young Griff (a youth claimed to be Aegon Targaryen), is enslaved, fights in the fighting pits, and ultimately attaches himself to the Second Sons, a sellsword company, scheming to reach Daenerys Targaryen at Meereen.
Character
Tyrion is the sharpest mind in the novels, a master of words who turns mockery into armor. Generous and capable of real kindness, he is also driven by resentment and self-loathing born of a lifetime of contempt. The betrayals of his family, and the truth of Tysha, push him from cynical loyalty toward bitterness and patricide.
Relationships
Tyrion's love for his brother Jaime is the warmest bond of his life, though it is poisoned by Jaime's confession about Tysha. He despises and is despised by his sister Cersei and his father Tywin. His doomed loves, Tysha and Shae, shape his cruelty as much as his tenderness. He treats Sansa Stark with unexpected decency.
Quotes
Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.
A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Tyrion was portrayed by Peter Dinklage in an Emmy-winning performance. His arc broadly follows the novels through his flight from Westeros, then continues beyond them: he becomes Hand to Daenerys Targaryen and later to King Bran Stark. These later events have not occurred in the books, where Tyrion remains a fugitive sellsword in Essos.