Varys
| House / Order | None |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Lysene (born a slave) |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons) |
| Origin | King's Landing; the Free Cities |
| Born | Unknown, in Lys or the Free Cities |
| Died | |
| Weapon | Spies, secrets, poison |
| Fate | Working in the shadows to place Young Griff on the Iron Throne; last seen murdering Kevan Lannister |
| Portrayed by | Conleth Hill |
Varys, called the Spider, is the Master of Whisperers, the spymaster of King's Landing who has served on the small council under three kings. A eunuch of obscure foreign origin, he commands a vast network of informants, the "little birds," and is among the most dangerous and inscrutable players in the game of thrones.
For all his perfumed, simpering manner, Varys is a master of intrigue who claims to serve "the realm," and whose true loyalties remain one of the deepest mysteries of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Background
Varys was born a slave in the Free Cities and sold to a sorcerer who castrated him and used his parts in a blood ritual, an event that left Varys with a lifelong hatred of sorcery. He survived as a thief and mummer, traveled the Free Cities, and built a reputation as a gatherer of secrets so skilled that he was eventually brought to King's Landing by the Mad King Aerys II, who came to rely on him. He continued in the office of Master of Whisperers under Robert Baratheon and the Lannisters, surviving every regime through cunning and indispensability.
Biography
A Game of Thrones
Varys plays a quiet hand in the fall of Eddard, whom he visits in the black cells, urging him to confess to save his daughters and serve "the realm." His maneuverings, alongside those of Littlefinger, help set the war in motion, though his ultimate aims remain hidden.
A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords
As Master of Whisperers, Varys aids Tyrion in governing the capital, providing intelligence while pursuing his own designs. He poses a famous riddle to Tyrion about a sellsword, a king, a priest, and a rich man, illustrating that power "resides where men believe it resides." After Tyrion is condemned and Tywin freed, it is Varys who, with Jaime, spirits Tyrion out of his cell. By freeing Tyrion, Varys sets in motion the chain of events that leads Tyrion to murder their father Tywin Lannister and flee Westeros.
A Dance with Dragons
Varys's hidden agenda surfaces: he and the magister Illyrio Mopatis have for years been grooming a youth called Young Griff, claimed to be Aegon, son of Rhaegar Targaryen, supposedly smuggled to safety as an infant while a substitute was murdered in his place. Varys reveals himself to be working to place this Targaryen claimant on the throne. In the novel's final pages he reappears in King's Landing and assassinates the regent Kevan Lannister with a crossbow (having his little birds also kill Grand Maester Pycelle), declaring that he acts for the good of the realm and the children to come, removing competent Lannister hands to sow chaos for Aegon's invasion.
Character
Varys is subtle, patient, and seemingly bloodless, hiding ruthlessness beneath a soft, fawning exterior. He professes devotion to "the realm" and the smallfolk above any king, and his claim to act for the common good complicates whether he is villain, idealist, or something stranger. His hatred of sorcery, rooted in his mutilation, is one of his few certain traits.
Relationships
Varys's chief rival and sometime partner in intrigue is Littlefinger; the two spar throughout the small council years. He develops a wary working relationship with Tyrion, whom he ultimately saves. His true partnership is the long conspiracy with Illyrio Mopatis on behalf of Young Griff.
Quotes
Power resides where men believe it resides. It is a trick, a shadow on the wall. And a very small man can cast a very large shadow.
Storms come and go, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on paddling.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Varys was portrayed by Conleth Hill. His arc follows the novels through his flight with Tyrion, then diverges sharply: the entire Young Griff storyline is cut, and Varys instead serves Daenerys Targaryen, turning against her and being executed by dragonfire. None of this occurs in the books, where Varys works for Aegon.