Renly Baratheon

Renly Baratheon

Lord of Storm's End; Master of Laws; self-proclaimed King of the Seven Kingdoms

House / Order	House Baratheon
Race / Culture
Status	Deceased
Origin	Storm's End; King's Landing
Born	277 AC (approx.)
Died	299 AC, at Storm's End
Weapon
Fate	Slain by a shadow conjured by Melisandre at the behest of his brother Stannis Baratheon
Portrayed by

Look at them. There's my answer. The whole realm denies it, and yet she names me a usurper.

Renly Baratheon was the youngest of the three Baratheon brothers, Lord of Storm's End and Master of Laws on King Robert's small council. Handsome, charming, and beloved, Renly declared himself King of the Seven Kingdoms after Robert's death, gathering the largest host in Westeros behind him before he was killed by sorcery in the opening stage of the War of the Five Kings.

Background

Renly was the youngest son of Lord Steffon Baratheon and was raised largely at Storm's End. Easygoing and quick to laugh, he cultivated a brilliant, festive court and was widely popular among the lords of the Stormlands and the Reach. He married Margaery Tyrell, sealing an alliance with the powerful House Tyrell, whose strength gave him an army said to number a hundred thousand.

Renly shared a close and intimate bond with Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, Margaery's brother, a relationship the novels portray with marked subtlety.

War of the Five Kings

On Robert's death, rather than support the claim of his elder brother Stannis Baratheon, Renly crowned himself, reasoning that he was better loved and better suited to rule. He argued, with some justice, that succession is ultimately a matter of who can command loyalty. He took the field with the host of the Reach and the Stormlands at his back, vastly outnumbering both Stannis and the Lannisters.

Catelyn Stark came to Renly's camp as an envoy from her son Robb Stark, seeking alliance. Before any battle could be joined between the rival Baratheons, Stannis's red priestess Melisandre birthed a shadow with Renly's own face. The shadow stole into Renly's tent and killed him as he armored for the morning, with Catelyn and Renly's guard Brienne of Tarth looking on, helpless. Brienne was wrongly accused of the murder and fled with Catelyn.

Aftermath

With Renly dead, much of his host went over to Stannis, though the Reach eventually threw its strength behind House Lannister and the Tyrell marriage to King Joffrey. Brienne of Tarth, who had loved Renly and served in his short-lived Rainbow Guard, swore herself afterward to Catelyn Stark and carried her devotion to his memory through the rest of her story.

Character

Renly is depicted as gracious, ambitious, and pragmatic about the nature of power, dismissing rightful inheritance in favor of strength and popularity. His charm masked a willingness to put himself above his brother's claim, and his sudden death by shadow magic marks one of the first irruptions of dark sorcery into the war for the throne.

In the television series

In HBO's Game of Thrones, Renly is portrayed by Gethin Anthony, and his story, including his relationship with Loras Tyrell and his death by shadow, follows the novels.

Appearances

• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings