Joffrey Baratheon
| House / Order | House Baratheon (officially); truly House Lannister |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Westerosi |
| Status | Deceased |
| Origin | King's Landing |
| Born | 286 AC |
| Died | 300 AC, King's Landing |
| Weapon | A crossbow; the sword Hearteater |
| Fate | Poisoned at his own wedding feast (the Purple Wedding) |
| Portrayed by | Jack Gleeson |
Joffrey Baratheon is the eldest child of Queen Cersei Lannister and, officially, King Robert Baratheon. In truth he is the bastard son of Cersei and her twin brother Jaime Lannister, born of incest. A cruel and cowardly boy-king, he ascends the Iron Throne as a teenager and rules King's Landing with petty, sadistic tyranny during the War of the Five Kings.
Joffrey's viciousness, exemplified by his execution of Eddard Stark, makes him one of the most reviled figures in Westeros, and his shocking death at his own wedding feast reverberates through the realm.
Background
Joffrey was raised as the heir of King Robert Baratheon, though Robert had little use for him and Joffrey idolized cruelty from a young age. Spoiled and coddled by his mother Cersei, he displayed sadistic tendencies in childhood, taking pleasure in killing animals and tormenting the weak. The truth of his parentage, that he is no Baratheon but a child of incest, is the secret that destroys Eddard Stark and helps trigger the war.
Biography
A Game of Thrones
Betrothed to Sansa Stark, Joffrey reveals his cruelty early, threatening and lying about an incident on the Kingsroad that leads to the death of Sansa's direwolf Lady. When his father Robert dies, Joffrey takes the throne. Though he promises Sansa mercy for her father if Eddard confesses, Joffrey instead orders Eddard's beheading on a whim, delighting in the power, an act of gratuitous cruelty that shatters any hope of peace.
A Clash of Kings
As king, Joffrey grows ever more monstrous: he has Sansa stripped and beaten in open court, indulges in torture and casual murder, and proves an incompetent and dangerous ruler. His uncle and Hand Tyrion struggles to restrain him. During the Battle of the Blackwater, Joffrey reveals his cowardice, fleeing the walls to hide with his mother while better men defend the city.
A Storm of Swords and the Purple Wedding
Joffrey casts aside Sansa to marry Margaery Tyrell, sealing the Lannister-Tyrell alliance. At the lavish wedding feast, he humiliates his uncle Tyrion and revels in cruelty to the last. Mid-feast, he drinks poisoned wine and dies choking, his face blackening, in his mother's arms, the murder later revealed to be the work of Littlefinger and Olenna Tyrell. Tyrion is falsely blamed. The event becomes known as the Purple Wedding.
Character
Joffrey is a portrait of unchecked cruelty and cowardice: sadistic, vain, petulant, and utterly without empathy. Power magnifies his worst impulses, and he revels in inflicting pain on those who cannot resist. He is brave only against the helpless and craven in the face of real danger. His death is mourned by almost no one.
Relationships
Joffrey is doted on by his mother Cersei, who is blind to his nature, and despised by his uncle Tyrion, whom he torments. His true father Jaime privately recognizes him as a monster. He abuses his betrothed Sansa Stark and is being deftly managed by his second betrothed, Margaery Tyrell, at the time of his death.
Quotes
I am the king! I will punish you!
Everyone is mine to torment.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Joffrey was portrayed by Jack Gleeson in a widely praised performance. His arc and death at the Purple Wedding follow the novels faithfully.