Tormund Giantsbane
| House / Order | None (Free Folk) |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Free Folk (wildling) |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons) |
| Origin | Beyond The Wall; The Wall |
| Born | Unknown, beyond the Wall |
| Died | |
| Weapon | An axe |
| Fate | Leading wildlings through the Wall to settle under Jon Snow's leave; left in command of forces at the Wall |
| Portrayed by | Kristofer Hivju |
Tormund Giantsbane is one of the foremost leaders of the Free Folk and a chief lieutenant of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Boisterous, boastful, and warm-hearted, he is famed for his many grandiose self-given titles and his enormous appetite for mead, food, and tall tales. He becomes a crucial ally of Jon Snow in the effort to save the wildlings from the rising threat of the Others.
A bear of a man with a booming laugh, Tormund represents the more genial, comradely face of the Free Folk, fierce in battle but generous and loyal in peace.
Background
Tormund is a renowned raider and warrior among the Free Folk beyond The Wall, with a string of boastful epithets, Tormund Thunderfist, Tall-talker, Horn-blower, Breaker of Ice, Husband to Bears, and the famous "Giantsbane," whose origins he is happy to embellish. He has many sons and is a respected leader who answers the call of Mance Rayder to unite the wildling peoples and march south, fleeing the cold and the dead that gather in the far north.
Biography
A Storm of Swords
Tormund is among the wildling leaders Jon Snow meets after joining the Free Folk. He takes a liking to the young crow, regaling him with outrageous stories. When Mance launches his great assault on The Wall, Tormund leads forces in the attack. The wildling host is ultimately broken by the arrival of Stannis Baratheon's army, and Tormund, with many of his people, is captured or scattered.
A Dance with Dragons
As Lord Commander, Jon Snow pursues the controversial policy of allowing the Free Folk through the Wall to settle in the Gift, judging that the living must stand together against the dead. After negotiation, Tormund agrees to lead a great host of wildlings through the Wall under the Watch's terms, surrendering valuables and hostages in exchange for passage and land. He becomes Jon's most important wildling ally, a leader the Free Folk trust and the Watch can deal with, and he is given responsibility for forces along the Wall as Jon plans the realm's defense against the coming winter.
Character
Tormund is jovial, larger-than-life, and irrepressibly fond of his own legend, forever boasting of feats both real and absurd. Beneath the bluster he is shrewd, brave, and deeply loyal, a pragmatic leader who recognizes, as many do not, that the old enmity between the Watch and the Free Folk must give way before the greater enemy. His warmth and humor make him one of the most likable figures in the saga.
Relationships
Tormund's friendship with Jon Snow grows from amused affection into a vital alliance built on mutual respect. He serves Mance Rayder as a trusted captain. He is the father of several children among the Free Folk and speaks fondly, if outrageously, of his exploits with bears.
Quotes
I am Tormund Giantsbane, Tall-talker, Horn-blower, and Breaker of Ice. And here me now, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods and Father of Hosts.
Crows are black, and treacherous. But a crow once helped me when I needed help.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Tormund was portrayed by Kristofer Hivju. His arc broadly follows the novels as a wildling leader and ally of Jon Snow, then continues beyond them: he survives the Battle of Winterfell, develops a comic infatuation with Brienne of Tarth, and leads the Free Folk back beyond the Wall at the series' end. These later events have not occurred in the books.