- “Why?! You ask that?! You who killed your mother to come into the world? You are an ill-made, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning. Men's laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors since I cannot prove that you are not mine. And to teach me humility, the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father's sigil and his father's before him. But neither gods nor men will ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whorehouse. Go, now. And speak no more of your rights to Casterly Rock. Go! Oh, one more thing… the next whore I catch in your bed, I'll hang.”
- ―Tywin expressing his hatred for Tyrion.
Lord Tywin Lannister is one of the main antagonists of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.
He is the head of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, one of the Great Houses of Westeros that rules over the Westerlands. He is the Lord of Casterly Rock, the Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West and the Hand of the King to Kings Aerys II Targaryen, and his grandsons, Joffrey and Tommen Lannister.
He is also the archenemy of his own son Tyrion Lannister, Stannis Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Edmure Tully and one of the people to orchestrate the downfall of House Targaryen by ordering Sir Gregor Clegane and Armory Lorch to kill Princess Elia Martell and the Targaryen siblings, Aegon and Rhaenys.
As result, Eli's family has sworn revenge on Tywin and House Lannister, most notably Princes Doran and Oberyn Martell, who began plotting Tywin and House Lannister's downfall ever since. However, a few Targaryens managed to hide themselves from Robert's wrath; Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen, Master Aemon and in the TV series, Lyanna and Rhaegar's son Aegon AKA Eddard Stark's bastard son, Jon Snow.
For the Game of Thrones television adaption, Tywin was portrayed by Charles Dance.
Personality[]
Although intelligent and cunning, Tywin (like most of the nobility within Westeros) is a ruthless and uncompromising elitist to the core. He deeply values his family's power and image above everything else and will do whatever is necessary to keep House Lannister at the top. Backed by a successful track record, Tywin is both feared and loathed across the Seven Kingdoms by his enemies, allies, and family alike.
Trivia[]
- Some people dispute that Tywin never meant for Elia to be murdered and sexually assaulted but others Believe it was deliberate in an attempt to get revenge on the Mad King for refusing to betrothe his son Rhaegar to Tywin's daughter, Cersei.
- Some fans believe that Tyrion is not Tywin's biological son but rather King Aerys's hidden son. However this theory is too similar to the R+L=J Theory that Jon Snow is Rhaegar and Lyanna's biological son hidden at birth.
