Tywin Lannister
This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (October 2022) |
Tywin Lannister | |
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A Song of Ice and Fire character Game of Thrones character | |
First appearance |
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Last appearance |
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Created by | House Lannister |
Spouse | Joanna Lannister (also his cousin) |
Children | |
Relatives |
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Tywin Lannister is a fictional character in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American novelist George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.[1] He is introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996) and subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000). Tywin was portrayed by English actor Charles Dance in the HBO series, to critical acclaim.[2][3]
Tywin is the ruthless patriarch of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, and father to twins
Character overview
Tywin is Lord of
Tywin eventually married his first cousin Joanna. When she died giving birth to their dwarf son
When
During
Tywin Lannister is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted mainly through the eyes of his estranged dwarf son Tyrion Lannister.[5]
Television adaptation
Tywin Lannister's background remains largely the same in the television adaptation of the book series, with some minor changes. In the show, he is given the new title "Lord Paramount of the Westerlands," which was not present in any of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels.[citation needed] Tywin's role in the series, however, is much more prominent compared to the books.
Charles Dance was cast as Tywin in the first season of HBO's Game of Thrones, and portrayed the character in the first four seasons. He was cast for the role based on his performance in Alien 3.[6]
Storylines
A Game of Thrones
Tyrion is arrested by
A Clash of Kings
Tywin's at Harrenhal, using it as a base for the war in the Riverlands. When Joffrey's uncle and rival claimant Renly Baratheon is killed and Joffrey's other uncle Stannis Baratheon besieges Storm's End, Tywin decides to use the distraction to march west in pursuit of Robb's army. Robb intends for Tywin's army to be gradually dismantled by the long march, but Robb's uncle Ser Edmure Tully, unaware of the plan, confronts Tywin's forces at the Battle of the Fords. Although Tywin suffers heavy losses, the delay in his march allows him to receive word that Stannis is now marching on King's Landing. Tywin quickly leads the army on King's Landing, joining forces with Renly's former bannermen House Tyrell along the way, and arrives at King's Landing in time to force Stannis to retreat. Joffrey subsequently names Tywin Hand of the King, for the second time, and declares him "Savior of the City".
A Storm of Swords
Tywin assumes his role as Hand of the King, demoting Tyrion to Master of Coin. He forces Tyrion to marry
A Feast for Crows
Tywin's poorly embalmed corpse lies in state for seven days at the Great Sept of Baelor, before being returned to the Westerlands (it is unclear whether the botched embalming was deliberate or accidental).
Family tree of House Lannister
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References and notes:
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TV adaptation
Season 1
After Tyrion Lannister's arrest by
Later on, Jaime is seen in Tywin's camp reading a royal command issued by
Tywin is tricked by Robb Stark into taking his men to the Trident where he believes Robb intends to fight his army. Instead, Robb leads his forces to Riverrun, where he defeats the Lannister forces and captures Jaime.
When Joffrey Baratheon ascends as king, he executes King Robert's Hand, Ned Stark, who openly questioned Joffrey's paternity and claim as Robert's heir, names Tywin as his Hand. Tywin who currently has only half of his army is now engaged in multiple conflicts, with Robb in the North and Stannis Baratheon & Renly Baratheon in the South.
Tywin cannot make peace with the Baratheon brothers as they are staking a claim of Kingship of the Seven Kingdoms. Ned's execution by Joffrey on the other hand has prevented Tywin from what would have been the best option of suing for peace with the Northern Lord and Riverrun. Realizing this Tywin sends Tyrion to King's Landing as acting Hand, while he decides to regroup at
Season 2
Tywin and the Westermen regroup at
On
Tywin leads his forces along with their new allies of House Tyrell on the city and arrives just in time to defeat Stannis' forces. After the battle, Tywin is once again named Hand of the King in his own right, as well as given the honorific "Savior of the City", but not before his horse visibly defecates on the floor before the throne room.
Season 3
Tywin harshly denies Tyrion his request to be named as heir to Casterly Rock, but does acquiesce to naming him Master of Coin. When he learns of
He is forced to contend with an increasingly belligerent Joffrey, who insists that his father Robert (refusing to believe the claim regarding his parentage) won the war by his sword, while chiding his grandfather as a coward who "hid under Casterly Rock". Tywin sends his grandson to bed and promises to teach him the realities of ruling, before reminding Tyrion of Joffrey's limited power and of his husbandly duty to impregnate Sansa and again insists that a man who puts family first will always triumph. When Tyrion asks his father whether he has ever put the family's interests ahead of his own, Tywin retorts by stating his desire to euthanise Tyrion at birth out of rage and grief but instead let Tyrion live and ended up raising him "as my son", showing that he has disowned his parentage of Tyrion as well.[7]
Season 4
Tywin has the Stark ancestral sword Ice melted down into two swords, one of which he gives to Jaime, though he disowns him after Jaime refuses to resign from the Kingsguard to become Tywin's heir. When Tyrion is accused of poisoning Joffrey, Tywin asks
Season 5
Tywin's body lies in state in the Great Sept of Baelor before his burial, with Jaime and Cersei the first to pay their respects. Tywin's death upsets the balance of power in King's Landing, namely by allowing the rise to power of the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant.
Reception
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Charles Dance, who played Tywin Lannister in the first four seasons of the television adaptation, received widespread acclaim for his performance.[8] Clive James described his portrayal as "not only the best role of its kind that Dance has ever had; it is the best role of its kind that anyone has ever had".[3]
References
- ^ "Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide".
- ^ "Game of Thrones, Charles Dance interview: 'I treat Peter Dinklage appallingly'". Telegraph.co.uk. 31 March 2013.
- ^ ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ^ "The Inspiration Behind Tywin Lannister". YouTube.
- ^ "Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide".
- ^ Stern, Marlow (November 18, 2014). "Charles Dance on 's S5 Return, A 'Game of Thrones' Movie,' and Sexy Peter Dinklage". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ The words "I've raised you as my son... because you're a Lannister" suggests that, as Joanna was born a Lannister and a cousin of Tywin, Tyrion is after all a Lannister even if Tywin's biological paternity was questioned. The book series further hints that Tywin may fear the Mad King being Tyrion's father due to "lusting" for Joanna and "taking liberties" upon their wedding night; this rumour is never elaborated in the series, although Tywin's words seem to imply he has convinced himself that Tyrion is not his son.
- ^ "Game of Thrones, Charles Dance interview: 'I treat Peter Dinklage appallingly'". Telegraph.co.uk. 31 March 2013.