Petyr Baelish

"Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail, and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, but refuse. They cling to the realm, or love, or the gods…illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is. But they’ll never know this. Not until it’s too late."

- Littlefinger to Varys at the end of "The Climb"

Lord Petyr Baelish (also referred to as Littlefinger) is one of the main antagonists from the book series A Song of Ice and Fire as well as in the TV series Game of Thrones. He's a former member of the Small Council, serving as the master of coin for the Seven Kingdoms under both Robert and Joffrey Baratheon. He currently serves as Lord Protector of the Vale and as Lord Paramount of the Trident (the Riverlands). He is one of the two secondary antagonists of Season 1 (along with Joffrey), the quaternary antagonist of Season 2 and Season 5, and the quinary antagonist of Season 3 and Season 4.

In the TV series he is portrayed by Aidan Gillen, who also notably portrayed Miles Jackson in the WWE Studios film 12 Rounds.

Personality
On the outside, Petyr Baelish may seem like an eccentric, meek, friendly and unexceptional man. In truth, he is an absolutely different character entirely. The exact inner motivations that drive Baelish are unclear, as are his ultimate goals, but he has no real loyalty or genuine affection for anyone (besides Catelyn Stark). Behind his smiles and forced mild manners, Littlefinger is cunning and calculating, willing to casually dispose of people who trusted him, like a man replacing an old pair of gloves he doesn't want anymore. Even so, he is an extremely intelligent man.

He is not only a genius at financial matters, but he is also a master manipulator. He can easily control other people by appealing to their weaknesses. The fact that he is a big-time brothel keeper means that he can control hundreds of people in his employment, but also attract and manipulate powerful people into entering his establishments, and then threaten to reveal that they visited if they don't do as he says. He personally expresses that he should not be trusted because he does not truly serve anyone permanently or loyally. That being said, he is far from sycophantic, and serves only himself.

Petyr is a cold, calm and calculating sociopath with no true open compassion which isn't falsified, or just genuine but warped. He has no complaints about using other people's opinion or view of him to his advantage - Lysa's infatuation with him, Ned's uneasy distrust of him, Sansa's reliance on him, Cersei's caution but inevitable need of him. He is certainly ambitious, even if his true intents are completely shrouded in mystery.

Early Life
Petyr Baelish’s great-grandfather was a Braavosi sellsword in the service of Lord Corbray; when his son became a hedge knight he took the stone head of the Titan of Braavos as his sigil. Lord Baelish’s father was the smallest of small lords of a few rocky acres on the smallest of the Fingers. His father befriended Hoster Tully during their service in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, which led to Petyr being sent to be fostered at Riverrun with Lord Tully’s children.

At Riverrun Petyr was fostered as a ward and raised alongside his social betters, the Tully children, Catelyn, Lysa and Edmure, the latter being the one who first gave him the nickname "Littlefinger" as a reference to his family holdings. As they grew older, Petyr fell in love with Catelyn, who in turn loved him as a brother, but no more. When the betrothal between Catelyn and Brandon Stark was announced, Petyr challenged the much older and stronger Brandon to a duel for her hand. Brandon won handily, leaving Baelish with a significant scar, but spared his life in compliance with Catelyn's request. Catelyn did not speak to him afterwards and burned the single letter Petyr sent after Brandon's death.

Lysa, on the other hand, was madly in love with Petyr. Overlooking his obsession with her sister, one night, while he was drunk and miserable over Catelyn's rejection, she slipped into his bedchamber and bedded him. The delirious Petyr may have mistaken Lysa for Catelyn, and indeed called her "Catelyn" that night. He has since claimed (at court and in private) to have taken the maidenhood of both Tully sisters. Lysa became pregnant with Petyr's child as a result of their encounter. When Hoster Tully discovered this, he forced Lysa to drink moon tea to abort the pregnancy and banished Petyr from Riverrun, as the Baelish family was too small and insignificant to wed into his house.

Petyr maintained a relationship with Lysa even after her marriage to Lord Jon Arryn. Lysa convinced her husband to give Petyr control of customs at Gulltown, where he increased incomes tenfold. His skill with finances resulted in a series of appointments leading to his being named Master of Coin in King's Landing under King Robert Baratheon. There his influence furnished him with many allies and contacts, including the City Watch. He also bought numerous brothels in the city.

Just before the events of the first book, Jon Arryn discovered that all of King Robert Baratheon's children were actually fathered by Jaime Lannister and planned to alert the king. Petyr manipulated Lysa to poison her husband, claiming that it was to prevent him from sending her young son Robert away to be fostered at Dragonstone, with Stannis Baratheon. Lysa, who was fiercely protective of her son, did his bidding. After Jon was killed, Petyr convinced Lysa to write a letter to her sister Catelyn stating that Lord Arryn had been poisoned and that the Queen was responsible.

A Game of Thrones
Petyr would meet Catelyn again, after Ned Stark was appointed Hand of the King. She came to King's Landing in secret to find information about the attempt on their son Bran's life and tell Eddard about it. Petyr learned of her arrival, and stashed her away in one of his brothels to protect her. Believing Petyr trustworthy due to their time together in Riverrun, Catelyn shows him the Valyrian Steel dagger that was used on her son. Petyr tells her that the dagger belonged to him once, but that he lost it in a wager with Tyrion Lannister. This was a lie however, and in truth, Petyr lost it to Robert Baratheon. This lie indirectly led to the War of the Five Kings, since Catelyn's belief that Tyrion was behind the attempted murder led to her arrest of him, and the war between the Riverlands and Westerlands.

Petyr brings Ned Stark to meet his wife, and convinces him not to move against the Lannisters, who maintain a large power base at court, until they have proof. Petyr goes on to feign friendship with Ned, claiming his fondness for Catelyn as his motivation for befriending him, promising to help him find Jon Arryn's killer, and teaching him the intrigues of court life.

When Robert Baratheon learns that Daenerys Targaryen has married Khal Drogo, and is pregnant with her child, Petyr supports his plan to assassinate her. Ned refuses to condone this however, and resigns as Hand when Robert refuses to change his position. Before Ned can return to Winterfell, Petyr brings him to Chataya's Brothel, where one of Chataya's whores is raising King Robert's bastard child, Barra. Seeing the child sets Ned on a path of realisation that Robert and Cersei's children are illegitimate, and that the children's true father is Cersei's brother Jaime Lannister.

After King Robert is mortally wounded, and dies of his wounds, Ned is named Lord Regent, and Protector of the Realm. Petyr advises Ned to ensure Prince Joffrey's succession, despite the fact that he is illegitimate and that the true heir is King Robert's brother; Stannis Baratheon. Ned refuses however, and tasks Petyr with securing the City Watch in order to seize the Iron Throne  for Stannis. Petyr betrays him however, and bribes the City Watch into supporting the Queen. Ned is arrested, and later executed by Joffrey.

A Clash of Kings
When Tyrion Lannister arrives in King's Landing as acting Hand of the King, he begins investigating Petyr's hand in framing him for the attempted murder of Bran Stark. He decides however, not to make a move against Petyr until he can weaken his powerbase by replacing Petyr's men with his own.

After the assassination of King Renly Baratheon, Petyr and Tyrion plot to ensure the loyalty of House Tyrell, who control the largest army in Westeros. Petyr volunteers to travel to Bitterbridge, to secure the alliance. He negotiates a deal with the Tyrells, gaining their loyalty in exchange for the betrothal of Margaery Tyrell to King Joffrey. The Tyrells enter the war on the Lannister's side, breaking Stannis' siege of King's Landing in the Battle of the Blackwater. For his part in ensuring the victory, Petyr is made Lord Paramount of the Trident, and given Lordship of Harrenhal, making Petyr into a High Lord.

Petyr fosters contact with Ned's daughter Sansa, through Ser Dontos the Red, who promises her a way home to Winterfell. He also manages to outmanouver Tyrion Lannister, by ensuring the loyalty of Queen Cersei's guards; the Kettleblack Brothers, whom Tyrion believes are in his pay.

A Storm of Swords
Petyr informs Lord Tywin of the Tyrell's plans to spirit Sansa Stark away to Highgarden, where they intend to marry her to Willas Tyrell, in order to claim the North. Tywin intervenes, and marries her to his son Tyrion instead. Petyr also supplies the Lannisters with Jeyne Poole, a northern lady who had accompanied Sansa Stark to King's Landing. She is passed off as Arya Stark, and bethroed to Ramsay Bolton, in order to allow the Boltons to further cement their claim to the North.

His new standing as a High Lord earns him the marriage prospect of Lysa Tully, as part of a plan of Tywin Lannister's to bring the Vale of Arryn into the fold without violence, since the Vale had up until then maintained neutrality. Petyr leaves King's Landing to woo Lysa into marrying him, with Tyrion serving as Master of Coin until his return. Petyr only makes a show of leaving however, and remains nearby King's Landing until after the wedding of Margarey and Joffrey, during which he and Olenna Tyrell executed a plot to poison the young king. All evidence points to Tyrion as the culprit, seemingly ridding Petyr of a dangerous rival. Through Ser Dontos, Petyr secures Sansa Stark, and takes her with him to the Vale, disguising her his bastard daughter; Alayne Stone. Petyr meets Lysa, who insists that they get married. Petyr agrees, and goes on to visit the various Lords of the Vale to cement his authority.

While in the Eyrie, Petyr grows increasingly attracted to Sansa, who grows into a beautiful young woman bearing a strong resemblance to her mother. Petyr goes so far as to kiss her, a kiss that was witnessed by Lysa, who in a fit of jealous rage, attempts to kill Sansa, by tossing her out of the Moon Door. Petyr intervenes, and Lysa breaks down into tears, complaining that Petyr doesn't love her despite all she has done for him, also admitting that he convinced her to poison Jon Arryn. Petyr consoles her by telling her he has only ever loved one woman. He reveals that one woman as her sister Catelyn, before pushing her out of the Moon Door, blaming the singer Marillion, who had been terrorizing Sansa, for the murder.

A Feast for Crows
With Lysa dead, Petyr claims the title of Lord Protector of the Vale, and guardianship of Robert Arryn, heir to the Vale. This angers to powerful and noble Lords of the Vale, who come together, led by Yohn Royce, to demand that Petyr relinquish his position and Robert Arryn. One of the lords, Lyn Corbray, who is secretly on Petyr's pay-roll feigns disgust for Petyr and draws his sword during the meeting, winning Petyr a trial period on his role as guardian of young Robert, much to Yohn Royce's rage.

Sansa deduces the truth behind Lyn's actions, and Petyr confides in her his plans to use the trial period to eliminate, marginalize or win over the lords who stand in his way, with Lord Corbray serving as an informer on any potential plots against him. He also informs her of his intent to help her re-gain the North by marrying her to Arryn's second heir, Ser Harrold Hardyng, hinting at his intent to dispose of young Lord Robert. He also notes that Queen Cersei's rule in King's Landing is bringing the Seven Kingdoms to disaster faster than he expected.