Euron Greyjoy

"We are the ironborn, and once we were conquerors. Our writ ran everywhere the sound of the waves was heard. My brother would have be content with the cold and dismal north, my niece with even less ... but I shall give you Lannisport. Highgarden. The Arbor. Oldtown. The riverlands and the Reach, the kingswood and the rainwood, Dorne and the marches, the Mountains of the Moon and the Vale of Arryn, Tarth and the Stepstones. I say we take it all! I say, we take Westeros!"

- Euron during the Kingsmoot.

"I am the storm, my lord! The first storm and the last!"

- Euron to Rodrik Harlaw

Euron Greyjoy is a character from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George R.R. Martin and it's TV series adaptation Game of Thrones. He is the younger brother of King Balon Greyjoy, the older brother of Victarion, Urrigon, and Aeron, and the captain of the pirateship The Silence. In the TV series, he serves as the secondary antagonist of Season 6 and possibly as one of the main antagonists in Season 7.

In the TV series, he is portrayed by Pilou Asbæk.

Appearance
The way Euron physically looks differs depending on version. In the novels, Euron is pale skinned and handsome, with black hair and a black beard. His lips are tinted pale blue due to his habit of drinking "shade of the evening." He wears an eye-patch over his left eye, earning him the nickname "Crow's Eye." According to his nephew Theon, the eyepatch hides a "black eye shining with malice." His right eye is a deep blue, and is often referred to as his "smiling eye."

In the TV series, Euron's looks are quite simillar with the ones of his nephew Theon, as described by many articles about the HBO series. Euron has light brown hair and no eyepatch nor blue lips.

Although he's Balon's eldest brother, Euron is said to look unchanged after Greyjoy's Rebellion and all the years he was away after that. Euron looks younger than his brothers Victarion and Aeron; the way he still looks the same young man as years ago is considered unnatural by his brothers and his people, hinting that he has been using blood magic to slow his aging.

Early life
Euron was born the fifth son of Lord Quellon Greyjoy. Quellon's first three sons, born of his first wife, all died during childhood. Euron is the second born of Quellon's second wife. He used to sexually abuse his brothers Urrigon and Aeron when they where children.

As a child Euron killed his half-brother, Harlon Greyjoy, Quellon's heir and first child. Euron mercilessly killed Harlon, by pinching his nose shut, since the Greyscale had turned Harlon's mouth to stone preventing him from calling for help or breathing through his mouth.

Later Euron murdered his half-brother Robin Greyjoy, from Quellon's last marriage. Everyone thought Robin died of sickness.

His older brother Balon ascended as the new Lord of the Iron Islands after Quellon's death at sea. Euron's brother, Urrigon died of an infection after performing a finger dance with Aeron.

After Robert's Rebellion, Balon attempted a rebellion of his own, known as the "Greyjoy Rebellion." Euron concocted a plan to destroy the Lannister navy at Lannisport. The plan was succesfully executed by Euron's younger brother Victarion; commander of the Iron Fleet.

The rebellion eventually failed however, largely due to the military skills of Stannis Baratheon, and Balon bent the knee to King Robert. Some time after this, Euron seduced or raped his younger brother Victarion's salt-wife, whom he loved dearly. Victarion beat her to death, as Ironborn custom dictated, and would have killed Euron too if not for the taboo against kinslaying. For this crime, Euron was exiled by Balon, and ordered never to return to the Iron Islands for as long as Balon lived.

Euron took his ship, the Silence and sailed it across the known world, pillaging and raping wherever he went, earning him a deadly reputation. He's known as a terror to the known oceans and everyone in the world knows the name of his ship. He claimed to have sailed as far as Asshai by the Shadow, and many other places and continents such as the Summer Sea and Sothoryos, Qarth, the Jade Sea and many cities of shadowbinders, the harbors of Yi Ti, the Shivering Sea and Ibben. He also claimed to have sailed the Smoking Sea and walked the charred ruins of Old Valyria itself, a feat unmatched by any man alive.

He claims to once have owned a dragon's egg, but supposedly tossed it into the sea during a "foul mood."

A Clash of Kings
When Theon Greyjoy returns to Pyke to meet his father again, he notes that his uncle Euron's ship, Silence, is not in the fleet gathered at Lordsport. Theon is confident about his claim as Balon's heir, as he thinks the other members of House Greyjoy are not a problem for him: Euron has been missing for years and might be dead in some foreign sea, Victarion is considered stupid, Aeron is a priest who only cares about serving the Drowned God, and Asha is a woman, and the Iron Islands never had a woman ruling them.

A Storm of Swords
During the War of the Five Kings the exiled Euron is still sailing in the seas of the continent of Essos. Shortly after Daenerys Targaryen leaves Qarth, Pyat Pree and 3 others fellow warlocks start searching for her, heading for the Free City of Pentos. It's possible that Pyat Pree and his companions didn't make it to Pentos as they have been captured by Euron Greyjoy. The exiled pirate says he captured a certain galleas out of Qarth, containing four warlocks. One of them threatened Euron, resulting in Euron killing the sorcerer and feeding him to the three remaining warlocks. It's still unknown if Pyat was the one killed by Euron or just one of his three other companions. The other warlocks are reportedly coaching Euron in black magic.

Balon Greyjoy is murdered by a Faceless Man hired by Euron. After the death of his brother Balon, who fell into the sea from a rope-bridge during a storm, Euron returned to Pyke, sailing at Lordsport in a mere day after his brother's death, and claiming the Seastone Chair as the new king. From the castle of Pyke he sends ravens to all the lords and "kings" of the Iron Islands, commanding them to swear fealty to him. When Lord Sawane Botley objected and claimed that Theon was the true king (only by the laws of the green lands and not from the old ironborn ways), Euron had him drowned in a cask of seawater and gave his lands to Sawane's brother, Germund, instead of son. Aeron believes the Storm God, the enemy of the Drowned God, has sent Euron to destroy the servants of the ocean. Euron instead is godless and believes only in his own ego, thinking himself as both the storm and drowned god.

A prophecy Arya Stark heard from the Ghost of High Heart referred to ''"a man without a face, waiting on a bridge that swayed and swung. On his shoulder perched a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from his wings." T''his prophecy shows that Euron hired a Faceless Man to murder his brother.

When Robb Stark receives news about Euron claiming the Seastone Chair, Lord Greatjon Umber is amused by Balon's death, but Robb is actually worried and thinks about the stories Theon told him about his infamous pirate uncle, and how everyone in the world is terrified by the sight of his black and red ominous galley, the Silence. He states that Euron is no man's notion to be a king and thinks Asha and Victarion will abandon their posts at Moat Cailin and Deepwood Motte to return on the Iron Islands to take the throne from Euron.

A Feast for Crows
Aeron Greyjoy, Euron's youngest brother, learns of Euron claiming the Seastone Chair and goes about trying to depose him, believing Euron to be godless, and that no godless man may sit the Seastone Chair. He and many others question the timing of Euron's return, finding it suspicious that Euron returned to Pyke a day after Balon's death, when he was supposedly far away reaving at sea. A short time after Balon's death, Robb and Joffrey Baratheon die as well.

On the island of Old Wyk, Aeron Damphair calls a Kingsmoot, an ancient tradition with the purpose of choosing a new king, since Balon's succession was unclear. On Nagga's Hill, many candidates make their claims at the Kingsmoot, chief among them are: Princess Asha Greyjoy, Balon's daughter and preferred heir, accompanied by her champions Qarl the Maid, Tristifer Botley, and Ser Harras Harlaw - Victarion Greyjoy, the Lord Camptain of the Iron Fleet, with his champions Nute the Barber, Ralf the Limper, and Red Ralf Stonehouse - Lord Gylbert Farwynd, with his three sons, Gyles, Ygon, and Yohn - Erik Ironmaker, with three of his grandsons, Dagon, Thormor, and Urek - Lord Dunstan Drumm, with Andrik the Unsmiling and Drumm's sons, Donnel and Denys - Euron Greyjoy, with his men.

Lord Farwynd promises the ironborn that if he becomes king he will lead them to a new bountiful land across the Sunset Sea, as Nymeria did with her ten thousand ships. His gifts are whale bone, sealskins and bronze. Erik's gifts are silver, bronze and a few steel daggers and blades. Asha humiliates him by asking him to stand on his own two feet, which he is unable to do. Dunstan's speech starts well but he talks too long and soon loses the interest of the crowd. His gifts of bronze do not win them back to him. Victarion is well received and his gifts of gold, silver and gems add to his supporters. Aeron hopes to crown Victarion, whom he knows will continue Balon's traditional and conservative ways. Asha does better than anyone expected. Unlike the rest, her gifts are cobblestones, pinecones and turnips. She shows the ironborn these gifts to demonstrate that this is what they have won so far by fighting the North, losing fathers and sons for these "treasures". She offers them a chance for land, peace and victory. She wins much support, but many more support Victarion and it looks like there is about to be a riot between their followers.

Euron beats them all by showing the Ironborn his Dragon Horn, a legendary artifact with the ability to control dragons. He has one of his men, Cragorn, blow the dragon horn, which silences the fighting. Euron then steps forward and claims the horn they heard can bind dragons to his will, and that he knows where to locate three of the creatures. He promises to use them so the ironborn can conquer all of Westeros. His men then pour forward his gifts, a wealth of treasure. Euron is elected the new Iron King. However, the election could be declared unlawful should the survival of Prince Theon Greyjoy became known to the ironborn, as he was absent to put forth his candidacy. Euron tells them he knows where to find three living dragons, and will use them to conquer all of Westeros for the Ironborn. While Euron wins, there are still some that oppose him. His brother Aeron swears to find a way to depose him, as does his niece Asha, and Lord Baelor Blacktyde flat out refuses to accept Euron as king, which leads to Euron killing him by cutting him into seven pieces, as Baelor worshiped the Seven.

Aeron disappears the next day after the kingsmoot and no one knows what happened to him. At the same time, Asha leaves the Iron Islands with Tristifer Botley and the rest of her friends and fleet, heading back to Deepwood Motte. With her also Lady Sybelle Glover, while the rest of the Glover family captives remain at Ten Towers, the seat of House Harlaw, Asha's maternal family. Before leaving the Iron Islands for his war, Euron names Erik Ironmaker Lord Steward of the Iron Islands and Castellan of Pyke. Euron and Victarion sail with the Iron Fleet to the Reach, with them Lord Rodrik Harlaw, Lord Dunstan Drumm, and many other Ironborn nobles.

Euron leads the Ironborn in a series of raids against the fertile Reach. With most of the Reach's armies and naval forces busy elsewhere, the raids are a great success, Euron capturing the four Shield Islands after luring their fleet away, which gives the Ironmen a base for attacks on Highgarden and Oldtown, the two greatest areas in the Reach. Euron uses this as an opportunity to weaken his potential rivals, giving their strongest supporters lands and holdings on the Isles. He names Harras Harlaw, Andrik, Maron Volmark, and Nute as the new Lords of the seats of the Shield Islands.

It is whispered that Euron and his warlocks offered a blood sacrifice to appease the Storm God. This allowed his ships to sail far to the west in the Sunset Sea, rather than hugging the coast of Westeros, thereby enabling the taking of the Shields to be a surprise.

While landing at Lord Hewett's Town, Rodrik Harlaw and Dunstan Drumm are worried that Euron's little conquest will bring ruin down upon them, as surely Highgarden will respond; Euron is strongly annoyed by the fears of his men, thinking how none of them is a true Ironborn, like their ancestors used to be, before Aegon's Conquest. Euron shames Lord Humfrey Hewett and his wife and daughters. Lord Humfrey is muzzled and tied to his chair during the feast, his wife and daughters forced to serve the unwanted guests. His bastard daughter Falia becomes Euron's lover and suggests the idea to make Lord Humfrey's wife and female relatives serve naked before his eyes. After tearing down Hewett tapestries, Lucas Codd rapes one of Humfrey's daughters. King's Landing receives the reports which says Lord Hewett has been killed, which isn't true. Euron later takes Falia upstairs to Lord Hewett's chambers. When Victarion Greyjoy is summoned to Euron, he spots Falia sleeping naked on the bed.

Euron gives Victarion the Dragon Horn and his salt wife, the dusky woman, sending his brother and the Iron Fleet to Meereen to find Daenerys Targaryen, make her Euron's wife, and bring her dragons to him.

While travelling in the Reach on their way to Oldtown, Samwell Tarly, Gilly, and the crew of their ship pass the Redwyne Straits, after meeting trouble with the Ironmen: twice they evade and once drive off the longships of of the Ironmen before they reach Oldtown, where Lord Leyton Hightower is consulting old books with his eldest daughter to find some magic to defeat Euron.

The ironborn now control many of the outlying towns and fortifications surrounding the Arbor and along the Mander nearly to Oldtown, having sacked Ryamsport and taken Vinetown and Starfish Harbor. They have also been raiding ships in the area. The Tyrells brothers, Willas and Garlan, are in need of Paxter Redwyne's fleet, who's besieging Dragonstone and Cersei Lannister refuses to allow the fleet to return to the Reach, hoping the Ironborn will cause damage in the Reach with Paxter's absence.

A Dance with Dragons
Euron styles himself King of the Isles and the North. He arranges a forced marriage between Erik Ironmaker and Asha, now back to Deepwood Motte, refusing her marriage with Erik. Aeron Damphair is still missing, but his Drowned Men priests claim that he is hiding on Great Wyk and will soon come forth to call down the wrath of the Drowned God on Euron Crow's Eye and his minions. The Lord Steward of the Iron Islands, Erik Ironmaker, is seraching for Aeron by hunting down the Drowned Men for Euron. Tristifer Botley tells Asha he suspects that Euron slit Damphair's throat and that Erik's search is just to make the ironborn believe the priest escaped.

Euron and Victarion never send reinforcements for Moat Cailin as promised, while the fortress, during the war, has been attacked multiple times by guerrilla attacks from the crannogmen of the Neck. By the time the northern forces led by Ramsay Bolton and Theon Greyjoy arrive to liberate the fortress, the garrison of Moat Cailin has only 67 ironborn, led by the wounded Ralf Kenning. During the siege the Ryswells and Dustins burn the remaining ironborn ships in the Fever River. Forces led by Hother Umber attack the ironmen, but they manage survive 3 northern attacks, much to the northmen surprise. Ramsay sends Reek "disguised" as Theon Greyjoy to offer peace to the ironmen. The garrison has been weakened by poisoned arrows and contaminated water. The cellar's vaults have flooded, so corpses are now left where they fall. All of the ironborn within the Children's Tower have died, save two cannibals eating the corpses, who were then executed by Dagon Codd. Ralf Kenning is now incapacitated and near death on part of a poisoned arrow. Theon puts him out of his misery by slitting his throat before offering his terms to the leaderless remaining ironborn. Dagon Codd distruts the Boltons and refuses, but Adrack Humble kills him with an axe and accepts to surrender. Before allowing them to travel to the Stony Shore to seek transport, however, Ramsay reneges on the deal and has all 63 of the remaining ironborn flayed alive. King Euron loses Moat Cailin to the northeners and Roose Bolton is finally able to travel back to the north, with his host. Euron is not bothered at all by the losses since he plans to take Westeros with the dragons. Later, Asha, is captured by Stannis after liberating Deepwood Motte from the Ironborn, while Dagmer Cleftjaw keeps holding Torrhen's Square along with other Ironmen leaders still holding many castles and towns in the North.

At the Summer Sea, aboard the Selaesori Qhoran, a ship headed to Qarth, the Red Priest Moqorro  sees many threats to Daenerys Targaryen in the flames and  tells Tyrion Lannister that he has saw in the flames the shadows of many people that are seeking Daenerys. One of them was a tall and twisted thing with one black eye and ten long arms (kraken body), sailing on a sea of blood. The shadow is actually Euron Greyjoy. Moqorro claims the one that casts the most danger is the one who looks like Euron. In her dreams, Daenerys is met by Quaithe, a sorceress from Asshai that she first met in Qarth, and warns her to beware of her many enemies, especially the houses Greyjoy and Martell.

Euron's brother Victarion departs for Meereen. Though Victarion is known for being loyal to a fault, his hatred for his brother makes him entertain thoughts of trechery. Victarion again remembers that "Euron's gifts are poisoned" when he hears the red priest Moqorro state that those who blow the horn die. He plans to use slaves to blow the Dragon Horn, since if Victarion were to blow it himself, he would die, in order to take Daenerys and her dragons for himself.

Paxter Redwyne and most of his fleet are sailing to the Reach, preparing to fight Euron's fleet and the usurping ironmen. Mace Tyrell is confident he will defeat them. The rest of the fleet remains at Dragonstone and Storm's End.

The Winds of Winter
During the journey to Slaver's Bay, Victarion's fleet takes by force every ship they meet and allow the survivors to join them and work as servants. The Iron Fleet arrives during the Second Siege of Meereen and starts fighting on Daenerys' side against the Slaver Alliance.

Winter has come. While Asha and Theon Greyjoy are now captives of Stannis Baratheon in the North. Aeron Greyjoy is still missing, and many think he's been murdered by Euron. Euron and his fleet are still invading the Reach, while the stormlands are still invaved by the Golden Company.

After the kingsmoot Aeron Greyjoy was captured by Euron's mutes and chained up in the hold of the Silence. Euron forces him to drink Shade of the Evening and he has numerous nightmarish visions. Aeron remembers how Euron used to sexually abuse him and his brother Urri when they were children.

Euron and his men take Oakenshield, an island of the Reach who shares the same name with a castle at the Wall. There Euron's lover, Falia Flowers, feeds Aeron during his imprisonment. Aeron asks her to tell Victarion Greyjoy to rescue him, but she says he has already departed the island. She reveals that she is pregnant and claims Euron will make her his salt wife and her sons will be before his other bastard sons, as well as that Daenerys Targaryen will be Euron's rock wife and that Falia will be like a sister to Daenerys. Aeron warns her to flee, saying Euron will hurt her and kill her but she refuses, stating Euron loves her and gives her silks and jewels, but she refuses.

Later, Euron visits Aeron again and the latter curses him, stating if Euron kills him he will be a kinslayer. Euron laughs and confesses to the astonished Aeron he has already killed three of his brothers and the gods had not cursed him yet: as a child he first killed Harlon, later in life Euron slew his half brother Robin and Euron finally admits Balon was killed on his orders.

Later Paxter Redwyne arrives with the Redwyne Fleet to destroy Euron. Aeron is brought up from the hold of the Silence as Euron sails to meet the Redwyne Fleet to a castle island near the Arbor. Several of Euron's lieutenants; the Red Oarsman, Left-Hand Lucas Codd, Torwold Browntooth, Rogin Salt­-Beard, Jon Myre and Stonehand are all present at the castle hall feasting as a dozen bodies of the castles former occupants hang from the rafters. All take turns mocking Aeron.

Euron has cast aside the driftwood crown and had a new one forged, the new crown is iron, the points fashioned to look like shark teeth. Aeron is shocked to see Euron also wearing armor made of Valyrian steel something that no one else in the Seven kingdoms possesses and that such armor would be worth a kingdoms fortune. The revelation dawns on Aeron that Euron has indeed been to the infamous ruins of Valyria, which Aeron believes has driven Euron mad. Euron orders Aeron tied naked to the prow of the Silence as he sails to meet the Redwyne Fleet, not wanting his brother to be alone, Euron has his now pregnant lover Falia Flowers tied next to Aeron, naked, bloody tears on her face, her tongue cut out.

Euron is currently preparing to attack Oldtown, one of the greatest cities of Westeros.

Game of Thrones
Euron Greyjoy returns to the Iron Islands following the War of the Five Kings, introduced in Season 6's second episode, Home. He arrives during a violent storm. Euron confronts his brother, King Balon, on a rope bridge between the two of Pyke's towers, as buffed by wind and rain. Balon orders Euron to step aside for "his king", not knowing who the hooded figure is. Euron sarcastically asks Balon if he hasn't done that in the past years. Balon says he assumed Euron would be dead by now, rotting under some foreign sea. Euron responds with the Ironborn traditional words: "What is dead may never die". When Balon accuses Euron of mocking the Drowned God, he retorts that he is the Drowned God: from Oldtown to Qarth, whenever man see his sails, they pray. Balon mocks Euron for losing his senses during a storm in such a manner that his crew had to tie him to the mast to stop him from jumping overboard. Euron outright claims that he is the storm, taunting his brother that he is old and that it's time to move aside and let another one rule. Realizing that Euron has come to kill him, Balon attacks him with a knife, slashing his left cheek, but Euron overpowers him and throws him off the bridge to his death.

Euron later appears at the kingsmoot, just as his niece, Yara (TV series counterpart of Asha), is about to win and interrupts, making his own claim. He confronts Yara for claiming the Seastone Chair despite being a woman and mocks his nephew, Theon, for attacking Winterfell and becoming an eunuch. Yara, in turn, accuses him of murdering Balon and threatens to execute him when she becomes Queen. Euron admits murdering Balon and claims that his brother led the ironborn in two lost wars and apologizes to the Iron Captains for not killing him earlier, at which they nod and murmur. Theon points out that while Euron was raiding across the Known World, Yara was in the Iron Islands and planning to return them to their former glory, to which she states that she will rebuilt the Iron Fleet into the largest fleet the world has ever seen. Euron counters that in his travels, he found out about Daenerys Targaryen, who owns a large army and three large dragons, hates the lords of Westeros as much as the ironborn, and has no husband or ships, and that he is going to build the great Iron Fleet, intends to sail to Slaver's Bay and persuade Daenerys to help the ironborn take the Seven Kingdoms. Therefore, Euron is elected as the new King of the Iron Islands.

Later, Euron is baptized by being drowned into the sea by his brother, Aeron Greyjoy, while reciting a prayer. When he stops breathing, he is dragged out of the sea back into the ashore and awakes, coughing and spitting water. Euron is crowned King of the Iron Islands by Aeron, who places a driftwood crown on his head, and acclaimed by his new subjects. Euron's first order as King is to seek Yara and Theon to kill them, but finds out they had fleed the islands with their loyalists in the Iron Fleet's best ships. Then, Euron orders every ironborn to chop down every three and start building thousands ships to conquer Westeros.

Personality
"Balon was mad, Aeron is madder, and Euron is the maddest of them all."

- Baelor Blacktyde to Victarion Greyjoy Euron is a wildly unpredictable cruel man, known for his delight in playing mind games and waging psychological warfare on anyone around him. He is a skilled warrior and manipulator and is cunning, shrewd and ruthless. He also possess a strong sense of narcissism and sees himself as some kind of a god. Euron is very greedy, not content with ruling only the Iron Islands, he wants to conquer all the Seven Kingdoms and sit on the Iron Throne. He is described as a very dangerous man and was able to become richer than most of the Westeros lords by pirating other ships and stealing their goods.

For an unknown reason, possibly simple cruelty, he cuts the tongues out of the men serving on his terrifying ship Silence. It is possible that Euron removed their tongues in order to keep the secrets within him and his crew. He has fathered numerous bastard children, but has no regard for any of them.

Trivia

 * While in the novels, Euron hires a Faceless Man to assassinate Balon, in the TV series, Euron kills Balon himself.
 * In the TV Series, Euron does not use magic and wins the Kingsmoot without using the Dragon Horn. It is not yet known however whether Euron uses these two in the future episodes.
 * Euron is considered one of the ten worst villains in the original A Song of Ice and Fire novels and its spin-offs, with other nine being Aerys II Targaryen, Craster, Ulf the White, Hugh Hammer, Gregor Clegane, Ramsay Bolton, Joffrey Baratheon, Maegor I Targaryen and Rorge.
 * Euron's appearance in the TV Series is more plain and normal without the blue lips and an eyepatch. The actor claimed that the eyepatch was not used as it would be too much of a cliché.
 * George R.R. Martin compares Euron with Ramsay.