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Biter is a character from A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. In the HBO TV series adaptation, he was played by actor Gerard Jordan.
History
Biter is a huge, bald man with enormous fists and razor-sharp teeth. He is an infamous criminal along with his partner, Rorge. It is believed that Rorge found Biter as an orphan years before, removed his tongue, filed his teeth and forced him to fight dogs with his teeth only, making him the man he is now.
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Clash of Kings
Biter is one of three known criminals imprisoned in the black cells. Yoren considers him so dangerous that he keeps him chained in a wagon, along with Jaqen H'ghar and Rorge, for the journey to the Wall.
When Yoren's band is attacked at the Gods Eye by raiders led by Ser Amory Lorch, Biter and his companions find themselves trapped in the wagon in the middle of a fire, but Arya Stark, before escaping herself, throws an axe into the wagon so that they could break free and save themselves. Biter and his companions manage to escape and somehow come into Ser Amory's service, eventually arriving at Harrenhal.
At Jaqen H'ghar's request, Biter and Rorge reluctantly agree to help Arya free some northmen prisoners taken by the Brave Companions, because she has saved their lives. Afterwards, they join the Brave Companions, staying in Harrenhal.
A Storm of Swords
Biter is part of the foraging company who captures Ser Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth near Maidenpool.
Rorge tells Jaime that Biter chewed the breasts and nipples off of a septa sometime during their foraging and pillaging as part of the Brave Companions.
A Feast for Crows
After the death of Vargo Hoat, leader of the Brave Companions, Biter travels with Rorge alongside remnants of the Companions and participates in the sack of Saltpans. Rorge and his companions wanted to find a galley or a cog that can bring them across the narrow sea. However, Saltpans is not an important port and no ship is available at the time. The outlaws turn their outrage against the townfolk and begin raiding Saltpans, burning all buildings and slaughtering the people they came across.
The old knight of Saltpans, Ser Quincy Cox, is too worried for his family's safety refuses to let the helpless smallfolk in his keep. The outlaws rape and mutilate, and target violence against all, including old Septon Bennet and children in the arms of their mothers. When they finished their work, the outlaws headed west again, with Rorge reportedly laughing loud about his men's deeds. The atrocities are watched by a few helpless fishermen from the town, who were on their boats. After the outlaws leave and the fires had burned down, they went ashore, but all that is left for them is to bury family members and neighbors. They gathered the few survivors and brought them to the Quiet Isle, where the Elder Brother takes care of them.
Witnesses describe Rorge wearing the Hound's helmet and roaring savagely as he led the monstrosities. Biter crushed his victims with his weight and, as he often does, tore flesh out of them with his sharpened teeth. A witness states a woman had been raped a dozen times, before she was given to Biter, who ripped her breasts apart with his teeth. Still, her curses while she lay dying on the Quiet Isle were reserved for Ser Quincy for keeping the gates to his holdfast closed.
Another survivor is Brother Clement, a member of the order who had gone to Saltpans to sell the renowned mead brewed on the Quiet Isle. Rorge had his tongue ripped out when he refused to break his vow of silence, declaring that Clement had apparently no need of it anyway. Clement also eventually dies of the wounds. Some other brothers from the Quiet Isle are wounded or otherwise traumatized as well. Rorge raped a 12-year-old girl promised to the Faith, crushing the girl's flesh with his armor as he lay on her, then had given her to his men who cut her nose and nipples off. The girl survived to tell her story, as did some boys who had managed to hide in time.
Rorge wore Sandor Clegane's helm whilst brutally sacking Saltpans, which results in Clegane being blamed for the attack. Later Randyll Tarly makes up a rumor that the Hound has joined the Brotherhood Without Banners and blames the outlaws along with Sandor for the Raid on Saltpans.
At the inn at the crossroads, Rorge duels with and is slain by Brienne of Tarth.The fishermen and others who escaped the assault eventually abandon the town, with most of them going to Maidenpool, leaving nothing behind in Saltpans than the holdfast. When Arya Stark arrives at Saltpans she finds the place destroyed, but manages to find a boat for Braavos, with the captain Ternesio Terys and his family.
At the inn at the crossroads, after Rorge duels with and is slain by Brienne of Tarth, Biter quickly overpowers Brienne and begins savagely biting her face. He is stopped by Gendry, who drives a spear through the back of his neck, killing him.
Trivia
- In the TV Series both Rorge and Biter have a notably smaller role. They are also depicted as much less dangerous and heinous in the series.
- Biter's death in the books is very similar to Karl Tanner's death in the TV series, except that Biter was killed by a spear driven through the back of his neck and Karl was killed by a sword.
