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| “ | No. I will not go meekly off to freeze and die. No traitor's bastard gives commands to Janos Slynt! I am not without friends, I warn you. Here, and in King's Landing too. I was the Lord of Harrenhal! Give your ruin to one of the blind fools who cast a stone for you, I will not have it. Do you hear me, boy? I will not have it! | „ |
| ~ Janos refusing an order from Lord Commander Jon Snow. |
Lord Janos Slynt is a supporting antagonist in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. He is the commander of the City Watch of King's Landing and patriarch of the Slynt lowborn family.
During the first novel, he becomes the noble head of House Slynt and the new Lord of Harrenhal, until he is subsequently stripped of Harrenhal and sent with the outcasts of the Night's Watch. He was the son of a butcher and has one unnamed daughter and three living sons in King's Landing: Morros, Jothos, and Danos. The girl is his youngest child.
As "the Lannisters always pay their debts", Janos' children remain nobles and squires, although Lord Morros still doesn't bother to demand lands of his own.
In the TV series, he was portrayed by Dominic Carter.
Biography[]
Slynt was captain of the Iron Gate and was raised to Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing, the "gold cloaks", after the death of the previous commander, Manly Stokeworth (died during the sack of King's Landing).
Janos was known for taking bribes and selling positions and promotions. By the end of his tenure, over half the officers were paying him part of their salaries. Jon Arryn discovered this and had two men who were willing to come forward to testify against Janos, but both were found dead a short time later. Despite this, Arryn still wished for Slynt to be dismissed but Robert Baratheon refused. Stannis Baratheon thinks Robert listened to Petyr Baelish and the crown profited from the corruption of the City Watch.
Years later Eddard Stark helps Janos to keep order in the capital, and later after King Robert Baratheon has been injured by a boar during a hunt in the kingswood, Lord Eddard plans to proclaim Stannis Baratheon as the new king once Robert has died, implying a likely confrontation with Queen Cersei, who wants to install her son Joffrey to the Iron Throne instead. Given the strength of the Lannister force commanded by Cersei, Eddard sees the loyalty of the City Watch as crucial to the success of his plan, so he contacts Baelish, who promises him to buy the loyalty of Slynt and his men for six thousand gold pieces (this was a mistake as Littlefinger suggested Ned to have the loyalty of Lord Yohn Royce, who was in King's Landing at the time).
During the confrontation with Joffrey and the Queen Regent, Slynt and his men betray Eddard Stark and kill his men. After that he was named Lord of Harrenhal by King Joffrey Baratheon, thus forming House Slynt, to the resentment of several nobles and later to the disdain of Lord Tywin Lannister, who was aghast of Harrenhal being given over to the son of a butcher and not that of a noble. Janos has also been given a place in the small council. He was present as Ser Barristan Selmy was dismissed from the Kingsguard by Cersei and Joffrey, causing Janos and many others to burst out laughing at Barristan's shame.
Soon after, as Ser Barristan was about to depart the Red Keep, he was confronted by Janos and three Gold Cloaks, as he had threatened Joffrey and even called him a "boy". He managed to escape by killing one of the Gold Cloaks with only a knife and riding through Janos and the other two Gold Cloaks on his horse. This prompts Janos to send men after him but they failed to stop Ser Barristan, who successfully fled King's Landing. Later, at the Great Sept of Baelor, when Joffrey sentences Ned Stark to death against Cersei and Varys' wishes to have him take the black, Janos happily throws down Ned and held him as the King's Justice Ser Ilyn Payne beheads him. Janos then displays Ned's head for all to see. Because of his actions, this earned him the bitter hatred of Sansa Stark, who wants him dead, wishing that she could hurt him as retribution or that some 'hero' would cut off his head. Later after that, Janos attends another court session where King Joffrey hands out harsher sentences in matters brought before him. Being a complete sycophant, Janos agrees to every single one.
He oversees the massacre of all of the late King Robert Baratheon's bastard children. In the show version he personally murders the baby Barra (book version has Allar Deem doing it) and interrogates Tobho Mott about the whereabouts of Gendry. He is later stripped of Harrenhal and sent to join the Night's Watch by Tyrion along with the men he has suggested as replacements for him as Commander of the City Watch. He is replaced by Ser Jacelyn Bywater, though Tyrion believes that in getting rid of Slynt for Bywater, he has merely replaced a man loyal to Littlefinger with one loyal to Varys. In the show version Tyrion has Bronn to replace Janos Slynt instead of Ser Jacelyn.
Not knowing that Renly is already dead, Bowen Marsh of the Night's Watch sends an appeal to the five kings, in which he asks them to send men to defend the Wall and the realm against an expected attack by Mance Rayder's wildlings. He also tells them about the possible death of Lord Commander Mormont during the Great Ranging. When Grand Maester Pycelle informs Lord Tywin Lannister about the letter, the Hand of the King is annoyed about the neutrality the Night's Watch keeps in the War of the Five Kings and suggests that no help will be sent until a Lannister ally has been installed as the new Lord Commander and brings discipline back to the Wall. Janos arrives at Castle Black and allies himself with Ser Alliser Thorne and Ser Glendon Hewett. He tries to have Jon Snow executed for treason but failed due to Maester Aemon's intervention. In the show he hoped that Jon would have died fighting the mutineers at Craster's Keep led by Karl Tanner.
During the Battle of Castle Black, Janos, having no true leadership experience, breaks down and fled like a coward to hide during the battle.
In the book version Janos is candidate for new Lord Commander, while in the show he supports Alliser Thorne. To avoid Slynt undermining his authority with his scheming, to separate him from his ally, Alliser, and in view of his experience, Jon Snow, now Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, decides to give Slynt command of the abandoned way castle Greyguard. Still under the misapprehension that Jon's youth and inexperience give him license to do as he pleases, Slynt refuses to follow Jon's orders, doing so the second time publicly. At this point, Jon became weary of Slynt's insubordination and knowing either imprisoning Slynt or forcing him to go would only cause further problems, orders that he be taken to the top of the Wall and be hanged, though Slynt remains arrogantly confident that Jon would not go through with the execution, threatening them all with Tywin Lannister's retribution if Jon harms him, unaware that Tywin was recently murdered by Tyrion. Thus, he ended up making nothing more than empty threats. As Janos was dragged out, Jon changed his mind and decides to follow the moral code that the late Eddard Stark had set in his sons, and orders his men to fetch a chopping block so he can behead Janos. With his head on the block, Slynt begs for mercy and says he will obey Jon's orders, but Jon silently refused, as he had already made up his mind, thinking to himself, "No. You closed that door", and swiftly beheads Janos, unknowingly fulfilling Sansa's wish. Stannis Baratheon, who had watched the execution from the King's Tower, approves of Jon's decision.
Quotes[]
| “ | Janos: You're a sly one, Tyrion. Thought you could trick me, did you? It takes more than wine and cheese to make Janos Slynt tell more than he should. I pride myself. Never a question, and never a word afterward, not with me. | „ |
| ~ Janos to Tyrion Lannister |
| “ | Janos: I'll not have my honor questioned by an Imp! Tyrion: I'm not questioning your honor, Lord Janos. I'm denying its existence. |
„ |
| ~ Janos and Tyrion. |
| “ | Janos: What are my sons to you, dwarf? Tyrion [angry] Dwarf? You should have stopped at Imp. I am Tyrion of House Lannister, and someday, if you have the sense the gods gave a sea slug, you will drop to your knees in thanks that it was me you had to deal with, and not my lord father. Now, how many sons do you have? Janos: [terrified for his children] Th-three, m'lord. And a daughter. Please, m'lord— Tyrion: You need not beg. You have my word, no harm will come to them. The younger boys will be fostered out as squires. If they serve well and loyally, they may be knights in time. Let it never be said that House Lannister does not reward those who serve it. Your eldest son will inherit the title Lord Slynt, and this appalling sigil of yours. Lands will be found for him, and he can build a seat for himself. It will not be Harrenhal, but it will be sufficient. It will be up to him to make a marriage for the girl. |
„ |
| ~ Tyrion promises to maintain Janos's rewards for his children, to honor the service given against Stannis Baratheon's ascension to the throne. |
| “ | You and your threats, well, we will see. I am the king's friend, you know. We shall hear what Joffrey has to say about this. And Littlefinger and the queen, oh, yes. Janos Slynt has a good many friends. We will see who goes sailing, I promise you. Indeed we will. | „ |
| ~ Janos, one moment before being seized by his own subordinates and being forced to take a boat for Eastwatch-by-the-Sea before the court can learn about it. |
| “ | Ser. You will address Ser Alliser as ser, and myself as m'lord. I am Janos Slynt, Lord of Harrenhal, and commander here at Castle Black until such time as Bowen Marsh returns with his garrison. You will grant us our courtesies, yes. I will not suffer to hear an anointed knight like the good Ser Alliser mocked by a traitor's bastard. Do you deny that you took a wildling woman into your bed? | „ |
| ~ Janos to Jon Snow |
| “ | I heard you! Ser Alliser had your measure true enough, it seems. You lie through your bastard's teeth. Well, I will not suffer it. I will not! You might have fooled this crippled blacksmith, but not Janos Slynt! Oh, no. Janos Slynt does not swallow lies so easily. Did you think my skull was stuffed with cabbage? | „ |
| ~ Janos to Jon Snow |
| “ | Still, I will not have it said that Janos Slynt hanged a man unjustly. I will not. I have decided to give you one last chance to prove you are as loyal as you claim, Lord Snow. One last chance to do your duty, yes! Mance Rayder wants to parley with us. He knows he has no chance now that Janos Slynt has come, so he wants to talk, this King-beyond-the-Wall. But the man is craven, and will not come to us. No doubt he knows I'd hang him. Hang him by his feet from the top of the Wall, on a rope two hundred feet long! But he will not come. He asks that we send an envoy to him. | „ |
| ~ Janos decides to send Jon Snow to treat with Mance |
| “ | Janos: Janos Slynt does not make terms with lawless savages, Lord Snow. No, he does not. Alliser: We're not sending you to talk with Mance Rayder. We're sending you to kill him. |
„ |
| ~ Janos and Alliser Thorne force Jon Snow on a mission to assassinate Mance, then deal with the reaction of the wildlings. |
| “ | Janos: Your Grace, let me say how pleased we are to be summoned here. When I saw your banners from the Wall, I knew the realm was saved. There comes a man who neer forgets his duty, I said to good Ser Alliser. A strong man, and a true king. May I congratulate you on your victory over the savages? The singers will make much of it, I know— Stannis: The singers may do as they like. Spare me your fawning, Janos, it will not serve you. |
„ |
| ~ Janos attempts to ingratiate himself to Stannis Baratheon |
| “ | Stannis: It is not my wish to tamper with your rights and traditions. As to royal guidance, Janos, if you mean that I ought to tell your brothers to choose you, have the courage to say so. Janos: [smiles uncertainly and starts sweating] Bowen: Who better to command the black cloaks than a man who once commanded the gold, sire? Stannis: Any of you, I would think. Even the cook. Janos was hardly the first gold cloak ever to take a bribe, I grant you, but he may have been the first commander to fatten his purse by selling places and promotions. By the end he must have had half the officers in the City Watch paying him part of their wages. Isn't that so, Janos? Janos: Lies, all lies! A strong man makes enemies, Your Grace knows that, they whisper lies behind your back. Naught was ever proven, not a man came forward ... Stannis: Two men who were prepared to come forward died suddenly on their rounds. Do not trifle with me, my lord. I saw the proof Jon Arryn laid before the small council. If I had been king you would have lost more than your office, I promise you, but Robert shrugged away your little lapses. ‘They all steal,’ I recall him saying. ‘Better a thief we know than one we don't, the next man might be worse.’ Lord Petyr's words in my brother's mouth, I'll warrant. Littlefinger had a nose for gold, and I'm certain he arranged matters so the crown profited as much from your corruption as you did yourself. |
„ |
| ~ Stannis Baratheon confronts Janos about his corrupted activities in King's Landing. |
| “ | Jon: I will give you one last chance. Put down that spoon and get to the stables. I have had your horse saddled and bridled. It is a long, hard road to Greyguard. Janos: Then you had best be on your way, boy. [laughs] Greyguard's a good place for the likes of you, I'm thinking. Well away from decent godly folk. The mark of the beast is on you, bastard. Jon You are refusing to obey my order? Janos: You can stick your order up your bastard's arse. [Ser Alliser smiles and stares at Jon, and Ser Godry Farring laughs] |
„ |
| ~ Janos refuses to obey Jon Snow's order a second time, after being given a night to calm down and think it over. |
| “ | Janos: No, unhand me. He's just a boy, a bastard. His father was a traitor. The mark of the beast is on him, that wolf of his … Let go of me! You will rue the day you laid hands on Janos Slynt. I have friends in King's Landing. I warn you— | „ |
| ~ Janos protesting against his death sentence and struggling against Dolorous Edd and Iron Emmett. |
| “ | Janos: Please, my lord. Mercy. I'll … I'll go, I will, I … Jon's thoughts: [No. You closed that door.] |
„ |
| ~ Janos's execution. |
Notable Victims[]
- Varly - Throat slashed in the novels. Ordered in the TV series; killed by gold cloaks.
- Barra - Ordered in the novels; killed by Allar Deem. Stabbed in the TV series.
Books only:[]
- Tomard - Ordered; speared from the back by a gold cloak during the arrest of Ned Stark.
- Barra's mother - Ordered; killed by Allar Deem.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the novels, Janos often talks about himself in third person.
- Janos in the show is portrayed as more of a follower, a worse leader, and a lot more cowardly than his book counterpart. While a bad leader and a sycophant, Janos in the books is always portrayed as a person in charge, yet corrupt.
- In the novels, when he arrives to Castle Black from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with reinforcements, Janos is the one who assumes command of Castle Black's garrison on behalf of the castellan Bowen Marsh (who is at the Shadow Tower after fighting the Weeper's army) and Ser Wynton Stout (who is senile). Ser Alliser Thorne acts as Janos's right-hand. In the TV series, Alliser is the one in charge of Castle Black instead, while Janos is his subordinate.
- In the novels, Janos participates in the fight against Ned Stark's household guard, and he is also seen slitting Varly's throat. In the show, Janos is never seen fighting grown people and only kills the infant Barra (who in the books is killed by Janos's right-hand Allar Deem).
- He achieved all of his life goals, but subsequently faced downfall for his crimes, until his death after refusing a chance to become a commander with his own garrison of the Night's Watch. In the novels, Jon gave him one night to reconsider, and thought Janos' behavior was senseless. Jon hoped in vain that Janos would change his mind, so no execution would be necessary.
- In the novels, Janos is the one who immediately follows King Joffrey's order to execute Ned Stark. Janos ignores Cersei's protests and rushes to hold Ned and pushes him down for Ilyn Payne to behead.
- Janos is also the one who lifts Ned's severed head and shows it to the crowd. In the TV series, Sandor Clegane is the one who does it. Janos does it with happiness, earning Sansa's hatred.
- Janos can be considered a dark counterpart to Davos Seaworth, as both of them rose high in society in support of their respective leaders, despite being born from humble lowborn status. While Davos rose to nobility from a life of crime, Janos rose through corruption and progressively became worse.
- Janos maintained a positive and respected reputation even after being sent to the Wall, as the citizens of King's Landing hated Tyrion even more for it. The citizens never learned about Janos's corrupt activities and kept thinking he was a good and honest leader.
- While in the TV series, the word of Maester Aemon is respected by Ser Alliser Thorne to convince him not to execute Jon Snow, in the novels, Janos, who temporarily commands Castle Black on behalf of Bowen Marsh, doesn't do the same. Unlike Thorne in the show, Janos in the books ignores Maester Aemon's attempts to defend Jon as innocent, as well as Donal Noye's previous choice to believe Jon's testimony. Planning to have Jon hanged, Janos has him arrested and locked into an ice cell for several days. The only reason why Janos fails to have Jon immediately executed under charges of treason is due to the intervention of Cotter Pyke, who is the Commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and is Janos's superior. During Jon's imprisonment, Cotter receives a raven from Maester Aemon informing him of Janos wanting to execute Jon. Cotter sends word back to Castle Black, forbidding Janos to carry on Jon's execution.
- Cotter Pyke's intervention is what leads Alliser Thorne to find another way to get Jon killed, which is letting the wildlings kill him by sending him to assassinate Mance Rayder, while pretending to be an envoy for negotiations, thus also getting rid of Mance and scattering his army at the same time. Janos approves of Thorne's plan, also because Mance actually asks him to send an envoy to initiate negotiations anyway.
- In the TV series, there is no Alliser's plan to have Jon's killed by the wildlings, and Janos forcing Jon to comply. Instead, the show portrayed both Alliser and Jon more heroic by having the former being wounded while defending Castle Black from the wildlings, and by having the latter volunteer to kill Mance while pretending to be an envoy, and without Mance offering negotiations first.
- Instead, the show has Janos conjuring a plan similar as Alliser's in the books, but unrelated to the Free Folk invasion of the Wall: Janos successfully advises Alliser to approve Jon's suggested raid against Karl Tanner's group of mutineers at Craster's Keep, hoping for said mutineers to kill Jon. In the novels, Jon never suggests raiding Craster's Keep at all (and Mance's army never even passes near that place).
- In the TV series, there is no Alliser's plan to have Jon's killed by the wildlings, and Janos forcing Jon to comply. Instead, the show portrayed both Alliser and Jon more heroic by having the former being wounded while defending Castle Black from the wildlings, and by having the latter volunteer to kill Mance while pretending to be an envoy, and without Mance offering negotiations first.
- In the novels, even after the arrival of King Stannis Baratheon at the Wall (with him forcibly taking charge), Janos does not give up on having Jon killed. Janos still wants to execute him if he is chosen as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. In the TV series, Janos doesn't run for Lord Commander and simply supports Alliser for the office, and Alliser completely dropped any further attempt to lawfully execute Jon earlier, and the only thing feared by Jon is that his time at the Wall would be unpleasant if Alliser is chosen. Alliser also runs for Lord Commander in the novels, but he fails to gain enough support, so he withdraws his name from candidacy and supports Janos.
- The very reason why in the books Samwell Tarly ends up putting Jon's name in the election and convinces Ser Denys Mallister and Cotter Pyke to support him is due to the fact that Janos was close to win and become Lord Commander.
- In the TV show's storyline of the Night's Watch, Janos's gang of cronies and supporters does not appear, with the exception of Ser Alliser Thorne. A good portion of Janos's gang in the novels are his fellow corrupt accomplices from the City Watch, including Allar Deem, who were sent by Tyrion to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with Janos. After Janos' execution, his supporters no longer trouble Jon, as they personally have no beef with him. Another ally of Janos who doesn't appear in the show is Ser Glendon Hewett, an officer from Eastwatch.
