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“ | I know we've had our differences, Tormund. But just one time, before you die, you really ought to try... crow. | „ |
~ Styr to Tormund Giantsbane. |
Styr is a supporting antagonist in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. A fearsome warrior and the leader of the Thenns, a clan of the Free Folk; he leads one of the groups brought together by the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance Rayder. He is the Magnar of Thenn that joins forces with Tormund Giantsbane to climb the Wall and invade the Seven Kingdoms, beginning with the destruction of Castle Black.
He serves as a major antagonist in the Night's Watch storyline in the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel series. In the HBO adapted television series Game of Thrones, he serves as one of the two main antagonists of the Night's Watch storyline in Season 4, alongside Mance Rayder.
He was portrayed by Yuri Kolokolnikov.
Biography[]
The Thenn consider themselves the last of the First Men. They speak the Old Tongue and most have only a few words of the Common Tongue. They are led by the Magnar, who is considered more a god than a man by his people. Because they have laws and lords in their valley, some consider the Thenns more sophisticated than other free folk and closer to the people south of the Wall. They have more dealings with giants than other men.
The Thenns are savage fighters, but because of their belief in the Magnar as their god they are absolutely obedient and more disciplined than other free folk. They are often better equipped than most free folk, with bronze helms, axes of bronze and a few of chipped stone, short stabbing spears with leaf-shaped heads, shirts sewn with bronze discs, and plain unadorned shields of black boiled leather with bronze rims and bosses.
Styr rules with an iron fist and commands absolute loyalty from his men. He climbs the Wall with Jon Snow, Ygritte, and other wildlings. Styr and his men die during the first attack of the Battle of Castle Black. Caught in a trap while climbing the stairs of the Wall; he was seen falling as a portion of the Wall collapsed.
After his death, Styr's son, Sigorn becomes the new Magnar of Thenn. Later, after Stannis Baratheon officially allows the wildlings to live in the Gift, Sigorn marries Alys Karstark, Lord Rickard's daughter. Melisandre conducts the wedding, as the wildlings had to embrace officially R'hllor as their god (though they don't pray him). The first Free Folk noble house is born from the marriage: House Thenn.
Game of Thrones (TV Series)[]
In the adaptation, Styr and the Thenns are drastically different. They are cannibalistic, all bald, and are viewed as uncivilised and abhorrent by other factions of the Free Folk, including the faction led by Tormund.
Styr is not introduced until after the scaling of the Wall, with much of the character's actions before and during the event being given to Tormund. Styr and his Thenns crosses paths with and joins Mance Rayder's army and subsequently lead an attack on a small village and on Mole's Town, killing and consuming many people, including Olly's parents.
During the Battle of Castle Black, the Thenns aim to kill and consume as many "crows" as possible, with Styr making Jon Snow his chief priority. When the two come face off, Styr almost kills Jon, but Jon manages to gain the upper hand by spitting in his face before grabbing a hammer, knocking him down, and caving his skull in.
Trivia[]
- The fandom of book readers were very annoyed by the change of the Thenn clan, who are supposed to be the most advanced and civilized faction from Beyond the Wall, yet screenwriters Benioff and Weiss turned them into cannibals when they could have simply used the ice-river clans, who are the actual cannibal wildling factions in the ASoIaF novels.
- The word 'Styr' is Swedish for 'Stir'.