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| “ | Why?! You ask that?! You who killed your mother to come into the world? You are an ill-made, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning. Men's laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors since I cannot prove that you are not mine. And to teach me humility, the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father's sigil and his father's before him. But neither gods nor men will ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whorehouse. Go, now. And speak no more of your rights to Casterly Rock. Go! Oh, one more thing… the next whore I catch in your bed, I'll hang. | „ |
| ~ Tywin expressing his hatred for Tyrion. |
Lord Tywin Lannister is one of the main antagonists of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.
He is the head of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, one of the Great Houses of Westeros that rules over the Westerlands. In addition to his excessive wealth, Tywin is also one of the most successful and powerful lords of recent history. Throughout his life, he has served as the Lord of Casterly Rock, the Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West and the Hand of the King to three separate monarchs.
Although intelligent and cunning, Tywin (like most of the nobility within Westeros) is a ruthless and uncompromising elitist to the core. He deeply values his family's power and image above everything else and will do whatever is necessary to keep House Lannister at the top. Backed by a successful track record, Tywin is both feared and loathed across the Seven Kingdoms by his enemies, allies, and family alike. He is also the archenemy of his own son Tyrion Lannister, as well as the Kings Stannis Baratheon and Robb Stark, and Lord Edmure Tully.
Because he was the one who ordered Ser Gregor Clegane and Ser Amory Lorch to murder the Targaryen royal family, which resulted in the deaths of Princess Elia Martell and her two children, Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys, this made Tywin, alongside Gregor, one of the most hated enemies of House Martell of Dorne, most notably Princes Doran and Oberyn Martell, who began plotting Tywin and House Lannister's downfall ever since.
For the Game of Thrones television adaption, Tywin was portrayed by Charles Dance, who also portrayed The Master Vampire in Dracula Untold, Mr. Benedict in Last Action Hero, Lawrence Wargrave in And Then There Were None, Alan Jonah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Claus in For Your Eyes Only, David Carlton in Ali G Indahouse, Emhyr var Emreis in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Roderick Burgess in The Sandman.
Appearance[]
In the novels, Tywin is described as a tall, slender, broad-shouldered man in his fifties who remains in great physical shape despite his age. In his younger years, Tywin had sleek golden hair which along with his green eyes flecked with gold are characteristics of the Lannister family. Once he started going bald, Tywin kept his crown shaven but allowed his facial hair to grow out as bushy golden side whiskers. His lips and chin, however, remain clean-shaven. A perpetual frowner, Tywin’s battle attire was a deep crimson set of plate armour trimmed with gold. He also has a cloth-of-gold cape, held in place by lion-shaped clasps.
Although largely consistent with his novel counterpart, a few of Tywin’s characteristics were changed for the Game of Thrones TV series. Firstly, Tywin was in his sixties, rather than fifties. He also retains his receding hair, which is pale blonde, rather than the golden blonde described in the book. Finally, he had a short pale blonde beard instead of whiskers. His battle attire was also identical to that of a typical Lannister soldier, except for the pauldrons which were bronze lion faces. His cape was also red, rather than golden.
Personality[]
| “ | It fell to Tywin to restore House Lannister to its proper place. Just as it fell to him to rule this realm, when he was no more than twenty. He bore that heavy burden for twenty years and all it earned him was a mad king's envy. Instead of the honor he deserved, he was made to suffer slights beyond count, yet he gave the Seven Kingdoms peace, plenty and justice. He is a just man. | „ |
| ~ Kevan Lannister, to Tyrion Lannister. |
Tywin Lannister is a calculating, intelligent, manipulative, apathetic, politically astute, ruthless, and controlling man who dedicated his whole life and all his efforts to maintaining the Lannisters' prestige, thereby ensuring that House Lannister was respected or at least feared. He is also proven to be a knowledgeable battle commander and politician, which evidently exemplifies his truly powerful presence.
His commanding and strategic tactics left conflict in his absence. His that his house was solely dependent on his own intentions, and only fear kept the house alive. Without Tywin, House Lannister was no longer the same. Tywin's own bitterness and grudges against Tyrion caused his house to be unprepared for unexpected events following his death. Tywin is also incapable of withholding a grudge under any circumstances; he was unforgiving of the Reynes and Tarbecks for their insults towards House Lannister over decades; he did not forgive debts owed to him by the crown; and most importantly, he could not let go of his absolute hatred toward Tyrion for being the child his wife died giving birth to, even though he recognizes that Tyrion is the most intelligent of his children and the most similar to Tywin himself.
Beneath Tywin's facade of pragmatism, he exhibits extreme hypocrisy and pettiness. He berates his son Tyrion for sleeping with prostitutes, and it is later revealed that Tywin sleeps with prostitutes as well. He demands his children marry to gain political power, even though his own marriage brought him none, and he has not married since. He is slow to forgive anything and has little difficulty holding a grudge, thereby making him just as unpredictable than originally seemed.
As such Tywin holds extremely elitist views and looks down at people of lower birth than him. He particularly views the smallfolk with disdain. During his time as Aerys' Hand, he revoked many of the rights given to smallfolk during the rule of Aegon V. He was furious when his son Tyrion married a crofter's daughter and had her raped to teach her and his son a lesson, telling him, "A Lannister is worth more." He is also angry when Janos Slynt, a butcher's son, is named Lord of Harrenhal, a castle that once housed kings. These sentiments were passed on to his daughter, Cersei Lannister, who also views commoners with contempt.
Furthermore, Tywin is a fervent believer in ends justifying means and is willing to do anything to ensure House Lannister maintains its place as the strongest house. He is the biggest war criminal in the series. Some of his crimes include the annihilation of several houses, the Sack of King's Landing, ravaging the Riverlands, and his most infamous act, the Red Wedding. However, unlike other villains in the series, such as Gregor Clegane or Ramsay Bolton, Tywin is not a sadist. He commits these cruel acts because he deems them necessary as a means to an end. He excuses the Red Wedding and breaking of guest right by asking why it is more noble to kill ten thousand men in battle than a dozen at dinner.
Despite his cruelty and ruthlessness, however, Tywin is not entirely evil at heart. He deeply respects his younger brother Kevan as his right hand, always keeping him with him and valuing his advice. He also seems to have cared for his sister, Genna. He is also known to have deeply loved his wife, Joanna, one of the few people to have made him smile. It is said that the good in Tywin died with Joanna. In a conversation with Tyrion, he says that while he allows his men to commit violent crimes, Tywin himself claims to find the acts themselves distasteful and takes no satisfaction in them. For instance, he admitted to ordering the murder of Rhaegar's wife and children, but he also said he was shocked by the means by which they were carried out. He tells Joffrey that while a good leader must meet his enemies with sword and fire, should they bend the knee, he must help them to their feet. This shows he does have some standards. His time as Hand of the King during the reign of Aerys II is seen as an overall peaceful time before Aerys' succumbed to madness.
That being said, in spite of being a cunning and intelligent man, Tywin lacked total compassion for his children. While he claimed that family was the most important thing to him, it was the family name and legacy that mattered to him and not the actual family itself - thus proving he is a hypocrite to a fault. Only that his house needed as many heirs as possible to further the family name and keep the Lannister house strong and feared, to prevent House Lannister from falling back to the days of his father. Tywin's lack of compassion, morals, and understanding of what family truly means ultimately became his own downfall by sentencing his own son to death. In the end, Tywin Lannister cared more about power than family.
This lack of compassion led to the exact opposite of what he intended for his House's legacy. Instead of being feared and respected, the Lannisters are hated and reviled, and are in a significantly weak position after he died. This is in contrast with the legacy of Lord Eddard Stark, who lived a life of honor and died for his family, and even years after his death his people still fight memory of him and his family.
Family[]
Note: This table focuses exclusively on Tywin’s immediate family members, many of whom are important characters within the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. Should you wish to see the full scale of the Lannister family tree, we recommend checking out House Lannister's article or the external links at the bottom of the article.
| Tywin Lannister's Family |
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Titles[]
As a member of one of the seven great houses of Westeros, Tywin inherited and acquired several coveted titles throughout his life: -
| Title | Role Description |
|---|---|
| Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | Was knighted before the War of the Nine Penny Kings. It is not known who knighted Tywin or who he squired under. |
| Lord of Casterly Rock | A hereditary title, which granted Tywin ownership of Casterly Rock and all its resources. Tywin officially inherited the title in 267 AC although many would argue that he had been the acting Lord since 260 AC (see synopsis). |
| Shield of Lannisport | A hereditary title, which charged Tywin with protecting the coastal city of Lannisport and all its people. He officially inherited the title in 267 AC though many argue he began serving as protector in 260 AC (see synopsis). |
| Warden of the West | A hereditary title, in which the ruling monarch acknowledged Tywin as both the leader and protector of all citizens living in the Westerlands. Tywin officially inherited the title in 267 AC though many argue that he effectively became the guardian in 262 AC (see Hand of the King). |
| Hand of the King | An office of appointment granted by the ruling monarch. The holder of this title will serve as the personal advisor to the King/Queen, helping them in matters of peace, war, and daily management of the Seven Kingdoms. Tywin was appointed to the position twice during his lifetime and served as the hand to three Kings: -
|
| Savior of the City | Tywin was granted this title in 299 AC by King Joffrey I Baratheon following the Battle of the Blackwater. The purpose of this act was to spite the mutually loathed Tyrion Lannister, by overlooking and downplaying the latter’s accomplishments, whilst allowing Tywin’s appointment as Hand of the King to run more smoothly. This title is quite ironic given that Tywin had previously sacked King's Landing in 283 AC, at the end of Robert’s Rebellion. |
Quotes[]
A Song of Ice and Fire[]
By Tywin[]
| “ | You cannot eat love, nor buy a horse with it, nor warm your halls on a cold night. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to a child Jaime Lannister, about how love is unneeded for a man to live. |
| “ | No man is free. Only children and fools think elsewise. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to a sixteen-year-old Tyrion Lannister. |
| “ | They fight with coins instead of swords. Gold has its uses, but wars are won with iron. Give gold to a foe and he will just come back for more. | „ |
| ~ Tywin expressing contempt for the powerful Free Cities and their politics. |
| “ | The sooner the Starks are broken, the sooner I shall be free to deal with Stannis Baratheon. | „ |
| ~ Tywin Lannister |
| “ | Tyrion: What of Stannis? He's the elder, not Renly. How does he feel about his brother's claim? Tywin: I have felt from the beginning that Stannis was a greater danger than all the others combined. Yet he does nothing. Oh, Varys hears his whispers. Stannis is building ships, Stannis is hiring sellswords, Stannis is bringing a shadowbinder from Asshai. What does it mean? Is any of it true? |
„ |
| ~ Tywin's frustration over House Baratheon of Dragonstone's ominous inactivity in the war and instability in Westeros. |
| “ | Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Tyrion in A Storm of Swords. |
| “ | Tyrion: Why are you here in the city, Father? Shouldn't you be off fighting Lord Stannis or Robb Stark or someone? Tywin: Until Lord Redwyne brings his fleet up, we lack the ships to assail Dragonstone. It makes no matter. Stannis Baratheon's sun set on the Blackwater. As for Stark, the boy is still in the west, but a large force of northmen under Helman Tallhart and Robett Glover are descending toward Duskendale. I've sent Lord Tarly to meet them, while Ser Gregor drives up the kingsroad to cut off their retreat. Tallhart and Glover will be caught between them, with a third of Stark's strength. |
„ |
| ~ Tywin and Tyrion, about the failing northern campaign after Stannis's defeat in the Battle of the Blackwater. |
| “ | Tywin: You ask that? You, who killed your mother to come into the world? You are an ill-made, devious, disobedient, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning. Men's laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors, since I cannot prove that you are not mine. To teach me humility, the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father's sigil and his father's before him. But neither gods nor men shall ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whorehouse. Tyrion: My whorehouse? Cersei told you about Alayaya. Tywin: Is that her name? I confess, I cannot remember the names of all your whores. Who was the one you married as a boy? Tyrion: Tysha. Tywin: And that camp follower on the Green Fork? Tyrion: Why do you care? Tywin: I don't. No more than I care if they live or die. Tyrion: It was you who had Yaya whipped. Tywin: Your sister told me of your threats against my grandsons. [with a tone "colder than ice"] Did she lie? Tyrion: I made threats, yes. To keep Alayaya safe. So the Kettleblacks would not misuse her. Tywin: To save a whore's virtue, you threatened your own House, your own kin? Is that the way of it? Tyrion: You were the one who taught me that a good threat is often more telling than a blow. Not that Joffrey hasn't tempted me sore a few hundred times. If you're so anxious to whip people, start with him. But Tommen... why would I harm Tommen? He's a good lad, and mine own blood. Tywin: As was your mother. [rises from his chair] Go back to your bed, Tyrion, and speak to me no more of your rights to Casterly Rock. You shall have your reward, but it shall be one I deem appropriate to your service and station. And make no mistake - this was the last time I will suffer you to bring shame onto House Lannister. You are done with whores. The next one I find in your bed, I'll hang. |
„ |
| ~ Tywin's hate-filled conversation with Tyrion after the latter put forth a claim to Casterly Rock. |
| “ | The wildlings will flood the north, and the Starks and Greyjoys will have another enemy to contend with. They no longer wish to be subject to the Iron Throne, it would seem, so by what right do they look to the Iron Throne for aid? King Robb and King Balon both claim the north. Let them defend it, if they can. And if not, this Mance Rayder might even prove a useful ally. | „ |
| ~ Tywin Lannister, about the Iron Islands' request for aid against the northmen and the North's request for aid against the free folk. |
| “ | The greatest fools are ofttimes more clever than the men who laugh at them. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Tyrion in A Storm of Swords. |
| “ | Send a raven. Write that King Joffrey was deeply saddened to hear of Lord Commander Mormont's death, but regrets that he can spare no men just now, whilst so many rebels and usurpers remain in the field. Suggest that matters might be quite different once the throne is secure... provided the king has full confidence in the leadership of the Watch. In closing, ask Marsh to pass along His Grace's fondest regards to his faithful friend and servant... Lord Janos Slynt. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Grand Maester Pycelle, having him write a letter to the Night's Watch to manipulate them into choosing Janos Slynt as the next Lord Commander. |
| “ | Joffrey, when your enemies defy you, you must serve them steel and fire. When they go to their knees, however, you must help them back to their feet. Elsewise no man will ever bend the knee to you. And any man who must say 'I am the king' is no true king at all. Aerys never understood that, but you will. When I've won your war for you, we will restore the king's peace and the king's justice. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Joffrey in A Storm of Swords. |
| “ | Tyrion: So much for guest right. Tywin: The blood is on Walder Frey's hands, not mine. Tyrion: Walder Frey is a peevish old man who lives to fondle his young wife and brood over all the slights he's suffered. I have no doubt he hatched this ugly chicken, but he would never have dared such a thing without a promise of protection. Tywin: I suppose you would have spared the boy and told Lord Frey you had no need of his allegiance? That would have driven the old fool right back into Stark's arms and won you another year of war. Explain to me why it is more noble to kill ten thousand men in battle than a dozen at dinner. |
„ |
| ~ Tywin and Tyrion discussing the Red Wedding. |
| “ | Pycelle: Let Stannis rot in Lys, I say. We are well rid of the man and his ambitions. Tywin: Did you turn into an utter fool when Tyrion shaved your beard? This is Stannis Baratheon. The man will fight to the bitter end and then some. |
„ |
| ~ Tywin and Pycelle during a small council meeting after Oberyn's death, learning that Stannis sailed away from Dragonstone. |
| “ | Tywin: This escape is folly. You are not to be killed, if that is what you fear. It's still my intent to send you to the Wall, but I could not do it without Lord Tyrell's consent. Put down the crossbow and we will go back to my chambers and talk of it. | „ |
| ~ Tywin trying to stop Tyrion from threatening his life. |
| “ | Tyrion: Did you have her killed? Tywin: There was no reason for that, she'd learned her place... and had been well paid for her day's work, I seem to recall. I suppose the steward sent her on her way. I never thought to inquire. Tyrion: On her way where? Tywin: Wherever whores go. [gets mortally shot above the groin] |
„ |
| ~ Tywin discussing Tysha's fate with Tyrion, before getting killed by him. |
| “ | Tywin: [incredulous] You shot me. Tyrion: You always were quick to grasp a situation, my lord. That must be why you're the Hand of the King. Tywin: You... you are no... no son of mine. Tyrion: Now that's where you're wrong, Father. Why, I believe I'm you writ small. Do me a kindness now, and die quickly. I have a ship to catch. |
„ |
| ~ Lord Tywin's demise. |
About Tywin[]
| “ | I would sooner entrust a child to a pit viper than to Lord Tywin. | „ |
| ~ Thoughts of Eddard Stark. |
| “ | Lord Tywin the proud and splendid, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, oh, what a great man that one is, him and his gold this and gold that and lions here and lions there. I'll wager you, he cats too many beans, he breaks wind just like me, but you'll never hear him admit it, oh, no. What's he got to be so puffed up about anyway? Only two sons, and one of them's a twisted little monster. I'll match him son for son, and I'll still have nineteen and a half left when all of his are dead! If Lord Tywin wants my help, he can bloody well ask for it. | „ |
| ~ Walder Frey to Catelyn Stark. |
| “ | Every once in a very long while, Lord Tywin Lannister would actually threaten to smile; he never did, but the threat alone was terrible to behold. | „ |
| ~ Thoughts of Tyrion Lannister |
| “ | Oberyn: Lord Tywin had made himself greater than King Aerys, I heard one begging brother preach, but only a god is meant to stand above a king. You were his curse, a punishment sent by the gods to teach him that he was no better than any other man. Tyrion: I try, but he refuses to learn. |
„ |
| ~ Oberyn Martell and Tyrion Lannister. |
| “ | I remember the first time my father took me to court, Robert had to hold my hand. I could not have been older than four, which would have made him five or six. We agreed afterward that the king had been as noble as the dragons were fearsome. Years later, our father told us that Aerys had cut himself on the throne that morning, so his Hand had taken his place. It was Tywin Lannister who'd so impressed us. | „ |
| ~ Stannis Baratheon to Melisandre. |
| “ | Kevan: Tywin seems a hard man to you, but he's no harder than he's had to be. Our own father was gentle and amiable, but so weak his bannermen mocked him in their cups. Some saw fit to defy him openly. Other lords borrowed his gold and never troubled to repay it. At court they japed of toothless lions. Even his own mistress stole from him. A woman scarcely one step above a whore, and she helped herself to my mother's jewels! It fell to Tywin to restore House Lannister to its proper place. Just as it fell to him to rule this realm, when he was no more than twenty. He bore that heavy burden for twenty years and all it earned him was a mad king's envy. Instead of the honor he deserved, he was made to suffer slights beyond count, yet he gave the Seven Kingdoms peace, plenty and justice. He is a just man. Tyrion: You love him. Kevan: He is my brother. |
„ |
| ~ Kevan and Tyrion Lannister after King Joffrey I's death, after Tyrion confronted his uncle about siding with Tywin over him. |
| “ | It is not fitting for Tywin Lannister to die alone. Such a man deserves a retinue to attend his needs in hell. | „ |
| ~ Thoughts of Cersei Lannister after finding out her father was killed. |
| “ | Cersei: This is not... when Lord Tywin's father died he returned to Casterly Rock to find a... a woman of this sort... bedecked in his lady mother's jewels, wearing one of her gowns. He stripped them off her, and all else as well. For a fortnight she was paraded naked through the streets of Lannisport, to confess to every man she met that she was a thief and a harlot. That was how Lord Tywin Lannister dealt with whores. He never... this woman was here for some other purpose, not for... Qyburn: Perhaps his lordship was questioning the girl about her mistress. Sansa Stark vanished the night the king was murdered, I have heard. Cersei: [eagerly seizes Qyburn's suggestion] That's so. He was questioning her, to be sure. There can be no doubt. |
„ |
| ~ Cersei coping with Qyburn's help over the fact that they found a naked whore in Tywin's bed, exposing his hypocrisy about wanting to forbid Tyrion from whoring. |
| “ | I have served six kings, but here before us lies the greatest man I ever knew. Lord Tywin wore no crown, yet he was all a king should be. | „ |
| ~ Grand Maester Pycelle to Jaime Lannister, while the two watch Tywin's corpse. |
| “ | Men say Tywin never smiled, but he smiled when he wed your mother, and when Aerys made him Hand. When Tarbeck Hall came crashing down on Lady Ellyn, that scheming bitch, Tyg claimed he smiled then, and he smiled at your birth, Jaime, I saw with my own eyes. | „ |
| ~ Genna Lannister to her nephew Jaime. |
Game of Thrones[]
| “ | Lannisters don't act like fools. | „ |
| ~ Tywin Lannister. |
| “ | A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Jaime. |
| “ | No, that's not an opinion, it's a fact! If another House can seize one of our own and hold him captive with impunity we are no longer a House to be feared. Your mother is dead, before long I'll be dead, and you, and your brother, and your sister, and all of her children. All of us, dead. All of us, rotting in the ground. It's the family name that lives on; it's all that lives on. Not your personal glory, not your honor - but family. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Jaime. |
| “ | Any man who must say, 'I am the king' is no true king. I'll make sure you understand that when I've won your war for you. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Joffrey. |
| “ | Tyrion: I'm all for cheating. This is war. But to slaughter them at a wedding... Tywin: Explain to me why it is more noble to kill ten thousand men in battle than a dozen at dinner. |
„ |
| ~ Tywin and Tyrion discuss the Red Wedding. |
| “ | Yes. But you refused to die. I respect that. Even admire it! You fight for what's yours. I'd never let them execute you. Is that what you fear? I'd never let Ilyn Payne take your head. You're a Lannister...you're my son. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Tyrion. |
| “ | You are no son of mine. | „ |
| ~ Tywin to Tyrion, his final words. |
Differences between the Adaptations[]
- Tywin is considerably crueller in the books, especially regarding his mistreatment of Tyrion and his first wife Tysha. These factors proved essential to Tyrion’s character development, as it was the revelation that Tywin tricked him into abandoning a genuinely loving wife, not to mention how he mistreated her that convinced Tyrion to ultimately abandon House Lannister and murder his father. When the television series removed this plot and had Tywin simply throw his son under the bus for Joffrey’s murder, which included manipulating Shae into betraying Tyrion, many of the book readers accused the writers of "whitewashing" Tyrion's character.
- In the books, Jaime never made amends with his father before the latter's death. The pair simply ignored each other, and Jaime did not offer to renounce his position in exchange for Tyrion's life. In both versions, however, Jaime gave Oathkeeper to Brienne of Tarth.
- In both ASOIAF and GOT after becoming hand, Tywin attempted to find a suitable husband for his widowed daughter, ignoring her protests. For the TV adaptation, Tywin attempted to force a union between her and Ser Loras Tyrell. Ignoring Loras' homosexuality, he tried to pressure Olenna into accepting his offer, by claiming that if she and Mace did not comply, he would appoint the boy to the Kingsguard. Doing so, would rob the Tyrells of both their heir and the one person that could carry on their name. In the books, however, Loras was a member of the Kingsguard, making a union between the two of them possible. Instead, Tywin gave his seething daughter three options for a potential husband telling her to make the choice: Willas Tyrell, King Balon IX Greyjoy and Prince Oberyn Martell. Each of these marriages had the potential to bring significant benefit to House Lannister: -
- A marriage to Willas would not only strengthen the Lannister-Tyrell alliance, but it would give any future heirs access to both the Reach's wealth and resources.
- Although Balon Greyjoy was already married, the Ironborn practice polygamy. If Cersei were to become Balon's "salt wife" it could not only forge a new alliance but put an end to the hostilities. Once Tyrion and Sansa took over the North, they could acknowledge the Ironborn colonies through the family union of Balon and Cersei. Fortunately for Cersei, Balon's assassination put an end to this endeavour.
- Lastly, a marriage to Oberyn would have been a big step towards mending the Lannister-Martell relations. It would also be quite ironic because Tywin's wife Jonna had originally discussed the potential of marrying Cersei or Jaime to one of the then Princess' children Oberyn or Ellia. Tywin had originally dismissed this notion at the time, as he intended for Cersei to marry Prince Rhaegar Targrayen.
- In the books, Tywin acknowledges the Iron Islands as independent (for the time being) intending to bring them back into the fold later down the line by either marriage or force.
- When Tyrion killed his father in A Storm of Swords, he did it with a single shot to the bowels. In the GOT adaptation, Tyrion shot Tywin twice, once in the stomach, the other in the heart.
- Whilst Tywin's funeral was uneventful in the television adaptation, in A Feast for Crows, it is said that his corpse stunk so badly that few could bare to stand near it. Also due to his body drying out, Tywin's corpse started to smile, which Cersei and Jaime both found eerie.
- The fate of his corpse also varied between the adaptations. For the GOT television show, Tywin was laid to rest in the Great Sept of Baleor, where it was eventually destroyed during Cersei coup. In AFOC, however, Kevan Lannister and a Westerland retinue escorted Tywin's corpse back to Casterly Rock, where he was laid to rest in crypt.
Notable Victims[]
- Lord Walderan Tarbeck - Ordered; beheaded along with sons and numerous family members.
- Lady Ellyn Tarbeck (née Reyne) and Tion Tarneck - Ordered; crushed by the collapse of Tarbeck Hall.
- Ser Reynard Reyne and Lord Roger Reyne - Ordered; drowned within their own flooded seat Castamere.
- Princess Elia Martell - Possibly ordered, but denied by Tywin himself; head smashed by Ser Gregor Clegane.
- Princess Rhaenys Targaryen - Ordered; repeatedly stabbed to death by Ser Amory Lorch in the novels. Killed by Ser Gregor Clegane in the TV series.
- King Robb Stark - Approved Lord Walder Frey's plan to have him murdered. Stabbed in the heart by Lord Roose Bolton in the Red Wedding.
Books only:[]
- Last Lord Tarbeck - Ordered; allegedly thrown down a well by Ser Amory Lorch, although some stories claim the boy was smuggled to Essos and became a bard popular for his sad ballads.
- Prince Aegon Targaryen/Pisswater Prince - Ordered; head smashed against a wall by Ser Gregor Clegane. Identity depends on whether the current Aegon's parentage is true or not.
- Masha Heddle - Ordered; hanged for not opposing Tyrion Lannister's abduction.
TV Series only:[]
- Prince Aegon Targaryen - Ordered; killed by Ser Gregor Clegane.
Trivia[]
- The scene in Season 1 where Tywin is skinning a deer's carcass while speaking to Jaime was taken from Sam Tarly's flashback from the first book, where it is Randyll Tarly who is skinning his own hunted deer's carcass while speaking to Sam at Horn Hill. As the show's screenwriters generally refused to have flashbacks, with occasional exceptions, Randyll didn't appear in Season 1, and his deer-skinning scene was given to Tywin instead.
- While in the TV series, Tywin is shown to skin a deer's carcass and fish at the Blackwater Rush in a deleted scene, he is never shown to do these things in the novels and it's unknown if he pursues such activities in his free time.
- Tywin is one of the narrators for the Game of Thrones Blu-ray Complete Guide to Westeros videos.
- In the Season 1 Blu-ray, Tywin narrates Complete Guide to Westeros videos on "The History of the Night's Watch", "Mad King Aerys" and "The Sack of King's Landing".
- For Season 3, he narrates the Histories & Lore video "The Westerlands".
- Fans consider Tywin to be one of the best examples of a "Dragon-in-Chief" type villain. Whilst ostensibly subservient to higher-ranking villains (i.e. Cersei and Joffrey), Tywin is the real power behind the throne and arguably the greater-scope villain. Not only is he a lot more powerful, patient, and intelligent but his actions drive a lot more of the plot in the early stages of the story. He has also made his so-called superiors buckle on a few occasions.
- From statements made in both A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords, Tywin considers Stannis Baratheon to be far more dangerous than all his other enemies during the War of the Five Kings. Even after defeating his host at the Battle of the Blackwater, Tywin feared what Stannis might do, knowing that the latter would not simply give up his claim to the throne despite his defeat. As the subsequent novels have shown, these concerns were well placed.
- Ironically, the episode Tywin's patricide was featured aired on Father's Day, 2014.
External Links[]
- Tywin Lannister on the A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
- Tywin Lannister on the Wiki of Westeros.
