Meryn Trant

Ser Meryn Trant is a recurring character in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth seasons, played by guest star Ian Beattie and debuting in "The Pointy End". Ser Meryn Trant is a knight of the Kingsguard under Kings Robert Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon.

Background
Ser Meryn Trant is a member of House Trant, a vassal house to House Baratheon. He becomes a knight of the Kingsguard of Robert Baratheon after Robert's Rebellion. He is a successful tourney knight, though Sandor Clegane is scornful of Trant's skills, remarking that "any boy whore with a sword could beat three Meryn Trants."

He takes great pride in his status as a knight of the Kingsguard even though he routinely follows orders that break a knight's sworn duty to defend the weak and the innocent without hesitation or question.

Season 1
After King Robert's death, the Lannisters seek to ensure Joffrey's ascension to the Iron Throne by making sure Lord Eddard Stark acquiesces, so they send Ser Meryn Trant, with a group of Lannister guardsmen, to apprehend Eddard's daughter Arya, who is having swordfighting lessons with her teacher, Syrio Forel. Ser Meryn warns Syrio not to interfere, but the Braavosi defends Arya, armed only with a wooden practice sword, and disables all the Lannister guardsmen, to Meryn's fury and disbelief. Cursing the guards as "bloody oafs", Ser Meryn draws his own sword and engages Syrio. Arya obeys Syrio's instruction to flee, and she leaves them still fighting. Later, while the newly coronated King Joffrey holds court, Ser Meryn stands among the other Kingsguard in the throne room, but Syrio's fate is not mentioned.

When Cersei dismisses Ser Barristan Selmy as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, the old knight is insulted and draws his sword in fury, inducing Meryn Trant and the rest of the Kingsguard to do the same and to block Ser Barristan's path to the Iron Throne and Joffrey. In response, Barristan sneers that even now he could kill Ser Meryn and the other four Kingsguard as easily as "carving a cake". There is a tense pause in the throne room but in the end Selmy throws his sword at Joffrey's feet and storms out in disgust.



Ser Meryn is present when Joffrey shows Sansa her father’s head on a spike. In return, she tells Joffrey that someday her brother Robb may bring her Joffrey's head. Joffrey then says his mother has told him that a king should not strike his lady so he orders Ser Meryn to hit Sansa instead. Meryn shows no emotion as he does so.

Season 2
Ser Meryn guards King Joffrey Baratheon during his Name Day Tournament in the Red Keep. When Ser Dontos Hollard arrives drunk for his bout, Joffrey orders Meryn to pour a barrel of wine down Dontos' throat. Joffrey relents when he is told it is bad luck to kill a man on his name day by Sansa Stark, who convinces him to make Dontos his court fool instead.

Following Robb Stark's victory over Stafford Lannister at the Battle of Oxcross, King Joffrey has Sansa Stark brought to court to answer for her brother's crimes. He points a loaded crossbow at her and then commands Ser Meryn to beat Sansa but spare her face. Meryn punches Sansa hard in the stomach and then knocks her over using the flat side of his sword. Joffrey orders Sansa stripped and Meryn tears her dress from her shoulders. Sandor Clegane watches on in disgust at Trant's behavior.

Tyrion Lannister interrupts the assault on Sansa and asks Meryn what kind of knight beats a helpless girl; he answers with "the kind that serves their king." Bronn sarcastically warns Meryn to be careful of getting blood on his white cloak. Tyrion orders Sansa covered and reminds Joffrey that she is his betrothed. He rebukes Joffrey for absurdly punishing Sansa for events she had no part in. He also notes what became of the Mad King, who also did what he liked until he was killed by Joffrey's uncle Jaime. Meryn warns Tyrion not to threaten the King; Tyrion counters that he is educating his nephew. He instructs Bronn to kill Meryn if he speaks again and points out that that is a real threat. Tyrion helps Sansa up and walks her out of the throne room.



Ser Meryn, along with the rest of the Kingsguard, is present when Princess Myrcella Baratheon is sent to Dorne alongside her sworn shield and Meryn's sworn brother, Ser Arys Oakheart. When Joffrey provokes a riot, Ser Meryn cuts down several enraged smallfolk before bringing the King to safety. When Tyrion orders Ser Meryn to gather men to help rescue the missing Sansa Stark, he angrily replies that he takes his orders from the king and refuses to go. Joffrey is too busy sulking and doesn't care if Sansa dies.

Season 3
Ser Meryn and one of his sworn brothers accompany Cersei Lannister to her brother Tyrion's chambers after the Battle of the Blackwater. They wait outside at Tyrion's insistence. When Bronn and Podrick Payne appear to see Tyrion, the two knights exchange barbs; Meryn is incredulous that Bronn has been appointed a knight for his efforts at the Battle. He sneers that Bronn is merely an upjumped cutthroat, while Bronn, more amused than offended by Meryn's comment, mocks Meryn for being better at "beating little girls than fighting real men", infuriating Meryn. Bronn tries to push past for his meeting with Tyrion but Ser Meryn bars his way and threatens to cut off his hand if he tries to enter. The two Kingsguard begin to slowly draw their swords unaware that Bronn also has the knife on his back half drawn. Before they can fight, Cersei reappears and Ser Meryn leaves with her. Later, when Lady Margaery Tyrell visits an orphanage in Flea Bottom on the way to the Red Keep, King Joffrey asks Ser Meryn why they have stopped. Ser Meryn explains and asks the king if he wishes to speak with his betrothed, but Joffrey, afraid of the smallfolk after they rioted, refuses to leave the litter.

Ser Meryn is present alongside his fellow Kingsguard when Joffrey meets with his grandfather and Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister. Ser Meryn also attends Tyrion and Sansa's wedding ceremony along with Joffrey and the other Kingsguard.

Season 4
Ser Meryn is present when Jaime Lannister is discussing placement of the Kingsguard during the wedding feast. Jaime is irked by Meryn's sycophantic agreement to Joffrey's bragging that he is responsible for keeping the people fed (Jaime notes that this is more the doing of the House Tyrell) and claiming he single-handedly won the war. When Joffrey is poisoned at his wedding feast, Ser Meryn is among the Kingsguard who surround and apprehend Tyrion.

When Arya Stark tells Sandor Clegane that she believes Syrio Forel was killed by Meryn, Sandor refers to him as "Meryn fucking Trant" and comments "Any boy whore with a sword could beat three Meryn Trants". Meryn also speaks as a witness at the trial of Tyrion Lannister. He tells the court how Tyrion slapped and insulted Joffrey during the Riot of King's Landing. Meryn also states how Tyrion compared Joffrey to the Mad King and threatened both of them. Tyrion tries to defend himself by stating that he threatened Joffrey and Meryn because they were openly abusing Sansa Stark, but Tywin orders him to remain silent. Following Tyrion's outburst, Tywin orders Meryn to escort him back to his cell but not before Tyrion demands a trial by combat.

​After Tyrion's trial, Jaime berates his brother for his outburst and throwing his life away. While discussing the upcoming trial by combat, Tyrion believes that Bronn will fight for him just as he did at the Eyrie. Tyrion hopes Cersei names Meryn Trant as the crown's champion, saying he would enjoy watching Bronn disembowel that "pompous child-beater". However, Jaime informs Tyrion that Ser Gregor Clegane has been named as the crown's champion.

Season 5
Ser Meryn helps escort Cersei Lannister to the Great Sept of Baelor to attend the funeral of Tywin Lannister.

After Tyrion Lannister's escape, Cersei offered a lordship to anyone who brings her the head of her younger brother. Meryn brings two men who claim to have Tyrion's head before Cersei but she states that they have killed the wrong dwarf, to Ser Meryn's disgust, so he suggests imprisoning them. However, Cersei pardons the men since imprisoning them might dissuade other hunters.

Ser Meryn accompanies Cersei when she visits the High Sparrow. Although he voices his concern about such a visit, Cersei believes that the Sparrows are deeply religious and that they are in no danger. When Mace Tyrell is assigned to negotiate a deal concerning the Crown's debt with the Iron Bank of Braavos, Cersei assigns Ser Meryn to escort Mace to Braavos.

Ser Meryn Trant arrives in Braavos as an escort of Mace Tyrell flanked by some Lannister soldiers. He is spotted by Arya Stark who recognizes him immediately. Taking some time off, Meryn and his Lannister men enter a brothel. Ser Meryn is offered multiple prostitutes but he declines them all for being too old until a very young girl is offered. The next night, Meryn returns to the brothel where he beats three girls he has been provided with for his own amusement. The first two cry out, but the third remains stoic. Trant orders the other two out and punches the third one, sending her to her knees, but she recovers and pulls her face off to reveal herself as Arya, who stabs him in the eyes and chest before muffling his screams with a cloth. Arya taunts Trant about his past crimes and reveals that she is Arya Stark, who he had believed was dead along with most of Westeros, before slitting his throat.

Personality
Meryn Trant is pompous, cowardly, incompetent, vindictive and known for being a casually cruel man who follows any orders from the king no matter how ridiculous or unnecessary such as beating Sansa in plain view of the court to the disgust of Tyrion, Bronn, and the Hound. He also blindly follows orders from Cersei. It is also heavily implied that he is a cowardly, weak and inept fighter due to not daring to speak again when Tyrion (figuratively) threatens to have him killed by Bronn, also having no qualms about combating Syrio Forel whilst in full armor whilst the latter is using a practice sword or abandoning Sansa to the angry mob during the Riot of King's Landing, using his loyalty to King Joffrey as a convenient excuse (which Sandor Clegane notes by quipping that any boy whore with a sword could beat three Meryn Trants). This explains why he shows proclivity towards abusing women (notably those who can't retaliate, like Sansa), especially children (as confirmed by Tyrion when he described him as a "pompous child-beater"). It is later observed that in private he is an hebephile who beats little girls and Sandor Clegane's assessment of his combat prowess is proven correct when Arya Stark successfully kills him with ease.

Quotes
"You're a grub in fancy armor who's better at beating little girls than fighting men."

- Bronn insults Meryn Trant.

"Meryn Trant? The greatest swordsman in the world killed by Meryn fucking Trant? Any boy whore with a sword could beat three Meryn Trants!"

- Sandor Clegane dismisses Meryn Trant's swordsmanship.

"Who does Cersei plan on naming as her champion? I hope it's Ser Meryn Trant. I'd enjoy watching Bronn disembowel that pompous child beater."

- Tyrion Lannister.

"I can see I have my work cut out for me."

- Meryn Trant to Arya Stark.

"You know who I am? I'm Arya Stark. Do you know who you are? You're no one. You're nothing."

- Arya Stark's final words before she kills Meryn Trant.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ser Meryn Trant is described as having red hair, red beard, and deep circles under his eyes. He is a skilled warrior and is seen several times in the books as having success in tournaments, particularly at jousting. He went far in the Hand's Tourney, before being unhorsed by Ser Loras. He is considered to have a sly and cruel streak. Even though the Trants are sworn to Storm's End and House Baratheon, Ser Meryn is regarded by Varys as "Cersei's creature".

Meryn, along with the other four Kingsguard members present, openly laughs when his Lord Commander Barristan Selmy is unlawfully dismissed from service.

Ser Meryn in the TV series is something of a condensation of Meryn and Boros Blount in the books; while Boros is in the TV series most of his lines and actions have been given to Meryn, such as beating Sansa in the Throne Room and subsequently being threatened by Tyrion or being a weak and incompetent fighter. In the books, Meryn and Boros often appear together, acting as Joffrey's leading enforcers, carrying out his orders to have Sansa beaten in public, or to attack commoners.

At the riot started by Joffrey, Ser Meryn was riding next to Sansa but quickly abandoned her, saying he needed to focus on protecting the King. Tyrion thinks that the sight of two other Kingsguard members being downed by the rioters made Meryn panic, and that he simply used protecting Joffrey as an excuse.

When Jaime interviews the present Kingsguard members, he confronts Ser Meryn about beating Sansa, asking him mockingly where in the Book of Brothers it is written that the Kingsguard swear to beat women and children. Ser Meryn claims he was just obeying the king's orders. Jaime, who has witnessed firsthand what disasters can happen as a result of blind obedience to a king, tells Ser Meryn bluntly "Henceforth you will temper that obedience. Use that ugly thing you keep inside your helm. If Tommen wants you to saddle his horse, obey him. If he tells you to kill his horse, come to me".

Ser Meryn is the second to testify in Tyrion's trial. His testimony is partially false, and he "forgets" to mention crucial facts, in order to make Tyrion look guilty.

Ser Meryn is not sent to Braavos as a guard for the new Master of Coin (who is Harys Swift, not Mace Tyrell), thus is not killed by Arya. Instead, another man in Arya's kill list, Rafford (also known as Raff the Sweetling), is sent with Ser Harys, and meets his fate. As of A Dance with Dragons, Ser Meryn is still alive and active, though his death in the TV series suggests that he will die in a later novel.