Gendry Baratheon

"When I hit that steel it sings. Are you gonna sing when I hit you?"

- Gendry to Hot Pie

Gendry is a recurring character in the first and second seasons. He is played by guest star Joe Dempsie and debuts in "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things." Gendry is the unacknowledged bastard son of King Robert Baratheon. He is a skilled blacksmith and a prisoner at Harrenhal.

Background
Gendry is the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon, but is unacknowledged and unaware of his lineage. Gendry is a blacksmith's apprentice living and working in the capital city of King's Landing. He helps his master, Tobho Mott, to forge armor and weapons for the nobility.

Season 1
Investigating the death of Jon Arryn, Lord Eddard Stark learns that he was seen visiting Tobho Mott's smithy in the city shortly before his death. Eddard also inspects the smithy and meets both Mott and Gendry. Eddard admires a helm that Gendry has made and Gendry insists that it is not for sale as he made it for himself. Eddard learns that Jon wanted to know about Gendry's mother and realizes that Gendry is the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon. Eddard is at a loss as to why Jon Arryn was trying to track down Robert's bastards.

Gendry is one of the latest batch of Yoren's recruits for the Night's Watch. He meets Arya when some of the other boys harass her about her sword. When Hot Pie bumps into him, he scares the boys off saying "When I hit that steel it sings, are you gonna sing when I hit you?"

Season 2

 * Main: Gendry Season 2

Gendry travels north on the Kingsroad with Yoren and his recruits, befriending Arya Stark on the journey. He is targeted by the City Watch of King's Landing because of his status as a bastard of King Robert Baratheon but remains unaware of his lineage. Yoren intimidates a pair of goldcloaks who come looking for Gendry into leaving empty handed. Gendry sees through Arya's disguise and recognizes her as a girl. She confides her identity and swears him to secrecy. The goldcloaks return with Ser Amory Lorch and a force of Lannister soldiers. They kill Yoren and capture Arya and Gendry. Arya manages to convince them that Lommy Greenhands was Gendry because he was carrying the bull's head helm Gendry made.

The prisoners are taken to Harrenhal. They are brutally tortured by Ser Gregor Clegane's men while being questioned by the Tickler. Gendry is selected as his next victim but is saved when Lord Tywin Lannister arrives and asserts that the prisoners are more useful alive. Gendry is put to work at the castle's forge. Both the Tickler and Ser Amory are killed in suspicious circumstances. The deaths prompt Tywin to launch an investigation and he ultimately blames the Brotherhood Without Banners. Tywin leaves Harrenhal to march on the Westerlands. Arya arranges for Jaqen H'ghar to help them to escape the castle.

Quotes
"You've heard the awful rumors about by brother and sister?...I suppose people who do believe that filth consider Robert's bastards to be better claimants to the throne than Cersei's children."

- Tyrion Lannister

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels Gendry is apprenticed to Tobho Mott, a master blacksmith. Gendry's mother worked at an alehouse and died when he was very young. An unknown person paid for his apprenticeship to Mott. Gendry is in his mid-teens, a powerfully-built and strong lad who shows great promise as a blacksmith.

In the books, Gendry is said to resemble King Robert so closely that it is blatantly obvious to anyone who knew Robert that he is Robert's son. Due to the fact that Renly Baratheon is also said to greatly resemble his older brother Robert in his youth, Gendry also bears a striking resemblance to Renly. Gendry does not receive the bastard surname used in the Crownlands (Waters) because he was not acknowledged by Robert.