Davos Seaworth

"You want me to have a god? Fine. King Stannis is my god.  He raised me up and blessed me with his trust.  He gave you a future I could never have imagined...you think a fire-god commanded all of that?  It was Stannis, only Stannis."

- Davos Seaworth to his son Matthos.

Davos Seaworth is a major character in the second season. He is played by starring cast member Liam Cunningham and debuts in "The North Remembers." It has been confirmed that he is one of the favorite characters of producer and showrunner David Benioff. Ser Davos Seaworth is a landed knight and a former smuggler in the service of Stannis Baratheon.

Background
Ser Davos Seaworth is a landed knight and a reformed smuggler. His ship used to ply the Narrow Sea, smuggling goods from the Free Cities into the Seven Kingdoms and back again. During Robert's Rebellion, Davos aided Stannis Baratheon while he was besieged in Storm's End by delivering smuggled onions into the castle. The supplies helped Stannis's forces survive until the end of the war. For this service, Stannis rewarded Davos by bestowing him with lands as the status of knighthood. Davos was disparagingly called "the Onion Knight" for his actions, but he has embraced this title proudly and adopted an onion on the sail of a ship as his sigil.

Stannis also took four finger tips from Davos's right hand as punishment for his smuggling crimes. Davos submitted to this punishment willingly, judging it a fair exchange in return for improving his family's future prospects. Davos is left-handed. He wears his severed finger bones about his neck and believes they bring him luck.

Davos is one of Stannis' most loyal and reliable vassals, but is treated with disdain by some of the other lords of Westeros for his low birth. Davos has several sons, including Matthos, who serves with him on his ship and is a scribe for Stannis. He is proud of his sons' education but remains illiterate.

Season 2

 * Main: Davos Seaworth Season 2

King Stannis Baratheon converts to the Lord of Light and allows his priestess Melisandre to burn the statues of the seven outside Dragonstone. Davos is agnostic but watches with interest beside his son Matthos Seaworth, a devoted convert. Maester Cressen attempts to interrupt the ceremony but is casually dismissed by Melisandre. She proclaims Stannis as a prophesied hero when he draws a flaming sword from one of the statues.

Stannis hosts a council and prepares a letter to be distributed throughout the Seven Kingdoms. He has learned from Eddard Stark that Joffrey Baratheon is a bastard born of incest between Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime rather than Robert Baratheon's true heir. Stannis is therefore the rightful heir and plans to pursue his claims to the throne despite being outnumbered. His younger brother Renly Baratheon has also claimed the throne to Stannis's frustration. Davos urges Stannis to make peace with Renly to fight against Joffrey but Stannis refuses. Cressen attempts to poison Melisandre, framing it as an apology. Davos realizes what he is doing and unsuccesfully tries to stop him. Cressen drinks the poison first to make Melisandre feel safer. She also realizes his plan but drains the rest of the liquid regardless. Cressen quickly bleeds to death while Melisandre stands over his corpse unharmed.

Davos recruits the pirate admiral Salladhor Saan to Stannis's cause, bringing his 30 ships to Dragonstone. Salladhor is an old friend of Davos. Davos accompanies Stannis to a parley with Renly on the coast of the Stormlands. They are unable to reach a compromise and Stannis gives Renly the night to reconsider. Stannis then tasks Davos with smuggling Melisandre into the caves beneath Renly's camp, refusing to say why and ordering Davos not to discuss the mission in future. Davos delivers Melisandre ashore and she disrobes, revealing that she is impossibly, heavily pregnant. She births a horrific Shadow as Davos cowers in fear. The Shadow kills Renly and Stannis assumes control of the majority of his forces. He plans to move on the capital of King's Landing. Davos urges him to leave Melisandre out of the battle because of rumours that she is controlling him. Stannis is angry with Davos for breaking his orders but accepts his counsel. He names Davos as commander of his fleet for the assault on Blackwater Bay. Davos is concerned that Stannis's bannermen will not respect him because of his origins.

The fleet travels north along the coast. Davos predicts that they are just one days sail from their destination. Stannis admires Davos's loyalty and the way he copes with the snobbery of the Highborn. He recalls Davos's timely intervention saving many lives in the siege of Storm's End. Stannis asks Davos to serve as his Hand of the King when he takes the Iron Throne.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Davos was born in Flea Bottom, the poorest district in King's Landing. He became a sailor whilst very young and has spent most of his life sailing the Narrow Sea. His black-sailed ship became infamous for stealing into harbors in the dead of night whilst avoiding detection.

When Stannis forgave him his crimes, he also took the fingertips from each finger on his left hand. Davos judged this a fair exchange for titles, lands and the future of his family. He keeps his finger bones in a pouch tied around his neck, believing they bring him and his family luck.

Davos is married to Marya Seaworth, the daughter of a carpenter, who rarely leaves their home on Cape Wrath. They have seven sons: Dale, Allard, Matthos, Marc, Devan, Stannis and Steffon, the eldest five of whom are also in the service of House Baratheon.