Tywin Lannister

"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. That's all that lives on. Not your personal glory, not your honor... but family."

- Lord Tywin Lannister to Ser Jaime Lannister.

Lord Tywin Lannister is a major character in the second and third seasons. He initially appeared as a recurring character in the first season and debuted in "You Win or You Die." He is played by starring cast member Charles Dance. Tywin Lannister is the head of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and, currently, the Hand of the King to his grandson, King Joffrey Baratheon. Intelligent, calculating, and ruthless, he is also the richest man in the Seven Kingdoms. His primary concern is his family's legacy.

Background
Tywin is the lord of House Lannister, the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, and the richest man in the Seven Kingdoms. The Westerlands are one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms and House Lannister is one of the Great Houses of the realm. House Lannister rule the region from their seat of Casterly Rock and Tywin also holds the title Lord of Casterly Rock. He is also the Warden of the West. He is a widower with three children, Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion.

Tywin is the son of Tytos Lannister. His father presided over a period of decline for the house. He frittered away much of their fortune on poor investments and allowed himself to be mocked at court creating a perception of weakness. Their vassals House Reyne of Castamere rebelled against Lord Tytos. Tywin put down the rebellion personally, extinguishing their house and re-establishing the fearsome reputation of House Lannister. His ruthlessness gave darker meaning to the common phrase "A Lannister always pays his debts" and was immortalized in the song "The Rains of Castamere".

Tywin married his cousin Joanna Lannister and their first children were the fraternal twins Cersei and Jaime. She died after giving birth to Tyrion. Tywin blames his son for the death of his spouse. Jaime was diagnosed with a learning difficulty by a Maester who predicted that he would never read. Tywin sat with his son for four hours a day until he overcame his problems with transposing letters in his mind. Jaime resented being forced to practice.

Tywin served as Hand of the King to Aerys II Targaryen for twenty years but resigned after the Mad King, driven by envy and distrust, rejected Tywin's proposal to marry his daughter Cersei to Prince Rhaegar and made his son Jaime a member of the Kingsguard - thus robbing Tywin of his heir - events which Tywin perceived as insults. During Robert's Rebellion Tywin remained neutral, answering neither the summons of the King nor the calls from the rebels, until the Battle of the Trident. Tywin marched with the full power of Casterly Rock to the capital, feigning he had come to defend it from the rebellion. After the city gates were opened, Tywin ordered the city to be taken and the royal family eliminated in a quick and efficient manner; as a result the city was sacked and the royal family massacred by Ser Gregor Clegane and Ser Amory Lorch. Meanwhile, Tywin's son killed the Mad King. Tywin presented the bodies of the royal family as proof of his allegiance. After the rebellion Robert Baratheon took the throne and married Tywin's daughter Cersei to cement their alliance.

Cersei's son Joffrey Baratheon is the heir to the throne. She has two younger children Myrcella Baratheon and Tommen Baratheon. Unbeknownst to Tywin all three children are the product of her incestuous relationship with Jaime. Tywin is close to his younger brother, Kevan who is his chief advisor. Kevan's son Lancel is King Robert's squire.

Tywin despises and hates his younger son, seeing him as misshapen and perverse. When Tyrion was very young, Jaime set him up with a prostitute. Jaime posed her as a common girl in distress that they rescued from bandits. Jaime chased the bandits off while Tyrion comforted the girl. They married, but when Tywin found out he was furious and made Jaime reveal the truth. Tywin paid her for every one of his guards to have sex with her and forced Tyrion to watch. Tywin's hatred of Tyrion has been reciprocated since. Nevertheless, all of Tywin's children are in awe of him and heed his counsel.

Season 1
Tyrion is accused of the attempted murder of Bran Stark and taken prisoner by Catelyn Stark. Despite their mutual dislike Tywin regards any affront to Tyrion as an affront to the honor of House Lannister as a whole and will not allow the action to go unpunished. Jaime confronts Catelyn's husband Eddard Stark who is the current Hand of the King to Robert. Eddard takes responsibility for Catelyn's actions. They fight, but the fight is prematurely ended when one of Jaime's guards intervenes, injuring Eddard. Jaime then leaves King's Landing. Lord Tywin leads an army of sixty thousand men from the Westerlands to the borders of the Riverlands where he is met by Jaime. He commands Jaime to take half their men and besiege Riverrun, the childhood home of Catelyn. Tywin is incredulous that Jaime didn't capture Eddard Stark when he had the chance on the basis that he didn't win their fight 'fairly' because a Lannister man-at-arms interfered. Robert dies after being injured by a boar while hunting and Joffrey claims the throne. Eddard challenges Joffrey's legitimacy and is arrested for treason in King's Landing.

Tywin moves his half of the force West to the banks of the Trident. Tyrion arrives at the Lannister army having won his freedom in a trial by combat. He is accompanied by the leaders of the hill tribes, Shagga, Timett and Chella, having won their allegiance with promises of supplies. Tywin agrees to the alliance, and is amused when the hill tribes say they will only fight if Tyrion is with them on the field. Learning that the Stark army is moving to meet him in battle, Tywin triumphantly predicts victory, since Robb Stark is an unproven, untested 'green' boy. Tyrion notes that Robb is belligerent and cleverer than he looks. Tyrion bemuses Tywin by suggesting that he would like Robb. The Lannister armies prepare for battle. Tywin tells Tyrion that he will place the hill tribe forces in his vanguard and orders Tyrion to lead them from the front. Tyrion angrily accuses his father of trying to kill him but nevertheless survives the ensuing Battle of the Green Fork. The Lannister force wins a decisive victory but finds the Stark force much smaller than the scouts had reported. Robb had split his forces at the Twins and led the majority west. He won a victory of his own in the Battle of the Whispering Wood and captured Jaime. In King's Landing Joffrey has Eddard executed for his crimes. Lord Tywin and his bannermen meet to discuss Jaime's defeat and capture. Kevan reports that both of Robert's brothers (Stannis and Renly Baratheon) have made their own claims on the Iron Throne. Kevan suggests a truce with House Stark. Tyrion impresses his father by asserting that Joffrey has destroyed any hope for peace between the Starks and the Lannisters. Tywin dismisses the others and orders Tyrion to go to King's Landing to act as Hand of the King in his place. He instructs Tyrion to keep Joffrey under control and to watch for treason among the small council. He forbids Tyrion to bring the prostitute Shae to court but Tyrion defies him and has Shae follow him to King's Landing.

Season 2

 * Main: Tywin Lannister Season 2

As the head of House Lannister Tywin is leading his forces in defence of his grandson King Joffrey Baratheon in the War of the Five Kings. He has suffered three significant defeats at the hands of newly declared King in the North Robb Stark and his son Jaime Lannister remains Robb's captive. His regrouped forces are raiding the Riverlands from their base at Harrenhal.

Robb wins a further victory against Tywin's reinforcements in the Battle of Oxcross. Tywin returns to Harrenhal to find his courtyard full of prisoners and Ser Gregor Clegane and his men systematically torturing them to death. He orders a halt to the practice because it is a waste of manpower. He notices a female prisoner posing as a boy. She says that it is safer to travel as a boy and recognizing her intelligence he makes her his new cupbearer. Unbeknownst to Tywin the girl is Arya Stark.

Tywin hosts a war council to discuss a new strategy to defeat Robb. He is frustrated at having underestimated his opponent. Realizing that Arya is from the north he asks for her opinion of Robb. She relays rumours about his supernatural connection to his direwolf and supposed invulnerability. Tywin asks if she believes what she has heard and she says that anyone can be killed.

Tywin berates Ser Amory Lorch for misdirecting a communique into the hands of their enemies. He is surprised to discover that Arya reads better than his bannerman. He later questions the source of her literacy. She is able to maintain her lie while Tywin recalls how he made Jaime overcome his reading difficulties. As Tywin reminisces about his father's weakness Arya steals the letter. She is caught carrying it by Amory. She orders Amory's death through her connection to the assassin Jaqen H'ghar. Tywin is shocked when Amory dies on the threshold of his chambers but does not know who was responsible; he believes he was the one being targeted. Tywin meets with Petyr Baelish who proposes an alliance with House Tyrell.

Tywin dedicates himself to finding the assassin, ordering the torture and execution of dozens of his own men. Arya serves him mutton, a meal he dislikes, Arya says she will go look for something else but he instead invites her to eat, and they talk about Harrenhal and how it came to ruin after Dragons attacked it. He is once again very impressed with her knowledge, and is amused by her will to defy him when he corrects her on how to refer to one's lord.

Robb continues to win victories in the Westerlands, taking captives at Yellow Fork, forcing the surrender of the Crag and closing on Casterly Rock itself. King Stannis Baratheon sails on King's Landing. With both the nations capital and his own seat under threat Tywin convenes a war council. He argues that Robb is a greater threat and decides to march immediately. He leaves Ser Gregor as castellan at Harrenhal and Arya to be his cupbearer. Unbeknownst to him, however, Arya manages to escape Harrenhal.

Tywin arrives in King's Landing towards the end of Battle of the Blackwater with a large force of Lannister-Tyrell soldiers, thus winning the battle. A wounded Tyrion sees them arrive, just before passing out. Cersei is sitting on the Iron Throne with Tommen, when Tywin comes in to announce their victory.

At the ceremony to honor the heroes of the battle, Tywin Lannister rides his horse into the throne room and across to the throne, where Joffrey grants him the honorific title of "Savior of the City" and reaffirms him as Hand of the King to the court. Tywin rides in on his horse to accept the honor, but not before the beast defecates on the doorway of the throne room.

Season 3
Following the Battle of Blackwater Tywin wastes no time in asserting his authority over King's Landing, shunning his grievously injured son; instead busying himself with his new position of Hand of the King. Eventually Tywin relents and grants Tyrion an audience, who walks in on his father authoring a letter to an unknown individual in which Tywin describes the North as being "ripe for the taking". Tyrion request his father give him Casterly Rock, as he is his only heir since Jaime took his oath. Tywin hatefully spites his son for killing his mother in childbirth and saying that he will never make Tyrion heir to Casterly Rock, considering him an abomination and a curse who would humiliate the family name and turn Casterly Rock into a brothel. As Tyrion leaves he says if he finds another whore in his chamber he will hang her.

Tywin calls a Small Council meeting and has the meeting take place near his own chambers in the Tower of the Hand to assert his dominance. Tywin begins by chiding his fellow council members on their lack of progress to locating Jaime. Varys next informs Lord Tywin that Hoster Tully is dead and most of Robb Starks' forces are in Riverrun for his funeral. Roose Bolton has been left in charge of Harrenhal making him the de facto lord of the castle. Tywin argues that Baelish being lord of Harrenhal in name only serves his purposes just fine: courting Lysa Arryn. Tyrion brings up that this would leave the council without a Master Of Coin and Tywin agrees with his son for once and promptly names Tyrion the new Master Of Coin.

Tywin is later visited by Cersei in the Tower of the Hand. Cersei wants reassurance that all that can be done to locate her brother is being done. Tywin coldly states that if he went above and beyond to free Tyrion then it can be assumed that he would do even more to for his eldest son and heir. Cersei then tells Tywin that he has always passed her over in favour of her brothers despite heeding her father's advice and that she can contribute a great deal to the Lannister legacy. Tywin ask his daughter for an example of such contributions and criticizes her for being unable to control Joffrey. When Cersei tells him to try and control him Tywin dryly states that he will.

In order to counter the growing power of the Tyrells, Tywin summons Cersei and Tyrion for a meeting. Thanks to Cersei, Tywin has stumbled on a Tyrell plot to wed Sansa to Loras, allowing the Tyrell family to control the north. Tywin feels that Tyrells shouldn't be scheming against him after he brought them into the royal family. When Tyrion questions how Sansa is the heir since Robb is still alive Tywin replies that Robb's army is melting away with the abandonment of the Freys and the Karstarks. The deaths of his brothers at Theon Greyjoy's hands makes Sansa Robb's heir; if he dies, control of the North goes to her and any man she marries, which Tywin doesn't intend to be a Tyrell.

Tywin reveals that he intends to marry Sansa to Tyrion, who objects to the plan since he felt she has suffered enough at the hands of the Lannisters. Tywin questions if Tyrion plans to mistreat Sansa and asserts that he is not concerned with the girl's happiness and neither should his son. Tywin points out that recently he was complaining that he wasn't rewarded for his actions in the Battle of the Blackwater, and as heiress to the North, Sansa is a far better reward than he could expect and that Tyrion was long due to be wed. Seething, Tyrion retorts that he was happily married once in case his father forgot. Tywin remembers the incident all too well but states that the North is Tyrion's "reward" for his valour in battle. Tywin knows that his son will obey despite all his protests. When Cersei laughs at her brother's discomfort, Tywin says that she too must do as she is bid. Cersei is struck dumb when her father informs her that she will wed Loras. In doing so the Lannisters will bind both the Reach and the North to them. Tywin ignores her protests as well and states that his children have disgraced the Lannister name for far too long.

Sometime after Tywin meets with Olenna Tyrell to discuss Cersei' and Loras' upcoming nuptials. Lady Olenna is less than enthusiastic about the marriage as she deems Cersei too old to wed the heir to Highgarden. Tywin then attempts to force Olenna's hand by mentioning Loras' homosexuality but Olenna counters by bringing up the rumours of incest between Jaime and Cersei. Tywin says that this is just a vile rumour that isn't worth repeating but if it were true then House Tyrell has already burnt itself by taking the Lannister side. When Lady Olenna still won't relent Tywin threatens to appoint Loras to the Kingsguard which would spell the end for house Tyrell's lineage.

Tywin is later summoned by Joffrey to the throneroom. After exchanging some false courtesy Tywin asks why his grandson wished to see him. Joffrey wants an update on what the Small Council has been doing. Tywin informs Joffrey that the king can attend any Small Council meeting should he desire it. The boy king claims that he is too busy to attend said meetings and demands to know why the location of the council meetings has changed. Tywin says that he is holding the meeting in the Tower of the Hand to save time. When Joffrey complains that he would have to climb too many steps should he wish to sit in on a small council meeting Tywin jokes that he could arrange for Joffrey to be carried up those steps. When Joffrey changes the subject to Daenerys Targaryen Tywin is surprised that Joffrey even knows about the exiled princess. However Tywin asserts that dragons have been extinct for centuries and even if Daenerys does have dragons, they are on the far side of the world and no threat to Joffrey's rule. Tywin also warns his grandson that he should heed his advisor's council on matters he does not comprehend. When Joffrey protests that he hasn't been counseled on anything Tywin says he is being advised at this very moment and says that he will inform Joffrey should he deem it necessary before taking his leave, smiling slightly as he does so.

Naturally, Tywin attends his son's wedding, he is not amused when Joffrey pulls a nasty prank on Tyrion. When others present also begin to snigger, one glare from Tywin shuts them up. At the wedding feast Tywin chastises Tyrion for his drunkenness. He also tries to impart on his son the importance of putting a Lannister child in Sansa's belly. As the celebration is winding down Joffrey insists on starting the bedding ceremony to humiliate his uncle further. Tywin defuses the situation and glances at the Tyrell table, where Olenna is quietly smirking at her opponent's frustration.

Personality
Tywin is a cold, ruthless, arrogant, highly intelligent and calculating man. He was deeply in love with his late wife Joanna, but after she died giving birth to Tyrion, whatever warmth might have been in him died with her. Tywin hates Tyrion for causing the death of his wife, as well as for shaming Tywin and their family by being born a misshapen dwarf.

Tywin insists that all he does is for the sake of his family. Tywin's own father Tytos was a generous and caring man, whose bad investments and indecision made House Lannister a laughingstock. Tywin had to rebuild his family's fortunes almost singlehandedly, and sees outward signs of caring and emotion as the same kind of weakness that his own father showed. Ironically, however, Tywin's harsh actions and unwillingness to serve as a caring father figure have resulted in severe emotional problems in all three of his children, who are all terrified of him. Jaime and Cersei have been having an incestuous sexual relationship since they were very young, partially due to the lack of any loving parental relationship either of them had. Tywin actually spent most of their lives away in King's Landing serving as Hand of the King, and with their mother dead, his children were functionally raised by servants. Tywin only sporadically visited his home at Casterly Rock, and on the occasions when he did return he would deal out severe punishment for any transgressions his children committed while he was away.

What little relationship Tywin may have had with Tyrion was destroyed when Tywin had his marriage to the commoner Tysha annulled, then forced Tyrion to watch as he had his guards gang-rape the girl. The irony, of course, is that Tywin himself married for love when he married his own first cousin Joanna, instead of entering into a marriage-alliance with another more powerful noble family. Over the years, Tywin seemed to develop an outright joy in inflicting petty humiliations on Tyrion, such as "rewarding" him on his sixteenth nameday by putting him in charge of the privys and sewers at Casterly Rock.

Meanwhile, Tywin possesses a very conservative, patrician set of social values, in which women are suited to securing marriage-alliances and little else, not wielding power on their own. Thus in contrast to House Tyrell, in which female members of the family are trained in ruling and court intrigue as much as the men are, Tywin never trained Cersei how to rule. Without instruction from her father, because Tywin always disregarded her as simply a means to an end, Cersei turned into a queen who actually isn't very skilled at the art of ruling.

Of his three children Tywin has the least shame for Jaime, but not outright respect. Tywin feels disappointed that Jaime wants to continue to be a member of the Kingsguard, as while it is the highest honor a knight can aspire to, it means that Jaime had to swear away his rights to marriage or inheritance, which would leave Tywin's hated son Tyrion as his heir.

Tywin does have a generally good relationship with his younger brother Kevan, whom he shaped his whole life to serve as his faithful lieutenant. On the whole, however, for a man who claims to value family above all else, Tywin has hypocritically destroyed his relationships with his own children.

Quotes
"Lannisters don't act like fools."

- Tywin Lannister

"A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of a sheep."

- Tywin Lannister

Tyrion: "I want what is mine by right. Jaime is your eldest son, heir to your lands and titles, but he is a Kingsguard, forbidden from marriage or inheritance. The day Jaime put on the white cloak he gave up his claim to Casterly Rock. I am your son and lawful heir."

Tywin: "You want Casterly Rock?"

Tyrion: "It is mine by right."

Tywin: [sighs] "We'll find you accommodations more suited to your name and as a reward for your accomplishments during the Battle of Blackwater Bay. And when the time is right, you will be given a position fit for your talents so that you can serve your family and protect our legacy. And if you serve faithfully, you will be rewarded with a suitable wife - And I would let myself be consumed by maggots before mocking the family name and making you heir to Casterly Rock."

Tyrion: "Why?"

Tywin: "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 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!"


 * --Tywin's opinions on his son Tyrion, "Valar Dohaeris".

Behind the scenes

 * On 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".

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Tywin is a ruthless, pragmatic leader and a formidable general and strategist, although he prefers to orchestrate events from behind the scenes rather than leading from the front. His father, Lord Tytos, was a weak ruler who was mocked by many of his vassals. When House Reyne of Castamere and House Tarbeck of Tarbeck Hall rose against House Lannister, young Tywin led his House's armies and crushed the revolt. He was the Hand of the King under King Aerys II Targaryen for twenty years before a series of insults saw him resign the position. Tywin's term in office as Hand of the King was very successful, to the point that he was essentially the only man holding the kingdom together as Aerys II grew increasingly more insane over the years. The TV series does not state this, but the reason the Mad King had Ilyn Payne's tongue torn from his mouth with hot irons was because he overheard Payne remarking that Tywin was the real ruler of the kingdoms. After Tywin resigned and returned home to Casterly Rock, Aerys II's rule rapidly spiralled out of control, which in turn only fueled the Mad King's paranoia.

When Robert's Rebellion erupted, Tywin took no part. Only after it became clear that the rebels would be victorious, Tywin betrayed Aerys by sending his army to sack King's Landing, delivering Robert Baratheon his final victory of the war. This action spawned the original friction between House Lannister and Ned Stark, who correctly observed that the Lannisters only intervened when it was convenient, and that they could not be trusted. Further, Ned was disgusted that the Lannister army had dishonorably sacked the city and even killed Rhaegar Targaryen's small children (as Aemon recounts to Jon in the TV series). The first book explains that Gregor Clegane led the Lannister forces that found and killed the children; Gregor personally killed Rhaegar's infant son by bashing his head in, then - while covered in the blood and brains of her baby - raped and killed Rhaegar's wife Elia Martell. Tywin's defense when confronted by Ned was that he never personally ordered Gregor to kill the royal children, but Tywin also did nothing to punish Gregor. It is Ned's disgust at Tywin's actions during the Sack of King's Landing that drive how he deals with Cersei's betrayal, because even if Cersei's children are bastards borne of incest, Ned knows that Robert would have all three killed if he told him, and Ned fears that this would make himself no better than Tywin.

Tywin pledged fealty to Robert in the aftermath of the conflict, and Robert agreed to marry Tywin's daughter Cersei. Tywin is proud of his son Jaime, a great warrior, but loathes his youngest son Tyrion, blaming him for the death of Tywin's wife, Joanna, in childbirth. The books make it clear that Tywin is unaware of the incestuous relationship between Jaime and Cersei.

His appearance is slightly different in the books, where he is completely bald with long golden "side whiskers" and green eyes flecked with gold.

According to the TV series official pronunciation guide developed for the cast and crew, "Tywin Lannister" is pronounced "TIE-win LAN-iss-ter", as opposed to "Tih-win", etc.