Robert Baratheon

"He was a good man, a great warrior... and a terrible King."

- Barristan Selmy to Jorah Mormont, on Robert Baratheon

King Robert Baratheon is a major character in the first season. He is played by starring cast member Mark Addy, and debuts in the series premiere.

Robert Baratheon was the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, formally styled as Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. He took the throne through conquest in the war known as Robert's Rebellion. Robert was a great warrior in his youth. He killed Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, at the Battle of the Trident. After the war, Robert married Cersei Lannister to cement an alliance with House Lannister to hold the kingdoms together, but the marriage was loveless. Robert and Cersei have three children: Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Unbeknown to Robert, all three were actually fathered by Cersei's twin brother, Jaime Lannister.

Robert found the winning of his kingdom far more fulfilling than the running of it, and spent much of the next seventeen years whoring, drinking and hunting. So it is his small council that is delegated the tedious tasks of ruling. He is a childhood friend of Eddard Stark and considers him his true brother. He names Ned Hand of the King when the previous Hand dies in mysterious circumstances. Eddard launches an investigation and discovers that his predecessor was scrutinizing the parentage of Cersei's children. Fearful of exposure, Cersei instructs Robert's squire, Lancel Lannister, to give him too much wine while hunting. Robert is fatally wounded by a boar and succumbs to his injuries soon afterwards. Robert names Eddard protector of the realm just before his death. Cersei then ignores the proclamation, has Eddard arrested, and seizes the throne for her son, Joffrey. The resulting dispute leads to the War of the Five Kings.

Background
Robert is the first son of Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Baratheon, and has two younger brothers, Renly and Stannis. Steffon was the head of House Baratheon and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. The Stormlands are one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms and House Baratheon is one of the Great Houses of the realm. His parents died in his youth when their ship was caught in a storm; Robert, standing on the walls of Storm's End with Stannis, witnessed his parents ship that was returning from Essos break up on the rocks. He inherited the lordship, and was fostered by Jon Arryn, the head of House Arryn, another Great House. Eddard Stark, the second son of House Stark, was also fostered by Jon Arryn and Robert and Eddard became as close as brothers.

Robert served King Aerys II Targaryen (known as the Mad King) as the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. Robert was betrothed to Lyanna Stark, Eddard's sister. Lyanna was kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. The mad king had Eddard's father and brother killed for protesting against the kidnapping. Their deaths sparked a massive uprising against Aerys led by Robert, Eddard and Jon Arryn. Lyanna and Aerys died during the civil war that followed. Robert claimed the Iron Throne because he started the war and killed Prince Rhaegar personally. Robert also had the best claim to the throne as a result of being related to the Targaryens through his paternal grandmother, Rhaelle Targaryen. The other leaders of the rebels, Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark, believed that Robert, with his claim and charismatic personality, should be king and both stood aside.

Robert was devastated by Lyanna's death, but was urged by Jon Arryn to marry Cersei of House Lannister, making an alliance with her father, Tywin Lannister, who had joined his cause late in the conflict and delivered the capital of King's Landing to him. He named Jon Arryn as his Hand while Eddard took his father's role as Warden of the North.

Stannis fought for Robert through the war though the two brothers never loved each other. Despite Stannis' service during the war, Robert made Renly the Lord of Storm's End following his victory. Renly was only a child during the civil war, so he did not fight. Stannis was made Lord of Dragonstone and served on Robert's small council as Master of Ships. Renly later joined the small council as Master of Laws.

Robert has been the King of the Andals and the First Men and the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros since the end of the civil war. However, he is more concerned with drinking, whoring and hunting than with the minutiae of ruling his kingdom. He revels in the glory days of the rebellion. He leaves the running of the kingdom largely his small council, led by Jon Arryn. King Robert also loves to throw events such as tournaments at which he spares no expense. Unfortunately, after seventeen years Robert's excesses have left the realm deeply in debt for a shocking six million Gold Dragons, half of that to House Lannister. He apparently has three children with Cersei: Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Unbeknownst to Robert all three were actually fathered by Cersei's twin brother Jaime Lannister. Robert has also fathered several illegitimate bastards, to whom he pays no attention. He has an unacknowledged bastard son named Gendry fathered on a tavern wench. He has an unacknowledged bastard daughter named Barra fathered on the prostitute Mhaegen. He has at least four other unacknowledged bastards fathered with various women in the city of King's Landing alone.

Jon Arryn began investigating the lineage of Cersei's children, comparing their appearance to Robert's bastard offspring. He died under mysterious circumstances shortly after beginning his investigation. Robert has decided to ride north to Eddard's keep Winterfell to name him as Jon Arryn's replacement.

Season 1
The royal party arrives in Winterfell and Lord Eddard presents his household to King Robert. After initial greetings, Robert demands to see the crypts and pay his respects, stoking Queen Cersei's impatience. In the crypts Robert places a feather in the hand of a statue of Lyanna Stark. He tells Eddard that in his dreams he kills Rhaegar Targaryen every night anew, but Eddard replies that House Targaryen is destroyed. "Not all of them," Robert counters. Robert formally offers Eddard the role of Hand of the King, telling him that he needs someone to run the kingdom and revealing that he is fearful of betrayal from within his court. Eddard asks for time to think about it. Robert agrees but offers a sweetener: the hand of his son Joffrey in marriage to Eddard's daughter Sansa. A great feast is held in honor of the king's visit to Winterfell. The next morning Eddard and Robert go hunting and Eddard accepts Robert's offer, with Robert stating that Ned is a loyal friend, the last one he's got.

The parties depart Winterfell. Days later, on the Kingsroad south to the capital, Robert calls a halt to discuss some newly-arrived dire news with Eddard. Robert's spies have learned of Daenerys Targaryen's marriage to Khal Drogo whose khalasar is reported to number over one hundred thousand people. Eddard points out that the Dothraki cannot cross the Narrow Sea, as they have no ships, but Robert is concerned that the Seven Kingdoms will soon face another war.

On the Kingsroad, the royal party reaches the Crossroads Inn, a noted stop on the way south to the capital. Joffrey is injured by Nymeria, a direwolf belonging to Ned's younger daughter Arya during the halt. Arya is brought before Robert and truthfully blames Joffrey for instigating the incident but Joffrey's falsified version of events is supported by Sansa. Robert is furious that a minor fracas has become a major incident with his wife and his new Hand accusing one another's children; he also appears to exhibit disdain towards Joffrey over the fact his son was beaten and disarmed by a girl several years his junior. He decides to let Ned discipline Arya whilst he will do the same to Joffrey, but to appease his Queen he agrees that a direwolf must be executed. When Nymeria cannot be found, Robert commands that Sansa's wolf Lady must be killed instead.

On his return to King's Landing Robert orders a tournament to celebrate Eddard's appointment as King's Hand. He avoids the small council meetings where discussion of the kingdom's mounting debts and the difficulty of paying for the tournament are raised. Robert swaps old war stories with Ser Barristan Selmy, a distinguished and famous knight and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and Jaime Lannister, whilst also humiliating his 'useless' squire, Lancel Lannister. Robert enjoys the attentions of at least four women in his chambers. Jaime Lannister, left guarding his room outside, is infuriated by the insult done to his sister by this, and vents about it to Jory Cassel.

Robert learns that Daenerys is pregnant and orders that she and her brother Viserys Targaryen be assassinated. Eddard disagrees with the decision, and resigns as Hand, enraging Robert. Later, Cersei asks the King if it was wise to lose Eddard in this way and they, with surprising civility, discuss their marriage. Robert tells her he could never love her due to his feelings for Lyanna. Cersei also asks why Robert is so worried about the prospect of a Targaryen-aligned Dothraki army. Robert, displaying what is left of his sound tactical mind, explains that should the Dothraki cross the Narrow Sea, the nobles can retreat to their castles, but the smallfolk would be slaughtered, and the nobles in the castles will starve while the Dothraki rove outside the gates. Robert's brother Renly reports that Robert is planning a big hunt and has asked Renly to accompany him, a prospect Renly dreads.

Robert and Cersei visit Eddard as he recovers at the Tower of the Hand, from wounds sustained fighting Jaime and his guards. Cersei is furious with Eddard for having her brother Tyrion arrested and for fighting with Jaime, but Eddard is unrepentant. She wants Robert to take action against him, but Robert refuses to condemn him, without hearing Eddard's side, and tells her to be silent. When Cersei protests further, and calls Robert a woman, he hits her. She says that she will wear the bruise with honor. Robert tells her to be silent, or he will honor her again, and Cersei leaves in anger. Afterward, Robert restores Eddard to his position as King's Hand, and tells him not to resign again or he will give the position to Jaime Lannister. He tells Ned to end the animosity between House Stark and House Lannister, as strife between the two houses could lead them into war, and that he is leaving on a hunt in the Kingswood and wants the realm at peace by the time he returns. Robert goes hunting, taking Selmy, Lancel and Renly with him. Being supplied with wine by Lancel, Robert becomes drunk and nostalgic, and Renly becomes annoyed with Robert for glorifying the "good old days" and leaves the hunt to return to the castle. Robert is badly wounded whilst trying to kill a boar while hunting. He is taken back to the capital and on his deathbed tells Joffrey that he wishes he could have been a better father to him. After Robert commands everyone to leave, he names Ned as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm. Eddard has learned that Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen are not Robert's children, but are instead the product of incest between Cersei and her twin brother Jaime, a fact he is unable to tell the dying Robert. Robert also asks him to cancel the attempt on Daenerys Targaryen's life but it comes too late to stop it. After Robert's death, Cersei destroys the proclamation of Eddard as Regent and Protector of the Realm and has Eddard arrested. Renly also flees the city, after telling Eddard that he would make a better king than his and Robert's other brother (and the rightful heir), Stannis. Robert's death sparks the War of the Five Kings with both of his brothers, Joffrey, Balon Greyjoy, and Robb Stark crowning themselves as kings.

Season 2
After learning the true parentage of Joffrey and his siblings, Stannis Baratheon has his scribe Matthos Seaworth prepare a letter to be distributed to the Seven Kingdoms. As Matthos is reading a rough draft of this letter to Stannis, the latter orders the reference to Robert as his "beloved brother" be taken out since he and Robert never loved each other. When Joffrey hears the "rumors" about his parentage as well as the fact that Robert had other children, he realizes that his enemies may think that Robert's bastards have a better claim to the throne than he does. In response to this threat, he orders the City Watch of King's Landing to hunt down and kill all of the bastards. Under the leadership of Lord Commander Janos Slynt, the Watch carry out a city-wide massacre of Robert's bastards, including the infant Barra. The only bastard known to have escaped this slaughter was Gendry.

Season 3
At some point prior to his death (possibly as he lay mortally wounded after the boar hunt), Robert specified that he did not want to be buried in the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, where the remains of previous kings from the Targaryen dynasty are interred. Instead, as per Robert's instructions he was buried alongside his forefathers at his family's ancestral castle, Storm's End.

Meanwhile, Robert's bastard Gendry - having now survived imprisonment under Gregor Clegane at Harrenhal as well as the massacre back in King's Landing - is now traveling with the outlaw group called the Brotherhood Without Banners who ultimately exchange him to the red priestess Melisandre in exchange for two bags of gold. Unaware of what she intends to do with him, Gendry is initially cordial towards Melisandre who reveals the truth about his father as they pass the Red Keep. They arrive at Dragonstone where Gendry meets his uncle Stannis, who refers to his nephew as "half Robert, half low-born." Melisandre later seduces Gendry before quickly tying him to a bed and leeching his blood as part of a ritual to help Stannis's quest for the Iron Throne. However, Gendry is later freed by Davos Seaworth before Stannis and Melisandre can completely sacrifice him thus preserving Robert's bloodline.

Season 4
When Joffrey is assassinated at his own wedding feast, Tommen becomes the heir apparent despite the "rumors" about his actual parentage. As he stands vigil with Cersei and Tywin over Joffrey's corpse in the Great Sept of Baelor, Tywin proceeds to grill Tommen as to what makes a good king. At one point, Tommen asks about strength and Tywin refutes this by pointing out that King Robert was a paragon of strength but ultimately not a good king. Curiously, Tywin does not refer to Robert as "your father" as he is saying this to Tommen.

Season 5
Despite the way Robert treated him during his time as squire, Lancel Lannister - who has since abandoned his family name and joined the fanatical movement known as the Sparrows - is haunted by the part he played in Robert's death. He attempts to raise the subject with Cersei at Tywin's funeral but she feigns ignorance and brushes him off. Lancel later confesses to the High Sparrow, who has Cersei arrested. Qyburn later visits Cersei in her cell and informs her of the charges against her, including Robert's murder, which she continues to deny.

Eventually, however, Cersei confesses to her relationship with Lancel to the High Sparrow, saying she was lonely and afraid. When reminded by the High Sparrow that she had a husband, she flippantly argues that Robert was off whoring every chance he got but the High Sparrow shuts her down by saying, "His sins do not pardon your own." He inquires about the "rumors" that her children, including the current king Tommen, were not fathered by Robert. Despite his warning that speaking falsehoods before the gods is a great crime, Cersei continues to lie that her children were in fact fathered by Robert. Though the High Sparrow casts a rather suspicious glance toward Cersei, he relents but informs her that there will still be a trial to ascertain the truth behind the other charges that she continues to deny, including Robert's murder.

Bastards
Robert Baratheon is rumored to have fathered over a dozen bastard children over the years. In her youth Cersei visited a woods witch who foretold that she would have three children (Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen), while Robert would have "twenty" (though it isn't clear if she meant exactly, or was using the number broadly). Those bastards who have been introduced in the TV series so far include:


 * Gendry - adolescent armorer's apprentice in King's Landing. Mother was a tavern wench.
 * {Barra} - infant in King's Landing. Mother was Mhaegen, a prostitute. Killed in Joffrey's purge.
 * Several other bastard children killed in Joffrey's purge, including a second infant, two brothers, and one child.

Quotes
"I'm not trying to honor you. I'm trying to get you to run my kingdom while I eat, drink, and whore my way to an early grave."
 * Spoken by Robert

- Robert Baratheon to Eddard Stark

"There's a war coming, Ned. I don't know when, I don't know who we'll be fighting, but it's coming."

- King Robert to Eddard Stark

"Honor? I've got Seven Kingdoms to rule! One king, Seven Kingdoms! Do you think honor keeps them in line? Do you think it's honor that's keeping the peace? It's fear! Fear and blood!"

- Robert Baratheon at the small council meeting about Daenerys Targaryen.

"I think you'd remember. Back in our day, you weren't a real man until you'd fucked one girl from each of the Seven Kingdoms and the Riverlands. We used to call it 'making the eight'."

- Robert to Renly Baratheon

"I never loved my brothers. Sad thing for a man to admit, but it's true. You were the brother I chose."

- Robert Baratheon to Eddard Stark

"I should have spent more time with you. Shown you how to be a man. I was never meant to be a father."

- King Robert to Joffrey Baratheon

"King Robert Baratheon, murdered by a pig."

- Robert Baratheon


 * Spoken about Robert

"Tell me, was my brother's body even cold before you secured your newest patron?"

- Renly Baratheon

"If Robert Baratheon had dared set foot in Dorne during his reign, he would have lost the foot, and it is not even him we blame for Elia."

- Oberyn Martell

"His sins do not pardon your own."

- High Sparrow to Cersei about Robert.

Behind the scenes

 * On the Season 1 Blu-ray, Robert narrates Complete Guide to Westeros videos on "Mad King Aerys", "Robert's Rebellion" and "The Sack of King's Landing".

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Robert is in his mid-thirties when the events of the books begin. He is jovial and fun-loving, fond of battle, women and drink. As a young man Robert was a formidable warrior, noted for his chivalry, sense of honor and immense charisma. He won several loyal Targaryen bannermen to his cause through strength of personality alone. Very tall and incredibly muscular, Robert was considered one of the most attractive men in Westeros, desired by every maiden in the realm. However, after becoming king, Robert let himself go somewhat, becoming fat, soft and indolent, though still capable of great generosity to his friends. Robert has also become more bitter following Lyanna's death and his unhappy marriage to Cersei, despite their multiple children.

Bastards
Robert is rumored to have fathered over a dozen bastard children over the years, though exactly how many he has is unknown even to Robert. Cersei once visited a maegi in her youth who predicted that Cersei would have three children (Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen) and that Robert would have sixteen - the prophecy about Cersei's children turned out to be true, but it is unknown if the prophecy about Robert's children turned out to be accurate. Robert had a voracious sexual appetite since he was a teenager, however, and he had sex with innumerable whores and servant girls for over twenty years before his death, so tracking down all of his bastards would be an exceedingly difficult task. Varys himself can confirm of at least eight bastard children which Robert fathered over the years.


 * Robert's only acknowledged bastard is Edric Storm, whom he acknowledged because his mother was not a commoner but a noblewoman from House Florent- Delena Florent, Selyses' cousin. Robert acknowledged the boy but Cersei would have been furious if he raised him in his own home, so he sent Edric away to be fostered at Storm's End his whole life. Edric had virtually no contact with Robert: Edric would receive nameday presents every year (a pony one year, a sable cloak the next, and once even a miniature warhammer similar to the one Robert used) and write thank-you letters to Robert for them, but they were actually sent by Varys without Robert's input at all. When reading those letters, Robert would laugh and ask Varys what he sent that year. Edric bears amazing resemblance to his father; when Davos Seaworth first met Edric, he immediately concluded the youth is a bastard of Robert. Stannis resents Edric because the youth's presence is a constant reminder to him how Robert violated his wedding bed (similarly to Catelyn Stark's feelings toward Jon Snow), but allows him to spend time with Shireen. Although Selyse and Melisandre urged Stannis to sacrifice Edric (in the TV series he was switched with Gendry), Stannis was not thrilled about killing his nephew, and was not overly furious when it was revealed that Davos sent him away.


 * Another confirmed bastard is Mya Stone, the eldest of Robert's bastards. She is nineteen years old. Robert fathered her in the Vale while he was fostering there with Eddard Stark, a few years before he led the rebellion against King Aerys Targaryen (thus she is apparently the oldest of his bastards, in her late teens/early twenties). Mya was not officially acknowledged by Robert, but her existence is considered to be an open secret. Robert knew her when she was a toddler but he left her behind when he became king; once during a heated argument over Robert's disappointment regarding Joffrey, Robert threatened to punish Cersei by bringing a bastard daughter of his to be raised in the Red Keep (the name of the girl in question is not mentioned, but it's likely to be Mya), and Cersei responded "Do as you please, but you may find that the city is not a healthy place for a growing girl" - bluntly implying that she would harm the girl; Robert angrily punched Cersei, but knowing that she truly meant this threat, he backed down. Thus while Mya has not been officially, legally acknowledged as Robert's bastard, her status as his daughter is such public knowledge that she uses the special bastard surname "Stone" - without complaint by others that Robert technically never officially gave her the right to use the name "Stone". Mya works as a pack mule guide along the treacherous mountain path leading to the Eyrie, and is encountered by Catelyn Stark when she brings Tyrion Lannister to the Eyrie to hold prisoner at her sister Lysa's court.


 * In the books, Barra was the only of Robert's bastards who was reported to be killed at Cersei's command following his death. She was explicitly killed on Cersei's orders, not on Joffrey's as in the TV series.


 * Petyr Baelish also told Eddard Stark that some years earlier Robert fathered bastard twins with a serving woman at Casterly Rock, and that Cersei had both children killed. Ned was surprised that Robert would have stood by and let such a thing happen, but then recalled that Robert seemed to have grown adept at shutting his eyes. It is unknown if the story is true.

Robert never cared much about his bastards. According to Stannis, he liked the making of children well enough, but after birth they were a bother to him.

Gendry, Edric Storm, Mya Stone, plus the deceased Barra and twins at Casterly Rock only account for six bastards, however, when Varys said he knew of at least eight. When Arya Stark and Gendry first encounter the Brotherhood Without Banners in the Riverlands, they pass through the town of Stoney Sept, where they encounter a dark-haired prostitute named Bella who claims to be a bastard of Robert. Bella states that she is the daughter of a prostitute that Robert had sex with as he was passing through the town during the Battle of the Bells, and that she was named "Bella" for the battle. She does generally resemble Robert and her age matches her story of when Robert would have had sex with her mother, but her claim cannot be definitely confirmed.

The TV series has not introduced any other bastards besides Gendry, even going so far as to combine parts of Edric Storm's storyline - being taken to Dragonstone - with Gendry's storyline in Season 3. It is unclear if the TV series means to imply that Gendry is Robert's only surviving bastard, but either way the focus given to Gendry is much greater in the TV continuity.