High Septon (After the riot of King's Landing)


 * This article is about the character after the Riot of King's Landing. For the title see High Septon (title).

"Your Grace, Your Grace, my lords, my ladies, you stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife. One flesh, one heart, one soul... now and forever!"

- The High Septon

The High Septon is a recurring character in the third, fourth, and fifth seasons. He is played by guest star Paul Bentley and debuts in "Second Sons".

"High Septon" is the title given to the head of the Faith of the Seven, the dominant religion of the Seven Kingdoms. It is a position of supreme authority within the Faith, but the holder has little power outside of the religion. This High Septon was appointed after his predecessor was killed in the riots of King's Landing.

Season 2
This High Septon was appointed after his predecessor was killed in the riots of King's Landing. Pycelle reports consulting the High Septon about King Joffrey Baratheon setting aside his betrothal to Sansa Stark.

Season 3
The High Septon talks about an orphanage in Flea Bottom to Margaery Tyrell. Margaery then stops by the orphanage while travelling from a sept to the Red Keep to talk with the orphans and give them some toys, surprising her betrothed Joffrey Baratheon.

The High Septon conducts the wedding of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark at the Great Sept of Baelor.

Season 4
The High Septon conducts the marriage of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell.

He is present in the Great Sept of Baelor after King Joffrey's funneral, when Cersei Lannister, Tommen Baratheon and Tywin Lannister are privately mourning the death of the King before his body. After Tywin takes Tommen away, Jaime Lannister arrives and asks the High Septon to give the Queen a moment alone with her dead son, prompting them all to leave. The High Septon quickly complies and leads the attendant servants out of the Sept.

During Tommen's coronation in the Throne Room, the High Septon places the crown upon his head, officially announcing him as the new King.

Season 5
The High Septon later stands outside the Sept of Baelor immediately preceding the funeral of Lord Tywin. He suggests to Cersei that they start soon, since lords and ladies have come from all over Westeros, but she says they will wait a little longer while she has a moment alone with Jaime and Tywin's corpse.

The High Septon conducts the wedding of King Tommen to Margaery Tyrell. Some time later he visits Littlefinger's brothel, of which he's an recurrent patron, and engages in a sexual roleplay where the Father, a disguised Olyvar, rewards him by offering him one of six other members of the Seven to "worship". The High Septon chooses a prostitute portraying the Maiden, which he seems to constantly pick, as well as one portraying the Stranger. As the two whores approach him, Lancel Lannister along other Sparrows break into the chamber, attacking Olyvar and scaring the prostitutes away. The High Septon is aghast by the attack, but he's soon stripped of his clothes and paraded as a sinner through the streets of King's Landing; with a sparrow beating his hands when the High Septon tries to cover his genitalia. Beaten, the High Septon approaches the Small Council and demands the execution of the Sparrows, particularly their leader, citing that an attack on his person is an attack on the gods themselves. Qyburn reveals to the council where the High Septon had been attacked, to which the old man replies he had been preaching to the whores for their salvation. Queen Cersei has him thrown into the dungeons of the Red Keep.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the preceding High Septon was killed in the riot of King's Landing. Tyrion influences the Most Devout to choose this High Septon to replace him. Unlike his corrupt and fat predecessor, the new High Septon is considered to be a good man personally, but weak-willed, quietly obeying the Lannisters' political dictates. Tyrion scornfully describes the new High Septon as "a trained seal who barks prettily on command".

When a new High Septon assumes office, he renounces his given name and ever after becomes known simply as "the High Septon", so the name of this particular High Septon, like those of his predecessors, is never revealed.

Weary over him having been selected by Tyrion, Cersei has him killed by her agent Ser Osney Kettleblack, who suffocates him with a pillow. Cersei is also motivated by Lancel Lannister revealing to have confessed to him having bedded her and giving Robert Baratheon the more potent wine that led to his death.

Cersei has this High Septon asssassinated, instead of thrown into a cell. After the High Septon's death, it is Septon Ollidor of the Most Devout, considered one the most likely candidates to become his successor, who is followed into a brothel by the Sparrows and dragged naked into the streets, not this High Septon.