Yohn Royce

"The beauty of the Vale is matched only by the nobility of its great families. Lady Arryn often told me that you were her rock, Lord Royce."

- Petyr Baelish

Yohn Royce is a recurring character in the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons. He is played by Rupert Vansittart and debuted in "The Mountain and the Viper". Yohn Royce is the Lord of Runestone and a powerful bannerman of House Arryn.

Background
Yohn Royce is the lord of Runestone. He is the father of Ser Robar Royce, who served in the Kingsguard of King Renly Baratheon and Ser Waymar Royce, a ranger in the Night's Watch (who was later one of the first black brothers killed by the White Walkers when they returned).

When Eddard Stark lived at the Eyrie in his youth, he and Lord Yohn hunted together.

While escorting his son Waymar to the Wall, Lord Yohn visited Winterfell.

Season 4
Yohn Royce is present in the tribunal, hearing the testimony of Lord Petyr Baelish about the death of Lysa Arryn. Along with Lady Anya Waynwood and Ser Vance Corbray, he assumes foul play on Littlefinger's part. He openly expresses his dislike of Littlefinger, calling him a whoremonger, money-grubber, and liar, as well as pointing out his tendency to suck up to Tywin Lannister in the past. The tribunal then summons Littlefinger's niece, "Alayne", the only other witness. Lord Yohn is surprised to learn of Alayne's true identity - Sansa Stark. Satisfied with her testimony, Royce and Waynwood discuss the Vale's next move with Baelish. He suggests that it is long past time that Robin left the Eyrie and conducted an official tour of the Vale.

Season 5
Royce agreed with Petyr Baelish to foster Robin Arryn at Runestone, although he is not impressed with the skills of the young lord.

Season 6
Royce oversees Robin Arryn's archery training, watching in contempt as Robin fails to hit the marks. The training is interrupted when Baelish arrives by carriage. Royce is outraged as Baelish told him that he and Sansa Stark would return to the Fingers, yet Sansa was married to Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell. Baelish uses the oppurtunity, falsely claiming that on the way to the Fingers they were attacked by a vast Bolton host which seemed to have inside knowledge of Baelish's travel plans. Baelish reveals that Royce was the only one he told about his route and begins casting aspersions on his loyalty, asking Robin how to fare with him. Although Robin at first plans to throw Royce out of the Moon Door, Baelish advises him to spare Royce because of his loyalty to House Arryn. Instead, Royce is named commander of the armies of the Vale and told to round up the Vale's soldiers in order to march North and save Sansa from Ramsay. The Vale reinforcements win a crushing victory against the Bolton infantry, slaughtering the phalanx surrounding the depleted Stark forces and allowing Jon Snow to liberate Winterfell with a wildling force.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Lord Yohn Royce is described as having a lined face and grey hair, grey eyes and very bushy eyebrows. However, he still looks immensely strong as he is tall and has large, gnarled hands. He has a set of bronze armor, thousands of years old that is inscribed with runes that are said to ward him from harm, hence his nickname "Bronze Yohn". He has three sons: Andar, Robar and Waymar (the latter two are dead), and one daughter Ysilla.

There is no mentioning in the books that Lord Royce use to go hunting with Ned Stark, except during his short stay in Winterfell. Sansa saw him riding back from a hunt with a buck behind his saddle, and later watched him in the yard, a practice sword in hand, hammering her father to the ground and turning to defeat Ser Rodrik Cassel as well.

Lord Royce is one of the nobles that Tywin Lannister offers to marry Tyrion to his daughter. The answer Tywin receives is the same he got from other lords - that the suggestion is an insult.

Lord Royce takes part in the Hand's Tourney in King's Landing, attending with his sons Andar and Robar. He stays in King's Landing, participating in the boar hunt that kills King Robert Baratheon. As Robert lies dying, Yohn is named by Littlefinger as a possible ally for Ned against Cersei Lannister in the matter of the succession, though ultimately Ned chooses to rely on the Gold Cloaks.

During the War of the Five Kings, Lord Royce urges Lysa Arryn to call her banners and go to war, but she stubbornly refuses.

When Sansa resides at the Eyrie, she hears that Arryn's bannermen resent Lysa's marriage and begrudge Littlefinger for his authority as Lord Protector of the Vale, and that the senior branch of House Royce is close to open revolt over Lysa's refusal to aid Robb Stark in his war, and the Waynwoods, Redforts, Belmores, and Templetons are giving them every support.

In the books, it is not Yohn but his cousin Nestor who comes to the Eyrie to inquire about Lysa's death, accompanied by his son Albar and Ser Marwyn Belmore. Littlefinger confidently puts the blame on Marillion. Robin and Sansa (still disguised as Alayne Stone) support Littlefinger's version. Since the entire Vale hates Marillion, and the three guests were personally insulted by him, they are satisfied with Littlefinger's lies.

Lord Yohn Royce comes to the Eyrie some time later, accompanied by Lady Anya Waynwood and more nobles from the Vale. They do not come to inquire about Lysa's death, but to remove Littlefinger from his office as Lord Protector and take Robin to foster at Runestone. Sansa knows that Lord Yohn saw her twice, during his visit at Winterfell and at King's Landing. She considers to reveal her true identity and ask for his protection, but unlike in the show she decides not to, reasoning that he never fought for her brother and has no reason to fight for her. Lord Yohn looks at her closely and asks "Do I know you, girl?". Sansa cannot bring herself to speak, and Nestor assures his cousin that she is Alayne Stone, Littlefinger's natural daughter. It is unclear whether Lord Yohn recognizes Sansa or not. At dinner, Lord Yohn and the other nobles make threats against Littlefinger, but he is not impressed and manipulates them to let Robin stay under his care.

Littlefinger considers Lord Yohn as the biggest threat to his plans to take over the Vale, for he has great influence over the other lords and cannot be easily bought, extorted or disposed of, in contrast to the other lords of the Vale. Littlefinger hopes to win the support of the other lords, since as long as Lord Yohn stands alone he is not so much a threat.

In the show, the two meetings are condensed to one, and Nestor's character is merged with Lord Yohn's.