Bronn

"- You don't fight with honor! - No... he did."

- Lysa Arryn and Bronn, pointing to the knight he just killed in single combat

Bronn is a major character in the second season. He initially appeared as a recurring character in the first season and debuted in "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things." He is played by starring cast member Jerome Flynn. Bronn is a skilled and dangerous sellsword working for Tyrion Lannister.

Background
Bronn is a sellsword; a mercenary soldier whose service is for hire. Despite his avaricious nature, which is sneered at by more honorable knights, he is a skilled and dangerous fighter.

Season 1
Bronn is staying at the Crossroads Inn when Tyrion Lannister arrives. He volunteers to give up his room to Tyrion in return for gold. Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik Cassel take Tyrion prisoner before he can fulfil the promise. Bronn accompanies Catelyn and Tyrion's party to the Vale of Arryn and listens to Tyrion promising a handsome reward to any man who helps him. Along the way they are attacked by hill tribesmen, and Bronn acquits himself well in the battle, killing several opponents. Tyrion notes his prowess in combat.

In the Eyrie Tyrion attempts to prove his innocence and demands a trial by battle. He desperately asks for someone to fight for him and Bronn agrees. Bronn kills Lady Lysa Arryn's champion, Ser Vardis Egen, proving Tyrion's innocence according to Westerosi custom. Bronn departs the Eyrie with Tyrion. During their crossing of the mountains, Bronn attempts to establish some ground rules with Tyrion, stating that he is not Tyrion's friend or his sworn sword, and is only working for him for the money. Tyrion accepts the situation and promises to beat any attempt to buy Bronn's loyalty. Bronn and Tyrion camp in the Vale and are caught by Shagga and his Stone Crows. Bronn is prepared to fight but Tyrion wins over Shagga and the other hill tribes to his cause with promises of weapons and autonomy from the Eyrie.

Tyrion takes his growing entourage to the Lannister Army's camp in the Riverlands. Tyrion's father Tywin invaded the Riverlands following Tyrion's capture because they are Catelyn's homeland. When Bronn is introduced to Tywin he quips that Tywin wouldn't have met his father, which Ser Kevan Lannister seems to find amusing but Tywin does not. Shagga demands that Tyrion fight alongside the hill tribes until his debt is paid and Tywin agrees.

Bronn finds Tyrion a whore named Shae amongst the camp-followers. The three of them play drinking games on the eve of the Battle of the Green Fork. Bronn reveals that his parents beat him, that he killed for the first time before the age of twelve - a woman who attacked him with an axe -, and that he has been beyond the Wall. Bronn awakens to find the opposing army almost upon them. Bronn rouses Tyrion and advises him on how to survive. This proves unnecessary when Tyrion is accidentally knocked unconscious by his own men during the rush to the fight. When Tyrion awakens after the battle, Bronn cheerfully tells him that they won. Bronn accompanies Tyrion to King's Landing when he is named acting Hand of the King.

Season 2

 * Main: Bronn Season 2

Bronn remains the personal bodyguard of Tyrion Lannister when he takes up his position as acting Hand of the King to Joffrey Baratheon. Tyrion rewards the sellswords's loyalty by making him commander of the City Watch, having ousted his treacherous predecessor. Tyrion tests the loyalty of the small council by feeding them different versions of a planned marriage alliance involving his niece Myrcella Baratheon. Grand Maester Pycelle proves untrustworthy by revealing the specifics of his version to Queen Regent Cersei Lannister. Tyrion has Bronn and Timett arrest Pycelle and orders Bronn to cut off the old man's beard.

Tyrion clashes with King Joffrey when his nephew orders the public beating of Sansa Stark following the defeat of House Lannister of the Battle of Oxcross. When Ser Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard, accuses Tyrion of threatening the King, Tyrion orders Bronn to kill Ser Meryn should he speak again. After the ordeal, Bronn suggests that Joffrey would benefit from sexual release. Tyrion sends him two prostitutes as a gift but the plan backfires and Joffrey forces one to beat the other and then show Tyrion what she has done. Tyrion learns about Cersei's plans to use wildfire against King Stannis Baratheon from his newest pawn, Ser Lancel Lannister, and humilliates the knight by ordering him to tell Bronn to kill him should anything happen to Tyrion. Bronn accompanies Tyrion to the Alchemists' Guild and criticizes Cersei's plan to use wildfire as catapult ammunition because of the risk of burning down the city, clashing with Wisdom Hallyne in the process. Bronn also informs Tyrion that the smallfolk believe that he is manipulating Joffrey and blame him for the ills of the city. King Joffrey triggers a citywide riot when protestors throw excrement at him by demanding that his guards kill them all. Bronn's men are hard pressed to restore order and several goldcloaks are killed.

Bronn achieves a marked reduction in crime by culling the cities known thieves but clashes with Tyrion over the brutality of his methods. Tyrion enlists Bronn to help plan the defence of King's Landing against an impending attack by King Stannis Baratheon. Bronn is dismissive of Tyrion's reliance on books and warns that food is the most important commodity in a siege, speaking from personal experience.

Just before the fight of Kings Landing, Bronn and his men are seen drinking and singing. Bronn begins to tell a porstitute about the times he has broken his nose. the first being age 5 in which his mother hit him with an iron poker whilst aiming at his little brother. The second time he was 9 and got into a fight with older boys in which he lost. Sandor walks in and takes a seat, the whole room remains quiet whilst Bronn tries to capture his attention. Sandor begins to challenge Bronn joking that he believes he is a 'hard man'. Sandor tries to degrade Bronn and he retaliates with light humour. Just as it seems a fight may break out the bells ring out to announce the battle.

He later on participates in the fight of Kings Landing. He is the one to shoot the trail of wildfire that causes devastating damage to Stannis's navy. During the fight he also saves Sandor and cuts down many other troops, before Sandor chooses to abandon.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels Bronn is a sellsword chance-met at the Crossroads Inn by Tyrion Lannister. He is primarily motivated by money and the possibility of personal power, but has a rough loyalty to those who stand next to him in battle. Despite himself, he very reluctantly develops a grudging admiration and liking for Tyrion's craftiness and cunning (not to mention the gold it gets him).