Kevan Lannister

"Perhaps we should sue for peace?"

- Kevan to his brother, Tywin

Kevan Lannister is a recurring character in the first and second seasons. He is played by guest star Ian Gelder and debuts in "The Pointy End". Ser Kevan is a loyal adviser to his brother Lord Tywin Lannister. He is fighting for his great nephew King Joffrey Baratheon in the War of the Five Kings.

Background
Kevan is the second son of the late Lord Tytos Lannister. He is the brother of Lord Tywin Lannister the head of House Lannister and Lord of Casterly Rock. Kevan is married to Dorna Lannister and they have a son Lancel, who is a squire to King Robert Baratheon. He is a noted knight who serves his elder brother loyally as an adviser, and is respected for his wise and candid counsel.

Season 1
Whilst talking with his mother on how to handle the North should it come to conflict with the Starks, Prince Joffrey muses on crushing the Northerners with a new 'Royal Army' and giving Winterfell to his Uncle Kevan (actually his grand-uncle) to rule over. Cersei dismisses the plan as impractical. Kevan is also indirectly (and inaccurately) accused of being a "half-wit with a stutter" by King Robert when he taunts Lancel about his alliterative name.

Ser Kevan is part of his brother's strategy meeting as they debate how to meet the threat posed by the Stark army, which is rushing south to meet them in battle. He appraises Tyrion of the tactical situation. He is amused when the sellsword Bronn makes a quip, unlike his stone-faced brother. He is later part of Tywin's pre-battle strategy meeting, where Tywin places Tyrion in the vanguard of his army to the latter's disquiet.

Following the Lannister defeat at the Battle of the Whispering Wood and the capture of Kevan's nephew, Jaime Lannister, Kevan joins Tywin's council as they discuss their next move. Kevan indicates that their position is in danger of being outflanked. Tywin agrees and orders the Lannister army to fall back on Harrenhal.

Season 2
Ser Kevan is present at a war council held at Tywin's chambers at Harrenhal; he predicts that King’s Landing will fall an hour after King Stannis Baratheon's forces arrive. Kevan counsels Tywin to order the Cersei and her family to flee to the safety of Casterly Rock. Tywin balks at surrendering the Iron Throne. Kevan argues that giving up the throne is better than seeing the heads of their relatives mounted on the city gates, fearing that Stannis will execute any Lannister he finds in the city. Tywin rejects the suggestion, believing that a king who runs cannot remain king for long.

Tywin complains that Stannis is just two days from King's Landing while Robb Stark is on their doorstep in the Westerlands. Kevan reports word from their scouts that Robb remains north of Ashemark. Tywin laughs derisively and says that the last time their scouts assured them of Robb's movements they were lured into a trap. Tywin blames their poor intelligence for the capture of Jaime. Tywin asserts that Robb has gotten too close to Casterly Rock. Kevan relays news that Robb has sent a splinter force to recapture Winterfell and theorizes that the Greyjoys' seizure of the castle is a boon to them because Robb will not march against Casterly Rock until he is at full strength. Tywin dismisses the suggestion and opts to march on the Westerlands, leaving the defense of the capital to his allies.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ser Kevan is a solid, reliable, and serious man. His appearance in the books is different: Kevan being blonde, green-eyed, bearded and somewhat fat. He is content with living in his elder brother's shadow, serving as a follower and not trying to usurp Tywin's authority. This does not, however, mean that Kevan is an unintelligent man, simply that he recognizes Tywin's superior capabilities, and he occupies a position of power and responsibility in House Lannister as Tywin's most trusted lieutenant.

According to Tyrion, "the gods shaped him to be a follower, not a leader, well the gods and my lord father."

Kevan is loyal to his brother, loves his wife and children, and is proud of his family and heritage. He is married to the Lady Dorna of House Swyft. As well as Lancel he has two younger sons, Willem and Martyn, and an infant daughter, Janei. Tyrion always got along much better with his uncle Kevan than his tyrannical father Tywin, as well as having a good relationship with his younger two uncles (Kevan's younger brothers) Tygett and Gerion (who are both deceased by the time the books begin). Kevan always displays the basic courtesy and family respect to Tyrion that Tywin does not.

Kevan's son Willem and his cousin Tion Frey were taken captive by the Starks in the Battle of the Whispering Wood, imprisoned at Riverrun, and killed by Rickard Karstark. Kevan's son Martyn was captured in the Battle of Oxcross and later Robb exchanged him for Robett Glover, who was taken captive by the Lannisters in the Battle of Duskendale. The TV series, however, had Lord Karstark kill both Martyn and Willem. Tion Frey was actually the younger son of Genna Lannister, Tywin and Kevan's sister, but the TV series hadn't introduced her by Season 3. Moreover, Genna's oldest son Cleos Frey was changed in the TV adaptation to be "Alton Lannister", a more distant cousin. Apparently, the TV producers didn't want viewers to be confused - at the time - why someone named "Frey" would be fighting for the Lannisters (given that this was before the Freys betrayed the Starks at the Red Wedding). Thus, similar to how Cleos Frey was changed around, the TV series killed both of Kevan's younger sons instead of only one.

Kevan doesn't appear in Season 3 and 4 whereas in the third novel he is an influencing role: he participates in the Battle of the Blackwater and is later made Master of Laws. He becomes consumed by worry and grief due to the death of his son Willem, the sickness of Lancel, and Martyn's captivity. He is present at Tyrion and Sansa's wedding. During the small council meeting in which the Red Wedding is reported and it is Kevan, not Varys, who reminds Joffrey that Sansa is his aunt-by-marriage when the King shares his plan to have Robb Stark's head served to her. After Tyrion is arrested for being accused of murdering Joffrey, it is Kevan, not Jaime, who sees Tyrion in the cell for several times, and offers to help Tyrion to find any witness that the latter requests; Tyrion asks the uncle to find Podrick Payne, whom Kevan  brings to Tyrion; Sansa Stark, whom no one in Kings Landing can find; and Varys, who is already summoned by Cercei as her witness.

"Kevan" is pronounced like the common real-life name "Kevin", as opposed to "Kee-van", etc.