Sandor Clegane

Sandor Clegane, nicknamed The Hound, is a supporting character in Game of Thrones. He is played by Rory McCann and appears in the first episode.

Sandor Clegane is a skilled warrior in the service of House Lannister, although he refuses to take holy vows and is not a knight. He has a hideously burned face and is known for his fierce demeanour and lack of chivalry. He is the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane, a monstrously huge knight and arguably the most feared man in Westeros. Sandor is currently serving as bodyguard to Prince Joffrey Baratheon.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Clegane is a minor vassal house sworn to the Lannisters. Ser Gregor Clegane is an eight-foot-tall warrior, the 'Mountain Who Rides', the most feared warrior in the Seven Kingdoms. He and his brother Sandor detest one another, resulting in Sandor leaving home at a young age to work as a sellsword and freerider. Sandor is known as 'the Hound' for the three dogs which are his house emblem.