Tyrion Lannister

Tyrion Lannister is a major character in Game of Thrones. He is played by Peter Dinklage and appears in the first episode of the series.

Tyrion is the youngest son of Lord Tywin Lannister and the younger brother of Jaime and Cersei. He is a dwarf, a fact which causes him problems and persecution, although to some extent this is reduced by his high social standing and his family's impressive power. He does not get on with his father, and to this end spends a lot of time at court in King's Landing to avoid him. Tyrion gets on well with Jaime but has a cooler relationship with Cersei. He has a fondness for prostitutes and drink, but is also intelligent, cunning and learned.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire books, Tyrion is in his late twenties when the events of A Game of Thrones begin. As well as being a dwarf, he is misshapen and often described as ugly. His mother died in childbirth, the source of his father's anger towards him.