Petyr Baelish

Chaos is a ladder built on lies, murder, and the love he never received.

Petyr Baelish, nicknamed Littlefinger, is a central antagonist in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and the HBO adaptation Game of Thrones. Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones as Master of Coin on King Robert's small council, he is a childhood friend of Catelyn Stark from Riverrun. Originally hailing from a minor family with little wealth, Baelish used manipulation and his connections at Riverrun to gain immense power. His cunning and boundless ambition drive major events across Westeros, including the framing of Tyrion Lannister for Bran's attempted murder, the downfall of Eddard Stark, and the deaths of Jon Arryn and King Joffrey Baratheon.

Quick Facts

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire character; Game of Thrones

Creator

George R. R. Martin

Adapted by

David Benioff; D. B. Weiss

First

Literature:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"Lord Snow" (2011)

Last

Television:; "The Dragon and the Wolf" (2017)

Also known as

Littlefinger

Gender

Male

Portrayed by

Aidan Gillen

Lore & Background

Petyr descends from a Braavosi sellsword who served House Corbray. His father befriended Lord Hoster Tully during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, securing Petyr a wardship at Riverrun alongside Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure Tully. Edmure nicknamed him 'Littlefinger' due to his short stature and family lands on the Fingers peninsula. As a child, Petyr challenged Brandon Stark to a duel for Catelyn's hand but lost; his life was spared only at Catelyn's request.

During his recovery, he slept with Lysa while delirious, mistaking her for Catelyn. This resulted in a forced abortion and his banishment from Riverrun. Later, as customs officer at Gulltown under Lysa's patronage, his father died, passing him the 'Baelish Tower' and making him a lord. In King's Landing, he served as Master of Coin for Jon Arryn before betraying him by giving Lysa poison to kill her husband, framing House Lannister to spark the War of the Five Kings.

Reader's Guide

Littlefinger is never a point-of-view character; his actions are interpreted through Ned, Catelyn, Sansa, Tyrion, and Cersei. He is described as small, slender, with sharp features, laughing green eyes, a pointed chin beard, and silver threads in his hair, often wearing a silver mockingbird brooch. While he claims lingering love for Catelyn and the show adds Sansa to this list, others like Sansa insist 'the only person Littlefinger serves is Littlefinger.' He is an amoral opportunist who uses lies, treachery, and murder without scruple. His rise from a minor lord to Lord of Harrenhal and Lord Paramount of the Trident demonstrates his ability to turn chaos into profit. In the TV adaptation, he also brokers Sansa's marriage to Ramsay Bolton in Season 5, noting how past alliances brought down the Targaryens.

Did You Know?

He orchestrated the poisoning of King Joffrey Baratheon alongside Olenna Tyrell to frame Tyrion Lannister.
Petyr pushes Lysa Arryn to her death in the Moon Door, immediately implicating the only other witness, Marillion.