Davos Seaworth

A humble smuggler turned knight who values honesty over flattery, bearing the scars of justice on his left hand.

Davos Seaworth, also known as the Onion Knight or Davos Shorthand, is a prominent point-of-view character from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the HBO adaptation Game of Thrones. Born into poverty in King's Landing's Flea Bottom, he rose to become Stannis Baratheon's most trusted counselor after smuggling vital supplies during Robert's Rebellion. In exchange for knighthood and lands on Cape Wrath, Stannis personally amputated the first joint of each finger on Davos' left hand as punishment for his past as an infamous smuggler. Davos remains stubbornly loyal to Stannis despite fearing the influence of Melisandre, often serving as a voice of reason against blood magic.

Quick Facts

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire character; Game of Thrones

First

Novel:
A Clash of Kings (1998)
Television:
"The North Remembers" (2012)

Last

Television:; "The Iron Throne" (2019)

Creator

George R. R. Martin

Portrayed by

Liam Cunningham

Gender

Male

Occupation

Smuggler (previously)

Family

House Seaworth

Lore & Background

Davos began life as a poor commoner in Flea Bottom, eventually becoming one of the Seven Kingdoms' most infamous smugglers. During Robert's Rebellion, he evaded Mace Tyrell and the Redwynes' blockade of Shipbreaker Bay to deliver onions and salted fish to the starving forces at Storm's End, allowing them to hold out for almost a year until Eddard Stark arrived. For this service, Stannis knighted him, granted him lands on Cape Wrath where he took the name House Seaworth, but also cut off the fingertips of his left hand. Davos views this punishment as fair and keeps the severed bones in a pouch around his neck as a lucky charm. He is a devout believer in the Faith of the Seven, which puts him at odds with Melisandre's worship of R'hllor. Unlike other courtiers, he speaks his mind to Stannis regardless of consequences, earning the king's silent respect.

Reader's Guide

Davos Seaworth serves as a grounded counterpoint to high-fantasy sorcery, defined by his street-smart pragmatism and navigational skill. His journey begins in Flea Bottom, where he mastered treacherous shallows before smuggling food into Storm's End during the siege by Mace Tyrell and the Redwynes. This act of heroism cost him his fingertips but gained him a knighthood and a new house name, Seaworth. He maintains a close fatherly relationship with Stannis' daughter Shireen, who teaches him to read while he is imprisoned for opposing Melisandre's rituals.

His loyalty is tested repeatedly: he advises against attacking Claw Isle, and on hearing of Joffrey's death he smuggles Edric Storm east to the Free Cities to protect him from Melisandre. In A Dance with Dragons, his mission shifts to White Harbor, where he navigates Lord Wyman Manderly's complex fealty to the Lannisters. Wyman tasks him with finding Rickon Stark on Skagos using Wex Pyke as a guide, promising Manderly support for Stannis upon success.

Did You Know?

He had seven sons named Dale, Allard, Matthos, Maric, Devan, Stannis, and Steffon; four were killed at the Battle of the Blackwater.
While imprisoned in A Storm of Swords, Davos learned to read thanks to Shireen Baratheon.
In the TV adaptation, actor Liam Cunningham is left-handed, so the show depicts the amputation on Davos' right hand instead of the book's left.