Gregor Clegane

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Lore & Background

Gregor Clegane is the head of House Clegane, a landed knight vassal to House Lannister, and the older brother of Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. In the novels, he stands nearly 8 ft (2.4 m) tall and weighs over 420 lb (190 kg). His childhood cruelty defined his relationship with Sandor; Gregor shoved Sandor's face into a brazier simply for playing with a toy, gruesomely scarring him forever. Throughout his service to Tywin Lannister, Gregor committed numerous massacres and war crimes with "Mountain's men," raping and murdering smallfolk out of sadistic joy while avoiding punishment due to House Lannister's power. His most infamous crime occurred at the end of Robert Baratheon's rebellion when he brutally raped and murdered Crown Princess Consort Elia Martell after killing her son Aegon by shattering his head against a wall. This act created a grudge that House Martell held for 14 years, leading Oberyn Martell to volunteer as Tyrion Lannister's champion in A Storm of Swords to expose Gregor as the murderer.

In Their Own Story

In A Game of Thrones, Tywin sent Gregor to raid the Riverlands; Beric Dondarrion was sent to arrest him but was killed by an ambush. In Season 2, Gregor commanded Harrenhal and hunted "The Brotherhood Without Banners" before being defeated at Stone Mill. During Tyrion's trial in A Storm of Swords (Season 4), Cersei chose Gregor as her champion while Oberyn Martell fought for Tyrion. Oberyn wounded Gregor with a poisoned spear, but the Mountain crushed Oberyn's skull after admitting to murdering Elia and Aegon. Mortally wounded by manticore venom, Gregor was given to Qyburn. In Season 5, he returned as "Ser Robert Strong," a silent Kingsguard member covered in armor. In Season 6, he ripped the head off a Faith Militant and tortured Septa Unella. In Season 8, he decapitated Missandei before being confronted by Sandor. After slaying Qyburn, Gregor engaged in a duel with his brother; even after Sandor penetrated his skull with a dagger, they both fell into the Red Keep's inferno as the castle crumbled.

Reader's Guide

Gregor Clegane functions primarily as a background character in the novels, appearing without point-of-view chapters and witnessed through others like Arya Stark or Cersei Lannister. His transformation is central to his later arc: after being mortally wounded by Oberyn Martell's poisoned spear, Qyburn resuscitated him via sinister means. In the TV series, this resurrected figure appears in Season 5 as a Kingsguard member who has sworn a vow of silence and serves as Cersei's personal bodyguard until her enemies are destroyed. He retains his enormous stature but displays unnatural behavior and complete muteness. His final confrontation with Sandor Clegane in the Season 8 finale highlights the enduring nature of their childhood trauma, ending only when both brothers fall into the collapsing Red Keep.

Did You Know?

• In the novels, Gregor is described as nearly 8 ft (2.4 m) tall and weighing over 420 lb (190 kg).
• Gregor was originally portrayed by Conan Stevens in Season 1 before Ian Whyte took the role in Season 2.
• Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson played Gregor from Season 4 until the final season.
• Gregor's most infamous crime was shattering Prince Aegon Targaryen's head against a wall during the Sack of King's Landing.
• After his death by poison, Gregor returned as "Ser Robert Strong," a silent Kingsguard member whose identity was never explicitly confirmed in the books.