Gregor Clegane

A towering nightmare of steel and muscle serving the Lannister lion.

Gregor Clegane, nicknamed the "Mountain that Rides" or simply the "Mountain," is a fictional character from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. First introduced in the 1996 novel A Game of Thrones, he appears subsequently in A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), and A Dance with Dragons (2011). Known for his enormous size, battle prowess, cruel nature, and uncontrollable temper, Gregor serves as a notorious knight and retainer to House Lannister. In the television series, he was portrayed by Conan Stevens in season one, Ian Whyte in season two, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson from season four until the final season.

Quick Facts

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire character; Game of Thrones

Portrayed by

Conan Stevens (season 1)
Ian Whyte (season 2)
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (seasons 4–8)

Creator

George R. R. Martin

Adapted by

D.B. Weiss & David Benioff (Game of Thrones)

First

Literature:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" (2011)

Last

Television:; "The Bells" (2019)

Also known as

The Mountain That Rides
The Mountain
Tywin Lannister's Mad Dog
Robert Strong

Gender

Male

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.

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?

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.