Tywin Lannister

He led armies to exterminate rebel houses and wrote history with blood, believing the best part of him died when Joanna did.

Tywin Lannister is the ruthless patriarch of House Lannister of Casterly Rock and a central antagonist in both the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. Introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996), he appears through A Storm of Swords (2000) before meeting his end. Portrayed by Charles Dance to widespread acclaim, Tywin serves as Warden of the West, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, and twice holds the position of Hand of the King. His character is defined by an unyielding pursuit of power and a deep-seated cruelty toward his youngest son, Tyrion, whom he despised from childhood for being a dwarf and for causing his wife Joanna's death in childbirth.

Quick Facts

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire character; Game of Thrones

Portrayed by

Charles Dance

Creator

George R. R. Martin

Based on

Edward I of England, Philip IV of France

Adapted by

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

First

Literature:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"You Win or You Die" (2011)

Last

Literature:
A Storm of Swords (2000)
Television:
"The Wars to Come" (2015)

Also known as

The Lion of Lannister
The Old Lion
The Great Lion of the Rock

Lore & Background

Tywin developed an early distrust of mockery while watching his father, Lord Tytos Lannister, ridiculed as "the toothless lion." At age 19, he led the army that exterminated the rebellious Houses Reyne and Tarbeck, a victory commemorated by the song "The Rains of Castamere." He married his cousin Joanna, but her death during Tyrion's birth left him bitter; he never remarried. As Hand to King Aerys II Targaryen, Tywin became the second-most powerful man in the realm until the Mad King grew paranoid, appointed Jaime to the Kingsguard to rob Tywin of his heir, and forced Tywin's resignation. During Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Tywin remained neutral until victory was near, then captured King's Landing through treachery, ordering the royal family murdered before Ned Stark could arrive.

Reader's Guide

Tywin is not a point-of-view character in the novels; his actions are interpreted primarily through Tyrion. In the television adaptation, he gains the title "Lord Paramount of the Westerlands," absent from the books. His personal cruelty peaks regarding Tysha: after discovering Tyrion married a peasant girl, Tywin annulled the union, lied that she was a prostitute hired by Jaime, and forced guards to gang-rape her while making Tyrion rape her last. Years later, when Tyrion is accused of killing Joffrey, Jaime frees him from prison, confessing he felt compelled after lying about Tysha. Tyrion escapes through a secret tunnel, finds his former mistress Shae in Tywin's bed, strangles her, and confronts Tywin on the privy. When Tywin scornfully calls Tysha a "whore," Tyrion shoots him dead with a crossbow, noting that as his father died, he did not shitting gold.

Did You Know?

Tywin was inspired by real historical figures Philip IV of France and Edward I of England.
Charles Dance was cast as Tywin specifically based on his performance in Alien 3.
Tywin's corpse was poorly embalmed at the Great Sept of Baelor, leaving it unclear if this was deliberate or accidental.
Tyrion killed Tywin while he was on the privy, ending a life that had once made him the second-most powerful man in Westeros.