Tywin Lannister

"...And so he spoke, and so he spoke, the Lord of Castamere, but now the rains weep over his halls, and not a soul to hear."

- The Rains of Castamere, a song commemorating Tywin's assassination of House Castamere

Tywin Lannister is a major character in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels, as well as the TV adaptation, Game of Thrones. Tywin was the son and heir to Tytos Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Lord Paramount of the Westerlands. During his father's reign, the wealthy House Lannister, owner of many gold mines, fell into decline after a series of poor investments. This drove a Lannister vassal, House Reyne of Castamere, to rebel against the Lannisters. Tywin personally planned out the assassination of the Reynes, and had every member of the family, including women and children slaughtered. Tywin later succeeded his father after his death, and married his cousin, Joanna Lannister. Tywin had three children, Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion. Joanna died during Tyrion's birth, and because of this, along with the fact they Tyrion was born a dwarf, Tywin had hated Tyrion ever since.

Tywin served as Hand of the King to "The Mad King" Aerys Targaryen II. During his time as hand, Tywin tried to marry off Cersei to Aerys' son, prince Rhaegar. Aerys, however, refused, and, to add insult to injury, inducted Jaime into the Kingsguard, who were intended to take a vow of celibacy and leaving Tywin without a male heir to carry on his line (having already denied Tyrion such a privilege).

This cause Tywin to resign in protest, however, he did not join the rebellion of Robert Baratheon until they won the Battle of the River Trident, at which point it was clear that the rebels would win, and Tywin marched on King's Landing. On the orders of Aerys, who mistakenly believed Tywin was still his ally, the city gates were left open and Tywin's army sacked the city, and two his knights, Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane brutally slaugthered most of the royal family.

When Aerys heard of this, he ordered his pyromancers, the order trusted with making the highly flammable substance known as Wildfire, to burn down the city, and ordered Jaime Lannister to bring him his father's head. Instead, Jaime stabbed Aerys to death and surrendered the throne to the rebels.

After the successful rebellion, Tywin married off Cersei to King Robert, and they had three children, Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella. Unbeknownst to Robert, none of these children were actually his, but rather a product of Cersei's incestuous affair with her brother, Jaime. When hand of the King Jon Arryn first suspected this, he was poisoned, presumably by Jaime or Cersei. While he visited the Northern capital of Winterfell, seat of house Stark, Jaime and Cersei were seen together by Lord Eddard Stark's son, Bran, whom Jaime pushed off a tower in an attempt to murder him. The attempt failed, and Bran was merely crippled by the fall.

Meanwhile, Lord Eddard Stark himself, now the new hand of the King, discovers that Joffrey is not the son of Robert. Things are further complicated when Robert is killed by a boar in a hunting accident. Eddard backs Robert's brother Stannis as the true heir. Around the same time, Joffrey sends an assassin to kill Bran Stark, but the assassin is himself killed by Bran's pet direwolf, Summer. Joffrey gives the assassin a Valyrian steel dagger he stole from Tyrion Lannister, in order to frame Tyrion for the murder. Tyrion, who is still in the North having returned from the Wall, and is taken prisoner by Catelyn Stark, Eddard's wife, and sent for trial in the Vale of Arryn, home of Catelyn's sister. Eddard, meanwhile, attempts a coup against Joffrey, but is captured and imprisoned in the Red Keep.

In spite of his hatred of Tyrion, Tywin considers this an insult to his family, and, in retaliation, sends an army under Gregor Clegane to attack the Riverlands, the birthplace of Catelyn Stark née Tully. Meanwhile, Tyrion wins a trial by combat, and Eddard's son Robb rebels against the crown, intending to win Northern independence and rescue his father from imprisonment.

Tyrion is captured by the Hill Tribes shortly after winning his trial in the Vale, and recruits the hill tribes to fight against Robb Stark's army at the Battle of the Green Fork. Robb, however, proves to be surprisingly skilled tactician, and wins the battle of Green Fork. At the same time, Joffrey has Eddard Stark beheaded (in spite of the protest of both his mother and his fiancee and Eddard's daughter, Sansa), further infuriating Robb, who wins a series of victories, managing to seize control of much of the Riverlands and even invade the Westerlands itself, in spite of Tywin's best efforts.

Tywin's campaign in the Riverlands, however, is interrupted by Stannis Baratheon's attack on King's Landing, which almost succeed in spite of the loss of most of Stannis' fleet from Tyrion's use of Wildfire. Stannis almost takes the city, but his forces are defeated by Tywin Lannister and his reinforcements.

After his victory at King's Landing, Tywin initially orchestrates for Joffrey to be married not to Sansa Stark, but to the now more politically useful daughter of House Tyrell, Margaery. Sansa is instead betrothed to Tyrion, though neither party is happy with the arrangement.

Tywin goes on to orchestrate Robb Stark's downfall by allying himself with the increasingly discontented Northern House of Frey and Bolton, who betray and assassinate Robb Stark, along with most of the loyal Northern bannermen at the wedding of Edmure Tully, which became known as "The Red Wedding". As their leaders are assassinated, the Northern army is attacked in their camps and wiped out by Frey and Bolton troops.

After the Red Wedding, Tywin arranges for Eddard Stark's Valyrian steel greatsword, Ice, to be melted down and turned into two longswords, one of which is given the Jaime, and other to Joffrey as a present for his wedding to Margaery Tyrell. Shortly after receiving the sword, however, Joffrey dies after drinking poisoned wine. Tyrion is falsely accused of the crime, and, after a show trial presided over by his father, in which he arranges for Tyrion's former lover, a former whore named Shae frames him for the murder. Tyrion is enraged and demands a trial by combat.

Tywin names Gregor Clegane as his champion, at which point Oberyn Martell, the Prince of Dorne and brother to Eila Martell, who was raped and murdered by Clegane during the sack of King's Landing, volunteers to be his champion. During the trial by combat, Oberyn wounds and downs Gregor with a poisoned spear, however, he refuses to kill him until he confesses to his crime. Gregor, however, manages to force Oberyn to the ground. Gregor confesses to his crime as he kills Oberyn with his bare hands, and immediately afterwards, succumbs to the poison.

Tywin considers this to be a victory for Clegane, and sentences his son to death. Tyrion, however is freed by Jaime before the sentence can be carried out. Tyrion sneaks into the Tywin's quarters in the Red Keep, strangles Shae with her own necklace, before stealing a crossbow and bolts mounted on the wall, and confronting his father while he is on a garderobe (medieval toilet). Tyrion shoots his father twice with the crossbow, killing him. Tyrion then escapes King's Landing on a ship with the aid of Ser Varys, the Master of Whispers (essentially a chief of intelligence).