The Great Houses of Game of Thrones
By rowankaiser
House Lannister
House Words: “Hear Me Roar”
House Sigil: A lion
Location: Casterly Rock, in the Westerlands.
Status at the start of Season 5: The Lannisters have nearly won a complete victory in the War of the Five Kings, with Tommen of House Lannister and Baratheon the king to everyone except Stannis and his relatively few loyalists. The victory has come at massive personal cost, as the lord, Tywin Lannister, is dead, his son Tyrion is a convicted regicide and fleeing, and King Joffrey Lannister-Baratheon has been murdered.
Role in the War of the Five Kings: The Lannisters contend with successive Hands of the King, Jon Arryn and Ned Stark, both of whom discover that Cersei’s children Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella are products of incest between Queen Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Lord Arryn is poisoned before he can do anything, and Ned Stark’s coup is defeated by an alliance between the Lannisters and Lord Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. War starts when Catelyn Tully, Ned’s wife, arrests Tyrion Lannister under suspicion of attempting to kill her son Bran. King Robert Baratheon is killed by a boar, with help from Lannister wine. His son, King Joffrey, against all advice, executes Ned Stark, making civil war unpreventable.
Lannister armies, led by Lord Tywin and Ser Jaime, defeat the forces of House Tully in the Riverlands, but when Robb Stark invades, seeking to free, then avenge, his father Ned, the Lannisters start to lose battles. This includes the capture of Jaime. Although Robb Stark’s forces are unstoppable in battle, the Lannisters prevent him from gaining the strategic edge to cripple their forces.
Lord Tywin is named Hand of the King after Ned’s coup, but as he is leading the forces in battle, he sends his son Tyrion to rule in his stead. Tyrion builds the defenses of King’s Landing against the invasion from the south—first from King Renly, then from King Stannis. At the Battle of the Blackwater, Tyrion holds Stannis’ forces off long enough for Tywin’s army to attack and shatter the besieging army. Tywin is aided in this by the armies of House Tyrell, who ally with the Lannisters after Littlefinger arranges a marriage between Margaery Tyrell and King Joffrey.
Jaime Lannister is freed by Cat Tully to return to King’s Landing in exchange for her missing daughters, Sansa and Arya. Jaime loses a hand but eventually returns, only to discover that the Stark girls are gone.
Although Robb Stark has proven impossible for the Lannisters to defeat in battle, Tywin arranges for him and his armies to be destroyed at The Red Wedding, ending the War of the Five Kings apart from Stannis’ rump armies.
At Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding, Joffrey is poisoned, and Queen Cersei blames her consistent rival Tyrion, who is arrested and tried. Tyrion attempts to win a trial by combat, but his champion, Oberyn Martell, is killed by the Queen’s champion, Ser Gregor Clegane. Before his execution, Tyrion is freed by his brother Jaime. Tyrion kills his father Tywin and flees the city, leaving King’s Landing in chaos.
Role in Robert’s Rebellion: Tywin Lannister was an old friend of King Aerys and his Hand who ruled in all but name, but the two had grown apart over time. Tywin remained neutral until the very end of the war, when he marched his armies to King’s Landing. They promised to join Aerys, who let them into the city, but instead Lannister forces sacked the city and murdered Elia Martell and her children with Prince Rhaegar. Aerys planned to burn King’s Landing around them, but Tywin’s son Jaime, a Kingsguard, killed the Mad King.
History: The Lannisters were a house of both First Men and Andals, via a complex strategy of marriages. They ruled the Westerlands until Aegon’ Conquest, where they fought alongside the Gardener kings of the Reach at the Field of Fire. The Gardeners were destroyed, and the Lannisters bent the knee to the Targaryens, who allowed them to remain Wardens of the West.
Profile: The Lannisters are famous for being the richest House in Westeros that “always pays their debts” and for being descended from the trickster figure, Lann.
House Lord: Unclear. With Jaime in the Kingsguard, Tyrion would be the choice, but he’s a convicted traitor. Either Cersei Lannister, the Queen Regent, or Kevan Lannister, Tywin’s brother, is officially in charge. In practice, the Lannisters act on behalf of King Tommen.
Heir: Likewise unclear.
Family Members: Tywin Lannister (deceased), Jaime Lannister, Cersei Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Joffrey Lannister-Baratheon (deceased), Tommen Lannister-Baratheon, Myrcella Lannister-Baratheon, Kevan Lannister, Lancel Lannister
Retainers: Ser Gregor Clegane, Sandor Clegane, Ilyn Payne, Podrick Payne, Amory Lorch (deceased), Shae (deceased), Qyburn, Bronn of the Blackwater
Notable Vassals: House Westerling, House Clegane, House Payne