10 Game of Thrones dads who give Father’s Day a bad name

Balon Greyjoy

Balon Greyjoy is another father who wants his son to behave in a specific way and withholds affection when they find him lacking.

Lord of the Iron Islands, Balon Greyjoy had four children. Two of his sons died during a failed rebellion against King Robert Baratheon. The third, Theon, was taken as a hostage by the Starks of Winterfell when he was a boy. Yara/Asha, Balon’s daughter, remained with her father, and grew into a warrior and leader.

Nine years later after the end of the rebellion, Theon returned to the Iron Islands a man, eager to see the family he had been forcibly taken away from years ago. Does Balon greet his son warmly? No. He accuses Theon of having grown soft during his time at Winterfell, picking at his clothes, accusing him of dishonoring his dead brothers, and slapping him when he suggests an alternate course of action. Theon, pain all over his face, puts it best:

"You gave me away! Your boy, your last boy! You gave me away like I was some dog you didn’t want anymore. And now you curse me because I’ve come home!"

If you thought Balon would step up do some parenting in this moment, you’re wrong. He just walks out of the room.

Theon goes on to do terrible things, capturing Winterfell and killing two innocent farmers’ sons. As with Ramsay Bolton, Theon’s behavior isn’t excused by the fact that his father is a withholding tool. But with a dad like Balon Greyjoy, it’s possible to find some pity for Theon, and to wonder whether things could have gone differently had Balon been a better role model.