32 Facts About Tywin Lannister

Tywin Lannister is introduced in A Game of Thrones and subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords.

Tywin Lannister is the Warden of the West and the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, and was twice the Hand of the King, making him one of the most powerful political figures in Westerosi history.

Tywin Lannister's cruelty towards his youngest son Tyrion, whom Tywin has despised since Tyrion's childhood for being a dwarf and killing his wife in childbirth, is a primary influence on Tyrion's character arc in both the novels and television show.

Tywin Lannister is Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, and Warden of the West.

When she died giving birth to their dwarf son Tyrion, it is said that "the best part of Tywin Lannister died with her".

When Tywin Lannister discovered that the young Tyrion had secretly eloped and married Tysha, a peasant's daughter, he had Tyrion's marriage forcefully annulled, telling him that the entire love affair was a plot by Jaime to get Tyrion to lose his virginity, his love being nothing more than a hired prostitute.

Thereafter, Tywin Lannister resigned as Hand of the King and returned to Casterly Rock.

Tywin Lannister then captured King's Landing through treachery and ordered the murder of the royal family before Ned Stark could capture the city.

At the beginning of the series, Tywin Lannister is described as a broad-shouldered man in his fifties with thin but muscled arms.

Tywin Lannister is said to have pale-green eyes flecked with gold.

Tywin Lannister is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted mainly through the eyes of his estranged dwarf son Tyrion Lannister.

Tywin Lannister's background remains largely the same in the television adaptation of the book series, with some minor changes.

Tywin Lannister was cast for the role based on his performance in Alien 3.

Tywin Lannister raises a host of almost 40,000 men, half of whom are given to Jaime to besiege the Riverlands' capital Riverrun.

Tywin Lannister is named Hand of the King by the new king, his grandson Joffrey Baratheon, but Tywin Lannister decides to remain in the Riverlands to continue the campaign against the Starks, sending Tyrion to King's Landing as acting Hand in his stead.

Tywin Lannister quickly leads the army on King's Landing, joining forces with Renly's former bannermen House Tyrell along the way, and arrives at King's Landing in time to force Stannis to retreat.

Tywin Lannister assumes his role as Hand of the King, demoting Tyrion to Master of Coin.

Tywin Lannister strangles her with the Hand's necklace, then confronts Tywin with a crossbow while he is on the privy, demanding to know what happened to Tysha.

Tywin Lannister's poorly embalmed corpse lies in state for seven days at the Great Sept of Baelor, before being returned to the Westerlands.

Later on, Jaime is seen in Tywin Lannister's camp reading a royal command issued by Ned Stark on behalf of the Crown summoning Tywin Lannister to appear before the court to answer for an attack on the Riverlands by Gregor Clegane.

Tywin Lannister chastises Jaime for openly attacking Ned when Jaime states he did so on hearing of Tyrion's arrest.

Tywin Lannister gives half of his men to Jaime to besiege House Tully's ancestral home of Riverrun.

Tywin Lannister is tricked by Robb Stark into taking his men to the Trident where he believes Robb intends to fight his army.

Tywin Lannister cannot make peace with the Baratheon brothers as they are staking a claim of Kingship of the Seven Kingdoms.

Tywin Lannister is able to gather information on the plan of his council members on their next course of action.

On Petyr Baelish's suggestion, Tywin Lannister establishes an alliance with House Tyrell as they have the required army and the largest supply of grain and livestock.

Tywin Lannister leads his forces along with their new allies of House Tyrell on the city and arrives just in time to defeat Stannis' forces.

Tywin Lannister harshly denies Tyrion his request to be named as heir to Casterly Rock, but does acquiesce to naming him Master of Coin.

Tywin Lannister is forced to contend with an increasingly belligerent Joffrey, who insists that his father Robert won the war by his sword, while chiding his grandfather as a coward who "hid under Casterly Rock".

Tywin Lannister sends his grandson to bed and promises to teach him the realities of ruling, before reminding Tyrion of Joffrey's limited power and of his husbandly duty to impregnate Sansa and again insists that a man who puts family first will always triumph.

Tywin Lannister has the Stark ancestral sword Ice melted down into two swords, one of which he gives to Jaime, though he disowns him after Jaime refuses to resign from the Kingsguard to become Tywin Lannister's heir.

When Tyrion is accused of poisoning Joffrey, Tywin Lannister asks Oberyn Martell to serve as one of the judges in Tyrion's trial.