Game of Thrones/Characters/House Greyjoy

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House Greyjoy

Lord/King Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide)

"No man gives me a crown. I pay the iron price. I will take my crown. That is who I am. That is who we have always been."

Lord Balon Greyjoy is lord of the Iron Isles, a harsh and unforgiving archipelago off the western coast of Westeros. More than a decade ago, Lord Balon raised a rebellion against King Robert and tried to win independence for the Isles. Robert, Eddard and Jon Arryn put an end to it, destroying his army and killing his eldest sons. Ned Stark then took Balon's youngest surviving son Theon as hostage to keep Balon loyal to the Iron Throne. Balon has been itching for revenge and another shot at independence ever since, and the brewing civil war has given him the opportunity.

Tropes:

  • Abusive Parent: To Theon.
    • It seems that Yara didn't have it much better in the past after all:

Yara: We both loved our mother... we both endured our father...

Theon: You gave me away, if you remember?! The day you bent the knee to Robert Baratheon! After he crushed you! Did you "take what was yours", then?!

  • Armor-Piercing Slap: Enough to throw Theon almost to the other side of the room. Somehow...
  • Big Bad: Fills this role in one of the second season's storylines.
  • Berserk Button: Bringing up how his last rebellion ended seems to be this for him.
  • Badass
  • Determinator: You can remind him about the massive failure that was his first rebellion, the deaths of the majority of his sons, his humiliation at the hands of Eddard Stark, his multitudes of personal tragedy or how he can never hope to hold any land he may conquer as a result of his rebellion. Balon's gonna do it anyway.
  • The Remnant: House Greyjoy has been reduced to this post-Rebellion.
  • Revenge Before Reason: He passes up a golden opportunity not only to become a King of the Iron Islands again and gain complete independence for his people, and to become both fabulously wealthy and feared throughout all of Westeros by joining forces with the North solely for the sake of getting back at the family that was part of the force that put down his rebellion. [1]
  • Jerkass: He impugns Theon's masculinity close to half a dozen times within the first five minutes, after not having seen him for over a decade. He also treats Theon's sister as a substitute heir. As icing on the cake, he shows contempt for the idea of either buying or negotiating for things from people, believing that it is more desirable to murder them and then rob their corpses instead. This man is an asshole in Dennis Leary's sense of the word.
  • Proud Raider Race Guy: Ironborn traditions and cultural predisposition towards seaborn raiding makes them look like one of these.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules: Balon detests the very idea of buying something with money. To him, the only price worth paying is 'the iron price' - i.e. to take it from someone you have killed yourself... Note that the words of House Greyjoy are, "We do not sow"--as in, Why be a farmer when you could be a huge bully instead and steal what other people have built?
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Instead of being one of the first kings to die (supposedly from Melisandre's blood curse), Balon is theoretically still alive and kicking well into season six. Probably due to to most of the Iron Islander plotline being Out of Focus (only so many episodes in a season after all).
  • The Unseen: Like Stannis, he never appears in the first season, and is talked about by other characters. Patrick Malahide portrays him in Season 2.
  • Vanity Is Feminine: A darker take on the trope, judging from the way Balon treats Theon and his rather gaudy choice of dress.
  • Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: He likes to think of his rebellion nine years ago as an attempt to free himself from the southern tyranny. Most non-Ironborn aren't very convinced about this, since the main form of oppression by the "southern tyranny" was to keep his people from indulging in looting and plundering their neighbours.

Prince Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen)

"I’m a Greyjoy. I can’t fight for Robb and my father both."

Ned Stark's squire and ward. Theon is technically a Stark hostage to guarantee Balon's good behavior. Theon has lived at Winterfell since he was 8 years old and has become quite close to Robb and the other Stark children. He has two older brothers ("Maron" and "Rodrik" in the books), both slain, and an older sister, [2].

Tropes:

  • 0% Approval Rating: When he seizes Winterfell, none of the Northerners are favorably inclined toward him. His subsequent actions pretty much results in every single Northerner wanting to kill him.
  • And Zoidberg: Bran prays for the safety of his brothers and friends "and Theon too, I suppose."
  • Annoying Younger Sibling: To Yara.
  • The Archer: And a pretty damn good one too.
  • Bad Boss: His employees are not any better.
  • Blood Knight: Always smirking when there is the prospect of violence going on.
  • Bodyguard Betrayal: Sold to the enemy by his fellow Ironborn right after exhorting them to die fighting.
  • Brain Bleach: After realising that the woman he was groping and tried to seduce was actually his sister.
  • Butt Monkey: Distrusted and treated like dirt by pretty much everyone except Robb.
    • This becomes even more pronounced in Season 2, where not only do his own people treat him with contempt, but he manages to make a fool of himself even after taking Winterfell. Remaining a Butt Monkey while you're the leader of a conquering army is quite an achievement.
  • Calling the Old Man Out: In What is Dead May Never Die, after putting up with the constant abuse from his father, for the horrific "crime" of being the price Balon had to pay for losing his sorry little war a decade prior, he snaps with the quote below. He gets a smack across the face for his trouble Sadly, he still decides to forsake the Starks and join the Greyjoy cause at the end of the episode. That said, it did seem to break through Balon's skull for a short time. That or it just made him think back to the deaths of his other two sons.

Theon: You act as if I volunteered to go! You gave me away, if you remember?! The day you bent the knee to Robert Baratheon! After he crushed you! Did he "take what was yours", then?!

  • Casanova Wannabe: Fancies himself a lady killer, but his onscreen relationship pursuits have so far consisted of: visiting Ros, attempting to force himself on Osha (who just tells him off before they're interrupted), seducing the captain's teenage daughter on a ship, and (unknowingly) groping his sister.
  • Conflicting Loyalty: His biological family versus the one that raised him.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: He expects a grand welcome during his homecoming. He doesn't get it.
    • He expects the people of Winterfell to at least show him a little respect, considering he invaded it with armed soldiers and occupied it. Noooooooope. Everyone from crippled children to helpless old men gives him lip and snark.
  • Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: When Yara mentions their deceased mother it's clearly very painful for Theon to think about and causes him to look away.
  • Face Heel Turn
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Appears to be quite jealous of Tyrion and the Lannisters due to their wealth and power.
    • Later, of Yara's favorite status with their father.
  • He-Man Woman Hater: Slips into this after being forced to fight with Yara for his position as heir to Balon.
  • Deadly Change-of-Heart: Once he helps Sansa escape, there's no going back for him and no one else for him to turn to. He'll never be a proper Iron Islander again and he knows that Ramsay would torture him to death for killing his girlfriend.
  • Good Is Not Nice: In the first season he loyally follows Robb into war but has some rather sexist attitudes, is generally unpleasant and is a bit too eager to resolve any conflict by killing his enemies.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Attempts this when Ramsay's men start to catch up to himself and Sansa, despite knowing that Ramsay will torture him for as long as possible before letting him die.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: With Robb. Seems to hold him in regard out of any other Stark and he is usually the first to stand by any of Robb's decisions.

Theon: Am I your brother? Now and always?
Robb: Now and always.

  • I Have Your Wife: Is "the wife" in this case.
  • I Am X, Son of Y: Theon throws his dad's name around quite a few times to boast about his status. Most people have no idea who he's talking about.
  • Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: In Season Two.
  • Ignored Epiphany: Theon acknowledges the truth of Maester Luwin telling him that he's not the evil man he's been acting as, and can make amends for his treachery by joining the Night's Watch. However, Theon feels that he has already gone too far.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: Theon's arrogance has a whole lot to do with the fact that he grew up as a Stark ward/glorified Stark prisoner and was constantly reminded of how he should feel grateful to his adoptive family/captors.
  • Insistent Terminology: Insists on being referred to as "Lord Greyjoy" on account of his heritage. When he takes Winterfell, this translates to insisting its people call him "Prince Theon".
  • It's All About Me: He doesn't take much consideration for anything but his own immediate gratification and how other people view him.
  • Jerkass
  • Kick the Dog: He has behaved abusively toward Ros and Osha and other characters don't seem to trust or like him. In season 2 his capture of Winterfell and subsequent actions are basically one long exercise in this trope. Notably his killing of Ser Rodrik.
  • The Lancer: To Robb's The Hero.
  • Loser Son of Loser Dad: He's seen this way in-universe. The Greyjoys have become the punchline to a joke in Westeros after Balon's failed rebellion.
  • Male Frontal Nudity: In The Wolf and the Lion.
  • Misplaced Accent: Despite being from the Iron Islands, Theon sounds Northern, likely due to his time with the Stark family.
    • It's particularly noticable in Series 2 where the Ironborn characters sound vastly different than Theon does.
    • Yara also pronounces his name as "Tee-on", not "They-on". This implies that even he has forgotten how to say his own name.
  • Moral Event Horizon: The taking of Winterfell and execution of Ser Rodrik are treated this way in-universe.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Its subtle, but when Theon kills Rodrick, he's shown standing and staring in the rain, and you can see this etched on his face. Later, when he hoists the corpses of two children he claims were Bran and Rickon, he immediately looks down in regret and guilt.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Unleashes a surprising one on Lorren.
  • Pet the Dog: Despite his faults, he seems to be a loyal friend to Robb and one of his most ready supporters. Not anymore, as of the third episode of Season 2 he's thrown in his lot with his "true" family, House Greyjoy, in their invasion of the North.
    • He still makes the effort to gently persuade Bran to hand over the castle, and promises to treat the people as well as their previous lord did, in clear attempt to justify his own actions. He doesn't take it well when they don't show him an inkling or respect in spite of this.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: He's trying his damnedest to be this.

You're not a man in the Iron Islands 'till you've killed your first enemy!

    • A lot of his problems come from being a Proud Warrior Race Guy raised by a family of slightly different ProudWarriorRaceGuys, and frequently getting his wires crossed. An example of this is when he talks about how shameful it would be to be known as "the Greyjoy who ran," not realizing that the Ironborn are raiders and practically always run away when the enemy is too strong.
    • Theon assumes that his men, being proud Ironborn warriors, would willingly brave certain death to go out in a blaze of brutal glory. Noooooooooope.
  • Really Gets Around: Mostly with women he pays or complete idiots who are easily taken advantage of.
  • The Resenter: On so many levels.
  • Rousing Speech: A pretty nice one in episode 10. Shame he gets knocked out right after by Dagmer.

Dagmer: It was a nice speech, didn't want to interrupt.

  • Sanity Slippage: His mental health has clearly deteriorated during Season Two. Not surprising, given his father's treatment, his less-than-stellar attempts at earning his mens' respect, the Northerners' hatred when he takes Winterfell and losing Bran and Rickon. Another major reason for this, is that his behaviour at Winterfell was really inconsistent with his personality, as his hesitation and ambivalence demonstrates. Theon might have been a contemptible, womanising Butt Monkey who could never get any respect, but that was mostly due to insecurity. He wasn't genuinely evil.
  • Sibling Rivalry: With Yara, for the respect of his father.
  • Slave to PR: Increasingly becomes this over the course of Season Two. Yara eventually calls him out on it.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Thinks he's pretty damn awesome, but no one else is buying it. This is perhaps best demonstrated when he can't even take off Ser Rodrik's head until after several strokes, and in the end is simply hacking away and actually has to kick the head off in the end. When Ned did the same thing in the first episode he actually used a proper heavy sword, demonstrating that Theon literally doesn't have the right tools for the job and is too arrogant to ask for them.
  • Torture Makes You Evil: Inverted. Torture seems to have purged him of his callowness and self-centeredness.
  • Thicker Than Water: The reason of his Face Heel Turn.
  • Tragic Villain: Despite his rather unpleasant personality, he becomes one of these due to the degree to which his jerkassery and later villainy is fueled by never being accepted by anyone.
  • The Unfavorite
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: A big part of his personality and issues stem from this. It isn't until "The Ghost of Harrenhal" that he realizes just how little respect people really have for him due to this, as the Ironmen don't respect those who just blindly do as they're told. When he disregards Balon's orders to raid small fishing villages and chooses to hit a larger, harder target with more plunder, the men begin to respect him more.
    • A big part of Theon's problems stem from him getting a double dose of this. He wanted both his real father and his adoptive father's approval... men who hated each other and stood for everything the other opposed. The fact that he's caught between them, doomed to never truly have one or the other's approval, drives practically his entire character.
  • Would Hurt a Child

Princess Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan)

"So good to see you brother. This is a homecoming I'll tell my grandchildren about."

Theon's older sister, trained by her father as his actual heir in his son's absence.

Tropes

Yara: The little boy prisoners made you a promise and you got mad when they broke it? Are you the dumbest cunt alive?

Greyjoy household and retainers

Dagmer "Cleftjaw" (Ralph Ineson)

"They're all Iron Islanders. Do they do as they're told or do they do as they like?"

A veteran ironborn raider assigned as Theon's second at the "Sea Bitch". He acts as a mentor of sorts to Theon reminding him that the Ironborn follow men not orders and he must earn their respect if he wants to lead them.

Tropes:

  • Adaptational Attractiveness: In the books, his nickname "Cleftjaw" is descriptive of his appearance, as he was horribly disfigured after taking an ax to the face, leaving him with lips stretched apart. In the tv series, he has some minor facial scars.
  • Adaptational Villainy: While in the books he remains at Torrhen's Square and returns to the Stony Shore after being driven out by Ser Rodrik, here he's the one with the idea of executing Ser Rodrik And later killing two kids and then show the bodies to the people of Winterfell and pretend they are Bran and Rickon. We can now add knocking Theon out and selling him to their enemies (in an admittedly hilarious manner) and killing Maester Luwin to that fun list too.
  • Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: His first scene with Theon.
  • Bodyguard Betrayal: To Theon.
  • Composite Character: Takes on much of "Reek's" Actually a disguised Ramsay Snow role from the book.
  • The Dragon: To Theon.
    • Dragon-in-Chief: Boy, does he mangle Theon like if he was made of plasticine...
  • Evil Scars
  • Evil Sounds Deep: His voice is magnificent.
  • Guttural Growler: He has a bit of this too.
  • He Knows Too Much: Apparently a believer in this kind of secrecy; when Theon attempted to compensate the Farmer whose children were murdered and passed off as the Stark Children, Dagmer gives the bluntest explanation for why this is now impossible:

He's feedin' the crops; his wife too. You want to keep a man silent, you silence him.

"Black" Lorren (Forbes KB)

"I have been reaving and raping since before you left Balon's balls, Captain."

A veteran ironborn raider assigned to the "Sea Bitch".

Tropes:

Black Lorren: "I have been reaving and raping since before you left Balon's balls, Captain. Don't reckon I've got much use for your ideas on how to do it. Don't reckon I've got much use for a Captain at all."

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  1. ↑ This was even worse in the books, where Ned literally had nothing to do with the deaths of his sons. One of them died in a collapsing tower and the other in a battle he wasn't even present in.
  2. ↑ "Asha" in the books, but changed due to the One Steve Limit and the presence of the similarly-named Osha; this was perhaps inevitable after Theon lampshaded it in a later book
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