Tyrion Lannister
And yet, in many ways, he is one of the leading heroes of the show and is without question one of the most popular among the viewers. We are willing to forgive Tyrion his alcoholism, dalliances with prostitutes, and even murder, as we have watched his development as the show has progressed. He is perhaps one of the most interesting television characters of all time.
Tyrion Lannister is the youngest son of Joanna and Lord Tywin Lannister, who previously had twins named Cersei and Jaime. We learn his father Tywin is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, and our first introduction to Tyrion demonstrates he is hardly a worthy heir. He is drunk, lewd, and needs to be saved by his much more presentable brother Jaime to be prepared to acclimate into polite society.
Tyrion’s father Tywin is the head of House Lannister and rules over Casterly Rock in the Westerlands, which is one of the most important houses in the seven kingdoms. Tywin despised his son, literally from his birth, as his wife Joanna died giving birth to him which Tywin always blamed him for. The fact that he was also born a dwarf was the final indignity for his father.
Tyrion at one point discusses how he would have been left out in the woods to die had he not been born of noble birth. His father does not hold him in high regard and often treats him with cruelty and disdain. Tyrion relates a story to his friend Bronn how he met a woman when he was 16 who was being raped. He and his brother Jaime chased off the attacker, and Tyrion comforted the woman and fell in love with her. They eventually got married, and Tyrion was truly happy until he learned Jaime had set the whole scene up so Tyrion could finally lose his virginity with a prostitute.
When Tywin finds out his son is married to a prostitute, he gave Tyrion’s wife Tysha to his guards by providing them with silver coins to pay her. Tyrion's last memories of her were watching silver fall out of her hands as dozens of his father's soldiers took their turns with her. Bronn tells him, “I would kill the man who did that to me,” as Tyrion relates this story. The statement turns out to be eerily prophetic.
Despite Tywin's hatred of him, he still considers Tyrion to be a Lannister and feels he must contribute to the family's legacy. When he is 16, Tyrion is put in charge of the drains and cisterns at Casterly Rock. Despite the fact this job was meant to be degrading, Tyrion reported, "the sewage never flowed smoother to the sea." He never fully regains the respect of those around him and is referred to as “the Imp” and “the half-man” by those around him.
Although we are first introduced to Tyrion as a drinker and a whore-monger, we do see that he has another side, as he befriends the bastard Jon Snow as they both avoid dining with the more reputable members of their families. Tyrion gives Jon some valuable advice about accepting who he is without apology, and the two of them develop a friendship. Given their respective importance to the show and the events in GOT, this is in retrospect a significant development.
We also watch Tyrion interact with his rude and arrogant nephew Joffrey, as he instructs him as to how to behave towards his elders. When Joffrey talks back to him, Tyrion slaps him three times across the face. Joffrey’s guard Sandor Clegane (the hound) tells him, “the little lord will remember that” which foreshadows a great deal about their future interactions.
Tyrion learns Jon intends to "take the black" and invites himself to join Jon's band as they make their way to the wall. Tyrion is curious to see one of the architectural wonders of the worlds, and we soon learn of his intellectual curiosity and voracious love of reading. He informs Jon, “a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge.” This statement tells us a great deal about Tyrion Lannister.
Tyrion and Jon eventually reach the wall. Tyrion later again proves valuable to Jon, as he essentially saves his life when the other brothers of the night’s watch corner him and intend to kill him when Jon is perceived as being a show-off. Tyrion once again gives Jon some valuable advice about humility, and Jon takes the lesson and adjusts his behavior accordingly.
On his way back home, we again see Tyrion is capable of great kindness, as he designs a saddle for now crippled Bran so he can ride a horse despite the fact he can no longer use his legs. We get further insight into Tyrion’s psyche when he informs Robb Stark that he has “A soft spot in my heart for cripples, bastards, and broken things.’ Despite Tyrion’s kindness, he is still greeted with resistance from Rob and the rest of the Stark clan.
Tyrion clashes with Catelyn Stark, who believes he is responsible for her attempted murder. She takes Tyrion prisoner and whisks him to the Eyrie where her sister resides so he can be held accountable for his crimes. While they are on the dangerous road to the Eyrie, they are attacked, and Catelyn releases Tyrion long enough for him to kill his first man in self-defense. Tyrion also befriends a hired soldier named Bronn who has been employed by Catelyn to assist her. The two of them strike up a friendship that will save Tyrion’s life on more than one occasion.
Tyrion is held captive while Catelyn and her emotionally unstable sister Lysa decide what to do with him. He eventually reports he wants to confess to his crimes and is brought in front of the sisters for his final judgment. There he launches into a confession of his sexual perversities while also denying he had anything to do with Catelyn’s attack. He eventually asks for a trial by combat, where Bronn surprises everyone by offering to fight on Tyrion’s behalf. Bronn triumphs and the two new friends begin their descent back to King’s Landing.
Bronn and Tyrion are attacked and nearly killed by a band of marauders and hill people. Tyrion convinces them to join forces, and they all eventually band together to fight in Tywin's war against the Starks. Tyrion somehow survives his first real battle, and his father rewards him by making him the hand of the king. Bronn also surprises him by providing him with a lively prostitute named Shae. Tyrion and Shae quickly become close, and Tyrion takes her to King's Landing, despite his father's direct orders to leave her behind.
In the second season, Tyrion is reunited with Joffrey and the two of them resume their animosity towards each other. Tyrion and Cersei begin a game of cat and mouse regarding her incest with Jaime and Tyrion’s relationship with a whore, which Cersei has become aware of. In one particularly cruel speech, she tells Tyrion that he killed his mother, and how “there was no bigger joke in the world than that.”
Tyrion also proves successful at sniffing out those who aren’t loyal to him, and toys with the city watch commander Janos Slynt before relieving him of his command and exiling him to the wall. Tyrion inserts his new friend Bronn in his position, which further angers Cersei. Varys also learns of Tyrion’s arrangement with Shae, and the two of them enter into an uneasy understanding.
We get to see Tyrion’s cleverness fully on display when he tests Varys, Littlefinger, and Maester Pycelle by giving them all different information to see which of them would betray him. Tyrion learns it was Pycelle who divulged the information provided to him, and snips off his beard and places him in isolation in retaliation.
Problems between Tyrion and Cersei continue to escalate, as he sends her beloved daughter Myrcella to Dorne to be married, while also trying to protect her from the coming troubles in King’s Landing. Cersei informs him that one day she will take something he loves from him, which seems to hit its mark, as he knows his secret relationship with Shae could end badly if the wrong people find out about it.
Tyrion gains some leverage in the situation when he discovers Cersei is sleeping with her cousin Lancel Lannister, and uses this to his advantage by forcing the boy to provide him information about his sister. Things with Tyrion and Joffrey also continue to escalate, as he finds Joffrey humiliating Sansa and berates him for being a fool in front of his entire inner circle. He later attempts to appease Joffrey by gifting him two prostitutes, but Joffrey has one of the women beaten and sent back to Tyrion out of spite.
An interesting conversation takes place between Varys and Tyrion, where Varys tells him “a very small man can cast a very large shadow.” The two of them grow closer, and Varys assists with securing a job for Shae as Sansa’s handmaiden. The two of them seems to share a kind of hard wisdom about the world, that leads to them becoming friends.
Meanwhile, war with Stannis now seems inevitable, and Tyrion does his best to prepare, despite the fact Cersei and Joffrey try to exclude him. Tyrion eventually develops an ingenious plan to repel Stannis’ forces, and without him, King’s Landing almost certainly would have fallen. Throughout the battle, Tyrion grows disgusted with Joffrey’s cowardice and berates him in front of everyone. Tyrion takes the lead in leading the soldiers, and they begin to chant “half-man” in honor of his courage in battle.
Tyrion is badly hurt and wakes up to find his face is scarred and his father Tywin has taken credit for his victory in battle. Tyrion loses a great deal of his power now that his father has taken over as the hand of the king, and Shae begs him to leave the capital and begin a new life together. Tyrion tells her “It’s what I am" and refuses to go with her, which eventually spells doom for their relationship.
Now that his father has taken his job, Tyrion asks to be put in charge of the family’s homeland of Casterly Rock, which Tywin scoffs at by calling him “an ill-made, spiteful little creature.” He is instead made “master of coin,” which is a demotion for him that Cersei takes great pleasure in. In his new position, he negotiates with matriarch Olenna Tyrell to assist in paying for the royal wedding, and she expresses her disappointment that Tyrion is a “browbeaten bookkeeper” as opposed to the legendary hedonist she had heard stories about.
Tywin learns the Tyrells are plotting to take Sansa from the city, and he orders Tyrion to marry Sansa as a solution. Despite his protests, Tyrion is loyal to his father and agrees to the wedding where he gets very drunk and again threatens Joffrey. Realizing Sansa has no interest in consummating the marriage, Tyrion refuses to sleep with her until she is ready.
Working behind the scenes, Tywin has arranged the death of Robb Stark, his wife and his mother at the Red Wedding, and Tyrion questions him on the dishonorable actions. Tywin again reminds him that he is an aberration that was never meant to live in this world, and how he was only spared because he was a Lannister. Things with Shae are also building to a confrontation, and Varys tries to save her life by sending her away, which she refuses.
In the fourth season, Tyrion meets a new ally named Prince Oberyn Martell who has come to attend Joffrey’s wedding in place of his brother. Oberyn is hell-bent on revenge for the rape and murder of her sister and her children, and is seeking Gregor Clegane, who he believes is responsible. Their first conversation is tense as Oberyn hints at his plans for revenge.
Tyrion and Jaime are also reunited, and Jaime confesses to his brother he fears his fighting days are over, given he is now missing his right hand. Tyrion arranges for Jaime to train with Bronn, and he slowly begins to regain his fighting skills with Bronn’s assistance. Conversely, Tyrion and his sister Cersei are not getting along, and she finally discovers it is Shae who is the prostitute Tyrion has been hiding all these months. Seeing her chance for revenge, Cersei informs her father Tywin about Tyrion’s ongoing dalliance with a prostitute.
Seeing that the situation has grown dire, Tyrion breaks up with Shae in an incredibly painful scene where he is deliberately cruel to her so she will finally realize the gravity of the situation. Shae is emotionally broken by his rejection, and he arranges for a ship to take her away from King’s Landing. Although she is furious with this development, Bronn informs Tyrion that she has boarded the vessel and is safe. Tyrion makes plans to attend Joffrey’s wedding with a heavy and broken heart.
All the tension that has been building between Joffrey and Tyrion explodes at the royal wedding. Joffrey has arranged for actors mocking Tyrion to put on a show, but Tyrion turns the tables when he mocks Joffrey in front of the entire crowd and humiliates him. Joffrey pours wine on his uncle’s head and demands he be his cupbearer for the remainder of the wedding.
Joffrey becomes abusive and purposely drops his cup and otherwise attempts to humiliate Tyrion in front of his guests. When Tyrion refills his wine for the last time, Joffrey chugs it down and immediately begins to choke and convulse. Within seconds he is dead, and Cersei demands Tyrion be held for poisoning and killing her son.
Tyrion is held in the cells and tries to consider how he will defend himself against the false charges. Pod manages to smuggle in some necessary supplies, and he informs Tyrion that Sansa has escaped the capital. Tyrion learns Pod has refused an offer of knighthood to testify against him, and the two of them have a warm moment as he tells Pod, “there has never been a more loyal squire.”
Bronn remains loyal to Tyrion and convinces Jaime to go and see him. Tyrion assures Jaime he is innocent of Joffrey’s murder and Jaime conveys this to Cersei, which enrages her even further. Despite Jaime’s love (and lust) for Cersei, he remains loyal to Tyrion, even though it displeases her. This is a significant development.
Tyrion’s trial finally arrives. Knowing the fix is in, Jaime bargains for his brother’s life by agreeing to his father’s wish that he finally go and rule Casterly Rock. Tyrion doesn’t believe his father is capable of mercy and grows increasingly obstinate throughout the trial as Cersei and several others testify against him.
But even Tyrion isn’t prepared to see Shae take the stand, as he believed she had escaped King’s Landing on the boat he had prepared for her. Still seething from his rejection of her, Shae tells everyone that Tyrion and Sansa plotted and then killed Joffrey as payback for the murder of her family, and further embarrasses him by revealing his sexual perversions. Tyrion learns that hell truly hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Tyrion finally gets his turn to talk and offers to confess to all his crimes. Rather than admitting to Joffrey’s murder, he reveals his real crime is being a dwarf. He and his father have a heated exchange where Tywin informs him he is not on trial for being a dwarf, and Tyrion angrily replies that he has been on trial for that his entire life. Tyrion then berates Cersei and informs her he wishes he had murdered her son and all of them as well. Knowing he will be found guilty, Tyrion demands a trial by combat.
Tyrion has a couple of candidates in mind to be his champion, including his brother Jaime and his loyal servant and friend Bronn. Both of them have very valid reasons why they don’t want to fight against Gregor Clegane (The Mountain), and Tyrion is back where he started.
Tyrion then receives an unexpected visit from Prince Oberyn Tyrell, who relates a story about meeting him when Tyrion was just a baby. Oberyn informs him Cersei promised to show her a monster, and how he was disappointed to find she was only referring to her infant brother Tyrion. He tells Tyrion that Cersei began assaulting him as a baby, and only stopped when Jaime intervened. As Tyrion starts to tear up, Oberyn informs him that he will be his champion so he can avenge his sister (killed by The Mountain), who he loved dearly.
Finally, the day of the fight arrives. Jaime visits Tyrion, and the two of them share some memories and a laugh as they talk for perhaps the last time. Tyrion then relays a fascinating story about their cousin Orson, who used to torture and kill beetles for his own amusement. Tyrion recounts how he was baffled by his cousin's cruelty and left wondering how some people may do evil deeds simply for the sake of doing them. He is clearly talking about more than the beetles.
The fight begins, and Tyrion is hopeful when he sees that Oberyn is, in fact, a skilled fighter and more than a match for Gregor Clegane. Oberyn dominates the action and brings The Mountain to the ground with his spear. Rather than delivering the fatal blow, Oberyn instead chooses to taunt the severely wounded Gregor into confessing his crimes. It is a decision that will prove fatal, as Gregor does acknowledge his sins as he wakes up and crushes Oberyn’s head with his hands. Tywin sentences his son to death as Cersei looks on and smiles.
Tyrion awaits his impending death when Jaime surprises him and facilitates his escape. Despite the fact Jaime and Cersei remain sexually engaged, and Cersei wants Tyrion dead with all her heart, Jaime still chooses to save his brother's life. They share a warm embrace as they take a moment to appreciate everything they have meant to each other.
Although Tyrion has a clear path to escape, he instead chooses to visit his father's quarters where, to his shock and disgust, he finds Shae lying there after having sex with his father. She calls out for “my lion,” and Tyrion realizes she has not only had sex with his father but is also using the same nickname to refer to him as she once did for Tyrion. Seeing his rage, Shae grabs a knife and she and Tyrion struggle. He eventually strangles her with a necklace he once gave to her to show his love and affection. Tyrion weeps as he apologizes to the now dead Shae for everything that has happened between the two of them.
Tyrion sees Joffrey’s collection of weapons on the wall and takes his prized crossbow down as he searches for his father. He finds him sitting on the privy, where Tywin realizes the gravity of the situation and tries to flatter Tyrion into sparing his life. When Tywin calls Shae a whore for the second time in this discussion, Tyrion is overcome by his anger and hurt and murders his father as he sits on the toilet. Tyrion’s relationship with Varys then proves to be invaluable, as he helps his friend escape as the two of them board a ship out of King’s Landing together.
Tyrion falls into intense feelings of self-pity and begins drinking heavily. Varys, who has risked his own life to save Tyrion, refuses to watch his friend kill himself and reminds him he is still a person of value. Varys informs him a leader is rising in the world worthy of his talents and who is worth fighting for. Tyrion then agrees he will meet Daenerys Targaryen, which will eventually prove to be a meeting that will alter the face of every person in the world.
Tyrion continues to drink heavily, and Varys continues to offer sage advice. Their friendship grows more profound, as Varys points out that they are both outsiders who have cultivated power despite their apparent shortcomings. He also points out that Tyrion functions best when he is working to serve other people. Despite Tyrion’s protests, Vary’s words of wisdom are beginning to sink in.
Tyrion and Varys continue their journey and arrive in Volantis. Despite the fact Varys warns him they need to keep a low profile, Tyrion is overcome with curiosity and chooses to explore the city. There he observes a red priestess giving a speech about a dragon queen who will save the world. The priestess stops her speech and pierces Tyrion with her stare, perhaps foreshadowing his future importance to her story.
Tyrion decides to visit a brothel and picks out a dark-haired woman that reminds him of Shae. To his astonishment, Tyrion can no longer engage in empty sex with prostitutes. As he exits the brothel to relieve himself, Jorah Mormont takes him captive and informs him he is taking him to meet the Queen.
Tyrion and Jorah do not get along very well. Regaining his powers of deduction, Tyrion figures out who Jorah is, and remembers that Jorah was spying for the Lannisters. Jorah admits he is taking him to meet Daenerys as opposed to Cersei, and Tyrion further deduces that Jorah is no longer in her favor and how his capture is a kind of peace offering. Sick of Tyrion’s comments, Jorah smashes him across the face for his insolence.
As the two of them move closer to Daenerys, they look up into the sky and see her largest dragon bolt across the sky. Tyrion, who has had a lifelong fascination with dragons, is filled with both shock and awe as he realizes that dragons still exist in the world. He and Jorah are quickly snapped back to reality as infected creatures called Stone Men attack them. Although Tyrion narrowly escapes death at their hands, we later see Jorah has been touched by the men and therefore infected.
Tyrion and Jorah slowly develop a more respectful relationship. They discuss their fathers, and Tyrion confesses to Jorah he murdered his own for sleeping with the woman he loved, which Jorah seems to understand. Tyrion reveals he knew Jorah's father and discloses to him he has been killed in the line of duty at the Night's Watch. Jorah silently mourns for his father before informing Tyrion they need to keep moving on. The two of them are eventually captured, and Tyrion saves their lives when he convinces the slavemaster who catches them that Jorah would be useful as a fighting man.
Tyrion and Jorah enter the fighting pits together where Daenerys happens to be watching, and Jorah proves to be as good as Tyrion promised he was. As Jorah defeats enemy after enemy, he finally reveals himself to Daenerys, who reacts with disgust when she sees him. He then introduces the "gift" he brought to her, as Tyrion also reveals himself.
And finally, we have the meeting between Tyrion and Daenerys, perhaps the world's most excellent strategist and the world's most powerful woman. Daenerys is not immediately enamored of Tyrion and his bluntness, but spares his life as she thinks about what to do with him. Tyrion convinces her that he has come to help on the advice and counsel of Varys, and eventually Daenerys seems to believe he can indeed help her. His first assignment is advising her on what to do with Jorah and Tyrion recommends she spare his life but also banish him, which she does.
Daenerys and Tyrion become friends as they bond over what horrible fathers they both had. They discuss her chances of sitting on the Iron Throne and talk about how power in the seven kingdoms is elusive and dependent on often fragile bonds and alliances. They discuss the wheel of power, which crushes the common people Daenerys wants to help and rewards the rich and powerful. Daenerys reports she has no interest in being a part of the wheel but instead wants to be the person who destroys it.
Tyrion is now a part of Daenery’s inner circle and joins her at the fighting pits with Missandei and Daario. There they watch Jorah battle with several highly skilled fighters and nearly lose his life on several occasions. As the fighting comes to an end, Jorah sees Daenerys is actually under ambush and kills a man lurking behind her. As Tyrion escorts Missandei to safety, Daenery’s most massive dragon Drogon arrives in time to save them all and escort Daenerys to safety.
It is decided that Tyrion will stay behind while Daario and Jorah go in search of the queen. While there, Tyrion reunites with Varys, and they engage in some friendly banter. Despite their often playful conversations, the two have developed a deep respect between them and understand each other’s relative importance to the fate of the world.
Tyrion confers with his new “council” of Varys, Missandei, and Grey Worm. Tyrion learns two of Deanery’s dragons are not eating and decides to try and intervene. He has had a lifelong fascination with dragons and goes to “speak” to the dragons on the assumption they would never hurt a friend. He relates a story about dragons from his youth, which seems to appease the angry dragons. He gains their trust and unchains them, despite his palpable terror. Tyrion is already proving to be a significant asset to the absent queen Daenerys.
Tyrion shares a moment of laughter with the new “dream team" of Missandei and Grey Worm. The three of them continue to bond, when more serious business presents itself. The new council has to decide how to handle the issues of slavery, war, and compromise as they negotiate without the help of the queen. Missandei and Grey Worm, who have been slaves most of their lives, reject the compromises Tyrion has proposed. They still back him during a tense negotiation, although they warn him he is in over his head.
Tyrion continues to build alliances in Daenery’s absence and enlists a red priestess to help with the cause, despite Vary’s objections. She helps Tyrion placate the restless crowds of Meereen, and he and Varys have a last poignant conversation as Varys leaves to help build their collation around the world. Tyrion shares another moment with Missandei and Grey Worm as he teaches them to drink wine. As the three of them laugh together, they hear the signal that their city is now again under attack. As they make their plans, they realize Daenerys has returned with her most significant weapon Drogon.
Daenerys is ready to go to war but defers to Tyrion as he advises a different plan. The slave masters meet with Dany and her counsel, and Tyrion informs them that one of them must die. Grey Worm kills two of them, and Tyrion then instructs the remaining master to tell everyone what he has just seen regarding Daenerys and the power of her armies and her dragons.
Tyrion and Daenerys then entertain Theon and Yara Greyjoy, who have come to build an alliance. Tyrion remembers Theon’s treatment of him before his castration and insults him as he reminds Theon of his arrogance. It becomes clear Yara is now speaking for the Greyjoys, and Daenery’s reflects on how the four of them had horrible fathers who left the world a much worse place than they found it. The group finalizes their alliance as they agree to forgo rape and exploitation as they strive to create a better world than the ones they were born into.
In the last episode of the sixth season, we see that Tyrion and Daenerys have now become a strong team. As they discuss love and loss and Tyrion’s devotion to her, Daenerys gives him a gift. He will be the hand of the queen and stand by her side. Tyrion kneels before her as he realizes how his life now has purpose and meaning thanks to his relationship with Daenerys. In the final scene of the season, the two of them stand onboard a ship to Westeros surrounded by their most trusted advisers as the massive dragons soar in the skies above them.
At the beginning of the 7th season, we see Tyrion and his posse have indeed made it back to Westeros. He and Daenerys begin looking at a large map of the seven kingdoms. Daenerys says, “let’s begin” as they start designing their plans to take over this new world.
Things don’t go smoothly for Tyrion, as he runs into a number of unexpected challenges. His old friend Jon Snow arrives with stories about White Walkers, and Tyrion knows him well enough to understand he is telling the truth. There is tension between Daenerys and Jon, and Tyrion assists in negotiating a secure peace between the two of them as Jon begins extracting dragonglass from the earth at Dragonstone.
Tyrion is also struggling with his plans for the battlefield, as Cersei outwits him at Casterly Rock, which leaves Greyworm and his troops stranded without ships. The squad loses important allies when Euron Greyjoy captures Ellaria and Yara on the High seas. Daenerys grows impatient with Tyrion as his plans continue to fail.
Daenerys eventually berates Tyrion, and even questions his motives regarding his desire to defeat his siblings. She is growing more anxious about using her dragons to scorch the earth in battle, which Tyrion advises against. Despite his warnings that this approach will have adverse long-term consequences, Danny can't resist and flies Drogon into action against Tyrion’s brother Jaime and one of his closest friends Bronn.
As Tyrion watches on, Danny obliterates Jaime’s forces, and her dragon burns a number of his former friends and companions alive. Jaime and Bronn are two of the last men standing in the Lannister army, and Tyrion watches on in terror as he quietly commands his brother to run. When he sees Jaime charge at Daenerys and her wounded dragon, he calls his beloved brother a “fucking idiot” right before Bronn saves Jaime’s life at the last moment by tackling him into the water.
In the aftermath of the battle, Tyrion witnesses Daenerys incinerate Randyll Tarly with Drogon and later discusses her brutality with Varys who urges him to make her listen to him as a voice of reason. He does then convince her that they need to reach some kind of truce with his sister Cersei and Tyrion returns to King’s Landing in secret to discuss this idea with his brother Jaime.
Jaime is at first furious with Tyrion, but the two of them are finally able to talk about why Tyrion murdered their father. Tyrion explains their need to parlay their armies, and the brothers seem to once again be on the same page. Tyrion narrowly escapes King’s Landing with the assistance of Gendry and Jorah Mormont, and the three of them return to Daenerys.
Tyrion and Daenerys discuss their next moves, and Tyrion hints that Jon Snow is falling in love with her. Tyrion once again counsels her about the importance of tempering fear with mercy, and the two of them once again try and find some common ground. As the conversation begins to get heated, Daenerys receives a letter informing her that Jon Snow and his men are in grave danger. Despite Tyrion’s insistence that she stay, Daenerys boards Drogon and flies away to help. It appears Tyrion may be right about the burgeoning love between Jon and Daenerys, which he is skeptical about.
Tyrion takes center stage at the meeting between all of the major players at the Dragonpits, and explains how they need to consolidate their forces to fight against the army of the dead. Tyrion is interrupted by Euron Greyjoy and then Cersei, and then proceeds with the demonstration he orchestrated to show Cersei what a Wight Walker looks like and how they behave. Cersei is terrified by this revelation, and proposes a truce as long as Jon Snow will stay out of the conflict, which he refuses to do, telling her he has sworn his loyalty to Daenerys.
Cersei then refuses to participate in the truce, and Tyrion realizes he is the last person who might be able to convince her. Risking his own life, Tyrion arranges a meeting with Cersei, who has wanted him dead since he was a baby.
The two of them have a heated conversation, where Cersei reveals her ongoing hatred for Tyrion and all of his actions that have brought dishonor to their house. Despite Tyrion’s protests, Cersei continues to blame Tyrion for everything terrible that has happened to them. Realizing he cannot reason with her, Tyrion tells her to kill him and finally get what she always wanted. Cersei strongly considers this option, but instead begins to think about what Tyrion has proposed. The two of them return to the Dragonpit together, where Cersei reveals she has agreed to the truce. Unbeknownst to Tyrion at the time, she will quickly renege on this agreement, which leads an angry Jaime to abandon his sister and lover and ride off to rejoin his younger brother.
Analysis:
Tyrion is undoubtedly one of the most psychologically complicated characters on the show, and throughout the seasons has vacillated between good and evil on a number of occasions. Even in his earliest appearance, we see how he has almost no ability to control his hedonistic impulses. On the other hand, he is also wise and thoughtful to others, almost from his earliest scenes.
In analyzing Tyrion, it is essential to assess how his father’s influence, his stature, larger family dynamic, and environmental opportunities all influenced and shaped the man he was to become.
Gender Role Preparation perceived through Gender Guiding Lines and Role Models.
Tyrion is born into the world to the wealthiest and most powerful man in the seven kingdoms. His father Tywin Lannister’s family background including cleaning up the mistakes of his own father, and he has little patience for weak and ineffectual men. As was typical with Lannisters, Tywin married his cousin named Joanna Lannister, and Tyrion is, therefore, a child born of incest.
Joanna dies while giving birth to Tyrion, which, coupled with his short stature, creates hatred in Tywin towards his son that hangs over their relationship throughout both their lives.
Despite Tywin’s hatred, he models certain expectations he has for Tyrion as to what believes it takes to be both a Lannister and a man. Because his own father was irresponsible with money and prone to weakness, he has little tolerance for fools and people who put their personal feeling ahead of business.
Tywin corrected his father’s mistakes when he squelched a rebellion against the Lannisters and restored order and respect to the family name. Tywin expected his sons to be skilled in combat and the art of war, and Tyrion’s inability to fight was a source of great embarrassment to him.
Personal Code of Conduct perceived through Acceptance/ Rejection of Family Values.
In many ways, Tyrion rejects his father’s teachings and values and chooses to be a drunkard and a whoremaster as opposed to a soldier and politician. Tyrion is also a much kinder man than his father Tywin and shows mercy to others that Tywin would undoubtedly see as “weakness” consistent with the behavior of his own father.
Tyrion has also taken on some of the more positive aspects of Tywin’s lessons, including the idea that “A Lannister always pays his debts.” This statement has a number of different meanings, but Tyrion ascribed to the literal meaning and always makes a point of repaying a number of people who have done him favors and advocated and fought for him. There are numerous examples of this, including his treatment of Bronn, Shagga, and even the abusive guard who was assigned to watch him when he was held captive by Lysa Aryn,
There is also a more sinister interpretation of, “A Lannister always pays his debts,” which speaks to Tywin’s commitment to punishing his enemies and virtually anyone who has wronged him. This includes the Red Wedding, where Tywin orchestrates the murder of a number of the Starks as Walder Frey celebrates his alliance with the Lannisters by setting up the Starks to be murdered. This comes full circle when Tyrion confronts his father after Tywin has presided over this sham trial and set him up to be killed. Tyrion shoots an arrow through his own father’s heart, as he repays what is undoubtedly the largest ‘debt’ in his life, as Tywin has tried to have him killed on numerous occasions.
Interpersonal Style perceived through Experience of Family Atmosphere
Despite the fact he has lived in the shadow of both his father and his brother throughout his life, Tyrion still exhibits a number of leadership qualities and acts as an “Alpha” male in various circumstances throughout the show. Examples include slapping Joffrey in front of the entire court, and his efforts as the leader of the Battle of Blackwater.
It is impossible to discuss the influence of the family atmosphere without considering how much hatred Tyrion’s sister Cersei had for him. In a story related to Tyrion by Oberyn Tyrell, Cersei used to pinch and twist his flesh when he was a baby until he screamed in agony. Only Jaime’s interventions stopped Cersei from torturing Tyrion on a more regular basis.
One story that Tyrion recounts from his teen years speaks volumes about the family atmosphere and the lack of respect Tywin had for his son. Jaime arranges for Tyrion to rescue a girl who was being raped in the woods, and the two of them fall in love. Unbeknownst to Tyrion, the girl was a prostitute paid by Jaime, who wanted his brother to experience sex for the first time.
What Jaime hadn’t counted on was Tyrion falling in love with the girl and getting drunk and marrying her. When Tywin finds out Jaime arranged the whole thing, he pays his guards to have sex with the girl while Tyrion watched. His recollection of her covered with Silver coins after so many men had violated her is a memory that continues to haunt him throughout his life.
This event undoubtedly did a great deal of damage to the psyche of Tyrion Lannister. He is unable to sustain a healthy romantic relationship throughout his life, and instead engages prostitutes to meet his needs for both sex and intimacy. Even when he is married to Sansa he is unwilling to engage in sexual relations with her, as he correctly deduces that this would be repulsive to her.
Tyrion’s one positive relationship with a woman arose from his relationship with the prostitute Shae, who is initially presented to him by Bronn who has taken her from another man and delivered her to Tyrion. Despite her chosen profession, the two fall in love, and Tyrion wants them to remain together. Tywin learns his son is once again in love with a prostitute and threatens to kill to kill her if he continues the relationship.
Tyrion defies his father’s orders and continues his relationship with Shae. As things evolve, it becomes clear that it will be impossible to stay together and Tyrion sends her away. A heartbroken Shae betrays Tyrion at his murder trial so he can feel as hurt as she does. Her actions are a clear example of how hurt people, hurt people.
Self-Assessment perceived through Genetic Possibilities.
It is impossible to talk about Tyrion without assessing the massive consequence of being born into the world as a dwarf in a family full of strong and confident people. The fact that this mother also died giving birth to him also came with enormous psychological consequences for everyone involved. In many ways, Tyrion’s problems began the minute he took his first breath in the world.
Tyrion grows up knowing he is hated by both his father as well as his sister Cersei. Consider the following exchange:
Tyrion: It's easy for you to preach utter devotion to family when you're making all the decisions.
Tywin: Easy for me, is it?
Tyrion: When have you ever done something that wasn't in your interest but solely for the benefit of the family?
Tywin: The day that you were born. I wanted to carry you into the sea and let the waves wash you away. Instead, I let you live. And I brought you as my son. Because you're a Lannister.
Tywin confirms in this conversation what Tyrion already knows. His father has wanted him dead from the moment he was born. Tyrion also later explains to John Snow, that “all dwarves are bastards in their father’s eyes.”
And we also know that Cersei was cruel to him from his earliest days. Consider the story recounted by Prince Oberyn about meeting him when he was just a baby. “When we met your sister, she promised she would show you to us. Every day we would ask. Every day she would say, "Soon." Then she and your brother took us to your nursery and... she unveiled the freak. Your head was a bit large. Your arms and legs were a bit small, but no claw. No red eye. No tail between your legs. Just a tiny pink cock. We didn't try to hide our disappointment. "That's not a monster," I told Cersei, "that's just a baby."
As Tyrion grows older, he also lives in the shadow of his brother Jaime, who is by all accounts a strong and handsome boy who excels on the battlefield. Knowing he can’t compete with his brother physically, Tyrion becomes both an intellectual giant as well as a drunkard, compensating for his lack of size in the world with both a positive as well as a negative addiction.
Perspective on the World perceived through Experience of Psychological Birth Order
Psychological birth order differs from natural birth order, in the sense that sometimes children don’t evolve into traditional roles. Most of the time a first born child will be the leader, but on rare occasions, this child will shirk this responsibility and be replaced by a younger child. This highlights the idea of psychological birth order.
In Tyrion’s case, he is the youngest and smallest of three and born into a royal family with no place to ascend. Because his brother Jaime has chosen to be a Kingsguard, he has forsaken his right to be his father’s rightful heir to his castle and fortune at Casterly Rock. This leaves Tyrion as the rightful heir to this kingdom. Here is what occurred when Tyrion inquired about this.
“Tywin Lannister: I would let myself be consumed by maggots before mocking the family name and making you heir to Casterly Rock!
Tyrion Lannister: [quietly] Why?
Tywin Lannister: [raises his voice in anger] Why? You ask that? You who killed your mother to come into the world?
[Tywin stands and approaches Tyrion while talking to him contemptuously]
Tywin Lannister: You are an ill-made, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning. Men's laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors since I cannot prove that you are not mine. And to teach me humility, the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father's sigil and his father's before him. But neither gods nor men will ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whorehouse. Go, now. Speak no more of your rights to Casterly Rock. Go!
As we can see, Tyrion is once again denied his rightful status due to his dwarfism and corresponding behavior. And yet, as the series progresses, we see that Tyrion does possess significant power as a leader and a man. In the seventh season, he is pitted against his brother and sister as Daenery's top adviser, and the three of them joust for power and control, with the outcome still very much in doubt. At the end of this season, we see Jaime riding off away from Cersei and all that she represents, and there seems to be a strong possibility that the brothers will once again be united.
Openings for Advancement Perceived through Environmental Opportunities
It has sometimes been asked when considering how great leaders emerge if the times make the man or the man makes the times. In Tyrion’s case, there are a number of incidents that put him in a position to rise to the occasion and demonstrate the greatness that he is truly capable of.
One of these incidents occurs during the Battle of the Blackwater, where Tyrion takes command, partially in response to Joffrey’s cowardice and incompetence. The formidable Stannis Baratheon decides to claim his right to his brothers Robert’s crown and attacks King’s Landing. Outnumbered and in a vulnerable position, Tyrion devices an ingenious plan to send a ship filled with wildfire to blow up a great deal of the frontline of Stannis’ forces.
As Stannis’ forces descend on King’s Landing, Joffrey cowers with his mother, once again leaving Tyrion to rally the troops. Tyrion gives an impassioned speech to the remaining men, and he is nearly killed leading these men into battle when faithful squire Podrick Payne saves him. Although Tyrion was undoubtedly one of the heroes of this battle, his father Tywin eventually takes nearly all of the credit.
Another opportunity comes when Tyrion meets Daenerys Targaryen. The two of them have been through tremendous challenges and suffering when they finally enter into each other’s worlds, and both have something the other desperately needs. In Tyrion’s case, he needs to believe in something after a lifetime of lies and betrayal. Conversely, Daenerys needs Tyrion’s honesty, integrity, and knowledge if she is going to continue to progress with the massive undertaking she envisions.
Range of Social Interest perceived through Other Particularities.
Despite his hedonism and depravity, Tyrion seems capable of kindness and interest in the welfare of his fellow humans, almost from the beginning. An early example of this comes with an interaction with a young Jon Snow, who has been excluded from a party due to his status as a bastard. Tyrion advises him, “Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.”
The two of them later become friends at the wall, and Tyrion again advises Jon when he observes him acting superior to the other boys. He instructs him on remaining humble and helping the other men, which is advice Jon uses to build alliances with the men that will later serve him well. On his return home, Tyrion also designs a saddle for Jon’s brother Brandon, who believed he would never ride again due to his status as a cripple. Even Robb Stark, who dislikes Tyrion, acknowledges this unselfish act of kindness.
Tyrion exhibits this kindness on numerous occasions throughout the show and is seen to be generous and kind, despite the bullying and mocking he has received throughout his life. Tyrion also seems perplexed and saddened by the cruelty of others, which is evidenced by his conversation with Jaime about his cousin Orson who killed Beetles with a rock, seemingly for the pure pleasure of it. Although this is a seemingly innocent speech, it carries a much more profound meaning about Tyrion's understanding of the nature of both good and evil in the world.
Conclusion
As we head into the final season of the show, it is clear that Tyrion’s story is one of redemption. Through his association with Daenerys and Jon, his own suffering and loss, and his understanding of what is indeed at stake, Tyrion has become a serious man of both integrity and sacrifice.
At the end of Charles Dickens' masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities, a character named Sydney Carlton says, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done” after sacrificing his own life for another. One can’t help but wonder if Tyrion’s life might end with some similar noble sacrifice. The majority of his life was filled with hedonism and the pursuit of pleasure and immediate gratification. The last chapter is clearly about service and sacrifice. However his story ends, it is clear that his is a compelling story of penance and redemption.
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