Game of Thrones/Characters/House Greyjoy

Lord/ 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:
"Yara: We both loved our mother... we both endured our father..."
 * Abusive Parent: To Theon.
 * It seems that Yara didn't have it much better in the past after all:

"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?!"
 * A Real Ironman Is A Killer
 * Armour Piercing Question: The look on his face when Theon calls him out, throwing back his own declaration that as Greyjoys, "We take what is ours", right back in his face.


 * Armor-Piercing Slap: Enough to throw Theon almost to the other side of the room. Somehow...
 * : 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
 * Badass Longcoat: It makes him look like a pirate! (which he is)
 * Badass Boast: See the quote above.
 * Badass Creed: One that applies to all the Ironborn; what is dead may never die.
 * 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.
 * 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?
 * 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.

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,.

Tropes:
"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?!"
 * Zero-Percent Approval Rating: When he, none of the   are favorably inclined toward him. His subsequent actions pretty much results in every single   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.
 * 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  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 . 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.
 * 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 . 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: Am I your brother? Now and always? Robb: Now and always."
 * 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  to at least show him a little respect, considering he   Noooooooope. Everyone from crippled children to helpless old men gives him lip and snark.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

"You're not a man in the Iron Islands 'till you've killed your first enemy!"
 * 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.
 * : In Season Two.
 * Ignored Epiphany: Theon acknowledges the truth of Maester Luwin telling him . 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * are treated this way in-universe.
 * My God, What Have I Done?: Its subtle, but when, he's shown standing and staring in the rain, and you can see this etched on his face. Later, when he  , he immediately looks down in regret and guilt.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Unleashes a surprising one on
 * Pet the Dog: Despite his faults, he seems to be a loyal friend to Robb and one of his most ready supporters.
 * He still makes the effort
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy: He's trying his damnedest to be this.

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


 * Sanity Slippage: His mental health has clearly deteriorated during Season Two. Not surprising, given . 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 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.
 * Thicker Than Water:
 * 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.
 * Would Hurt a Child
 * Would Hurt a Child

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?"
 * Action Girl: She commands her late brother's ship. And she has killed already.
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Aloof Big Sister: To Theon.
 * Badass Longcoat: In the field. And it is awesome.
 * Big Sister Instinct: Believe it or not, she may actually have some of this for Theon. See Hidden Depths below.
 * Brother-Sister Incest:
 * Daddy's Girl
 * Daddy's Little Villain
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Even Evil Has Standards: She is disgusted when Theon  because it was morally wrong and because it removes two valuable hostages.


 * Hidden Depths:
 * The Ladette
 * Obfuscating Stupidity:
 * One of the Boys
 * One Steve Limit: The character is named Asha in the books. The TV series changed it to avoid possible confusions with Osha.
 * Parental Favoritism
 * Pirate Girl
 * Pet the Dog: She shows actual concern for Theon in "The Prince of Winterfell", implying that her bullying attitude to him is in part an act.
 * Replacement Goldfish: With two sons dead and the third one hostage, Balon considers her his heir.
 * Sibling Rivalry
 * Tomboy: "You're the one wearing a skirt", Theon, indeed.

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:
"He's feedin' the crops; his wife too. You want to keep a man silent, you silence him."
 * 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 And later
 * Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: His first scene with Theon.
 * Composite Character: Takes on much of "Reek's" 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, Dagmer gives the bluntest explanation for why this is now impossible:
 * He Knows Too Much: Apparently a believer in this kind of secrecy; when Theon attempted to compensate, Dagmer gives the bluntest explanation for why this is now impossible:


 * The Mentor: He seems to be this for Theon, and also seems to genuinely want him to rise up in the esteem of his men- evidenced by his smile of approval when Theon beats the shit out of
 * Evil Mentor: Climaxes in "The Old Gods and the New" when he convinces Theon to
 * Number Two: To Theon.
 * Only Sane Employee: Is quickly established as this, taking on a mentor role to Theon. This is similar, but different than his role in the books, wherein he is an Honorary Uncle who knew Theon since childhood.
 * Pirate
 * : What he and the rest of the Ironborn do in the season 2 finale.
 * Smug Smiler: Has a grin everytime an Ironborn kicks a dog.
 * Toxic Friend Influence
 * Would Hurt a Child
 * Toxic Friend Influence
 * Would Hurt a Child

"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.""
 * Badass Boast: Delievers one to Theon when they first meet.


 * Bald of Evil
 * Beard of Evil
 * Fat Bastard
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch:  gives him a long deserved No-Holds-Barred Beatdown in "A man without honor".
 * Pirate
 * Rape, Pillage and Burn: Unsurprising given he's a veteran Ironborn raider.
 * The Starscream: To Theon.
 * While You Were in Diapers: He plays this off against Theon, while also threatening to kill him and take his ship.

Click here to return to the main character page