Game of Thrones/Characters/House Arryn

Lord Jon Arryn (John Standing)


The recently deceased Hand of the King and Lord of the Vale. Jon was Eddard Stark's mentor and was married to Catelyn's sister Lysa.

Tropes:

 * He Knows Too Much: He was killed when he found out that Joffrey was an inbred bastard that she had with her twin brother.
 * Like a Son to Me: Eddard, as well as King Robert.
 * Number Two: To King Robert as Hand of the King.
 * Make It Look Like an Accident: Catelyn receives word from her sister that her husband was not a victim of a fever but of murder.
 * Posthumous Character

Lady Lysa Arryn (nee Tully) (Kate Dickie)


Jon Arryn's widow, and sister to Catelyn Stark.

Tropes:

 * Axe Crazy
 * Combat Pragmatist: She doesn't get involved in combat herself, but she's perfectly happy to send a knight in full armour up against the unarmed and small-of-stature Tyrion, and refuses to allow Tyrion his legal right to a champion when he tries to name his brother Jaime. It would have worked, if Tyrion hadn't convinced Bronn to fight for him, with little more than a glance and a single phrase, a full episode before he was imprisoned.
 * Crazy Survivalist: After Jon's death she fled to his isolated, impregnable fortress: the Eyrie.
 * Foil/Shadow Archetype: To her sister Catelyn. While Tully girls are both mothers acting in defense of their children, her strategy is passive (hide in the Eyrie with Robin) and vicious (willing to allow Tyrion the chance to fall to his death in one of her sky cells). And then she's a My Beloved Smother.
 * God Save Us From the Queen: She's Lady of the Vale, not a queen, but otherwise fits this trope perfectly.
 * Royally Screwed-Up: Again, not royalty, but otherwise...
 * Incest Subtext: In her first scene she's breastfeeding Robin. Who's eight! Also implied later when he's sent off to take a bath that she'll be along presently to do the bathing.
 * Mama Bear
 * Smug Snake: Not nearly as smart as she thinks she is.

Lord Robin Arryn (Lino Facioli)


""Mommy, I want to see the bad man fly.""

Jon and Lysa's only son, and technically Lord of the Vale despite being eight.

Tropes

 * Adaptation Name Change: Originally he was Robert Arryn, named after King Robert, with Robin and Sweetrobin as occasional nicknames. This changed to comply with the One Steve Limit.
 * Children Are Innocent: Played with. Contrast his eagerness to have people executed with his innocent curiosity about what Tyrion did with a jackass and a honeycomb in a brothel.
 * Creepy Child: He was very excited about seeing someone die, regardless of their innocence or guilt, though he is under the impression that Tyrion murdered his father.
 * Foil/Shadow Archetype: If Lysa is these to Catelyn, then Robin is these to Bran.
 * Momma's Boy; Up to and including being breastfed, despite being EIGHT YEARS OLD
 * My Beloved Smother: see above
 * One Steve Limit: The book version of Lord Arryn named his son after King Robert. The TV show changed this to "Robin" to avoid confusion.
 * Royal Brat: He's used to getting what he wants. Unfortunately, what he wants is usually to "see people fly."
 * Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Inverted; he's eight and is still breastfeeding. Played straight in his wanting to see people "fly."

Ser Vardis Egen (Brendan McCormack)


A knight serving House Arryn.

Tropes:

 * Badass Beard
 * The Champion: to Lysa Arryn during a Trial By Combat
 * The Dragon: to Lysa Arryn
 * Duel to The Death: With Bronn.
 * Killed Off for Real
 * Knight in Shining Armor

Ser Hugh (Jefferson Hall)


Also known as "Ser Hugh of the Vale". A young knight and the former squire of the late Jon Arryn.

Tropes:

 * The Apprentice: to Jon Arryn's Old Master
 * Asshole Victim: Gruesome as his death is, it's hard to feel sorry for him given how much of a dick he was to Jory.
 * He Knows Too Much: It's implied that he had something to do with Jon Arryn's death and the other conspirator(s) silenced him by making sure he would be pitted against Ser Gregor.
 * Jerkass: Refuses to talk to Jory because the latter isn't a Knight
 * Promoted to Scapegoat: He's knighted almost immediately after Jon Arryn's death, even though its clear he's neither ready or deserving of knighthood. To Ser Hugh, its payment for his role in the murder, to the people who promoted him, its just one step closer on his way to Gregor Clegane's lance.
 * Red Shirt
 * Sacrificial Lamb: Killed to show how much of a monster Ser Gregor Clegane actually is.

Mord (Ciaran Birmingham)


""Short man making noise again!""

The jailor in charge of the sky cells in the Eyrie.

Tropes:

 * Bald of Evil
 * Dumb Muscle
 * Fat Bastard
 * Foil/Shadow Archetype: Quite possibly, as part of the dynamic between the Tully sisters and their kids. Mord could be seen as a darker version of Hodor just as Lysa and Robin are darker versions of Catelyn and Bran.
 * Hulk Speak
 * Too Dumb to Fool: He's functionally incorruptible, since he's very nearly too stupid to be bribed.

Back to the main character listing