History Characters / ASongOfIceAndFireHouseClegane

* KickTheSonOfABitch: He murders [[spoiler:Vargo Hoat]] by feeding him to himself. Gregor is ''far'' from a better person--he might even be worse--but it's still satisfying to read about.

* BadassBoast: His almost last words, before his final fight.

* {{Foil}}: He and Hodor are both ginormous, incredibly strong and a little lacking in long term planning. Both may have Giants lurking in their genes... But, it's Hodor who takes after the herbivorous, slow to anger, determined big guys we get to meet North of the Wall. Gregor is definitely more along the mythological, bloodthirsty, fee-fi-fo-fum kind.
** He's also one to Aemond Targaryen. Both are formidable and savage warriors who are considered TheDreaded for their faction (Gregor for his strength and size, Aemond because [[DragonRider he rode Vhagar]]) and have a reputation for DisproportionateRetribution, both killed a non-combatant (Elia Martell and Lucerys Velaryon) in excessively brutal fashion that prompted the victim's family to plot vengeance and even appalled members of their own side. Both are considered [[BloodKnight deadly warriors]] but [[GeneralFailure useless military commanders]] whose [[StupidEvil cruelty and stupidity]] ended up costing their faction in the long run, both spent a good portion of the war they fought in terrorising the population of the Riverlands until the crown sent a force to dispatch them (Beric Dondarion and Thoros of Myr for Gregor, Daemon Targaryen and Nettles for Aemond), both destroyed a prominent Riverlands noble family for the sake of cruelty (Gregor killed the last lord of House Darry because he didn't see any reason not to, while Aemond exterminated House Strong simply because of Rhaenyra's relationship with Harwin Strong), both lost a battle in the Riverlands that had major repercussions for King's Landing (Gregor's defeat at the Stone Mill bought Tywin Lannister time to save King's Landing from being sacked by Stannis, while Aemond's failure to reach his uncle Daemon at Harrenhal left the city wide open to fall to Rhaenyra) and [[DuelToTheDeath both were killed in single combat]] by a family member of the noncombatant they'd killed at the start of the conflict, though not without [[TakingYouWithMe managing to kill their opponent too]](Gregor managed to smash Oberyn Martell's skull, but only after being fatally wounded with manticore venom, and Daemon Targaryen presumably fell to his death after putting Dark Sister through Aemond's head).

* {{Foil}}:
** To Jaime Lannister. Both are great warriors, both wear animal shaped helmets and both are disillusioned by knighthood's lack of chivalry. (The difference being that, with his devil-may-care attitude, ''Ser'' Jaime doesn't mind buying into that hypocrisy, while the Hound absolutely refuses to be knighted.)
** To Victarion Greyjoy. Both are among the best fighters in Westeros, but they are overshadowed by their elder brothers; they both serve as the main muscle in their immediate courts. They both follow a twisted code of honor and hold severe grievances against their older brothers. While they are great warriors, they both disdain the idea of knighthood (Victarion being an Ironborn, Clegane disdaining the office). [[spoiler:They both betray their respective kings to seek their own ends]].

* NearRapeExperience: The perpetrator. He gets so far as pinning Sansa down on the bed, knife at her throat. Later he admits, "I ''took'' the song, she never gave it. I meant to take her, too." The fact that he starts crying both during the near-rape and when later admitting to it suggests he has some mixed feelings about the whole affair.

* {{Tsundere}}: A rare, Western and ''male'' example, but he is. Of the [[JerkassWoobie emotionally screwed-up variety]]. He's no stranger to his frustration and rage. Nor of lashing out and killing or maiming with it. But, that he could still find it in him to ''care'' about specific others? Pretty much knocked some very carefully built-up denial out from under him. Even though he could no more express how to care healthily than fly (neither Sansa nor Arya left unscathed by his worry over them -- for all they both would have wound up in far worse places without him).

* FreudianExcuse: Suffers constant painful migraines as a result of what may be gigantism or acromegaly - and in the latter case, he may have a brain tumor. Brain tumors pressing on the pituitary gland are one of the most common causes of gigantism in RealLife. While it doesn't excuse his actions, it does go to explain why he's such a violent psychopath--it's the closest outlet he has for his migraines. His father covering up can't have helped.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Inflicts many of these to his victims. [[spoiler:Gregor's poisoning at the hands of The Red Viper. [[PoisonIsCorrosive The venom had eaten a hole in his side]] the size of a fist and his constant screams of agony kept the entire Red Keep awake. Qyburn surmises it was a poison likely enhanced by magic to prolong the victim's suffering. After days of lingering in pure agony Gregor was ''then'' handed over to Qyburn, who brutally experimented on him until he finally expired.]]

* PsychopathicManchild: He's... not good at sharing his toys.

* UnskilledButStrong: Averted. Beyond the incredible strength that both of them possess, they are each among the most skilled fighters on the entire continent. Anyone who thinks otherwise does so at their own risk.

* TheRedBaron: Gregor Clegane is called "The Mountain" or "The Mountain That Rides." His brother Sandor is called "The Hound."

* ArchEnemy: To each other. The brothers despise each other completely and they both have an intense desire to kill each other. Gregor loves killing and torturing anyone he can get his hands on, but he has a special hatred for his little brother. His men know better than to kill Sandor because Gregor wants him all for himself. Sandor’s greatest desire in life is to kill his brother for burning his face when they were kids.

* OffingTheAnnoyance: According to his brother, he killed one of his own men for snoring too loudly. When he is infuriated by [[StopMoving his difficult fight with]] [[spoiler: Oberyn Martell]], he accidentally cuts the arm from a stableboy who gets in the way, and, when the boy screams, he attacks him in fury, slashing at him while yelling at him to shut up as he murders him. Later, in a possibly non-lethal but still horrifying example, on the way back from a lost tournament he's annoyed by the owner of an alehouse, who first fawns over having a knight at his establishment and then complains about Ser Gregor's men mistreating his thirteen-year-old daughter. His response is to [[DisproportionateRetribution lead his men in gang-raping said thirteen-year-old daughter.]] And in another non lethal example, he breaks the nose and knocks out half the teeth of Pretty Pia while in Harrenhal for no reason other than she spoke when he wanted quiet.

* OffingTheAnnoyance: According to his brother, he killed one of his own men for snoring too loudly. When he is infuriated by [[StopMoving his difficult fight with]][[spoiler: Oberyn Martell]], he accidentally cuts the arm from a stableboy who gets in the way, and, when the boy screams, he attacks him in fury, slashing at him while yelling at him to shut up as he murders him. Later, in a possibly non-lethal but still horrifying example, on the way back from a lost tournament he's annoyed by the owner of an alehouse, who first fawns over having a knight at his establishment and then complains about Ser Gregor's men mistreating his thirteen-year-old daughter. His response is to [[DisproportionateRetribution lead his men in gang-raping said thirteen-year-old daughter.]] And in another non lethal example, he breaks the nose and knocks out half the teeth of Pretty Pia while in Harrenhal for no reason other than she spoke when he wanted quiet.

* OffingTheAnnoyance: According to his brother, he killed one of his own men for snoring too loudly. Later, in a possibly non-lethal but still horrifying example, on the way back from a lost tournament he's annoyed by the owner of an alehouse, who first fawns over having a knight at his establishment and then complains about Ser Gregor's men mistreating his thirteen-year-old daughter. His response is to [[DisproportionateRetribution lead his men in gang-raping said thirteen-year-old daughter.]]

* SiblingYinYang: It's a [[BlackAndGrayMorality grey and black]] Yin-yang, but "troubled and morally ambiguous" is still a diametric opposite of Gregor the mass-murdering rapist, who crossed the MoralEventHorizon at ''[[EnfanteTerrible twelve]]''.

* FanNickName: "The Mountain That Rapes". [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil Guess why]].

* BadassBeard: Has a beard and whilst he's not a character you're gonna root for, he is one the strongest men in Westeros -- well THE strongest to suit the badass part.

* BloodKnight: Subverted-he enjoys fighting, but mainly the "hurting" and "killing" parts as opposed to any actual challenge. While a traditional BloodKnight would relish the opportunity to test himself against strong enemies, Gregor prefers those who don't fight back and only gets annoyed at equal opponents for [[WhyWontYouDie not dying fast enough]].

* AmbiguousDisorder: He is almost impossibly huge and Qyburn observes he often has splitting headaches and difficulty sleeping, requiring huge amounts of Milk of the Poppy to deal with said headaches and then sleep. This may hint he suffers from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acromegaly Acromegaly]], a genetic disorder that causes the body to keep manufacturing growth hormones until way past the point it is supposed to, thus making the sufferer a giant of sorts (and eventually killing them). Sufferers from the disorder often have splitting headaches like the Mountain is described to have. A brain tumor is a likely explanation, as it would account for his size as well as his near-limitless berserker rage.

* AmbiguousDisorder: He is almost impossibly huge and Qyburn observes he often has splitting headaches and difficulty sleeping, requiring huge amounts of Milk of the Poppy to deal with said headaches and then sleep. This may hint he suffers from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acromegaly Acromegaly]], a genetic disorder that causes the body to keep manufacturing growth hormones until way past the point it is supposed to, thus making the sufferer a giant of sorts (and eventually killing them). Sufferers from the disorder often have splitting headaches like the Mountain is described to have.

* WhatTheHellHero: A bunch of heroic [[JustLikeRobinHood Robin Hood-alikes]] capture him and accuse everyone associated with the Lannisters of being murdering scumbags. ''[[Awesome/ASongOfIceAndFire He calls bullshit on them]]''. "NotSoDifferent now, are we?"

* BeastAndBeauty: Sandor is ugly, while Sansa is very pretty and growing to be one of Westeros' most beautiful women.

* AnimalMotifs: Dogs

* BloodKnight: Subverted-he enjoys fighting, but mainly the "hurting" and "killing" parts. While a traditional BloodKnight would relish the opportunity to fight equal opponents, he prefers those who don't fight back and gets annoyed at equal opponents.

* BadassBeard: And is one the strongest men in Westeros -- well THE strongest to suit the badass part.

* DumbMuscle: He doesn't talk too much so the reader doesn't get to see this but Jamie's POV has him thinking of Gregor as quite unintelligent. See StupidEvil as well. At one point, he flat out blurts out his most notorious crime to countless onlookers. Granted, given he'd been [[spoiler:impaled by his victim's brother,]] he likely wasn't in the most stable frame of mind. Even on a good day he is downing milk of the poppy to lessen his migraines, which impairs his mental faculties.

* {{Jerkass}}: A volatile, angry sadistic knight.

* FreudianExcuse: Suffers constant painful migraines as a result of what may be gigantism or acromegaly - and in the latter case, he may have a brain tumor. While it doesn't excuse his actions, it does go to explain why he's such a violent psychopath--it's the closest outlet he has for his migraines. His father covering up can't have helped.