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1[[WMG:[[center: [- ''Series/GameOfThrones'' '''[[Characters/GameOfThrones Main Character Index]]'''\
2[[Characters/GameOfThronesWesteros The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseStark House Stark]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseStarkChildren House Stark Children]] [[[Characters/GameOfThronesJonSnow Jon Snow]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesSansaStark Sansa Stark]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesAryaStark Arya Stark]]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseStarkHousehold House Stark Household]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseBolton House Bolton]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesRamsayBolton Ramsay Bolton]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseKarstark House Karstark]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseMormont House Mormont]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseReed House Reed]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesOtherNorthernHouses Other Northern Houses]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseLannister House Lannister]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesCerseiLannister Cersei Lannister]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesJaimeLannister Jaime Lannister]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseLannisterHousehold House Lannister Household]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseClegane House Clegane]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseBaratheonOfKingsLanding House Baratheon of King’s Landing]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesJoffreyBaratheon Joffrey Baratheon]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseTargaryen House Targaryen]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesDaenerysCourt Daenerys I’s Court]] [[[Characters/GameOfThronesDaenerysTargaryen Daenerys Targaryen]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesTyrionLannister Tyrion Lannister]]], [[Characters/GameOfThronesServantsOfDaenerys Servants of Daenerys]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseBaratheon House Baratheon of Storm’s End and Dragonstone]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesStannisBaratheon Stannis Baratheon]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseGreyjoy House Greyjoy]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseArryn House Arryn]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesPetyrBaelish Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseTully House Tully]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseFrey House Frey]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseTyrell House Tyrell]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesMargaeryTyrell Margaery Tyrell]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseTarly House Tarly]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseMartell House Martell]] ([[Characters/GameOfThronesSandSnakes Sand Snakes]]) | [[Characters/GameOfThronesTheFreeCities The Free Cities]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesSlaversBay Slaver's Bay]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesTheDothrakiSeaAndTheRedWaste The Dothraki Sea and the Red Waste]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesQarth Qarth]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesNightsWatch The Night's Watch]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesRoyalCourt Royal Court]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesTheOrderOfTheMaesters The Order of the Maesters]] | '''The Kingsguard''' | [[Characters/GameOfThronesWildlings Wildlings]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesBrotherhoodWithoutBanners Brotherhood Without Banners]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesTheFaithOfTheSeven The Faith of the Seven]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesRedTemple Red Temple]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesIndependentCharacters Independent Characters]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesTheatreTroupe Theatre Troupe]] | [[Characters/GameOfThronesSupernaturalBeings Supernatural Beings]]]]]]-]
3
4!!!See also the [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFireTheKingsguard book character sheet]] for these characters.
5
6'''Only spoilers from the current season will be hidden, so beware spoilers if you're not up to date on the episodes.'''
7
8----
9!The Kingsguard/Queensguard
10[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kingsguard_main_shield.png]]
11[[caption-width-right:200:[[labelnote:Click here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/queensguard_main_shield.png[[/labelnote]] to see the Queensguard shield.]]
12
13->''"The Kingsguard is a sworn brotherhood. Our vows are taken for life. Only death relieves us of our sacred trust."''
14-->-- '''Ser Barristan Selmy'''
15
16A sworn brotherhood of seven knights sworn to protect the King and the royal family. In the three centuries before the War of the Five Kings, the Seven Kingdoms never had a ruling female monarch. However, the succession of Cersei Lannister renamed the brotherhood as the "Queensguard."
17----
18[[foldercontrol]]
19
20[[folder:In General]]
21* AdaptedOut:
22** Potentially the case with Balon Swann and Osmund Kettleblack. The former results results from the fact that no Kingsguard is mentioned being killed in the Riots of King's Landing (Preston Greenfield in the books) - leading to Ser Balon being named as his replacement. The latter is mentioned as one of two replacements after the Battle of Blackwater, where Sandor Clegane deserted and Mandon Moore died (the other replacement is Loras Tyrell, a book element AdaptedOut element in the series)... However, when meeting alone with Tywin, and during Sansa and Tyrion's wedding, Joffrey is guarded by four Kingsguard. Since Jaime is not yet in King's Landing, Ser Mandon is dead, the Hound deserted, Arys Oakheart is with Myrcella in Dorne, and Loras is not made a Kingsguard like in the books, this means that following the Battle of the Blackwater there are only three Kingsguard in the Red Keep (Ser Meryn, Ser Boros, and Ser Preston). Therefore, at some moment during his new Handship, Tywin seemingly appointed a new member of the Kinsguard as replacement for Ser Mandon or the Hound - a stand-in for either Ser Balon or Ser Osmund.
23** In the Season 5 episode "Sons of the Harpy", the roster appears to have been filled - five Kingsguard are shown guarding Tommen when he goes to meet with the High Sparrow, with Jaime Lannister and Ser Meryn both out of King's Landing at this point in time. Two stand-ins for Balon and Osmund, as well as a returned Ser Arys, complete the group along with Ser Boros and Ser Preston.
24* BlackKnight: During Season 7, their armor is now pitch-black with silver decoration.
25* BodyguardingABadass: In principle, their original role when they were founded by Aegon I and Queen Visenya. Even if the king is capable of defending himself, the risks of assassination within King's Landing and the dangers of the battlefield means he would still need backup and support. Over the centuries and with the varying level of competence of the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms, they have also evolved into something of a PraetorianGuard as well.
26* CostumeEvolution: As a group instead of as an individual; whereas the Kingsguard of the books primarily wear white armor and cloaks, the show continuity tends to show them wearing armor reflective of the king they serve.
27** The prequel ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' shows them wearing sigil-less but elaborately-wrought silver armor during the reigns of Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, indicative of the apex of the organization and the ruling house they serve. They kept it even during the breakout of the Dance of the Dragons.
28** Bran's flashbacks show Kingsguard members wearing predominantly silver armor with the Targaryen dragon on the chest, befitting their old KnightInShiningArmor status.
29** The modern Kingsguard under Robert wears gilded armor with a crown emblem (albeit with white cloaks--a nod to the books), perhaps as a sign of the influence of the Lannisters.
30** Under Joffrey's rule (and particularly when he was betrothed to Margaery Tyrell), the Kingsguard armor becomes more flamboyantly golden--with the stylized crown now comprised of swords and intertwining branches--evoking both the Baratheon stag horns and the vines of the Tyrell flower.
31** In Season 6, they change their armor again to depict the seven-pointed star of the Faith around a crown, once Tommen comes under the influence of the High Sparrow.
32** Under Cersei's new regime, their armor is changed once again, becoming almost entirely [[EvilMakeOver pitch black]].
33** Finally, [[spoiler:come the ascent of Bran Stark the Three-Eyed Raven to the Throne, the final Kingsguard under Brienne wears bronze segmented armor with [[AnimalMotifs a stylized three-eyed raven]] embossed on the chestplate. Curiously, it also evokes significant similarity to the armor she wore as Kingsguard to her previous fallen lord, Renly Baratheon]].
34* GreatBigBookOfEverything: The Kingsguard have a Book of Brothers which contains a record of every member of the Kingsguard, with the number of pages signalling the list of deeds accomplished during their career and their manner of death. Ser Duncan the Tall has four pages worth of entries, Ser Arthur Dayne, "The Sword of the Morning" has several entries as well combating the Kingswood outlaws and Ser Jaime Lannister has...one paragraph telling everyone about the time he stabbed Aerys on the foot of the Iron Throne.
35* EliteMook: In the current generation, most of the brotherhood is filled with glorified mooks, an opinion shared by Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane and Barristan Selmy.
36* FacelessGoons: The less important Kingsguard tend to keep their helmets on all the time.
37* InadequateInheritor: Jaime Lannister considers himself and the present Kingsguard roster to be unworthy of its (usually) noble lineage.
38-->'''Jaime:''' When I joined the Kingsguard, I fought besides legends in the flesh. Their kind is dust now. And the men who have taken their place? Mud. Ser Boros Blount, the fat. Ser Meryn Trant, the forgettable. Sandor Clegane, the dog who tucked tail and ran. Like mud, their names soil the White Book.... almost as much as mine.
39* KnightInShiningArmor: The order used to be composed of Westeros' finest, but this chivalric ideal is thoroughly questioned. Even in the Kingsguard's past we got men like Criston Cole who betrayed his king's DyingWish, the Cargyll twins who put family loyalty second and even Aemon the Dragonknight who died defending his brother-king who despised him.
40* MyMasterRightOrWrong: They are supposed to serve the King regardless of how heinous or insane he or his orders are. This is why Jaime is despised for killing Mad Aerys even by the enemies of Mad Aerys.
41* PraetorianGuard: They answer only to the king as his sworn bodyguards for life.
42* PragmaticAdaptation: Instead of the pure white, sigil-less armor of the books, the TV Kingsguard wear gold/bronze plate with white enameling. Also, their armors display a crown engraved in the chest. Also in that, in the books, there are many named Kingsguard bit characters, but, on the show, none of them, with the exception of Barristan Selmy, Jaime Lannister, and Meryn Trant, have any lines. In Season 4, characters like Arthur Dayne ("The Sword of the Morning") and Ser Duncan the Tall are referred to when Joffrey surveys the White Book of the Kingsguard.
43[[/folder]]
44
45[[folder:Ser Jaime Lannister]]
46!!Ser Jaime Lannister
47!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/NikolajCosterWaldau
48
49See ''[[Characters/GameOfThronesJaimeLannister Ser Jaime Lannister]]''.
50[[/folder]]
51
52[[folder:Ser Barristan Selmy]]
53!!Ser Barristan Selmy
54!!!'''Played By:''' [[Creator/IanMcElhinney Ian [=McElhinney=]]]
55
56See ''[[Characters/GameOfThronesDaenerysCourt Daenerys's Court]]''.
57[[/folder]]
58
59[[folder:Sandor Clegane]]
60!!Sandor Clegane
61!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/RoryMcCann
62
63See ''[[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseClegane House Clegane]]''.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Ser Meryn Trant]]
67!!Ser Meryn Trant
68[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meryn_trant_8.png]]
69[[caption-width-right:300:''"[[MyMasterRightOrWrong No one threatens His Grace in the presence of the Kingsguard!]]"'']]
70!!!'''Played By:''' Ian Beattie
71
72->''"I take my orders from the King!"''
73
74A knight of the Kingsguard under King Robert Baratheon and subsequently King Joffrey Baratheon. Meryn is a casually cruel man who takes great pride in obeying orders without hesitation, no matter how ridiculous. He is also quite proud of his status as a knight of the Kingsguard, though he has little regard for any of his vows other than those to obey and defend the King.
75----
76* AdaptationDyeJob: Red haired in the books, dark-haired here.
77* AdaptationalVillainy: While Meryn is an unpleasant person in the books, his pedophilia is original to the show.
78* AnArmAndALeg: Threatens to cut off Bronn's hand in an altercation in Season 3.
79-->"You put your hand on that door, you will lose the hand."
80* ArcVillain: For Arya's storyline in the last few episodes of Season 5.
81* ArmorIsUseless: Averted, according to Sandor the reason why someone like him could have killed Syrio is precisely because of his gears. His armor is shown absorbing the hits of the wooden sword and he uses his own very real sword to break it.
82* AssholeVictim: An amoral Lannister goon, no one is going to miss him. In Season 6, people can be heard discussing his death and how he said he probably had it coming.
83* BeardOfEvil: A scrubby goatee.
84* TheBrute: Muscles for Joffrey and the Lannisters. After the Hound abandons Joffrey, he enjoys a tenure as TheDragon until Joffrey's death. Afterwards he's back to being TheBrute, this time for Cersei.
85* BullyingADragon: Threatens Bronn as seen in AnArmAndALeg, even though Bronn is the more experienced fighter and both men know it.
86* ButtMonkey: Gets shit on repeatedly by Tyrion, The Hound and Bronn. Not like he doesn't deserve it. Even Jaime Lannister in History and Lore calls him, 'The Forgettable'.
87* CompositeCharacter:
88** The scene in which he beats Sansa and rips her dress under Joffrey's orders is carried out by Boros Blount in the books.
89** Meryn takes the place of Raff the Sweetling, a book character who was on Arya's murder list and accompanied a Small Council member to Braavos. Meryn also shares Raff's pedophilia and his fate.
90* CruelAndUnusualDeath: He has both of his eyes cut out and is stabbed multiple times in the chest before having his throat slowly slit, all while Arya is taunting him.
91* DeathByAdaptation: Arya kills Trant in the fifth season finale. As of the release of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Trant is still alive.
92* DirtyCoward: He doesn't dare to speak when Tyrion tells Bronn to kill Meryn if he says another word. Later, his loyalty to Joffrey provides a convenient excuse to not leave the castle walls in order to save Sansa during a city riot, meaning Sandor Clegane has to step in. In Season 5 he's perfectly happy to beat little girls but he's reduced to a crying coward when Arya Stark stabs him in the eyes and cuts his throat.
93* TheDogBitesBack: Gets back at Tyrion during his trial by relating some of their run-ins. While Trant is being spiteful and stacking the context against Tyrion, Trant does not actually lie in his statement.
94* TheDragon: He's upgraded from TheBrute to TheDragon after the Hound abandons Joffrey. With the death of Joffrey and Qyburn's ascent, Trant is back to being TheBrute, this time for Cersei.
95* DumbMuscle: He doesn't seem the brightest and tends to abuse Sansa without thinking ahead. Even the muscle part is debatable given he couldn't even push Arya off him when being the subject of her ExtremeMeleeRevenge.
96* EliteMook: For a seasoned warrior he is a grunt, but being Kingsguard gives you a good armor and a sharp sword.
97* EvilSoundsDeep: His voice is one of his very few impressive qualities.
98* EvilIsPetty: To the point of being a fascinatingly pathetic man. What with the whole beating up little girls because he can't fight a real fight...
99* EyeScream: Stabbed in both eyes before dying, courtesy of Arya.
100* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Bronn, Tyrion and his Kingsguard colleagues aren’t particularly fond of him. Notably, Jaime Lannister in the narration and Sandor Clegane in Season 4 have mockingly ridiculed him for being incredibly incompetent.
101* HateSink: Trant has no sympathetic moments and every scene gives the viewers a reason to hate him, from beating and stripping Sansa, to leaving her to die because Joffrey didn't explicitly order him to help her, to being a pedophile. In short, he's the embodiment of what any knight, much less a Kingsguard, should not be.
102* {{Jerkass}}: He's an all-around piece of filth. On top of following even Joffrey's cruelest orders without a second thought, Trant also comes across as an unpleasant, high-and-mighty asshole, even to his boss Jaime noting his absence. He also reveals a taste for very young girls and likes to beat them with sticks.
103* JerkassHasAPoint: With [[HilariousInHindsight the benefit of hindsight]], Meryn's warning that Cersei courting the High Sparrow's influence was a bad idea proved right.
104* JustFollowingOrders: His usual excuse for doing something cruel, like beating Sansa in front of the Royal Court or leaving her to be raped and[=/=]or murdered in the riot.
105* KarmicDeath: In addition to being killed by a teenage girl while performing pedophilic actions, said girl is the sister of another girl he once beat.
106* MaliciousMisnaming: Courtesy of Bronn:
107-->'''Bronn: ''' Ah! Look at these two shining warriors! Ser ''Taryn Mant'' and... [[TheGenericGuy Ser Whosit of Whocares]].
108* MookLieutenant: He leads the Goldcloaks after Slynt is sent to the wall but he himself is little more than a glorified bodyguard who's not [[DumbMuscle even very good at that]].
109* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Brutal as they are, he doesn't question the orders of King Joffrey I.
110* TheOathbreaker: Kingsguard are supposed to be celibate, but Trant is shown at a brothel, with pedophilic interests.
111* ObviouslyEvil: He's got the classic cartoon villain look: Black, arched eyebrows, a BeardOfEvil and a permanently cold, grim expression.
112* PerpetualFrowner: He always looks slightly pissed off, even when he's actually turned on at the moment.
113* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Disparages Renly offhand as a 'boyfucker'. Ironic, considering what we learn about him in Season 5.
114* PraetorianGuard: For Joffrey, not a very good one though.
115* ReplacementGoldfish: For the Hound as Joffrey's TheBrute and close confidant, especially after the Hound defects. Even before that, he takes up the Hound's more brutish traits from the books.
116* RiddleForTheAges: How somebody as incompetent and cowardly as Trant got on the Kingsguard is anyone’s guess. [[CompositeCharacter He takes this trope from the books’ version of Boros Blount]].
117* RightForTheWrongReasons: He may be a cowardly, thuggish, pedophile, but he's right that the Tyrells are treasonous for having supported Renly. But it's not Joffrey who is the rightful king, Stannis was the rightful heir according to the line of succession.
118* TheRival: To Bronn, who is viewed (and takes it as a compliment) as an upjumped cutthroat by Meryn. They seem eager to kill each other at the first opportunity.
119* {{Sadist}}: Uses his position as Kingsguard to abuse his power and hurt weak children as opposed to saving them. It's actually part of his fetish to beat little girls.
120* SlashedThroat: After mutilating him, Arya finishes him off by ''slowly'' slashing his throat.
121* SurroundedByIdiots: Says so when Syrio Forel knocks out all his men with a ''wooden'' sword.
122* TearsOfFear: Or tears of extreme pain when Arya Stark is slowly stabbing him to death.
123* UndyingLoyalty: According to Ian Beatie's comments, if Meryn Trant would have one meaningful redeeming quality, blind loyalty to Cersei would be it.
124* WouldHitAGirl: If the King orders him to do it... but the Season 5 finale reveals that he actually gets ''kicks'' out of doing so.
125-->'''Tyrion:''' What kind of knight beats a helpless girl?! \
126'''Meryn Trant:''' The kind [[JustFollowingOrders that serves his King]], [[LameComeback Imp]]!\
127'''Bronn:''' You're a grub in fancy armor who's better at beating little girls than fighting men.
128* WouldHurtAChild: He beats and punches Sansa on Joffrey's orders and shown beating little girls in Braavos with a switch.
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Ser Mandon Moore]]
132!!Ser Mandon Moore
133[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mandon_moore_2.png]]
134[[caption-width-right:300:''"The lads caught a groom and two maids trying to sneak away with a stolen horse and some gold cups."'']]
135!!!'''Played By:''' James Doran
136
137Another member of the Kingsguard. Killed by Podrick Payne at the Battle of the Blackwater after attempting to kill Tyrion Lannister.
138----
139* AdaptationalWimp: In the books he's considered a badass by Jaime Lannister. Here those traits are not addressed in the show.
140* AlliterativeName: '''M'''andon '''M'''oore.
141* AscendedExtra: In the books, he is not present when Cersei reveals to Tyrion that she has the woman she believes to be his lover under arrest. Nor is he the one that, prior to the Battle of the Blackwater, informs Cersei that a groom and two maids attempted to flee the Red Keep with a horse and gold. These actions are carried out by the Kettleblack brothers.
142* BodyguardBetrayal: Pulls one on Tyrion during the Battle of the Blackwater.
143* DemotedToExtra: Never mentioned in the first season. Also, his exchange with Tyrion when the latter arrives to a small council meeting to introduce himself as Hand of the King was cut.
144* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: In the books he is pushed into the Blackwater Bay and drowned. Here, Podrick spears him through the back of the head.
145* TheDragon: To Queen Cersei. [[UnreliableNarrator At least that's what]] [[TheChessmaster Varys]] says.
146* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: When he betrays Tyrion, Podrick saves him at the last second by driving a lance through Mandon's head.
147* RememberTheNewGuy: He turns up as if he's always been around. It isn't very jarring due to the sheer number of Kingsguard.
148[[/folder]]
149
150[[folder:Ser Boros Blount]]
151!!Ser Boros Blount
152!!!'''Played By:''' N/A
153
154Another member of the Kingsguard.
155----
156* AlliterativeName: '''B'''oros '''B'''lount.
157* DemotedToExtra: In the books, it is Ser Boros and not Ser Meryn who beats Sansa and rips her dress in court after Joffrey learns of Robb's victory in the Battle of Oxcross. The storyline involving Tommen that leads to Boros getting kicked out of the Kingsguard for cowardice is cut, so he's present during the Battle of the Blackwater along with Tyrion and Ser Mandon, replacing Ser Balon Swann, who has been mentioned but not yet seen in the series.
158* MookLieutenant: Within the Kingsguard. The only difference between him and the Kingsguard redshirts is that he has a name.
159* RememberTheNewGuy: He turns up as if he's always been around. It isn't very jarring due to the sheer number of Kingsguard.
160[[/folder]]
161
162[[folder:Ser Arys Oakheart]]
163!!Ser Arys Oakheart
164!!!'''Played By:''' N/A
165
166Another member of the Kingsguard.
167----
168* AllThereInTheManual: His name.
169* TheBusCameBack: Unlike in the novels where he stays in Dorne as Myrcella's sworn shield, he seems to have returned to King's Landing at some point -- unless he suffered a BusCrash, he's one of the five Kingsguard (barring then-absent Jaime and Meryn) who is shown defending Tommen in a Season 5 episode.
170* DemotedToExtra: To the point that he hasn't even been named in the show. The only moment we know for certain it's him is when he accompanies Myrcella on her journey to Dorne.
171* PutOnABus: In-universe, he's sent to Dorne as Myrcella's sworn shield.
172* SparedByTheAdaptation: He's completely uninvolved in the plan to kidnap Myrcella, so he's spared his death during that subplot in the books.
173[[/folder]]
174
175[[folder:Ser Preston Greenfield]]
176!!Ser Preston Greenfield
177!!!'''Played By:''' N/A
178
179Another member of the Kingsguard.
180----
181* DemotedToExtra: To the point that he's first mentioned by name in Season 4.
182* SparedByTheAdaptation: In the books, he's killed during the King's Landing riots. In the show, no Kingsguard is shown or mentioned being killed by the mob. His continuous survival is confirmed in Season 4, with Jaime mentioning Ser Preston by name.
183
184[[/folder]]
185
186[[folder:Ser Balon Swann]]
187!!Ser Balon Swann
188!!!'''Played By:''' N/A
189
190Another member of the Kingsguard, brought in at some point after the Battle of Blackwater.
191----
192* AllThereInTheManual: Although he is mentioned by name (unlike Ser Arys) it is in a separate context to the Kingsguard so a casual viewer might be unaware that he is a new member brought in. Even then, it's unconfirmed if it is Ser Balon who has joined post-Season 2.
193[[/folder]]
194
195[[folder:Ser Gregor Clegane]]
196See [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseClegane House Clegane]]
197[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Ser Brienne of Tarth]]
200See [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseStarkHousehold Stark Household]]
201[[/folder]]
202
203[[folder:Ser Podrick Payne]]
204See [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseStarkHousehold Stark Household]]
205[[/folder]]
206
207!!!Historical Kingsguard
208[[folder:Ser Arthur Dayne]]
209!!Ser Arthur Dayne
210[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arthur_dayne.png]]
211[[caption-width-right:300: ''"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come."'']]
212!!!'''Played By''': Creator/LukeRoberts
213
214Ser Arthur Dayne was a member of Aerys II Targaryen's Kingsguard, who bore the legendary title of "Sword of the Morning". He was ordered by Prince Rhaegar to guard Lyanna Stark in the Tower of Joy along with another Kingsguard brother. He was killed in a fight against Eddard Stark's companions.
215----
216* TheAce: Dayne was a legend during his lifetime, one that Jaime Lannister looked up to. When we finally see the flashback involving him, you see that his reputation was well-earned.
217* AdaptationalBadass: Possibly, we don't know the full details of the tower of joy battle in the books, but there, Dayne had two other members of the Kingsguard fighting with him against Ned Stark and his five companions. Here, he fights with just one other Kingsguard, who is killed early on by Ned, which means that Dayne fights the other four opponents by himself, and ALMOST WINS.
218* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Ned Stark was considered by Ser Barristan to be a great swordsman, a man who fought Ser Jaime Lannister as an equal in Season 1, but Ser Arthur thoroughly outclassed him. This is one reason why Bran finds the duel surprising since he had heard his father was a great swordsman and is amazed to see that Ned didn't win cleanly.
219* ArrogantKungFuGuy: He has shades of this, DualWielding and twirling his swords during the fight. That said Ser Arthur's skills more than match his bravado, so it's as much well earned confidence as it is arrogance.
220* AwesomeButImpractical: The Sword of the Morning's choice to dual wield swords against multiple opponents would have many drawbacks. However this just serves to showcase his incredible sword skills when he easily overcomes those shortcomings.
221* DoomedByCanon: As Bran witnesses the fight, he already knows his lord father survives and Ser Arthur dies, yet becomes confused as Dayne is clearly a better swordsman than Ned. Cue the unexpected save from Howland Reed who had gone down seconds into the fight with a [[NotQuiteDead gut wound]], which catches Bran off guard. [[labelnote:From the Books...]]Ned had honestly but curtly told Bran that Arthur would have killed him, "had it not been for Howland Reed" - which sort of ''implies'' that he only survived because Howland caught him unawares while Ned distracted him, but the naïve young Bran apparently didn't pick up on this, and just romanticized the entire fight in his young imagination as an epic display of chivalry.[[/labelnote]]
222--> '''Bran Stark:''' He's better than my father.\
223'''Three-eyed Raven:''' ''Far better''.
224* DragonTheirFeet: Dayne and Hightower are the last two Kingsguard loyal to King Aerys Targaryen and their final confrontation with Ned Stark and his men is the last battle of the war.
225* DualWielding: Unlike his book counterpart who only wielded the greatsword [[CoolSword Dawn]], in the show he wielded Dawn alongside a standard longsword. According to the director of the episode, this wasn't just for the sake of RuleOfCool, but to emphasized Arthur is a MasterSwordsman. In real life (and contrary to what most fantasy settings depict), dual-wielding is AwesomeButImpractical: it takes a lot of skill to be ambidextrous with two swords and be able to use them in combat efficiently, it would be especially difficult with longswords due to their weight and length, ''and'' it wouldn't provide you much of an advantage beyond the psychological. However, the books had lots of time for other characters (like Ned, Jaime, or Barristan) to reflect on Arthur's skill in narration in order to build up his reputation, which the show did not have, so they needed to show Arthur's prowess another way that couldn't be done if he was wielding just one sword. In short, dual-wielding is very difficult and impractical, and the fact that Arthur is ''very good'' at it and manages to almost win a four-on-one melee is a demonstration of just how skilled a swordsman he is.
226* EarlyBirdCameo: Ser Arthur Dayne was first mentioned by name in Season 4, when King Joffrey perused the White Book of the Kingsguard. A FreezeFrameBonus of the pages described the Tower of Joy battle.
227* FaceDeathWithDignity: After he's stabbed by Howland and drops his swords, he looks expectantly at Ned who delivers his wordless request for a CoupDeGrace.
228* HoistByHisOwnPetard: His throat is slit with his own sword.
229* HonorBeforeReason: The king he served is dead, the Prince who ordered him to guard this tower has also fallen but he chooses to go out fighting despite the option to simply step aside, honoring Rhaegar's orders until his last breath.
230* InTheBack: He was stabbed in the neck from behind by Howland Reed.
231* {{Irony}}: One of the greatest Knights in Westerosi history dies doing the least knightly of tasks, holding a girl hostage and attacking her brother who had come to rescue her.
232** In actuality, he was protecting the newborn Jon Snow. Ned Stark was close friends with Robert Baratheon, who would have demanded his death. One can only imagine what would have happened if Arthur Dayne assumed Ned was out there not for blood, but purely out of his concern for his sister, and told him what was actually happening.
233* TheLastDance: Ser Arthur's tone before his final fight is clearly that of a man entering what he believes is his LastStand. Though he comes awfully close to overcoming the odds in front of him.
234* LongDeadBadass: He died long before the event of the series but is seen through a flashback vision by Bran Stark, and was probably a better fighter than even Jaime.
235* MasterSwordsman: In a series filled with great swordsmen past and present, Ser Arthur is revered as one of the greatest who ever lived. This is no better exemplified in his choice to dual-wield swords against multiple opponents, which would take a ridiculous amount of skill to do effectively. He more than proves his mettle by killing most of Ned's companions by himself and putting Ned on the defensive during their duel.
236* MyMasterRightOrWrong: He fully supports the Mad King and Prince Rhaegar and willingly stands guard to hold Lyanna hostage, intending to kill her brother and preventing her rescue.
237** It was revealed that he had good reason to. Rhaegar's two other children, along with his wife, had been brutally murdered by the rebel forces fighting for Robert Baratheon, who would approve the three murders. Rhaegar's third child by Lyanna, Aegon Targaryen (known as Jon Snow), was also a threat to Robert's rule. Dayne had every reason to believe that Ned and his men would tell Robert about Aegon, and Robert would have the boy killed. Even though Ned was Lyanna's brother, he was also Robert's second-in-command and they could not take the risk.
238* NearVillainVictory: Came close to decimating Ned and Howland Reed, this after the two of them and their friends survived all the wars and battles of Robert's Rebellion and came inches to achieving their original goal of saving Lyanna.
239* NobleTopEnforcer: Though Rhaegar is kind of ambiguous in his villainy, Arthur doesn't seem to take any pleasure in fighting Ned to stop him from rescuing his sister as the profile picture shows and while less chivalrous than his book counterpart he does greet his opponent and wait that everyone is on guard before attacking.
240* OneManArmy: Even after his companion had fallen, he managed to fight four opponents at once, killing three and almost killing Ned and Howland. The only reason Howland gets the jump on him is that Ser Arthur struck him down first, likely believing him dead or dying.
241* PoorCommunicationKills: The swordfight at the Tower of Joy, as awesome as it is to watch, could've easily been unnecessary if both parties had been open about their intentions (Ned just wants his sister back, Dayne reasonably believes that Ned is here to kill the newborn Targaryen prince). Alas, the Kingsguard is bound to keep the king's secrets, and he refuses to entertain any more of the Northern party's questioning.
242* PostFinalBoss: Of Robert's Rebellion, compared with [[ClimaxBoss Rhaegar Targaryen]] and [[FinalBoss Aerys II]]. He was the last Targaryen loyalist still fighting, defiantly, even after the war was over and he took three men with him before his death. Ned even mentions his King and Prince are already dead.
243* SlashedThroat: Meets his end when he is stabbed in the neck by Howland Reed and his throat slit by Ned.
244* TakingYouWithMe: His final stand has him slay three of Ned's party before finally falling.
245* TheyCallHimSword: The title "Sword of the Morning" is granted by House Dayne only to its greatest living warrior.
246* UndignifiedDeath: Much to Ned and Bran's disgust, the greatest swordsman alive is killed on his knees after being dishonorably stabbed in the back.
247* UndyingLoyalty: Guards the Tower of Joy to his last breath, long after Rhaegar has died and nothing is stopping him from leaving.
248* WorthyOpponent: Ned is visibly upset when he sees Ser Arthur stabbed in the neck and for the rest of his life told Bran that he considered Ser Arthur the greatest swordsman he had seen.
249* YouShallNotPass: He is guarding The Tower of Joy from all intruders.
250[[/folder]]
251
252[[folder: Ser Gerold Hightower]]
253!!Gerold Hightower "The White Bull"
254!!!'''Played By''': Eddie Eyre
255
256->''"Your friend The Usurper would be in the ground if we had been (at the Trident). "''
257
258Gerold Hightower is Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. He died at the Tower of Joy.
259----
260
261* CompositeCharacter: Has Gerold's name by WordOfGod, but has Oswell Whent's dialogue.
262* DragonTheirFeet: Like Dayne, they are the last two loyal Kingsguard and their final confrontation with Ned Stark and his men is the closing action of the war.
263* GenerationXerox: To an extent: Gerold was one of the best knights of his entire generation, and Loras Tyrell - one of the best knights of a later generation - is actually related to him. Ser Gerold was the uncle of Leyton Hightower, who was himself Loras's maternal grandfather.
264* HonorBeforeReason: He honors the final order given to him by Rhaegar and when Ned points out the prince is dead, his only response is to say Rhaegar would still be alive had he been fighting by his prince's side.
265* ImpromptuTracheotomy: How Ned kills him.
266* TakingYouWithMe: He slays one of Ned's party before falling to the young Lord Stark's blade shortly afterwards.
267* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gets the one line before getting killed.
268* YouShallNotPass: Lord Commander Gerold refuses to stand aside for Eddard Stark, instead chooses to fight to the death.
269
270[[/folder]]
271
272[[folder: Ser Gwayne Corbray]]
273!!Ser Gwayne Corbray
274Kingsguard who won renown during the Blackfyre rebellion.
275----
276* DavidVersusGoliath: How his duel with Daemon Blackfyre is remembered. Gwayne stood toe to toe with the greatest swordsman of his generation despite being wounded and outclassed. Daemon admired his skill so much that he had his personal maester attend to him.
277* MasterSwordsman: Wielded the Corbray family sword Lady Forlorn.
278[[/folder]]
279
280[[folder: Prince Aemon Targaryen]]
281!!Aemon Targaryen "The Dragonknight"
282
283Brother and sworn sword to his brother King Aegon IV. Arguably the greatest knight who ever lived.
284----
285* BadassInDistress: His cousin King Baelor rescued him in Dorne.
286* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Died defending the king who hated him.
287[[/folder]]
288
289[[folder: Ser Criston Cole]]
290!!Criston Cole, "The Kingmaker"
291
292Kingsguard to King Viserys I. He is given the epithet "Kingmaker" for his involvement in the coup that crowned Aegon II, which kickstarted the Dance of the Dragons.
293
294For the series-continuity version of this character, see his entry in "Characters/HouseOfTheDragonGreens".
295[[/folder]]

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