This is a listing of sellsword companies which appear in A Song of Ice and Fire.
For the main character index, see here
- "Loyal sellswords are as rare as virgin whores."—Cersei Lannister
Most of Westeros has armies of feudal levies composed of soldiers, knights, bannerman and lords who are bound by oaths, lands, titles and the desire to protect and defend their lands against enemies. Sellswords are not bound by these ties but they will fight, die and kill as an army for hire. Varying on discipline and organization they may include a system of proper rankings and a steady system of payment and their duties extend from serving as an army outfit to serving as the city watch. Sellsword companies may include, in addition to soldiers and commanders, treasurers, strategists and other subsidiary roles that serve any new function or purpose as to when the need arises.
Sellsword companies are more common in Essos where the absence of political stability in the wake of the Doom of Valyria has made it difficult for the Free Cities and Slaver's Bay to maintain standing armies. Though some sellsword companies have become active in Westerosi politics. The Brave Companions were contracted by Tywin Lannister during the War of the Five Kings and The Golden Company, comprised of Westerosi exiles, has landed at Cape Wrath under the banners of King Aegon VI.
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Sellsword Companies in General
- Army of Thieves and Whores: To become a sellsword in the first place, you either started low on the social totem pole, or got lowered. So yes, it takes all kinds of screw-ups and bungles to get to this point; be they either familial or personal ones. Or, just the sheer bad luck of being attached to the wrong Lord or cause at the wrong time through no direct fault of your own.
- Blood Knight: Doing a job you hate is not a smart move, so it's no surprise quite a few love what they do. Perhaps a little too much to be healthy, at times.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: One reason why The Golden Company is so respected and/or coveted by employers is their refusal to break a contract. Every other company is duplicitous, two-faced and disloyal to a fault, fully willing to sack the very cities they may have defended the week before.
- The Exile: Joining an Essosi Sellsword Company is a more attractive dumping ground for Westerosi rejects than the Night's Watch: you might never reclaim past wealth and glory, but at least you can still have a wife and kids. They are also comprised of exiles and outsiders from across Essos.
- Fighting for a Homeland: The dream of many sellswords is to score a gig, One Last Job, by which they can retire with their own lands, either from their country or another, perhaps gain a title or two and live off their hard earned and/or ill-gotten gains in retirement.
- Only in It for the Money: They have no investment in the lands they defend, since they have no lands or titles so they fight only for gold. That being said, mercenaries who lose or run away aren't likely to be hired again by other people in the future, so some of the sellsword companies have become reasonably dependable in both martial prowess and loyalty to their contract.
- Private Military Contractors: Well, yeah. From the worst, rag-tag kind (hello, the "Brave Companions") to the more professional outfits (the Golden Company) and everything in-between.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: By dint of people not initially choosing to go into the job, but winding up doing it, anyway.
- Sociopathic Soldier: Many of them end up becoming this since their profession requires them to make a living by killing in horrible conditions. Having said that, more than a few show signs of failing at their other jobs or roles before they became sellswords because they were just a little too enthusiastic about sadistic killing or because they were otherwise somewhat too disordered to work well within most systems. The stress and uncertainty inherent to being a Hired Gun won't help in either case.
- War for Fun and Profit: One of their main avenues of income is the plunder they gain from sacking cities, peace is not good for business. Some companies will even instigate wars to get the business going.
The Stormcrows
In General
The Stormcrows
A mercenary company of the Free Cities.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Like many other sellsword companies, they'll abandon their employers if the odds are against them. Averted with Daenerys as they remain loyal to her even when the Yunkish march on Meereen with three mercenary companies as well as legions out of New Ghis, Tolos, Elyria, Mantarys.
Prendahl na Ghezn
Prendahl na Ghezn
- "Woman, you bray like an ass, and make no more sense."
A sellsword of Ghiscari origin, one of the joint captains of the Stormcrows.
- Decapitation Presentation: Daario presents Prendahl's head to Daenerys as a gesture of loyalty.
- Jerkass: He is extremely insulting towards Daenerys and threatens to make her have sex with his horse.
- Off with His Head!: By Daario Naharis.
- Patriotic Fervor: One of the major reasons he doesn't go over to Daenerys side is due to his Ghiscari heritage, which makes it likely he had kin who died when she sacked Astapor.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: He insults Daenerys fairly frequently for being a woman.Prendahl: What you are is a horselord's whore. When we break you, I will breed you to my stallion.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies in the same chapter he is introduced.
Sallor the Bald
Sallor the Bald
- "We are a brotherhood of free men."
A Qartheen and one of the joint captains of the Stormcrows.
- Decapitation Presentation: Daario presents Sallor's head to Daenerys as a gesture of loyalty.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: A twisting one across his cheek.
- Off with His Head!: By Daario Naharis.
- The Quiet One: The line above is his only one in the series.
- We Hardly Knew Ye; Like Prendhal, he dies in the same chapter he is introduced.
Daario Naharis
- See the Court of Daenerys I character page.
The Widower
The Widower
A scarred axeman, Daario's second in command.
- Dragon Ascendant: With Daario a hostage of the Yunkish, the Widower becomes commander of the Stormcrows alongside Jokin.
- Number Two: Serves as Daario's second after he takes command of the Stormcrows and serves as commander in Daario's absence.
- Only Known By His Nickname: His true name is unknown, with Ser Barristan and the rest of Daenerys' court only knowing him as The Widower.
Jokin
Jokin
The commander of the Stormcrow's archers.
- Dragon Ascendant: With Daario a hostage of the Yunkish, Jokin becomes commander of the Stormcrows alongside the Widower.
The Company of the Cat
In General
The Company of the Cat
A sellsword company of three thousand infantry led by "Bloodbeard", hired by Yunkai to lay siege to Astapor and Meereen in their campaign to topple Daenerys and restore the fractured slave trade. There is bad blood between them and the Windblown.
- Animal Motifs: Cats. And Cats Are Mean.
- Badass Army: They are good at what they do.
- It's Personal: With the Windblown. They've fought against each other and both sides bear a grudge.
- Private Military Contractors: As all sellsword companies.
Bloodbeard
Bloodbeard
The commander of the Company of the Cat.
- The Alcoholic: He really loves wine.
- Beard of Evil: It gives him his nickname.
- Braids of Barbarism: A barbaric man who sports long braids.
- Blood Knight: He's really looking forward to sacking Meereen.
- The Brute: He's essentially this to the Yunkish, if you consider the Tattered Prince as The Dragon.
- Colonel Badass: He commands a Badass Army, and he shows it.
- Evil Is Hammy: A very raucous man.
- Evil Redhead: His red-colored Beard of Evil gives him his nickname.
- Gasshole: From both ends. And he doesn't care.
- The Hedonist: During Daenerys' wedding she notices he has a prodigious appetite for wine and women.
- It's Personal: Barristan really wants to kill Bloodbeard for his murder of Groleo.Barristan's thoughts: Dance with me and we'll see who's smiling at the end of it.
- Minor Major Character: He only appears in three scenes, in the third one he hammers one of the final nails in the coffin of Daenerys' peace by presenting the head of Admiral Groleo.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Bloodbeard (compare it to Redbeard).
- "Not So Different" Remark: Barristan considers him no better than the scum that made up the Ninepenny Kings.
- Only Known By His Nickname: It can be safely assumed that "Bloodbeard" isn't his real name.
- Psycho for Hire: Unlike the Affably Evil Tattered Prince.
- The Rival: To the Tattered Prince, commander of the Windblown.
- Sociopathic Soldier: Ser Barristan notes that Bloodbeard wants to sack a city, so he is deliberately trying to sabotage the fragile peace between Yunkai and Meereen to get the chance to do so.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: He's quite similar in looks and behavior to Mero, the Titan's Bastard.
The Long Lances
In General
The Long Lances
A sellsword company of eight hundred riders led by Gylo Rhegan, hired by Yunkai to lay siege to Astapor and Meereen.
- Alliterative Name: L's
- Badass Army: Subverted. When they're attacked by the Unsullied during the Siege of Mereen they get broken "like a rotten stick", though that's to be expected considering that they're all cavalry that are fighting spearmen.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Being all cavalry makes them vulnerable to spearmen.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: On the receiving end of this from the Unsullied. As Tyrion notes, ordering cavalry to defend an entrenched position was a disaster waiting to happen.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Long Lances, not very impressive at first glance. 800 cavalry can easily change someone’s mind.
- Private Military Contractors: Hired mostly from pocket.
Gylo Ghegan
Gylo Rhegan
The commander of the Long Lances.
- Bit Character: He's the least prominent of the sellsword captains employed by Yunkai. His name is only mentioned twice in the entirety of A Dance with Dragons.
- The Quiet One: He speaks in murmurs, and makes little noise.
- Ridiculously Average Guy: Ser Barristan notes he looks "more shoemaker than soldier".
