Characters / A Song of Ice and Fire - Stannis Baratheon

For the main House Baratheon of Dragonstone entry, see here

For the main House Baratheon entry, see here

King Stannis Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of Westeros, Lord of Dragonstone, Lord of Storm's End, Lord Paramount of the Stormlands

The King in The Narrow Sea, The King At the Wall, The King of Dragonstone

"Every man shall reap what he has sown, from the highest lord to the lowest gutter rat. And some will lose more than the tips off their fingers, I promise you. They have made my kingdom bleed, and I do not forget that."

"I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty… If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark… Sacrifice… is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice."

King Robert's stern and uptight younger brother, Stannis is a man obsessed with his principles and always, always does what he feels to be his duty. He is Lord of Dragonstone and Master of Ships at the start of the series. He finds out that Joffrey is not Robert's son, and rebels after his brother's death since he's his first heir. Declaring himself King in A Clash of Kings out of his sense of duty, he is unpopular with the people for his merciless sense of justice and his reputation of inflexibility, but proves to be a very complex man who dislikes what he forces himself to do.

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A-F

• 0% Approval Rating: Zigzagged. Stannis supposedly has this, though this perception varies widely depending who holds the opinion.
  • He definitely has this in the Royal Court, and is unpopular and controversial among the Tyrells, Littlefinger, Renly, Varys and Robert. In his years on the Small Council, he found it hard to attract support for his policies. Some of them (criminalizing and banning prostitution) were distinctly unpopular (especially because his brother was a regular client). He's generally seen as a no-nonsense, brooding killjoy and a stickler for rules who intimidates both the genuinely guilty and craven (Varys, Littlefinger) and the ones who might have supported him had he not been so paranoid and insensitive (Catelyn). The Lannisters use this to their advantage when trying to disprove the letter claiming that he's the rightful king because Cersei's children are bastards, spreading counter-rumors about his daughter Shireen being fathered by a jester or one of her mother's relatives.
    Tyrion: The smallfolk are always eager to believe the worst of their lords, particularly those as stern, sour, and prickly proud as Stannis Baratheon.
  • On the other hand, Stannis is able to inspire genuine Undying Loyalty among his troops and supporters who follow him even when it is no longer in their best interest for them to do so. His support of merit, willingness to listen to out-of-the-box ideas, as well as dedication to justice means people and factions such as Davos, the Antler Men, the various Maesters who get to work with him, and even the initially reluctant Jon Snow come around and are won over. Stannis does have more charisma than he thinks he does, but it's a version of the stuff that's more of an acquired taste and more genuine, based on his principles, than Robert and Renly's all-too-easy shallow charms.
• Achilles in His Tent: Stannis is sulking on Dragonstone over his Passed-Over Promotion for Hand when the story begins. Though it is implied that he's gathering his forces for the coming civil war, as he already knew Joffrey was not Robert's son and, suspecting that Jon Arryn had been killed to hide that fact, fled King's Landing thinking he might be next.
• All of the Other Reindeer: This has pretty much been his problem all his life due to his Brutal Honesty, having No Social Skills and being The Resenter.
  Stannis: "They will not love me," you say. When have they ever loved me? How can I lose something I have never owned?
• All Work vs. All Play: The All Work to Renly's All Play. Stannis spends his time on the Small Council ably serving as Master of Ships, and later campaigns to take the crown that is rightfully his, while Renly japes with Littlefinger, jousts in tourneys, and goes around making himself popular with the southron nobles.
• All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Is becoming a victim of this while he and the bulk of his army are at The Wall. Dragonstone is taken by royalist forces and Prince Aegon and The Golden Company are poised to capture Storm's End.
• Awful Wedded Life: He hardly shares the bed with Selyse at all and coldly rebukes her when she physically touches him ("Stop clutching me, woman"). She, on the other hand, is a haughty religious fanatic who advocates human sacrifice, which really doesn't help.
  Alys Karstark: Snow during a wedding means a cold marriage. My lady mother always said so.
  Jon Snow's thoughts: He glanced at Queen Selyse. There must have been a blizzard the day she and Stannis wed.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Averted. Stannis does not realize how much he actually misses and loves Robert and Renly until both are already dead. He tells Davos he did love his brothers, even Renly despite all they did.
• Badass Boast: "I defeated your uncle Victarion and his Iron Fleet off Fair Isle, the first time your father crowned himself. I held Storm's End against the power of the Reach for a year, and took Dragonstone from the Targaryens. I smashed Mance Rayder at the Wall, though he had twenty times my numbers. Tell me, turncloak, what battles has the Bastard of Bolton ever won that I should fear him?"
  • From the same conversation, Stannis gets another good one:
  Theon: Never call him that! Ramsay Bolton, not Ramsay Snow, never Snow, never, you have to remember his name, or he will hurt you.
  Stannis: He is welcome to try. Whatever name he goes by.
• Badass Bookworm: He is the most well-read of the Baratheon brothers, being quite knowledgeable about history, mythology, and theology, as well as military tactics. He even points out the flaws with Daeron's historical Conquest of Dorne, showing his intelligence.
• Be Yourself: Subverted Trope from the very first Davos chapter. Stannis describes how, as a child, he found an injured hawk and nursed it back to health, though not enough that it could hunt for him. Everyone told him that he was making a fool of himself with the crippled hawk and to give up and try a different bird. He does.
  • Yank the Dog's Chain: Look closely what is actually said. Stannis never actually says he tried a different bird, he just says they were right in telling him he should. It is never actually clear whether or not he changed the hawk.
• Because Destiny Says So: He is not happy with being R'hllor's champion but Mel swears he was chosen because he was righteous.
• Belated Love Epiphany: Stannis had very strained relationships with his two brothers, Robert and Renly. It's only after they both die that Stannis realizes how much they meant to him.
• Beware the Honest Ones: Brutally honest he may be, but he's more than capable of blindsiding anyone who assumes he's entirely one-dimensional because of it. His strong sense of justice and duty make him difficult to negotiate with, and thus dangerous to every other claimant as long as he's alive to oppose them, as he will never give up as long as he sees his cause as just. This is also why he's opposed by so many people, as Stannis cannot abide corruption and the Seven Kingdoms is a very corrupt society.
• Big Damn Heroes: Arrives just in time to save the Night's Watch and the Wall during the battle with Mance Rayder, and again when he suddenly appears to liberate Deepwood Motte from the Ironborn.
• Big Good: Despite his various shortcomings, Stannis is arguably the holder of this trope in the series, at least for now. He is by law the rightful king of Westeros, as his brother Robert's three "children" with Cersei are all bastards, making Stannis his legal heir. More significantly, regardless of whether he is or is not Azor Ahai reborn, he is the only claimant to the throne aware of the real threat coming from the North and willing to do something about it, sailing to rescue the Night's Watch from being overrun by Mance Rayder's Wildling horde and planning to reinforce the Wall, integrate the Wildlings into the realm and protect them, liberate the Bolton/Lannister/Greyjoy controlled North and unite it to prepare for the Others- even Robb was never able to look past avenging his father, despite leading the house who has "Winter is coming" as their house words. Like him or not, Stannis is the only monarch in the world ready and willing to stand against the oncoming darkness, instead of just fighting for power as the other monarchs are.
• Black-and-White Morality: Stannis does not deal very well with shades of grey, although given the nature of Westeros he is often forced to begrudgingly do so.
  Stannis: A good deed does not wash out the bad, nor does a bad deed wash out the good. Each should have its own reward.
  • While this is his general attitude, he does learn to moderate it somewhat when he appoints Davos his Hand. Davos reminds him that "a king protects his people or he's no true king at all". When he marches to the Wall, he's pragmatic about not allowing the fundamentalists in his camp advocate for some of their more extreme measures, pointing out that not everyone who supports him worships R'hllor, and he sulks about Jon Snow refusing his offer of legitimacy but nonetheless begrudgingly accepts his advice about not parceling Northern territory among Southern lords, since that would make him resemble an invader rather than the liberator from the Boltons, which is what he becomes.
  • Stannis' take on this trope also contrasts markedly against Melisandre's, recognising that men can be both good and evil and should be judged seperately for each, while she believes that a man is either good or evil, never both, justifying evil actions taken by good men as "necessary" and therefore "good".
• Black Sheep: Downplayed. Robert, Renly, and even Edric Storm are all noted for their natural charm. Stannis, meanwhile, is such an unlikeable bore that many Lords would rather support his usurping younger brother than him.
• Born in the Wrong Century: An interesting case that work both ways. Stannis often muses about the previous centuries, when the kingdom was unified by an uncontested ruler and internal conflict wasn't prominent yet, but at the same time he can be much more progressive than his time would allow, despising jousting and other aristocratic follies, wanting to outlaw brothels, accepting a female successor and in general being much more meritocratic than the other nobles. In general, he hates decadence and yet he's living in an extremely decadent period, which ironically gives him the chance to set things right.
• Broken Ace: Unlike his older brother, Stannis has always been one. Growing up in Robert's shadow and having to live without anyone recognizing just how important his contributions to Robert's Rebellion were have made him bitter and cynical. He still shows himself to be one of the best military commanders in Westeros and one of the most intellectual and well-read nobles who appear, but he's still viewed as a villain by many Westerosi despite his strict moral code and obsession with law and justice.
• Brutal Honesty: An Establishing Character Moment. He can't even make small talk.
  • When he is writing the letter to declare himself king, he orders the word 'beloved' struck from the description of his relationship with his brother, because it would be a lie. He also insists on 'Ser' Jaime the Kingslayer, because whatever else Jamie might be, he is still a knight.
  • His Brutal Honesty is an interesting case, because while speaking his mind can cause him to hurt people's feelings, it also means that on the rare occasions he says something nice, it is truly heartfelt. This can sometimes lead him to kick and pet the dog almost simultaneously, such as when he bluntly tells Maester Cressen that he is too old and confused to be of any use to him anymore, but then states a few sentences later that the maester's age makes the stair climbing needed to perform his duties dangerous to him, and tells him "I will not have you kill yourself in my service". This may not seem like much, but considering Stannis's general grimness, (plus the Bury Your Disabled mentality that many characters have) this is actually quite a significant sign of affection and respect for the maester's past services. This is also part of why Stannis likes Davos as much as he does: he appreciates Davos' bluntness and willingness to criticize him rather than being a yes-man. One thing Stannis cannot stand is people who try to sugarcoat the truth, since he never does it himself.
• Cain and Abel: Stannis and his younger brother Renly. The series' Gray-and-Grey Morality being what it is, though, it's impossible to tell who is the "good" and the "evil" one. Case in point, Renly wants power as king. Stannis seems to see it more as his duty as Robert's heir. Renly is more the aggressor in the situation, acknowledging that Stannis may well have a better claim but he (Renly) has the larger army. They both had every intention of killing each other: Renly joking with Loras about what to do with Stannis's body and Stannis actually killing Renly before his vastly superior army can crush Stannis's own, though he did try to negotiate with Renly before moving against him.
  • That being said, it's never quite clear whether Stannis knows how Renly died. He says he doesn't, and that's usually enough, but it's not 100% certain. It's implied that he impregnated Melisandre with some of his life force and she used the resulting shadow creature to kill Renly, but it's not clear if this was done with his consent or even knowledge. However, he is wracked with guilt over Renly's death and seems to have trouble accepting Melisandre's explanation of divine will.
• Cannot Talk to Women: Well, he can, but he's notably uncomfortable when speaking to them and addresses them in a courteous but stiff manner.
• Cassandra Truth: Invoked in A Clash of Kings: when Catelyn asks Stannis why he didn't take his suspicions Joffrey and his siblings were illegitimate to Robert, Stannis replies that, given their relationship, Robert would have just dismissed the accusations as Stannis trying to get Joffrey and Tommen disinherited to advance himself up the line of succession. Stannis states he brought the matter to Jon Arryn specifically because he thought the accusations would carry more weight coming from a man Robert trusted as much as Jon.
• Cast from Hit Points: By having sex with him, Melisandre is able to conceive and birth shadow assassins, which are used to assassinate Renly and Cortnay Penrose. But after making two of those, Stannis looks like he has aged years, and she believes making a third might kill him.
• Character Development: For a man who has a reputation for rigidity and never changing his mind, Stannis undergoes a lot of character development:
  • In Book 2, he starts out more concerned with the slights he had suffered and the restitution of the rights he feels entitled to rather than his duties of carrying out justice and protecting the realm. This leads him to be hostile toward potential allies like Catelyn Stark, intimidating her away from any common ground he could form with Robb Stark.
  • In Book 3, he names Davos as his Hand after listening to his honest advise, accepting that it wasn't fair to (as per the suggestion of one of the Queen's Men) sack the island of one of his bannermen for surrendering to the Iron Throne because they were tired of fighting and had lost too many soldiers at the Blackwater. After Davos spirits away Edric Storm from a Human Sacrifice that Melisandre suggested (and which Stannis was tempted yet severely reluctant about), he eventually agrees that Davos, who disobeyed his commands, was right, and that a "king protects his people, or he's no true King at all." At the end of the book, he puts off his campaign for the Iron Throne to defend the Night's Watch against the wildling invasion, the only king to respond to their pleas for help.
  • In Book 5, Stannis, while irritated at Jon Snow for not accepting his offer of legitimacy and becoming his own personal Stark ally, nonetheless listens to Jon's valuable advice about not "trading Northern homes to Southron houses", earning allies by liberating the North from the Ironborn, and heeding his strategic advice. He also talks down the more zealous members of the Queen's Men and generally wavers between iron determination and unexpected moderation.
• Character Tic: Grinding his teeth when frustrated (which is often).
• The Chosen One: Melisandre believes he is Azor Ahai, the prophesied prince that was promised, and will defeat the Others during the Long Night, but many others, including Stannis himself, doubt this.
• Cold Ham: His dispassionate way of speaking may not be as boisterous as Robert's or as suave as Renly's, but it does lend his words a certain solemn gravity.
• Colonel Badass: The most capable soldier of the Stormlands... and possibly in Westeros.
• Color Motif:
  • Red. Not that Stannis wears it himself, but it symbolizes his reliance on the magic of the red priestess Melisandre, her red god Rh'llor, and the burning fires which become a hallmark of his quest. Lightbringer, his supposedly magical Flaming Sword, is also known as the Red Sword of Heroes.
  • Grey. Dark grey is the color of pure iron, which Donal Noye compares Stannis to—hard and strong, but brittle and inflexible, more likely to break than bend. During his character arc, he learns to deal with moral shades of grey, having to moderate the black-and-whiteness of his personal principles in order to keep his followers loyal and negotiate diplomatically with the Night's Watch. Later, he spends more time in the cold and frozen North, ruled by House Stark of the grey direwolf.
• Combat Pragmatist: Not above using Melisandre's magic to quickly eliminate his enemies, especially if it will prevent a large number of his men from dying in a bloody battle. His brother Renly, and later Cortnay Penrose found this out the hard way.
• The Comically Serious: His un-charisma is so great he can be hilarious at times. He also possesses a hidden but extremely dry sense of humor that he delivers with his usual straight face.
• Conflicting Loyalty: When Robert's Rebellion broke out, Stannis, as the second Baratheon son, had technically swore no allegiance to the Targaryens, but he still felt miserable when he had to choose whether to support his liege lord and older brother or the lawful king, and still remembers it as the hardest choice he ever had to make. In the end he chose his blood. Years later, when Davos justifies the men of Claw Isle not remaining loyal to him after Lord Celtigar bent the knee to Joffrey by drawing the comparison between their predicament and his, Stannis reluctantly agrees and seems to sympathize.
• Cool Crown: A crown whose fringes are shaped like flames is Stannis's only Bling of War. He prefers to be Modest Royalty.
• Couldn't Find a Pen: In The Winds of Winter he must sign a contract with the Iron Bank but his ink has frozen. Instead of taking the time to thaw the ink, (especially as Stannis has a lot to arrange in a short time due to an enemy army approaching) he cuts the ball of his thumb and signs in blood. Considering who he's signing this contract with, this action carries some pretty ominous symbolism.
• Cult of Personality: At least part of Stannis' appeal among his supporters stems from a reputation he deliberately builds by patronizing a religion (which he personally is ambivalent about) that anoints him the Messiah, but much of it comes from an aura of justice and determination that comes out spontaneously as a result of his actions. His followers and entourage seem personally devoted to him rather than the "brother of Robert" or the "last trueborn Baratheon." He and his regime and entourage are animated by a kind of loyalty that is partly feudal, partly ideological, dedicated to restoring balance in the Seven Kingdoms and bringing justice to the traitors and usurpers. Stannis, however, is blind to this, as due to his relationships to Robert and Renly remains convinced he can never be loved or admired, only feared.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Stannis is a harsh, brutal man who reigns over the bleak and foreboding Dragonstone, and he has a reputation as a merciless Principles Zealot. However, Stannis is also just and fair, rewarding people based on merit and being one of the few nobles in Westeros willing to fight for the realm, not just his own self-interest.
• Deadpan Snarker: Despite his rigidity and seriousness, Stannis does demonstrate a sense of humor on occasion that's about as dry as the Dornish sands. A shining example is when Bowen Marsh supports Janos Slynt to lead the Night's Watch.
  Marsh: Who better to command the black cloaks than a man who once commanded the gold, sire?
  Stannis: Any of you, I would think. Even the cook.
• Deal with the Devil: Stannis's unyielding integrity means he will never ally or even strike a truce with the people he considers his enemies (the Starks, Lannisters, and Tyrells), which is why he often seeks help from sinister entities (the cult of R'hllor and the Iron Bank of Braavos) without thought of the long term consequences.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Evil Overlord. He is outright described as a "Dark Lord" at Joffrey's feast. He never gives up trying to be king (which he sees as his duty rather than ambition), consorts with an Evil Sorcerer and other unsavory (yet sympathetic) people, lives in an exotic fortress on a barren volcanic island (his "reward" for helping win his brother's rebellion) and is generally unlikable (for being too honest and blunt).
• Despair Event Horizon: Seems to cross a sort of one after the battle of Blackwater in which he loses most of his army and the Lannisters begin winning the war, locking himself away with Melisandre and refusing to see almost anyone. He gets better during A Storm of Swords.
• Determinator: His stubbornness in the face of adversity is well known. He demonstrated this during the Siege of Storm's End, and keeps on trucking despite incredible setbacks in the War of the Five Kings. This very quality is one of the reasons Tywin Lannister considers him the greatest threat in the War of the Five Kings.
  • Know how everyone is always going on about how Stannis is made of iron? Strong but brittle? Rather ironic once you take into account Stannis outlives ALL of his main rivals (Renly, Robb, Balon, Joffrey and Tywin) fighting for control of Westeros. House Lannister may have won the War of the Five Kings by default, but Stannis is the only original survivor. Meanwhile the Lannister regime is facing collapse after the death of Kevan.
• Disappointed in You: His reaction when he learns that Davos has shipped Edric Storm off on a Lysene galley to prevent Melisandre from sacrificing him to the Lord of Light. Davos notes that he sounds more tired than angry.
  Stannis: I raised you up from dirt, Davos. Was loyalty too much to hope for?
• The Dreaded: By his enemies, due to them knowing that they can expect almost no mercy from him due to his rigid sense of justice. Varys sums up his fear of Stannis to Ned Stark thusly:
  Varys: There is no creature on earth half as terrifying as a truly just man.
• Dirty Business: Considers sacrificing his nephew Edric Storm to be this. He doesn't want to do it, but he will if one sacrificing life means saving millions. To a lesser degree, this is also evident in his attitude toward seizing the Iron Throne, as he's one of the few people who is not after the throne out of an ambitious pursuit for power (this might be partially due to seeing what the crown turned his brother Robert into, though Robert didn't want the Iron Throne either and never really cared about ruling).
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: He has shown himself to be a capable leader, and won several victories on Robert's behalf, but because (in the words of TV!Loras) he "has the personality of a lobster", he is disdained in favor of his more likable brothers. This bothers him more than he cares to admit, especially as he has done a lot worthy of praise and he feels his youngest brother Renly especially never did anything useful.
  Stannis: Robert could piss in a cup and men would call it wine, but I offer them cold clear water and they squint in suspicion and mutter to each other about how queer it tastes.
  • To give Stannis credit, he's also conscious of occasions where his enemies didn't get respect either. He despises Mace Tyrell for claiming credit for the Siege of Storm's End (which was made possible by Paxter Redwyne's naval blockade) and the victory over Robert at Ashford (which Stannis notes was Randyll Tarly's achievement), while acknowledging Tyrion Lannister as the true mastermind of his defeat at the Blackwater.
  • He also identifies with underdogs who were overshadowed in Westerosi history, grumbling that nobody remembers Alyn Oakenfist Velaryon's naval attack at Plankytown which actually won Daeron the Young Dragon's conquest of Dorne. One can see how this mentality made him feel positive about meritocracy.
• The Dutiful Son: While Robert preferred to enjoy himself by drinking, eating, whoring, and pretty much neglecting his duties as king, Stannis helped run the realm as Master of Ships alongside Robert's Hand, Jon Arryn. Meanwhile, Renly was also on the Small Council as Master of Laws... yet, Renly acted as a Yes-Man for Robert, spent much of his time showing off rather than actually doing something useful, and happily broke the realm's laws in trying to usurp the crown after Robert's death, being one of the main figures whose selfishness leads to the War of the Five Kings. Though he does admit he loved his brothers.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil: Played with. In keeping with his in-universe reputation as a "Dark Lord" and his general ambiguous reputation across the books, Stannis' rivals certainly view him as a straight example of this trope, though he actually comes across as one of the most progressive lords in Westerosi history.
  • His closest advisers are an Asshai'i priestess who preaches a foreign religion and a lowborn knight who was once a smuggler, and while Melisandre in particular is undoubtedly sinister, Stannis has no patience for the misogyny and xenophobia leveled against her:
  Stannis: Ser Guyard says a woman should not be my standard-bearer. Others whisper that she has no place in my war councils, that I ought to send her back to Asshai, that it is sinful to keep her in my tent of a night. Aye, they whisper... while she serves.
  • Likewise, he makes the lowborn Davos his Hand against all opposition from his lords, knowing he is the most capable man for the job:
  "I am no fit man to be a King's Hand."
  "There is no man fitter." Stannis sheathed Lightbringer, gave Davos his hand, and pulled him to his feet.
  "I am lowborn," Davos reminded him. "An upjumped smuggler. Your lords will never obey me."
  "Then we will make new lords."
  • His reputation for fairness was such that a cabal of beleaguered King's Landing merchants were willing to open the gates for him to seek justice (earning them the moniker "Antler's Men" upon their exposure, though this was partially due to Joffrey's poor handling of the earlier stages of war, which disrupted the economy).
  • His crew includes Lyseni privateers and, after defeating Mance Rayder, Stannis becomes the first High Lord and King claimant to welcome wildlings into his kingdom, offer them protection of the law, protection from the Others, and offer to settle them south of the Wall. Of course, Stannis will only allow this if the wildlings give up their religion, serve in his army and surrender all of their liberties as Free Folk, but he has gone further than most anyone else in Westeros. His actions inspire Lord Commander Jon Snow to make an alliance with the wildlings — albeit Jon makes this alliance on terms he and the wildlings agree on (as Jon does not ask the wildlings to swear any fealty or give up their beliefs or religion as Free Folk), rather than on Stannis's terms, and Jon also wants to save the wildlings for humanitarian reasons in addition to pragmatic ones (any man who dies north of the Wall will rise as a wight).
  Stannis: Your brothers will not like it, no more than your father’s lords, but I mean to allow the wildlings through the Wall... those who will swear me their fealty, pledge to keep the king’s peace and the king’s laws, and take the Lord of Light as their god. Even the giants, if those great knees of theirs can bend. I will settle them on the Gift... When the cold winds rise, we shall live or die together. It is time we made alliance against our common foe.
• Everyone Has Standards: Stannis is a notorious hardass who rarely balks at doling out harsh punishment to those who he feels deserve it. But when Axell Florent suggests slaughtering everyone on Claw Isle to punish Ardrian Celtigar for bending the knee to Joffrey, he rejects the plan without hesitation.
• Evil Stole My Faith: Turned away from the Faith of the Seven during his youth because he refused to worship any god who would have let his parents die in a shipwreck within sight of their home.
  Stannis: I stopped believing in gods the day I saw the Windproud break up across the bay. Any gods so monstrous as to drown my mother and father would never have my worship, I vowed.
• Evil Uncle: He is this to Edric Storm, whom he is this close to burning as a sacrifice, albeit very reluctantly. He and Renly are also viewed as this by Joffrey's supporters, with Stannis being portrayed in propaganda as an evil, greedy asshole who wants to steal his brave young nephew's rightful crown. Of course, Joffrey isn't actually his nephew as he is not the son of Stannis's brother, Robert, but of Cersei and Jaime Lannister).
  • He refuses to burn Edric after two of the three rival kings he cursed using Edric's blood die in quick succession, pointing out that Balon and Robb's deaths could be coincidental. He seems to be coming over to Mel's way of thinking after Joffrey dies, but tells her that if sacrificing Edric fails she will die "by inches." Davos makes sure Edric is smuggled off Dragonstone just in time.
• The Eeyore: Unlike his more jovial brothers, Stannis is a stern, grim man with No Sense of Humor who won't even tolerate men laughing and shouting during feasts in his castle.
• A Father to His Men: Although Stannis is unpopular with the nobility and common people of Westeros due to his blunt honesty and rigid sense of justice, the soldiers under his command tend to be extremely loyal to him. This can probably be explained by two traits Stannis possesses: personal courage and a willingness to lead from the front. When he held Storm's End against the forces of the Reach during Robert's Rebellion, he endured the same fatigue and starvation as his men and, as a result, only a single soldier under his command attempted to desert. He has shown similar bravery in other battles.
• Flaming Sword: Subverted—he wields the mythical Lightbringer, but it only appears to be on fire because of Melisandre's magic illusions. As Maester Aemon is dying, he points out to Sam that Stannis cannot be Azor Ahai, because his "Lightbringer" is nothing but an ordinary sword disguised by a glamour.
• The Fundamentalist: Averted. He certainly seems like one at first glance, what with converting to the religion of R'hllor and bringing a red priestess in to serve as his dragon, but he does so purely for pragmatic reasons. As explained under the Nay-Theist entry, Stannis doesn't have much faith in gods, and he only brought in Melisandre and her foreign religion because her magic produces actual results. Many of his followers, his wife included, are genuine religious zealots, but Stannis himself is not a true believer. Indeed, many of the practices of the religion of the Lord of Light make in deeply uncomfortable, and he is resistant to Melisandre's demands to, for example, sacrifice his nephew.

G-M

• Generation Xerox: Stannis's fate is becoming similar to his ancestor Argilac the Arrogant as he tells his men to keep fighting in his daughter's name before marching to battle in bad weather, uncertain of victory.
  • Has similarities to his great-great-grandfather Maekar I Targaryen. They were both stern, socially-awkward younger sons with a penchant for grinding their jaws when irritated who are great military commanders that feel overlooked by their brothers, killed a more overtly charming and popular brother of theirs (though in Maekar's case it was accidental and in Stannis's case its unclear how aware he was), are very unpopular throughout Westeros and seen as The Evil Prince, and unexpectedly become King, when neither of them wanted to be. Both are deeply unhappy men who nevertheless continue to do their duty to the realm and their families. Also despite their image as stern and sticking to the law, both show a progressiveness in their treatment of a lowborn but decent Knight, Stannis knighting Davos and making them his Hand, and Maekar letting Dunk take his son Egg on as his squire.
  • Stannis for his part greatly identifies with his ancestor Aegon I: he's based in Dragonstone, the castle of Aegon's birth, keeps staring at the Painted Table, has a relationship with Selyse and Melisandre much like Aegon-Rhaenys-Visenya and has a reputation for being The Stoic who only really lets his guard around his friend Davos, who like Orys Baratheon (Stannis's other ancestor), was a lowborn (possibly, rumors claim Orys was Aegon's bastard brother) man he raised high and rewarded on merit, enabling them to found their own House.
• Good Parents: Downplayed in that he is never actually seen interacting with his daughter Shireen on page in the books and rarely mentions her at all, thus giving the appearance that he ignores her more often than not. But while it might get lost among his more unpleasant character traits, he's a decent parent who wants what's best for her. He makes sure that Shireen receives a proper education and keeps Patchface around because she likes him, even if the jester is a living reminder of the shipwreck that killed his parents. While his behavior is pragmatic in a sense (it's unlikely that he and Selyse will have another heir, and so Shireen must become an adequate ruler), on the whole he still comes across as a one of the better parents in Westeros.
• Hard Work Fallacy: Stannis truly believes that hard work equals great reward, yet he never gets what he wants. This also makes him a believer in true meritocracy, which is why he consistently rewards Davos instead of his more highborn bannermen.
• Hero Antagonist: For all his faults, Stannis is Robert's true heir, he strives for truth and justice, and he plans on using the power of the crown to cleanse the realm of corruption and prepare it against the Others' invasion. By contrast, his rivals for the throne are his younger brother Renly, a sleazy, superficial jerk believes he should be king just because he's more popular than his older brother, and Joffrey, a sadistic tweenage tyrant who's a figurehead for House Lannister. His other opponents, such as Varys and Littlefinger, don't want him taking the throne only because they know he won't suffer their scheming and power grabs. All in all, Stannis could be the most straightforward hero in the series if it wasn't for his ruthlessness and his willingness to impose a foreign religion that he doesn't believe in so he can keep getting magical favors from Melisandre.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: Wields "Lightbringer", the legendary flaming sword of Azor Ahai.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: He is the most hated man in the realm (aside from possibly Tyrion), but refuses to rehab his image and expects everyone to acknowledge him as king because he is the rightful heir, even though he has no evidence. However, while in the North, he does follow Jon Snow's advice on winning over Northern lords and gathers a lot of support in the North as a result.
• Hero-Worshipper: Zig Zagging. Stannis tends to be critical of popular heroes both present (Robert Baratheon, Eddard Stark, Renly, Robb), and past (Daeron the Young Dragon and other historical figures). The one exception is Aegon the Conquerer, his ancestor via his Targaryen grandmother, who Stannis sees as a visionary who brought peace by uniting the separate kingdoms of Westeros and a role model for him to aspire to:
  Stannis Baratheon: This talk of Seven Kingdoms is a folly. Aegon saw that three hundred years ago when he stood where we are standing. They painted this table at his command. Rivers and bays they painted, hills and mountains, castles and cities and market towns, lakes and swamps and forests... but no borders. It is all one. One realm, for one king to rule alone.
  Ser Davos Seaworth: One King means peace.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Davos, one of the only men who Stannis not only respects, but likes.
• Hidden Depths: Many of Davos' interactions with Stannis show that Stannis is more conflicted, unsure and flexible than the front he shows the rest of the world indicates. He's more insecure regarding everyone's favoritism toward his more charming brothers than he cares to admit, is willing to consider alliances with the Arryns and other undeclared houses, and appears to mourn Renly's death (which he may or may not have ordered himself) and expresses regret for pulling a weapon during their negotiation when Renly offered him a peach.
  • Despite his overly harsh reputation, Stannis is much more fair-minded then most nobles, seeing the worth in people despite their status and wanting to bring justice to everyone, as can be seen in minor details like gelding men of his who raped Wildling women. Also, many of the people Stannis targets are undeniably guilty of wrongdoing, such as Varys and Littlefinger.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: In-universe, at Joffrey and Margaery's wedding, a song is performed about Stannis the despicable Evil Overlord who desires to steal the throne from his brave nephew for no other reason than simple greed. Of course, the truth is more complex: that Stannis does not even really want the Iron Throne, but views it as his duty to take it back since he is the rightful king of Westeros, with Joffrey being a bastard born of incest and all.
• Hyper-Competent Sidekick: To his older brother, Robert Baratheon. During Robert's Rebellion, he held Storm's End against the Tyrell armies and Redwyne fleet for over a year, even as provisions ran out and the defenders began to starve. He was eighteen years old. Almost immediately after, Robert tasked him with building a fleet of ships from scratch to capture Dragonstone, which Stannis accomplished in short order despite not fully recovering from the effects of the siege. After the war, Stannis served as Robert's Master of Ships, defeating the Iron Fleet at sea during the Greyjoy Rebellion. He is also the first lord of Westeros to become suspicious of Cersei's children (perhaps with a tip from Varys), and begins to investigate the matter with Robert's Hand, Jon Arryn, before Jon's murder. This is partly why Stannis felt slighted when Robert travels all the way to the frozen North to make Eddard Stark his Hand of the King over him.
• Hypocrite:
  • Subverted. Believes that all Westeros should bow to him because he is "by law" Robert's "rightful" heir, yet he conveniently forgets that Robert got his crown by rebelling against the previous king. Davos calls him out on this, and Stannis argues that that was a choice between family and king, and that he considered the former a higher duty (This explains his disdain for Renly, who claims the throne blatantly for personal power and flouts every rule regarding law or honor in doing so. And he's the former Master of Laws). And it should be noted that Aerys broke the feudal pact when he started burning Lords and making a mockery of trials. At which point rebellion was the only option. Also Stannis never swore a vow to serve the Mad King.
    Stannis: It is every man's duty to remain loyal to his rightful king, even if the lord he serves proves false.
    Davos: As you remained loyal to King Aerys when your brother raised his banners?
    [...]
    Stannis: Aerys? If you only knew... that was a hard choosing. My blood or my liege. My brother or my king.
  • Stannis can't stop pointing out that the Iron Throne is rightfully his as he is Robert's heir, but he dismisses all of Jon's objections to inheriting Winterfell wherein Jon explains that Winterfell should go to his sister Sansa (since all of Ned Stark's trueborn sons are presumably dead). Stannis points out that Sansa is Lannister by marriage and that, under no circumstances, will he allow Winterfell to be granted to Lannisters or their lackeys but Jon maintains his stance that Winterfell should go to his sister by rights. To be fair, even Robb and Catelyn thought that Sansa's marriage meant she should be passed over for rule of Winterfell, and some of the Northern nobles are shown to have agreed with them.
  • Stannis constantly talks about he is motivated by duty and not ambition or personal feelings. However, when he wasn't named Hand by his brother he proceeds to leave King's Landing and sulk at Dragonstone. He had pragmatic reasons (fear for his family, his own life) after Jon Arryn's death, and his accusation against Cersei would be considered treasonous and a power-grab if he didn't have ironclad evidence. That said, he doesn't consider warning Ned Stark or sharing some of his intelligence with him because he resented Robert's affection for Eddard and feels jealous that Robert never relied on him as much. When Stannis finally makes his move, it comes after both Ned and Robert are dead and Cersei has installed her new regime, by which point Stannis's actions (such as letters outing the illegitimacy of Cersei's offspring dispatched to all corners of the kingdom) are too little and too late.
• I Did What I Had to Do: How he justifies most of his merciless actions. It still weighs heavily on him.
  • He also expects the rest of the world to act this way. This is part of why he is so disliked. He takes this to the greatest possible extreme in A Dance With Dragons by marching toward Winterfell while his army is starving, freezing and greatly outnumbered.
• Intergenerational Friendship: Easy to miss as Stannis seems to have been born with a mental age of 62, but Davos is at least ten years his senior.
• Irony: While musing on what an uncomfortable seat the Iron Throne is, Stannis wonders why his brothers wanted it so badly, unaware that Robert never wanted the throne and only took it because there was no other choice; it was only Renly who was immature enough to actually desire the throne that he had no claim to. This highlights a further tragic irony in how Stannis never really knew Robert as well as he thought he did, despite how heavily Robert's shadow looms over him.
• Jerkass: Stannis is one of the most unpleasantly brusque and astringent characters in the series to hang with. He's introduced as acting incredibly rough on an old man's emotions (one who helped raise him like a father, no less) — and, not even outright meaning it as an insult, but "just telling it like he sees it". He continues this stance throughout the series by either constantly insulting people with his sheer, blinkered bluntness or complaining about how he was wronged. Examples include him calling Gilly, a teenage rape victim forcibly married to her father, a whore (because his ideas on sexual assault and coercive abuse don't match most other people's) and complaining about Ned taking a job he desired to Ned's grieving widow (because of course he thinks he'd have done it better).
• Jerkass Has a Point: This is the very definition of Stannis' character. He's one of the most unpleasant, no-nonsense people anyone could ever meet in Westeros, and is generally coarser than sandpaper to deal with both emotionally and socially. So... people tend to distrust him. Though he apparently thinks and judges in black-and-white terms, his interactions with Davos show that, while not being easily swayed, Stannis is not as unapproachable as other people generally paint him as being. He's also very perceptive of what is going on around him, so even while he's busy treading on emotional toes, he's going to be saying something important to listen to.
  • Stannis claims he would not have been as merciful to those who fought against Robert during his rebellion as Robert was. Considering how treacherous the Tyrells, Balon Greyjoy, and much of the Small Council turned out to be, he was probably justified.
    Stannis: I mean to sweep that court clean. As Robert should have done after the Trident.
  • He also has a point in stating that the Northern-Riverlands faction wouldn't have been destroyed had they joined his cause (as Ned had originally intended) instead of declaring Robb king.
  • Stannis feels that Varys should have been executed. At the end of A Dance With Dragons, Varys turns out to have been continually working to bring down the Baratheon regime in favor of "Aegon VI", and may have been working to bring down the Targaryens before that, which explains why he fueled the Mad Kings' paranoia.
• Jerkass with a Heart of Gold: Yep, it's in there. While he was definitely being a big Jerkass to Maester Cressen, he was also very much concerned that the aging Maester was going to slip and fall to his death trying to continue with the same amount of work he'd previously done in better physical health. He didn't want his old mentor to die early and saw no shame in outright telling him to ease up and retire comfortably. He's also very meritocratic, giving those who perform well in his service their due, and he is as good a friend as he can be to Davos, and is trying to be a good parent to Shireen. Underneath all his hard and sour exterior is someone who tries to be better. Too bad he only shows this side of his personality to his inner circle.
• Kicked Upstairs: His appointment as Lord of Dragonstone effectively made Stannis the second most powerful man in the Crownlands, but the island is just a spit of rock and it feels more like being Reassigned to Antarctica, especially as he viewed it as a punishment that he wasn't made Lord of Storm's End. Word of God has said that this appointment established him as Robert's heir, as Robert didn't have any legitimate children at the time and never did, but Stannis is still bad-tempered about it.
• Knight Templar: He is a good example of why a truly just man is terrifying. His rigid sense of justice turns many people away from him, and he hates the compromises he is forced to make on his quest to remove those he views as usurpers vying for the Iron Throne.
• Lantern Jaw of Justice: Noted to have a large, jutting jaw, and is utterly obsessed with justice and the law.
• Large and in Charge: He's a Baratheon, after all. Ned says that Stannis, Renly, and Robert are all very large men, and Jon (who should be roughly the height of an average adult) notes that Stannis "towers" over him. His brothers, Renly and Robert, are 6'2 and 6'6 respectively, so Stannis is probably around 6'4; very tall by modern first world standards, and massive by medieval standards (though GRRM seems to have applied modern standards, considering how many named people are around 6'6", which would be borderline impossible in a setting were most people were shorter than 5'6"). Cressen also describes him as "large, broad-shouldered, and sinewy", while also noting that he looks skinnier than he usually does. Presumably he's usually pretty bulky, though not to the same extent as Robert.
• Lawful Stupid: Played with. He isn't actually a straight version of the trope, for all of his Knight Templar, Honor Before Reason and Principles Zealot tendencies for the simple reason of... his often having a very good (and correct) point underneath it all, for all he'll frame it poorly. However, he's well aware that other people are most likely going to view him as the biggest, straightest version of this they've ever come across. He'll even use other people's misconceptions of how he'll act to blind-side them. As long as doing so doesn't break his own sense of what is right.
• Lean and Mean: In contrast to Robert, who got extremely fat after ascending to the throne, Stannis got a lot skinnier. It may have something to do with Melisandre's shadow babies. By the end of A Dance With Dragons, he's starving along with the rest of his men, and is described by Asha as looking like a skeleton.
• Lonely at the Top: So very much. "Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies".
• Meaningful Name: Stan in Old English means "stone". He's from Dragonstone and will give about as easily as that rock will.
  • Ironic Name: Stannum is latin for tin, a very malleable metal.
• The Men First: When Davos brought food to the starved garrison of Storm's End, Stannis didn't eat until he made sure everyone else was already fed. Also, during the March on Winterfell, Asha notices Stannis has become so thin that he looks near-skeletal due to starvation, even more so than most of his men, despite there clearly being enough food left to keep him healthy, as Asha notes she, as a noble prisoner, is fairly well-fed.
• Metallic Motifs: Donal Noye, a blacksmith of the Night's Watch, compares Stannis to pure iron — strong and tough, but inflexible, which will break before it bends.
• Middle Child Syndrome: Not as charismatic or popular as either of his brothers. Also doesn't look much like them, besides being "black of hair" like all Baratheons. Robert (before he got fat) and Renly resemble each other and were quite handsome, whereas Stannis is not.
• Mythical Motifs: He bears more than a passing resemblance to Hades, being the serious, judging, lawful brother contrasting the much more philandering and chaotic Robert and Renly. He sided with Robert in overthrowing the tyrannic Aerys like Hades helped Zeus overthrow Cronos, and both are much less popular than their respective brothers. He lives on a barren volcanic island (both Hades and his Roman counterpart Pluto were associated with volcanoes and earthquakes), likes dogs and is more or less faithful to his wife, even if out of duty and not love as in the case of Hades and Persephone.

N-Z

• Nay-Theist: He doesn't worship any of the gods, old, new, or the Lord of Light, because after his parents died he thinks all of them too cruel to be deserving of worship. He does believe in the power of religion, though. And magic, later on. However, he goes through the motions of being a proper follower of R'hllor because of the benefits it gives him.
  Stannis: I stopped believing in gods the day I saw the Windproud break up across the bay. Any gods so monstrous as to drown my mother and father would never have my worship, I vowed. In King’s Landing, the High Septon would prattle at me of how all justice and goodness flowed from the Seven, but all I ever saw of either was made by men.
  Stannis: The red woman. Half my knights are afraid even to say her name, did you know? If she can do nothing else, a sorceress who can inspire such dread in grown men is not to be despised. A frightened man is a beaten man. And perhaps she can do more. I mean to find out... When I was a lad I found an injured goshawk and nursed her back to health. Proudwing, I named her... Time and again I would take her hawking, but she never flew higher than the treetops. Robert called her Weakwing... One day our great-uncle Ser Harbert told me to try a different bird. I was making a fool of myself with Proudwing, he said, and he was right... The Seven have never brought me so much as a sparrow. It is time I tried another hawk, Davos. A red hawk.
• Nerves of Steel: Considering all he's lived through without snapping, Stannis has one of the coolest nerves (and head) in the series. Eddard Stark at one point has problems thinking of anything that could frighten Stannis Baratheon.
• Never Found the Body: During A Dance With Dragons, Ramsay Bolton sends a letter to Jon Snow in which he claims to have smashed Stannis's host and killed the king. Having said that, in that self-same letter, Ramsay admits that some of Stannis's army escaped by demanding the return of "his wife" (Jeyne Poole) and "his manservant" (Reek aka Theon Greyjoy). It's not unrealistic that Stannis and Asha may be Just Hiding along with them.
  • A sample chapter from the Winds of Winter implies that Stannis knows exactly what's going on and has a plan, further increasing the chances that he is still alive. The chapter also shows Theon chained to a wall before Ramsay's attack, and it seems incredibly unlikely that Theon, who could barely walk, could escape while Stannis was defeated and killed.
  • George Martin has confirmed Stannis is alive.
• The Nicknamer: Despite being extremely uptight and serious, he apparently coined nicknames for some of characters (Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse, Ser Stupid, The Smiler, and The Slayer).
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed:
  • Martin admitted that he based Stannis partially on George Baker's rendition of Caesar Tiberius, in I, Claudius. A sombre and gloomy ruler, who was reluctant to rule, didn't like the fact he was never thanked for his work, and spent a lot of time sulking on an island. Like Tiberius, whose reputation was stained by his association with his sidekick Sejanus, Stannis gets a darker reputation by associating with Melisandre, and is feared for his ruthlessness.
  • As with Eddard Stark, Tyrion Lannister and Theon Greyjoy, Stannis is modeled on Richard III, the former Duke of Gloucester. His brothers Robert and Renly are based on Edward IV and George Clarence, Richard III's brothers, and like his historical inspiration, his campaign is based on his desire to prove the illegitimacy of his nephews. Also like Richard III, he's a great military commander and faces opposition from a family symbolized by a rose. Stannis eventually wins support in the North after coming to rescue them from wildlings and places a heavy emphasis on carrying out justice, while Richard III was similarly well-known for his his legal reforms and defense of the North from Scottish border raids.
  • He has notable similarities with Alexander Kolchak, the Supreme Leader of the White Movement in the Russian Civil War. Accounts of Kolchak describe him as very stubborn, melancholic and socially awkward, traits that befit Stannis himself. And like Stannis, Kolchak is installed as the leader of a Government in Exile, a position he accepted out of duty even though he had no desire for power. And just like Stannis, Kolchak was an exceptional military commander, but his poor people skills made him ill-suited for politics. The numerous political factions within the White Movement (basically anyone who isn't a Bolshevik) also mirror Stannis's army during his Northern campaign, now comprised of a motley crew of Stormlanders, Northerners, and mountain clansmen. Finally, Kolchak had served as an Admiral before the Russian Civil War, much like how Stannis served as Master of Ships before Robert's death.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Downplayed. Despite the cunning needed to hold a castle of five hundred men against tens of thousands for over a year, few people ever sing of Stannis and his accomplishments. Stannis was rewarded with a lordship, yes... over a spit of volcanic rock surrounded by tumultuous seas.
• "No More Holding Back" Speech: One of the best in the series:
  Stannis: Lord Seaworth is a man of humble birth, but he reminded me of my duty, when all I could think of was my rights. I had the cart before the horse, Davos said. I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne.
• No Social Skills: His generally sour personality aside, the man really can't stop complaining about the slights he's suffered. Over a decade after the fact. To people who are only tangentially involved.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Melisandre remarks to herself that, despite their somewhat fractious relationship, Stannis and Jon Snow are more alike than not; both steadfastly dutiful men who live in the shadows of their more popular, royal brothers, and who both have little faith in R'hllor, but are willing to make use of Melisandre and her powers.
• Past Experience Nightmare: It's noted that ever since Renly died, he has been troubled with nightmares. He even seems to have dreamed of Renly's death as it happened, due to the fact part of his life force was being used to assassinate him.
• Perpetual Frowner: So very much. His own father once remarked that he hoped Stannis might learn to laugh. Surprisingly enough, he actually does smile or laugh several times over the course of the story. Some examples include when Davos dismantles one of Melisandre's arguments, when he jokes about Davos' missing fingers, when Jon reacts to his baiting with confusion, and when he's told by Theon that the Freys, Karstarks, Manderlys, and Boltons are walking right into his trap. You may be noticing a pattern.
• Pet the Dog: Stannis has a strange liking for broken things, and people.
  • He made it clear Maester Cressen is too old to continue his duties but never sends him away.
  • His story of adopting a hawk with a broken wing mirrors his relationship with the mentally challenged jester Patchface.
  • He seems to love his daughter, and orders his followers to continue fighting to put her on the Iron Throne if he is killed.
  • Though he resented Eddard Stark both for the fact that Robert loved him more than his own brothers, and gave Ned the position of Hand of the King Stannis felt should have been his, Stannis notes that he respected Eddard for his sense of honour and justice, and promises both his widow Catelyn and Davos he will exact justice upon the Lannisters for Ned's murder.
  • Promises Catelyn that he will return Sansa and Arya to her if they are still alive in King's Landing. Later in the North he orders "Arya" returned back to Jon Snow at the Wall as repayment for his advice and warning about the Karstark traitors, despite how valuable a hostage she would have been and knowing Jon will almost certainly send her far away. Of course she is really a disguised Jeyne Poole, but Stannis doesn't know this at the time.
  • He treats Jon Snow with respect (... kinda) despite his illegitimacy, and despite the fact that Stannis could easily just strong-arm the Night's Watch into doing whatever he wants. He also leaves Jon with a handful of veteran soldiers to help stiffen out the Watchmen and wildlings, even though Stannis is critically low on forces himself at the time.
  • Unlike many Westerosi he is adamantly against rape and punishes his men who do it severely.
• The Philosopher King: Stannis, along with Tyrion, is one of the most well read and introspective aristocrats in the entire series. His conversations with Davos and Jon Snow feature him discussing his personal philosophy on what it means to be a ruler, his ideas of justice, and how it applies to the situation and context at hand. He keeps reminding everyone, including Renly and others, that Kings are supposed to be lonely and distant, as he believes it's impossible for anyone with that much power and responsibility to have true peers, and it's a burden that he wears heavily.
• Photographic Memory: Even his enemies admit that Stannis has an exceptionally retentive memory. He knows all the houses of Westeros, their bench strength, their ability to maintain the upkeep, and the reputations and qualities of lower sub-commanders and generals.
  • His great memory also plays a part in him being The Resenter as noted below, as he cannot easily forget slights against him.
• Pride: For all the contrasts between him and his brothers, he's still a Baratheon. Despite being the claimant with the fewest followers, he holds on to his rightful claim to the Iron Throne and initially refuses to compromise with any of the other claimants — despite the fact that he doesn't even seem to want the kingship that badly — he is doing it because he is the legal and rightful king, and believes not pursuing it would be irresponsible and neglectful of his duty.
• Principles Zealot: He has an almost pathological need to following the established rules of duty and honor, even if he himself thinks they're morally wrong. "Screw What's Right, I'm Following The Rules!" if you will. By the later parts of A Storm of Swords and A Dance with Dragons, however, he has learned to moderate his zeal a bit, as well as that of his wife's Queen's Men.
• The Purge: Stannis openly states he would carry out one of these on the Small Council and the officials at court the minute he becomes King (though given how treacherous and self-serving the likes of Varys, Pycelle and Littlefinger are, it's hard to fault him for feeling that way). Littlefinger also brings this up to Ned Stark while debating the succession after Robert's death, insisting that Stannis' ascent to the Iron Throne will mean war as Stannis will seek to settle the score with anyone who's ever crossed him.
  Stannis: I mean to scour that court clean.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: He's a rather large man with an enormous amount of martial training (as befits a nobleman) and battle experience, yet he prefers to lead from the back so he can properly direct his troops.
  Stannis: We all know what my brother would do. Robert would gallop up to the gates of Winterfell alone, break them with his warhammer, and ride through the rubble to slay Roose Bolton with his left hand and the bastard with his right. I am not Robert.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: The strictest possible interpretation of the trope; Stannis' critics would describe him as very unreasonable, as he is as unbending as an iron rod. However, those who know him, most notably Davos Seaworth, will tell you that Stannis is harsh but fair. Davos does not even begrudge Stannis for cutting off the tips of his fingers as punishment for smuggling, describing it as justice. He will punish you for breaking the law, but he will see the law followed, rather than ignoring it to suit his convenience like most other lords are prone to doing.
• Reassigned to Antarctica: During the Siege of Storm's End in Robert's Rebellion, Stannis held the ancestral seat of House Baratheon against the combined might of the Reach (which numbered in the tens of thousands) for over a year, with only five hundred men of his own. As reward for defending their family’s ancestral home against besieging forces, the newly crowned Robert granted Stannis lordship over Dragonstone – the Targaryen ancestral seat, a dismal rock of no intrinsic value far off in Blackwater Bay, quite a way away from King's Landing and Robert himself - while their six-year-old brother Renly got Storm's End. Needless to say, Stannis hasn't let it go.
  • Ironically, Robert actually intended this as an act of generosity, since Dragonstone traditionally belongs to the crown prince and technically should have been held for Joffrey. It also indicated that Robert felt Stannis would be better suited to control the lords sworn to Dragonstone, all of whom had been die-hard Targaryen loyalists.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: He's both the Blue to Davos's Red and the Red to Melisandre's Blue.
• The Reliable One: The negative side of this trope. For years, Stannis's strong sense of duty made him dependably do what needed to be done for the good of the realm without public complaint. However, years of being ignored and denied what he felt was his due by law have left him bitter and determined to get what is legally his no matter the cost. However, he can still be relied upon to do what is necessary when the time comes, being the only monarch who responds to the Night Watch's plea for help.
• Resigned to the Call: He doesn't really want to succeed Robert as king. However, he feels it's his duty to do so, and thus he will, even if it means rebelling against Joffrey and fighting the Lannisters, Starks, and most of his own bannermen.
  Stannis: It is not a question of wanting. The throne is mine, as Robert's heir. That is law. After me, it must pass to my daughter, unless Selyse should finally give me a son. I am king. Wants do not enter into it. I have a duty to my daughter. To the realm. Even to Robert. He loved me but little, I know, yet he was my brother. The Lannister woman gave him horns and made a motley fool of him. She may have murdered him as well, as she murdered Jon Arryn and Ned Stark. For such crimes there must be justice. Starting with Cersei and her abominations. But only starting. I mean to scour that court clean. As Robert should have done after the Trident.
• The Resenter: Even his allies recognize his incredible ability to hold and nurse a grudge.
  Jon Snow: [thinking] Stannis Baratheon with a grievance was like a mastiff with a bone; he gnawed it down to splinters.
• Romanticism Versus Enlightenment: Very much on the Enlightenment spectrum in practically every facet of thinking. He prefers hard and solid reading of history over propaganda like Conquest of Dorne, prefers logistics, strategy and attrition to show-piece battles. He won't believe in a benevolent God but he will believe in magic that he can see and experience with his own senses. He sees Kingship as a responsibility and duty, wants to reform society on a more centralized, equal, and meritocratic structure, and comes around to agreeing with Davos that "A King protects his people, or he's no true King at all".
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: When the Night's Watch calls for help against the invading Wildlings, Stannis puts off his campaign for the Iron Throne, calls his banners, and races to the Wall to defend the realm. He is the only claimant to the Iron Throne to put Westeros' needs before his own, and the only one who recognizes the greater danger the Others present and begins taking steps to counter them.
  Samwell Tarly's thoughts: Few of the birds that Aemon had sent off had returned as yet. One reached Stannis, though. One found Dragonstone, and a king who still cared.
  • Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: In-universe and out, this marked a point where a lot of people started to see him as worthier of the crown.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Following the death of Jon Arryn and the appointment of Ned Stark as new Hand, Stannis leaves the capital, returns to Dragonstone, and makes himself scarce.
• Shrouded in Myth: Due to his reputation as a military commander. Various characters are shown to fear or respect him, sometimes to a level beyond his actual abilities. This is enforced among his own men who, thanks to Melisandre, see him as the future savior of the world. It's to the point that, even when he's marching on Winterfell with a freezing, starving, outnumbered army stuck in the snow, about to face a qualitatively superior foe, his enemies are still terrified of him, from Cersei spending half of AFFC worrying that he's plotting all her misfortunes to the Bolton men in Winterfell whispering among themselves about how screwed they are when he shows up.
  Sansa Stark: For what was Stannis Baratheon, if not the Stranger come to judge them?
  Tywin Lannister: "I have felt from the beginning that Stannis is a bigger threat than all of the others combined."
  Asha Greyjoy: Whatever doubts his lords might nurse, the common men seemed to have faith in their king. Stannis had smashed Mance Rayder's wildlings at the Wall and cleaned Asha and her ironborn out of Deepwood Motte; he was Robert's brother, victor in a famous sea battle off Fair Isle, the man who had held Storm's End all through Robert's Rebellion. And he bore a hero's sword, the enchanted blade Lightbringer, whose glow lit up the night.
  Theon Greyjoy: A long low moan, it seemed to hang above the battlements, lingering in the black air, soaking deep into the bones of every man who heard it. All along the castle walls, sentries turned toward the sound, their hands tightening around the shafts of their spears. In the ruined halls and keeps of Winterfell, lords hushed other lords, horses nickered, and sleepers stirred in their dark corners. No sooner had the sound of the warhorn died away than a drum began to beat: BOOM doom BOOM doom BOOM doom. And a name passed from the lips of each man to the next, written in small white puffs of breath. "Stannis, "they whispered, "Stannis is here, Stannis is come, Stannis, Stannis, Stannis."
• Sibling Yin-Yang: He's completely unlike either of his brothers, possibly as a result of his Middle Child Syndrome. While they were good-looking and popular but not particularly hard-working, Stannis is very hard-working and intellectual but far less liked.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: The sad part might be difficult to detect, but many of his recollections of the past are gloomy and melancholic, especially when it comes to his family.
• The Stoic: The only person who really gets to see inside him is Davos and possibly Melisandre. Even then, he's so stoic he borders on being The Cynic. Few people have Jade-Colored Glasses quite as firmly affixed as he does.
• Straight for the Commander: Assassination (using magic) is a favored tactic of Stannis so long as it never gets traced back to him. It works just fine with Ser Courtnay Penrose, his own brother Renly, and Robb Stark, but things start backfiring when Balon Greyjoy and Joffrey are replaced by someone worse, namely Euron Greyjoy and the Faith Militant.
• The Strategist: He certainly knows his way around a planning table, does our Stannis. He's tactically and strategically astute, showing great skill in understanding and adapting to the terrain and preferred tactics of all people involved in any given battle. (Land and Sea? No problem! Politics? That's a little bit trickier for him thanks to his social limitations, but more than doable when he's given enough time and information to work with.) He definitely tries to get as much information ahead of time as he can whenever possible: he reads a lot and his prodigious memory is a great help. It's also one reason why he values Melisandre so much; what he can glean from her visions plays a big part in his successes. He's also not given the Greyjoys repeated headaches for nothing, and was far more integral to the success of Robert's rebellion than most give him credit for. Only the Battle of Blackwater didn't go the way he expected for two main reasons: an ENORMOUS Tyrell army crashing down on him out of nowhere and more wildfire than anybody knew could exist in one place. Take those factors out of the equation, and he probably would have taken King's Landing, given that he smashed through Tyrion's defense "plan" and effectively routed the city garrison in just four hours.^note When Davos sails into the harbor to begin the battle, he notices the sun in the west, putting the arrival of Stannis's forces around late afternoon. When Tyrion falls, he sees the sky turning orange, meaning it's then dusk.
• Surrounded by Idiots: Sees most of the lords who support him as useless, two-faced, brown-nosing fools who he very grudgingly tolerates because he needs their support to take the Iron Throne, or they're foaming-at-the-mouth fanatical worshippers of R'hllor. Davos and Melisandre are the only two people he trusts and respects completely.
• The Teetotaler: Regarding sex instead of alcohol, which is notable in a series where most other noblemen sleep around like it's going out of style. He's practically celibate in his marriage, visiting his wife's bed about once a year (and only out of a sense of duty). He doesn't even allow brothels on Dragonstone, and once proposed outlawing all the brothels in Westeros; Robert asked him if he'd like to outlaw breathing, shitting, and eating while he was at it.
  • Stannis does have a good sex life with his mistress Melisandre, and was still sleeping with her by the time he went to Castle Black with her and his forces. It is mentioned that with Stannis gone, Melisandre's bed saw little use.
• Tranquil Fury: "Ours Is the Fury" is just as appropriate for Stannis as it is for any of the other Baratheons. In his case, though, that fury tends to be a slow smolder rather than a sudden blaze.
  Asha: Those deep-set blue eyes of his seemed always slitted in suspicion, cold fury boiling just below their surface.
• Undying Loyalty: Despite his own self-admitted lack of charisma, it's surprising how many people Stannis inspires to be loyal to him until death. Davos is the primary example, but also knights like Justin Massey, who initially refuses to leave his side even to hire sellswords in Braavos, Rolland Storm, who continues to hold Dragonstone against a vastly superior force, and Clayton Suggs, who is ready to give his life against a seeming oncoming attack by enemy horsemen.
  • When the Battle of the Blackwater turns catastrophically against him, (namely, his entire fleet is so engulfed in Greek Fire that the burning wreckage chokes the river) his soldiers willingly charge across the impromptu bridge of burning ships, impressing even Tyrion. An unnamed knight captured afterward refuses to surrender, publicly denounces Joffrey and the Lannister regime, and dies proclaiming his loyalty to Stannis, sending Joffrey into hysterics. There's also the Antler Men, a cabal of businessmen who tried to open the gates of King's Landing to him and end up getting executing by Joffrey and Tyrion. Somehow, Stannis found loyalists among businessmen and merchants, though this may be because the Lannister regime is currently proving bad for business. When Cersei is forced on her walk of shame through King's Landing, there are still a handful of people in the mob calling out for Stannis.
• Ungrateful Bastard: He never fails to complain about Robert's perceived slights, even though Robert essentially gave Stannis (and Renly) holdings that could have been his own children's inheritance and with a stroke made a second son one of the greatest lords in Westeros. Though what really annoys him is that Renly, a child who didn't contribute anything, was given a much better lordship that technically should have gone to Stannis.
  • And, as noted repeatedly on this page, this comes down to the brothers not understanding one another and being exceptionally shit at communicating. Stannis fought and starved for Storm's End, the holding of House Baratheon, and wanted as a result to be Lord of Storm's End when Robert ascended to the Iron Throne; but he never told Robert this because he believed it to go without saying, and thus he took getting Dragonstone instead as a slight. Robert, on the other hand, gave Stannis Dragonstone because it was historically the title given to the king's eldest son, and therefore heir, and Robert was acknowledging that not only was Stannis his heir at the moment, Stannis was so important to the Rebellion and so deserving of reward that Dragonstone should belong to him and his family in perpetuity even over Robert's eventual son; but he never told Stannis this because he believed the otherwise less-desirable Dragonstone's inherent prestige meant his intentions were impossible for Stannis to misunderstand, and thus he took Stannis's lack of enthusiasm as ungratefulness.
• Villain Respect: When composing a letter addressing Joffrey's lineage, he refers to Jaime Lannister as both the Kingslayer and as "Ser Jaime" as for all of Jaime's flaws, he remains a knight and should be treated as one. He also recognizes how dangerous Tyrion Lannister can be, as evidenced at the Battle of the Blackwater.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: He will do terrible things knowing full well he will not get thanked for it, and will certainly beat himself up about it later.
• What You Are in the Dark: Astonishingly for being a Principles Zealot, Stannis did choose Love over Duty, and sided with his brother Robert and defied his King. He declares that it was the hardest decision he ever made. Unfortunately Robert was too oblivious to recognize how significant a decision it was to Stannis.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Stannis recalls that he angrily remonstrated with Robert for hanging out with the defeated loyalist commanders after the Battle of Summerhall, arguing that those same men would have handed Robert over to Aerys for execution without a second thought, had they won.
  Stannis: [to Robert] Those men meant to hand you over to Aerys for burning. You should be putting them in chains, not axes in their hands.
• With Us or Against Us: Stannis has no tolerance for the term neutral.
  Stannis: The Iron Throne is mine by rights. All those that deny that are my foes.
• Worthy Opponent: Friends or enemies, Stannis gives others what he feels they deserve, including respect.
  • Melisandre tells Jon Snow that Stannis views him as something like this (as the reason he keeps refusing Stannis' offer of legitimacy is because his duty demands it). He notes that this must be true, since in their last conversation Stannis only threatened to behead him for treason twice. Melisandre claims this is actually a good sign, because his words mean a lot less than what's not said.
  • Tywin considers Stannis to be this in a way by acknowledging his The Determinator status.
    Tywin: This is Stannis Baratheon. He will fight to the bitter end. And then some.
  • They never fought directly, but Stannis, despite regarding Robb Stark as "a rebel and a traitor who meant to steal half my kingdom", praises his courage (in the same breath as the previous comment, no less) and his skill at arms. Notably, as he burns Melisandre's leeches, supposedly sealing the fate of the rival kings, Robb's is the only name Stannis really hesitates to speak.
• Would Hurt a Child: Let's just say that even if Stannis has soft spots, children aren't really one of them.
  • After Robert's Rebellion, he was sent to hunt down and capture Viserys (a small child) and Daenerys (a baby), the last remaining scions of the Targaryen family, with the implication that he would either kill them himself or bring them before Robert so he could do the deed.
  • He's prepared to sacrifice his illegitimate nephew Edric Storm to the Lord of Light at Melisandre's behest, although he makes it clear that he doesn't enjoy having to make such a decision.
    Stannis: I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty. If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark... Sacrifice...is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice.
  • The Lannisters believe that he would kill Myrcella and Tommen as pretenders to the Iron Throne if he managed to capture King's Landing. Tyrion sends Myrcella to Dorne to foster an alliance with the Martells, but also to keep her out of Stannis' reach if the Lannisters lose.
    Tyrion: How safe do you [Cersei] think Myrcella will be if King's Landing falls? Renly and Stannis will mount her head beside yours!
• Young and in Charge: He was only eighteen when he held Storm's End through a year of siege during Robert's Rebellion, and in his twenties when he crushed the Iron Fleet in the Greyjoy Rebellion.
• Younger Than He Looks: He is only in his mid-thirties, but looks much older due to fatigue, being Prematurely Bald, and the stress of making Melisandre's shadow babies.

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