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This is a listing of members of House Baratheon who appear in A Song of Ice and Fire.

For the main character index, see here

For the main Stormlands entry, see here

For the House Baratheon of Dragonstone, see here

For the House Baratheon of King's Landing, see here

House Baratheon of Storm's End

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"Ours Is The Fury"

— Baratheon House Words^note

The current royal house. A house with a tradition of being aggressive, they rule the stormy eastern coast. Their brutal treatment at the hands of Aerys the Mad made them the first to rise in rebellion against the Targaryens. The impregnable castle Storm's End is their seat. The Baratheon sigil is a crowned black stag inherited from their Durrandon predecessors. The Baratheons are the youngest of the Great Houses, and the house's founder may have been the bastard half-brother of Aegon Targaryen I. Robert's legal claim to the throne is through his paternal grandmother Rhaelle Targaryen, daughter of Aegon V. Their members have black hair and blue eyes.

The Baratheons claimed Storm's End from the Storm Kings of House Durrandon when the aforementioned Orys Baratheon defeated King Argilac Durrandon "The Arrogant" during the Wars of Conquest and married his daughter Argella. Orys then adopted both the sigil and the words of the Durrandons as his own. During the current era, the House is divided into three branches following the coronation of King Robert; his branch is the House Baratheon of King's Landing, Stannis leads the House Baratheon of Dragonstone and Renly leads the House Baratheon of Storm's End.

House Baratheon characters are yet to be featured as POV characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, though they are prominently featured in the story.

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Tropes related to House Baratheon

Always Second Best: The founder of House Baratheon was The Lancer to Aegon the Conqueror, so the Baratheons lived in the shadow of the Targaryens for many years. When they eventually become the new overlords after Robert's Rebellion, it isn't long before they are being undermined by their more cunning allies, the Lannisters, who are even more ruthlessly determined to succeed House Targaryen.
Animal Motifs: House Baratheon's representative animal is the stag, with its majestic horns representing a kingly crown. Those horns can also be said to be Cuckold Horns, as the family is plagued by all kinds of adultery. Robert has dozens of bastards from sleeping around (and his wife Cersei has passed off her and her brother's three children as his), Stannis is married to Selyse but has has slept with Melisandre to produce magical shadow assassins, and Renly is married to Margaery but is actually gay and has taken her brother Loras for his lover.
Anti-Hero: Robert, Stannis, and Renly, each to varying degrees and with different results.
Badass Family: Not always, but the most notable members have been proud and powerful warriors.
Big Fancy Castle: Their seat of Storm's End, inherited from the Durrandons, plays the big part straight but largely subverts the fancy. In contrast to many of the realm's castles and seats of power the construction of Storm's End is relatively simple, consisting of a single enormous drum tower surrounded by a massive curtain wall that protects it from the many storms that constantly batter it. Storm's End is rumoured to have been built using magic by Brandon the Builder, which puts it as around the same age as Winterfell and the Wall, and is regarded as impregnable by either natural or man-made means. So far, history has proven true in that regard.
Big, Screwed-Up Family: Robert married into the Lannisters, Stannis into the Florents and Renly comes as close as he can possibly get to marrying into the Tyrells. This wider connection-making certainly does not help their already strained relationships with one another one bit.
Birds of a Feather: With the Starks and Targaryens, in that the Baratheons also serve as grim deconstructions of traditional fantasy heroes.
Blood Knight: The Baratheons are known for their belligerence, and for producing great warriors and generals.
Blue Blood: House Baratheon is basically House Durrandon with a different name and the current royal family.
Boisterous Bruiser: Most Baratheons fall under this trope, although Stannis and Renly are notable exceptions (Stannis is the opposite of boisterous, while Renly was never a real fighter.) The most notable Baratheons use the Nikita Kruschev method of diplomacy of drinking their foes stupid until they make them their friends.
Book Ends: Regarding the Targaryens. The Baratheons both served to place them in power and later caused their eventual defeat and exile.
Can't Catch Up: They are supposed to be the ones in charge, but their faction is among the least stable alongside the Starks and the Tullys. Following King Robert's Hunting "Accident", the Iron Throne is held by the Lannisters through his supposed "children", who are bastard pretenders born of incest. Subsequently, all those with actual Baratheon blood are wanted dead by the crown. Making matters worst, the house's two remaining figureheads, Stannis and Renly, each crown themselves king and quarrel with each other instead of their common enemy. This ends in Renly's death, leaving Stannis and his daughter as the last trueborn Baratheons. Unfortunately, Stannis is a branded rebel who no one is eager to make an alliance with. Needless to say, things are not looking good for this family.
The Clan: A spread-out and hardly communicating with each other kind, but... yes.
Color-Coded Characters: All Baratheons are supposed to have the trademark black hair and blue eyes; these traits, or lack thereof, are one of the main plot points of the story.
Color Motif: The Black in Gold represents the Baratheon's dark side beneath their shiny exterior.
Determinator: Deconstructed. They tend to be difficult to reason with, so their stubbornness causes headaches for themselves and others.
Divided We Fall: Three ways. At least. (And, that's even if you don't count people who nominally work for some factions as part of the "House".)
- It should be pointed out that there's rarely ever been more than one male Baratheon in a generation. The last time there were two, the younger son joined the Kingsguard.
Dragon Ascendant: Originally the Number Two to the Targaryens.
- One could say they were The Dragon to the dragons.
Dysfunction Junction: The combined psychological and relationship issues among the individuals makes for a lot of miscommunication and barrier-building. It's the downside to having many big and stubborn personalities in the same room.
Expy: The whole house are expies of the historical House of Plantagenet. Temperamental, prone to in-fighting, and many of them were charismatic military leaders who inspired great loyalty in others.
Fallen Hero: The house's founder, Orys Baratheon, went from a Heroic Bastard and Knight in Shining Armor to a crippled, revenge-obsessed madman who kept severed hands and feet as trophies. The same happened to Robert, going from incredible Magnetic Hero to ineffectual Adipose Rex in just a few years. Stannis seems to be heading down the same road too, though he seems to be getting better after liberating Deepwood Motte.
Family Theme Naming: Males of the House tend to have names that start with 'R', 'B', 'O' and 'S'; Robert, Renly, Rogar, Boremund, Borros, Orys, Orryn, Ormund, Stannis and Steffon. Even names that don't start with an 'R' tend to have the letter in them.
Flanderization: First introduced with three very diverse and distinct characters; the impulsive and strong Robert, the prissy and self-obsessed Renly, and the stern and serious Stannis. Come the backstory and most males from the house appear as a carbon copy of Robert.
Freudian Trio
- Robert (Ego): His will (when he bothered to) as the only thing that kept his brother's ambitions in check.
- Renly (Id): Indulged his whims and made a bad situation worse by grabbing the crown instead of doing his brotherly duty.
- Stannis (Superego): Lives and breathes duty even when he doesn't want to.
History Repeats:
- The Baratheons have made a habit of marching off to war after being spurned out of arranged marriages. Orys killed Argillac the Arrogant after the latter chopped a man's hands off over a proposed betrothal to Argillac's daughter; Lyonel the Laughing Storm rose up in revolt against Aegon the Unlikely after Prince Duncan broke his own betrothal to Lyonel's daughter to marry his lover Jenny of Oldstones; Robert deposed the Targaryens and took the Iron Throne for himself after Prince Rhaegar abducted Lyanna Stark.
- Additionally, whether through said broken betrothals or just plain bad luck, Baratheon women seem to get cheated out of becoming queen. Jocelyn's husband Aemon died before he could inherit the throne (plus her daughter Rhaenys was later passed over in favor of her uncle, becoming known as "The Queen Who Never Was"); one of Borros Baratheon's daughters was promised to Aemond Targaryen, but he died before he could follow through on the engagement. Borros later proposed his oldest daughter Cassandra as Aegon II's new consort, but like his brother, he was killed before the wedding could happen. Cassandra and her sister Ellyn would go on to be put forth as potential new queens for Aegon III, but he chose Daenaera Velaryon over them. Finally, there was the aforementioned daughter of Lyonel, whom Prince Duncan spurned to marry the peasant Jenny of Oldstones.
Hot-Blooded: Many members of this family seem to be passionate with big personalities.
Irony: House Baratheon is known for ultra-masculine men, with personalities as fierce as storms, bodies like brick houses, great battle commanders and warriors. It might seem ironic that the sigil of their house is a deer, a herbivorous animal... But stags can also be scary. Their sigil hints at their aggressive, stubborn, head-in-first attitude, as charging stags with antlers can be quite brutal. This is already hinted at by the relationship and behavior of the brothers and in fact the first thing Renly and Stannis do is butting heads. Not to mention that a stag gutted a grown direwolf at the beginning of the series. Also, the stag is traditionally seen as the king of the forest and its antlers as a crown.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Baratheons can be mercurial, self-destructive and unbelievably insensitive, but most of them are well-meaning. Although, there is the occasional Jerk with a Heart of Jerk.
Large and in Charge: Another common Baratheon trait is a tall, broad, muscular build.
Large Ham: Even dating back to the times of House Durrandon, subtle they are not.
Lonely at the Top: The Baratheon kings tend to be this (except Renly).
The Marvelous Deer: The sigil of their house is a crowned stag.
Maiden, Mother, and Crone: The wives of the three Baratheon lords. Margaery, sweet, lovely and probably still a maiden, is the Maiden. Cersei, a little past her prime but still considered beautiful, is the Mother (of three not-very-Baratheon-looking children). Selyse, old, ugly and bitter, is the Crone.
Metallic Motifs
- As noted by Donal Noye, former blacksmith at Storm's End:
Donal Noye: Robert was the true steel. Stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He'll break before he bends. And Renly, that one, he's copper, bright and shiny, pretty to look at but not worth all that much at the end of the day.
- Silver coins are still marked with the Baratheon stag to remind everyone they're still second fiddle to House Targaryen whose dragon sigil is stamped on gold coins.
Mysterious Past: It's rumored that Orys Baratheon was Aegon The Conqueror's bastard brother, but this has never been categorically confirmed. The surname Baratheon also has murky origins itself, as it might be either a surname, an epithet or an appellation from Dragonstone, the Crownlands or Valyria itself ^note. Other than Orys, there seems that there were no other Baratheons in existence before him or during his lifetime. Cementing their name with House Durrandon and officializing the house name only raised more unanswered questions.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: It's usually a good idea not to mess with someone with "(W)rath" in their last name.
Pop-Cultural Osmosis: The Baratheons had a crowned stag on their sigil before Robert Baratheon became king. This, they inherited from the Storm Kings of House Durrandon and it's symbolic of this heritage, not from King Robert's reign.^note
The Power of Friendship: Unlike most great houses, Baratheons are not concerned so much with family (since they often find it difficult to get along), but by their meaningful friendships. They just love their Red Oni, Blue Oni dynamics.
- We initially have Robert Baratheon's Odd Friendship with Ned Stark. He sees Ned as a brother even more than his actual brothers, whom he can't stand. And working together, they were able to lead half the realm in overthrowing the Targaryens.
- Renly is very proud of his ability to win friends easily. He spends more time with his close companion Loras Tyrell and his family than with his own relatives. His popularity and charming personality making him the one claimant to the throne with the most supporters at the outset of the War of the Five Kings. According to Renly, his power lies in the combined strength of his many "friends." Subverted, in that none of Renly's friends were able to save him from his death, and most of them joined forces with the man who ordered it immediately after.
- Stannis believes he has no friends, only subjects and enemies. But his most meaningful relationship is with Davos Seaworth, a lowborn smuggler. Davos saved Stannis' and his people during the Siege of Storm's End, and Stannis subsequently raised Davos to nobility and made him his right hand man. In truth, Davos is the Only Friend Stannis has. Since neither are well-loved by their peers, they are each other's strongest supporters.
- Steffon Baratheon, father to Robert, Stannis and Renly, was lifelong friends with Aerys Targaryen and Tywin Lannister, since they all grew up together at court and fought in the same war. He remained on friendly terms with both even after Aerys and Tywin's own friendship deteriorated. Ironic, considering Steffon's sons, Robert and Stannis, would later become great threats to both Aerys and Tywin.
- Orys, the first Baratheon, was Aegon the Conqueror's Only Friend and most trusted man. It was even rumored that they were half-brothers.
Pride: Oh yeah. With a hefty side order of Wrath.
Rag Tag Bunch Of Misfits: The actual house is becoming this out of necessity under Stannis (with some help from Renly). To date, the modern Baratheon army has included knights and lords of the Stormlands, the Crownlands, the Vale and the Reach alongside mountain clans of the North, pirates and sellswords from across the sea, a former smuggler, and, most notably, a red priestess from Asshai. There are even members of the Night's Watch and the Free Folk working in Stannis's interest (again, out of necessity), some of whom he isn't even aware of. He also might be able to persuade some Greyjoy raiders and Karstark soldiers to fight for him in the future.
Revenge Before Reason: They are fiercely passionate about destroying those who are against them. Even Renly. But spoiled child Joffrey, a full-on Lannister who tries to act like a Baratheon, takes this to a new level.
Royally Screwed Up: House Baratheon is the new royal family. So far, their reign is off to a very bad start.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The differences in the Baratheon brothers' priorities and temperament causes them big problems.
Smarter Than You Look: That boisterous Baratheon bruiser who looks like he likes nothing more than a good fight, a drink and a posse of mates to party with? Make the mistake of thinking that makes him thick, and he'll turn that around to bite you. Most in the family are actually damn intelligent and can fulfill the roles of Genius Bruiser or The Strategist when they so wish. Turning the charm on to make those mates of theirs dangerous is also an option for quite a few of them. Even if they may not always choose to do any of this. This pattern has a tendency of repeating in a number of variations down the line.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Baratheons are generally tall, muscular, dark haired with piercing blue eyes.
Warrior Prince: Robert, at least. Renly also fancies himself one.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Robert, Stannis, and Renly. But Stannis especially.
We Used to Be Friends: Orys Baratheon was the right-hand man and supposed half-brother of King Aegon I Targaryen. A few hundred years later, Orys' descendant Robert would lead a rebellion that ousted the Targaryens from their throne and ended the dragons' dynasty.
What Beautiful Eyes!: A number of Baratheons (not quite all) share the characteristic striking blue eyes of Argella Durrandon, the first Lady Baratheon.
You Kill It, You Bought It: Everything the Baratheons have they got by killing someone else. Orys became Lord of Storm's End by killing the last Storm King, Robert became king by leading a revolt and Stannis gained the bulk of his army by killing his brother Renly.

The Baratheons of the Current Age

The three sons of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermont. Raised under wardenship and Maesters after their parents perished on a voyage back from Essos, the current Baratheons, Robert, Stannis and Renly are among the most influential members that have ever come from the noble house. They are noted for not being particularly fond of each other and for being extremely different in their personalities.

King Robert Baratheon

See the House Baratheon of Kings Landing page

Stannis Baratheon

See the Stannis Baratheon page

Renly Baratheon

Renly Baratheon, the First of His Name

The King in Highgarden, The King in the South

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"The Targaryens called Robert usurper. He seemed to be able to bear the shame. So shall I."

King Robert's youngest brother. He is Lord of Storm's End, Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, and Master of Laws at the start of the series. A handsome, flashy and charismatic young man, he is very popular with the common people. Later, Renly refuses to support either his nephew Joffrey's claim to the throne or his brother Stannis's rebellion, and declares himself King since that he has the largest army in Westeros thanks to his alliance with the Tyrells.

Above Good and Evil: Renly's speech to Catelyn when she questions Renly's legitimacy for the throne has shades of it; he finds the concept of a "rightful king" to be inherently silly and feels the person best suited for the job should be the one who sits on the Iron Throne, regardless of rightful claim. He doesn't even care if Robb calls himself the "King in the North" as long as Robb still pledges fielty to him as the ultimate Overlord.
The Ace: Appears this way to the public, being handsome and charismatic. He's quite a Sleazy Politician, however.
Actually Pretty Funny: He readily laughs when people joke back at his expense, such as Barristan's retort to his teasing about his age and Catelyn's crack about his lack of humility.
Agent Peacock: Not to the extent of Loras Tyrell, but Renly is noted to have one of the most expensive and fancy wardrobes in the series, which is part of the vain, charming, and carefree image he uses to gain so much support.
Littlefinger: Lord Renly spends more on clothing than half the ladies of the court.
Renly: There are worse crimes. The way you dress for one.
Appeal to Force: When all's said and done, his claim to the throne boils down to "I have a big army". As Renly notes, this is an argument with plenty of historical precedence.
At Least I Admit It:
- It's implied that Renly feels something like this about his status as a usurper when compared to Stannis. Renly doesn't seem to buy Stannis's accusation of Cersei's children being bastards, and views both himself and his brother as equally wrong from a legal standpoint in claiming the throne. Based on this, he seems to think Stannis is a hypocrite for trying to mask his intentions with the story of being Robert's legal heir, and dismisses Stannis's accusations of Renly betraying him as baseless, since the actual allegiance he's betraying is to Joffrey.
  - However the fact Renly was plotting to displace Cersei with Margaery, which wouldn't make sense unless Cersei's children could be removed from the line of succession, implies he was aware of the incest... which just makes him more of a hypocrite.
- When Catelyn more or less calls out Renly as being a usurper, Renly blows off her accusation by mentioning his own claim to the thrown is no less "legitimate" than Robert's original, since his older brother overthrew the previous monarcy to take the throne for himself. Of course, the difference is that Robert overthrew an entirely different dynasty to take power, while what Renly is doing is subverting the actual laws of family succession that all of Westeros is built on- there's a difference between "conquest" and "usurpation" (no matter what the Targaryens say).
Attention Whore: According to Maester Cressen, Renly has loved being in the spotlight since he was a child.
[The Rainbow Guard] was just the sort of notion that would appeal to Renly Baratheon; a splendid new order of knighthood, with gorgeous new raiment to proclaim it. Even as a boy, Renly had loved bright colors and rich fabrics, and he had loved his games as well. "Look at me!" he would shout as he ran laughing through the halls of Storm's End. "Look at me, I'm a dragon," or "Look at me, I'm a wizard," or "Look at me, look at me, I'm the rain god."

The bold little boy with wild black hair and laughing eyes was a man grown now, one-and-twenty, and still he played his games. Look at me, I'm a king, Cressen thought sadly.
Back from the Dead: Subverted; the "ghost of Renly" that helped drive back Stannis' forces in A Clash of Kings was just Loras' brother Garlan, wearing Renly's armor.
Badass Boast:
Renly: Tyrell swords will make me king. Rowan and Tarly and Caron will make me king, with axe and mace and warhammer. Tarth arrows and Penrose lances, Fossoway, Cuy, Mullendore, Estermont, Selmy, Hightower, Oakheart, Crane, Caswell, Blackbar, Morrigen, Beesbury, Shermer, Dunn, Footly... even House Florent, your own wife’s brothers and uncles, they will make me king. All the chivalry of the south rides with me, and that is the least part of my power. My foot is coming behind, a hundred thousand swords and spears and pikes. And you will destroy me? With what, pray? That paltry rabble I see there huddled under the castle walls? I’ll call them five thousand and be generous, codfish lords and onion knights and sellswords. Half of them are like to come over to me before the battle starts. You have fewer than four hundred horse, my scouts tell me—freeriders in boiled leather who will not stand an instant against armored lances. I do not care how seasoned a warrior you think you are, Stannis, that host of yours won’t survive the first charge of my vanguard.
Big Bad Wannabe: Though he's far from the most villainous king in the war, he's still an usurper with no actual right to the throne other than he wants it and has the popularity and army to get it. Despite his confidence, he's the first of the five kings to die, being assassinated before his showdown with Stannis' army.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Though Brienne considers him a kind and good man for his treatment of her, even letting her join his Rainbow Guard, Renly privately considered her "absurd" according to Loras. It's also possible Renly knew of Joffrey's illegitimacy, meaning that Stannis was Robert's rightful heir, but refused to acknowledge its truth because Renly wanted to be King and it was easier to justify his campaign if Stannis was just as much a usurper as he was. He also openly mocks Shireen, his own niece, as being ugly to the Small Council.
- Subverted somewhat, as Renly does mock people to their face, as in the case of Stannis, Littlefinger or Joffrey, among others. He doesn't necessarily put on a facade of being kind or compassionate in public and still indulges in cruel jokes, it's just that he's charming and witty enough to get away with it. Also, subverted in that, while he may have privately considered Brienne absurd, he still respected and valued her unquestioning loyalty and proven strength, which is why he admitted her to his Rainbow Guard.
Bling of War: He's as bad as Loras when it comes to decorative armor, wearing a suit of enameled green armor and a matching helmet, which has intricate golden antlers that can't possibly be any use in a fight.
Cain and Abel: Renly and his older brother Stannis are mortal enemies, though neither one is truly "good" or "evil". However Renly talks about killing his brother while showing no remorse, along with his desire to usurp the throne out of greed and vanity. After his death Stannis is clearly upset, and it is ambiguous how much Stannis knew of his role in Renly's death.
The Charmer: As is noted above, people like him. His ability to draw people to him is a big part of what makes him a major contender for the Iron Throne.
Color Motif: Green and gold. Symbolizing not only Renly's greed and ambition, but also his close alliance with the Tyrells (whose house colors are green and gold).
Confusion Fu: Renly's peach seemed to be his take on this. Stannis takes it as the Implied Death Threat it appears to be, yet Renly claims it wasn't a threat. Later when Renly is dead, Stannis is still puzzled over this. So it apparently worked. Perhaps too well, since this only gave Stannis further motivation to have Renly assassinated.
"Renly offered me a peach. At our parlay. Mocked me, defied me, threatened me, and offered me a peach. I thought he was drawing a blade and went for mine own. Was that his purpose, to make me show fear? Or was it one of his pointless jests? When he spoke of how sweet it was, did his words have some hidden meaning?" The king gave a shake of his head, like a dog shaking a rabbit to snap its neck. "Only Renly could vex me so with a peach. He brought his doom on himself with his treason, but I did love him, Davos. I know that now. I swear, I will go to my grave thinking of my brother's peach."
Cool Crown: After declaring himself king, he wears a crown of golden roses adorned with a stag's head in jade, with golden eyes and antlers.
Corrupt Politician: As Master of Laws, he was the Seven Kingdoms' chief lawman and judge. He is also a usurper who knowingly breaks the laws of succession without any regard to the precedent it would've set for the successions of the rest of noble houses.
Deadpan Snarker: He has a mocking sense of humor.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of The Charmer.
- His charisma leads the Stormlords and Reachmen to support his claim based on superficial reasons, rather than following the law or assessing his competence as a war leader or administrator. The result is that the war against the Lannisters is fatally undermined because the Stormlands and Reach are riven by factionalism.
- As Robb Stark points out, Renly's claim goes against the Westerosi rules of succession. Had Renly succeeded in taking the throne, the country's system of inheritance would have been turned on its ear, as usurpation would be seen as socially acceptable.
Dirty Coward: Renly flees King's Landing back to Highgarden at a crucial moment with all his troops after the death of Robert, instead of staying with Ned to help secure the capital for Stannis against the Lannisters, his own brother and the rightful heir of the Iron Throne, as Renly had designs on being king himself. While Ned does refuse to take Cersei's children hostage at his suggestion, nothing was stopping Renly from helping him keep order, especially as the supposed 'Master of Laws'. This helps lead to Ned being forced to trust Littlefinger and the corrupt City Watch, leading to his betrayal, arrest, imprisonment and execution, along with the deaths of his household guards and servants, with Sansa being taken hostage and Arya being forced to flee the city.
Disc-One Final Boss: By the end of the first book, Renly commanded an enormous war host larger than all other armies on the continent put together. It didn't last very long.
Dumb Is Good: He believes it is; at one point, he claims reading is for maesters.
Early Personality Signs: When he played as a child, he ran around Storm's End and shouted, "Look at me!" Maester Cressen sadly thinks that Renly does basically the same in the war - "Look at me, I'm the king!"
- Donal Noye, who joined the Night's Watch after the rebellion and probably last knew Renly as a child, presumably relies on these when he judges him to be as shiny, pretty, and useless as copper.
El Cid Ploy: Garlan Tyrell wore his armor and led the charge against Stannis at the Blackwater.
Flaw Exploitation: He tried to foist Margaery Tyrell onto Robert by trying to convince him she looked like his Lady Lyanna.
Freudian Excuse: His parents died when he was only an infant and he was raised in Storm's End away from his brothers, not to mention the trauma he most likely sustained while nearly starving in Storm's End as a child. He recounts watching Stannis prepare to catapult would-be defectors from the castle wall, and only stopping because Cressen persuaded him they might need to cannibalize them instead.
General Failure: Renly's strategy for confronting Stannis leaves something to be desired. He leaves the bulk of his forces, including all of his footmen, at Bitterbridge, outpaces his supply lines, and takes no time to forage, meaning he cannot wait for reinforcements. He ignores Randyll Tarly's advice and elects to attack at dawn, with the sun in his forces' faces. He places the glory-hungry Loras Tyrell in charge of his vanguard and plans to charge Stannis's mostly-infantry army with his cavalry, after which "it will be chaos" according to him, and during this chaos Loras presumably kills Stannis. Renly is assassinated before he can carry out this plan, but his lack of real war experience means that this is the only example we get of his strategic aptitude.
Hanging Separately: With Eddard in the first book, and with his elder brother in the second book.
Heir Club for Men: If he heeded to the rules of succession, he is behind Joffrey, Tommen and Stannis in line to the throne; if he had recognized Stannis as the heir, he would have been second in line (Stannis even offers him the position as his heir). He said screw that!, and crowned himself king regardless.
Hide Your Lesbians: Renly and Loras had a romantic and sexual relationship. It was handled subtly, because most Westerosi feel that it's not their business what (or who) Renly's doing on the side, and Word of Gay was necessary before some fans would believe it.
Historical Hero Upgrade: At the end of A Clash of Kings and in A Storm of Swords, Renly is elevated to this by the winning Tyrell-Lannister coalition, playing up the Ghost of Renly angle at the end of the Battle of Blackwater. The song "Lord Renly's Ride" is even performed at King Joffrey's wedding, never mind the inconvenience of Renly actually contesting Joffrey's claim as well as Stannis or that he's casually reduced to "Lord" Renly when Margaery, bride at Joffrey's wedding, was his Queen.
Hunk: Frequently described as a younger Robert: handsome, as well as "tall and powerfully made". Although he was never as tall nor as muscular as Robert was in his prime.
Hypocrite: He thinks he'd be a just King, even though he was starving hundreds of thousands of people into submission. He also calls Stannis a usurper and says they're just the same, even though he possibly knew the incest before Ned. Renly also acts as if he's becoming King out of the people's desire... then when Catelyn suggests a Great Council Renly dismisses her.
I Coulda Been a Contender!: Renly's followers still believe he could have been a great king. Whether or not this is true is debatable.
It's All About Me: Shades of this. His quest for kingship did not necessarily improve things.
Jerkass Has a Point: He could have just easily trampled over Stannis had there been a battle. Later, most of his troops turn to Stannis when his flimsy claim is inconveniently cut short by his untimely assassination.
Kick the Dog: He mocked his niece Shireen's appearance ^note and he mocked Brienne behind her back, even when he made her a Kingsguard because he saw the value in her loyalty. Later during his negotiations with Stannis he repeats the rumor that Patchface is Shireen's father, knowing that it will annoy his brother. Most notably, he chooses to cut off food to King's Landing rather than simply march up and demand its surrender immediately,^note resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths for no real reason.
The Lost Lenore: For Loras, who joins the Kingsguard after Renly's death because he feels he'll never love anyone else.
Metallic Motifs: Donal Noye, a blacksmith of the Night's Watch, compares Renly to copper — a pretty, shiny metal with little actual worth.
Might Makes Right: When discussing the legitimacy of his claim, he's quick to point out that he's got the biggest army.
Catelyn: Let the three of you call for a Great Council... Let the assembled lords of the Seven Kingdoms choose who shall rule them.
Renly: ...Tell me, my lady, do direwolves vote on who should lead the pack?... The time for talk is done. Now we see who is stronger.
Nephewism: When Robert fathered Edric Storm with Lady Delena Florent, he sent the boy to live with Renly, who mostly had him taken care of by servants and maesters.
Nice to the Waiter: One of his better qualities and reasons for his in-universe popularity.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Robert is based on Edward IV, Stannis on Richard III with Renly as the possible analogue to George, Duke of Clarence, a resentful, spoiled brother overshadowed and resentful of the prestige and reputation of his brothers, and finally rising in rebellion against the family by marrying into an enemy house, killed by his brother for his treachery, and who is later whitewashed and appropriated as a hero by the new regime.
Pet the Dog: His treatment of Brienne.
- Subverted somewhat when Loras reveals that he'd comment on how grotesque he found her in private. Unlike other nobles, Renly does realize her Undying Loyalty makes her valuable as a bodyguard.
  - To be fair, Renly doesn't actually call her grotesque, rather that is Loras' description of her. Instead, Renly only privately admits to holding on to the societal view of female warriors.
- Though he was quite willing to kill his brother in battle, Renly does insist that Stannis's body is not to be desecrated, but treated with the utmost dignity and respect.
- Although he does tease Barristan Selmy about his age in A Game of Thrones, Renly tells Catelyn in the next book that he respected Selmy for his loyalty and lengthy service, and outright calls the Lannisters fools for dismissing him from the Kingsguard in such an offensive manner. Renly also gives specific instructions Barristan is not to be harmed if they find him fighting for Stannis. Although this might be for pragmatic reasons too, as having a Master Swordsman and genuine Knight in Shining Armor on one's side would be a huge benefit if Barristan could be convinced to join him.
Politically Correct Villain: Sure he's more tolerant of homosexual relationships (considering he himself is gay), and he allows Brienne to serve in his Rainbow Guard (showing his wavering of patriarchal norms), but he's a sleazy politician and with the least claim to the Iron Throne, openly refusing the efforts of his brother Stannis, who by legal rights is the rightful king.
Porn Stash: Of the medieval variety. He owned books with "drawings that would turn a septon blind".
Practically Different Generations: He's twenty one while his older brothers are both in their mid-thirties, meaning they were already teenagers when he was born.
Pride: His biggest flaw.
Renly: I have it in me to be a great king, strong yet generous, clever, just, diligent. Loyal to my friends and terrible to my enemies, yet capable of forgiveness, patient—
Catelyn: —humble?
Renly, laughing: You must allow a king some flaws, my lady.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: He based his claim on his very powerful and influential friendship with the Tyrells and the vassal houses of the Stormlands; granted, his offer was so attractive that he even brought people from the Vale into the fold. One of his main arguments is that Stannis would make a terrible king altogether, offering himself as a better choice and usurping his brother's claim.
Secret Relationship: With Loras, which they can't reveal due to prejudices against it. Several characters are hinted at knowing about it.
Shipper on Deck: A Game of Thrones implies he and Loras were trying to get Robert interested in Margaery in hopes of convincing Robert to set Cersei aside in favour of taking Margaery as his Queen (though whether this was to give Robert legitimate heirs if Renly knew the truth about Joffrey and his siblings, or to increase Tyrell power at court, is up for debate).
Sleazy Politician: Is one at heart, although he's charming and charismatic enough so he doesn't appear like one.
Spanner in the Works: While Littlefinger may have been the overall mastermind, it was Renly's actions that, unintentionally, ensured that a straightforward Succession Crisis became a war of multiple factions:
- Ned wanted a smooth transition to Stannis over the illegitimate children, yet Renly's decision to abandon Ned and leave the capital with Loras and their contingent prevented Ned from having proper allies at the key moment of Robert's death, forcing him to turn to Littlefinger and Janos Slynt instead, leading to his downfall. In his defense, Renly was acting in self-preservation and feared for his life, but things could have gone the other way had he lingered. Cersei later noted that her coup over Ned was closer than expected and that any other additional factor could have tipped the balance the other way.
- Renly declaring himself a King divided the Stormlands into Pro-Stannis and Pro-Renly factions and furthermore alienated outsiders. The North rebelled against the Iron Throne after Ned's capture and execution, and when considering a rival claimant to back rejected Renly leapfrogging the line of succession and setting a dangerous precedent, which coupled with Stannis' silence, leading to them declaring Robb Stark King in the North. This in turn led to the North and Riverland Lords to declare for Robb. Had it not been for Renly, the North would have probably rallied behind Stannis as Ned intended, and there would have been a proper alliance against the Lannisters.
Start My Own: Created the Rainbow Guard to rival the Kingsguard.
Straight Gay: Unlike his flamboyant yet badass lover Loras Tyrell, Renly is more traditionally masculine, though not without occasionally being fashionable every once in a while.
Ungrateful Bastard: He argues that he owes no loyalty towards his elder brother Stannis, nor anyone should either, even when Stannis almost died keeping him alive during the Siege of Storm's End... the very siege that was held by the Tyrells he is now aligned with against Stannis.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Put House Baratheon into the most precarious state it's ever been in by trying to usurp his brother. Stannis and Renly together could have easily brushed aside the Lannisters, avenge their brother and put a proper Baratheon back on the Throne. However, by trying to jump the succession line, Renly divided the family's bannermen and gave their enemy time to gather forces and shore up defenses. Consequently, the family got annihilated by each other and their enemy, reducing the once royal family to near irrelevancy with much of their vassals flipping to the victorious Lannisters.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Stannis misses him for the boy he was and not the man he became.
The Usurper: Renly has no real legal claim on the Iron Throne, which he acknowledges and accepts, but his belief that Might Makes Right drives him to fight for it anyway.
Villain with Good Publicity: Renly is remembered as a kind and heroic Lord who came back from the dead to save the Seven Kingdoms from his brother even though he was really just a vain and scheming figure who was impersonated after his death. Brienne still thinks of him as a good king.
Yes-Man: His only role in the small council seems to have been to just go along with whatever his brother wanted.
Young Conqueror: How he fancied himself.
Youngest Child Wins: Tried to invoke this trope against Stannis. Robb Stark points out why this is fundamentally absurd in the context of Westerosi society:
Robb Stark: He’s Robert’s younger brother. Bran can’t be Lord of Winterfell before me, and Renly can’t be king before Lord Stannis.

Baratheons of the Previous Age

Lord Steffon Baratheon

Son of Lord Ormund and Rhaelle Targaryen, husband of Cassana Estermont, and father of Robert, Stannis, and Renly Baratheon.

The Captain: Of the Windproud.
Childhood Friend: Of King Aerys II (his cousin) and Tywin Lannister. They all met at court while young and fought alongside each other during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, although their friendships became strained later in life.
Cynicism Catalyst: His and his wife's deaths soured Stannis towards the Faith of the Seven.
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.
Family-Unfriendly Death: His sons witnessed his ship sink in a storm. They also probably helped recover their bodies.
Good Parents: Stannis remembers him fondly, and his sudden and tragic death within sight of Storm's End had a major effect on his personality. As recounted by Maester Cressen, one of the reasons why he bought Patchface's freedom was because he thought he could teach Stannis how to laugh.
Replacement Goldfish: It was rumored that Aerys intended to replace Tywin Lannister with Lord Steffon, as the king's relationship with Tywin was turning sour. Given what happened to the other Hands after Tywin, he was probably lucky to have died before he too became Hand.
The Quest: He and his wife were entrusted by the king with finding a suitable bride of old Valyrian blood for Prince Rhaegar in Essos. They didn't succeed.

Lord Ormund Baratheon

Son and heir of Lyonel Baratheon. Lord of Storm's End and Hand to King Jaehaerys II, Lord Ormund commanded the Westerosi army during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. He was married to Rhaelle Targaryen (sister to Jaehaerys II), with whom he had a son, Steffon.

Altar Diplomacy: Married Princess Rhaelle Targaryen to alleviate tensions between the Iron Throne and House Baratheon after her elder brother, Prince Duncan, broke off his betrothal to one of Ormund's sisters to be with Jenny of Oldstones.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: He perished in the arms of his son and heir, Steffon.
Frontline General: He personally led the forces of the Seven Kingdoms into the Stepstones to defeat the Ninepenny Kings.
Number Two: To King Jaehaerys II.

Historical Baratheons

Reign of Aegon I

Lord Orys Baratheon

Lord Orys Baratheon, Hand of the King, Lord of Storm's End, Lord Paramount of the Stormlands

Orys One-Hand

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"My shield, my stalwart, my strong right hand."

— King Aegon Targaryen I

Best friend, trusted advisor and rumored bastard brother of Aegon the Conqueror. Became the founder of House Baratheon when he defeated the Storm King Argilac Durrandon, claiming his ancient castle, Storm's End, and the Storm Queen Argella. He and Argella had at least one child together, a son named Davos. He was also the first person to serve the office of Hand of the King.

An Arm and a Leg: Was captured by the Dornish and had his sword hand chopped off by Wyl of Wyl the second time Aegon invaded Dorne. He later paid the debt back by capturing Walter Wyl, the son of Wyl of Wyl, and cut off his sword hand. Then he cut off Walter's other hand and both feet due to interest gathered over the years since his own hand was cut off.
Because You Were Nice to Me: Argella Durrandon ended up falling in love with Orys and marrying him willingly because he treated her with respect and kindness after her own men betrayed and humiliated her.
Best Served Cold: He became obsessed with getting revenge against House Wyl after losing his hand. He paid them back by chopping off the limbs of the son of the man who took his hand.
Child by Rape: He was conceived after Lord Aerion Targaryen claimed his right to the first night and forcibly took Orys's mother on her wedding night.
Curtains Match the Window: He's mentioned as being "black of hair and black of eyes".
Driven to Madness: Losing his hand to the Wyl of Wyl during the First Dornish War took a toll on his sanity.
Droit du Seigneur: He's the result of a Targaryen exercising this "right."
Frontline General: He always personally led his men into battle and could often be found at the thickest part of the fighting.
Generation Xerox: A dead ringer for the younger version of his descendant, Robert Baratheon, except for Robert's blue Durrandon eyes.
Go Out with a Smile: Orys's son Davos said he died content, smiling at the rotten hands and feet dangling in his tent.
Heroic Bastard: Orys was a dragonseed, being a bastard child resulting from a Targaryen lord taking a peasant woman on her wedding night. The heroic part is there, though. All in all, he was an awesome guy. He was Aegon the Conqueror's Number Two, a great general, a powerful lord, and a Knight in Shining Armor. When fighting King Argilac during the Last Storm, he dismounted and met the king in single combat, on equal terms, because he respected him. When Queen Argella's men betrayed her to him, instead of raping her and taking her as a concubine, he covered her up with his own cloak, offered her food and drink, and treated her respectfully. She ended up willingly marrying him and ruled as Lady of the Stormlands, recognizing his greatness when once she and her father had rejected him for his birth.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With the Conqueror. Orys was his best friend and rumored bastard half-brother, and the King respected him above all others. Argilac the Arrogant's outrageous insult in maiming Aegon's envoy was doubly so because he honestly thought offering Orys as a husband for Princess Argella was as close as one could come to marrying Aegon himself.
Hunk: Definitely, if the younger Robert did look like him. Robert is after all described in his prime as tall, handsome, and muscled like a maiden's fantasy.
I Have You Now, My Pretty: Averted with Princess Argella. When she was handed over to him, bound and naked, he didn't lay a hand on her and treated her with respect. Eventually, they married in what was generally considered a Perfectly Arranged Marriage.
Irony:
- Yes, the founder of the dynasty that ended up removing the Targaryens from power, was utterly loyal to the Targaryens.
- The whole reason Argilac Durrandon went to war against the Targaryens was because he felt Aegon was insulting him by offering his bastard half-brother as a suitor for Argilac's daughter. She ended up marrying him in the end anyway.
Knight in Shining Armor: After Orys slew her father in combat, Queen Argella continued the resistance against him... until her people betrayed her and sent her to Orys naked in chains. Orys wrapped her in his cloak and offered her food and wine — a gesture which also granted her protection from harm due to Sacred Hospitality. She later accepted him as ruler of Storm's End and they married.
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: He was rumored to be a Targaryen bastard.
Named After the Injury: Orys Baratheon, the founder of House Baratheon, became known as Orys One-Hand after losing his sword hand during the war in Dorne.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: He splits the role of William the Conqueror of England with his best friend, Aegon I; Aegon gets the 'conquering', Orys gets the mockery for being a bastard. William was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy and seems to have been known to his contemporaries before he became king of England (and afterwards, behind his back) as 'William the Bastard'. Like Argilac and Argella with Orys, William's desired bride, Matilda of Flanders, at first declined him because of his bastardy, and in response he ambushed her either on the street or at her home, threw her to the ground by her long braids, and possibly even beat her — after which she refused to marry anyone but him. (Surprisingly, the marriage seems to have been a truly happy one!) According to legend, William also engaged in his own round of hand and foot chopping, though for a different reason than Orys; when he was besieging the town of Alençon the residents mocked him for being the grandson of a tanner by hanging animal hides on their walls, and in retribution he mutilated several captured residents of the city, which promptly got the town to surrender.
Number Two: As Aegon's Hand of the King. This received a bitter Call-Back when Orys lost his sword hand, as he also resigned as Hand.
Orys Baratheon: The King's Hand should have a hand. I will not have men speaking of the King's Stump.
Only Friend: Aegon was notoriously solitary and introverted in life; Orys was his only confidant and companion besides his sister-wives.
Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Despite Argella being his enemy, Orys treated her well, which led to her consenting to marry him.
Pet the Dog: Towards Princess Argella Durrandon. After she was betrayed by her own bannerman, she was brought before Orys gagged, chained, and naked. Instead of having his way with her as his men expected, Orys instead removed her shackles, wrapped her in a cloak, offered her food and wine, and treated her chivalrously.
Would Hit a Girl: Advocated that Princess Deria Martell be sent back to Sunspear minus a hand, even though she had nothing to do with his own mutilation.
You Kill It, You Bought It: When he defeated the Storm King, he was rewarded with Storm's End, all its lands, and eventually married the king's daughter. He even adopted the Durrandon sigil, the black stag on yellow, and their house words, Ours Is The Fury, as his own.

Lady Argella Baratheon

Lady Argella Baratheon (nee Durrandon)

Lady Argella Baratheon was the wife of Orys Baratheon and the last member of House Durrandon of Storm's End. See the House Durrandon character page for more information.

Reign of Aenys I

Lord Davos Baratheon

The son of Orys Baratheon and Argella Durrandon and Lord of Storm's End during the reign of Aenys I Targaryen.

Massive Numbered Siblings: Barely but he did have five sons: Rogar, Garon, Borys, Ronnal, and Orryn Baratheon.
Minor Major Character: Despite being the son of the first Hand of the King and the father of another Hand, we know almost nothing about him.
Short-Lived Leadership: Since Rogar was already Lord of Storm's End during the reign of Maegor Targaryen, it's very likely his rule as Lord of the Stormlands was brief.

Ser Raymont Baratheon

Ser Raymont Baratheon was a knight from House Baratheon and a younger son of Lord Baratheon. He was a member of Aenys I Targaryen's Kingsguard. Ser Raymont saved the life of his king when Poor Fellows attempted to murder him in his bed after scaling the walls of the Red Keep.

See the Historical Kingsguard character page

Reign of Jaehaerys I

Lord Rogar Baratheon

Lord Rogar Baratheon, Protector of the Realm, Hand of the King

Rogar Baratheon

Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands during the reign of Maegor Targaryen. He was the first lord to declare for the young Jaehaerys Targaryen and was proclaimed Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm as a result. He later married Alyssa Velaryon, siring Boremund and Jocelyn Baratheon.

Big Brother Instinct: Rogar went a long time without having children of his own, but did have four younger brothers he was close to: Borys, Ronnel, Garon, and Orryn. When his attempted coup went south, Rogar didn't expect to live but did swallow down the pride his House is known for to beg for his brothers and their children to be spared, insisting they were ignorant to his schemes (which they almost certainly weren't, given that Orryn was caught red-handed helping him and Rogar downplayed his complictness too). Unfortunately, relations between Rogar and Borys soured after Rogar finally had a son of his own and Borys lost his status as Rogar's heir, with Borys siding with the Vulture King to help pillage his ancestral homeland and Rogar helping leading the hunt for the two; if not for Jaehaerys killing Borys himself, Rogar had intended to "deal with" Borys himself. Blood only runs so thick.
Big Good: While Jaehaerys was the main claimant against Maegor, his young age meant Rogar effectively led the campaign for him. When writing of Rogar's later fumbles, overreaches, and attempts to defy Jaehaerys as his Hand, Archmaester Gyldayn reiterates that Rogar was not a bad man and reminds the reader that he had been a hero.
Blood Knight: Rogar always claimed to have regretted not being able to personally fight Maegor the Cruel. His brother Borys stated that Rogar had told him once that he dreamed of facing Maegor one on one and killing him with his axe.
Bystander Syndrome: The reason his stepdaughter Rhaena Targaryen disliked Rogar (and disapproved of her mother remarrying to him) was because Rogar had kept House Baratheon out of the conflict between her brother/husband Aegon and Maegor, yet had been quick to revolt in support of Jaehaerys when it was clear Maegor's rule was on its last legs.
Defector from Decadence: Supported Jaehaerys over the tyrannical Maegor.
Do Not Go Gentle: Subverted ultimately: believing himself to be dying of illness, Rogar asked Jaehaerys and Alysanne to raise his children as wards of the crown, as he hoped to die in battle tracking down his traitorous brother Borys, who had joined forces with the second Vulture King. Rogar didn't get his wish, though he did personally kill the Vulture King in the following military campaign, dying in his bed at Storm's End several months later.
Easily Forgiven: Zig-zagged. Jaehaerys did gently forgive Rogar and welcome him back to court on account of his past service and no real harm ultimately being done, bringing the lord to shed Manly Tears after he'd resigned himself to execution or taking the black. It is likely his mother Queen Alyssa's devastation at being rejected by Rogar, and an unwillingness to further hurt her by a worse punishment on Rogar, also contributed to Jaehaerys settling for pardoning Rogar with his lands and titles intact and merely being ordered to reconcile with Alyssa. At the same time, the young king also made it plain he wasn't happy with Rogar's attempted treason, forced Rogar to make amends for attempting to split up the marriage between Jaehaerys and Alysanne by becoming Alysanne's biggest supporter, and dropped a hint through a demonstration-by-dragon that he wouldn't be so forgiving if Rogar crossed him again. Needless to say, Rogar got the message and reconciled with Jaehaerys.
Four-Star Badass: As Jaehaerys was still a young teenager when he laid claim to the Iron Throne, Rogar was named Protector of the Realm, the topmost military commander of the Seven Kingdoms.
Graceful Loser: Rather surprising for one as bullheaded and proud as a Baratheon. When his plot to usurp Jaehaerys' reign in favor of Aerea was discovered and foiled, instead of trying to come up with yet another plan or stick his heels in and dig himself in any deeper, Rogar accepted that he was finished, resigned himself to whatever punishment (either execution or banishment to the Wall) the king had in store for him, and sent letters to King's Landing and Dragonstone admitting surrender and pleading for his brothers' lives. Luckily, Jaehaerys spared him and the two reconciled, restoring their friendship.
Honorable Warrior's Death: As his time was running out, Rogar tried to invoke this by going off to deal with the second Vulture King and his hundreds of bandit followers. Death on the battlefield wound up eluding him, however; thanks to being joined by the King and his forces, the bandits were dealt with easily and when Rogar faced the Vulture King in one on one combat with the Vulture promised his freedom if he defeated Rogar, the Vulture King turned out not to be up to the challenge, despite Rogar being old and his health failing. A disappointed Rogar easily won the fight and went home, where he died in his bed months later.
Hypocrite: Rogar decried Jaehaerys marrying Alysanne as putting his own feelings ahead of the good of the Realm. However, Rogar himself would almost send the Realm into civil war for no other reason than to satisfy his own wounded ego.
Leave Him to Me!: When the second Vulture King was finally captured, Rogar gave orders for his chains to be removed and the Vulture given a spear and shield so he could fight, adding that the Vulture was to be given his freedom if he succeeded in killing Rogar in their duel. The Vulture proved unequal to the task.
The Mourning After: Enforced by his late wife Alyssa's grieving daughter Rhaena, who angrily blamed him for her mother's death and threatened to turn Storm's End into a second Harrenhal if she found out he'd even considered taking another wife. He never did remarry.
My Nayme Is: Rogar instead of Roger. Rather confusingly, he's called Robar Baratheon in The World of Ice and Fire.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Roger Mortimer, the Earl of March. Rebelled against the reigning king (Edward II/Maegor) to replace him with a child (Edward III/Jaehaerys), and entered into a relationship with the Queen Regent (Isabella/Alyssa), only to be removed from power when the boy king began to assert himself. Unlike Mortimer, he got away with his life.
No-Sell: What happened to his efforts to force Jaehaerys's Kingsguard to stand down from trying to stop him separating Jaehaerys and Alysanne; when his men moved to separate the royal couple, Ser Gyles Morrigen stepped forward and vowed anyone who tried would die. When Rogar ordered them to stand down, Sour Sam retorted that they were sworn to obey Jaehaerys, not his Hand. When Rogar finally threatened that he had the Kingsguard outnumbered and could easily have his men kill them, Ser Pate the Woodcock just replied if it came to that, Rogar would be the first to die.
Gyles Morrigen: Come no closer. Any man who lays a hand on our King and Queen will die today.
Rogar Baratheon: Sheath your steel and move aside. Have you forgotten? I am the King's Hand!
Sour Sam: Aye, but we're the Kingsguard, not the Hand's guard, and it's the lad who sits the chair, not you.
Rogar Baratheon: You are seven. I have half a hundred swords behind me. A word from me and they will cut you to pieces.
Ser Pate: They might kill us, but you will be the first to die, m'lord, you have my word upon that.
Number Two: As Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm, he was the second most powerful man of the realm.
Sudden Name Change: He was originally called Robar Baratheon, which changed to Rogar in Sons of the Dragon. Elio Garcia confirmed that "Rogar" is the correct name and will be used in the future.
Turn in Your Badge: When Rogar declared his intention to force Jaehaerys to abdicate and put Princess Aerea on the throne under his guidance, Dowager Queen Alyssa angrily told him she was relieving him of his position as Hand of the King. Rogar scoffed at her command, but when Lord Qarl Corbray drew his sword in support of Alyssa, Rogar threw his chain of office at Alyssa in a rage and stormed out.

Borys Baratheon

"Rather name me a kingslayer than him a kinslayer!"

The younger brother of Lord Rogar Baratheon, who would eventually betray the kingdom and joined the second Vulture King. During the Third Dornish War, while Rogar fought and killed the Vulture King, he faced and was killed by King Jaehaerys I himself.

Alliterative Name: Borys Baratheon
Bring It: When facing Jaehaerys and his Valyrian steel blade Blackfyre, he answered with the above quote.
Cain and Abel: He became the Cain to Rogar's Abel.
Face–Heel Turn: Joined the enemy of the Stormlands, the second Vulture King, and fought against his own family.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Considered the most volatile and belligerent of Rogar's brothers.
Off with His Head!: Jaeharys all but decapitated Borys with Blackfyre.
Percussive Therapy: A variation; Jaehaerys found the military campaign against Borys and the Vulture King did much to help him deal with the stress of ruling through the plague known as the Shivers, and his grief over the death of his eldest daughter Daenerys from the disease.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Borys urged his brother Rogar to do this after Jaehaerys summoned the latter to King's Landing over Rogar's attempts to replace him with Aerea: believing Rogar would be going to an inevitable execution. Borys advised him to go to the Wall instead.
The Starscream: Resenting the birth of his nephew Boremund made him leave his family and eventually join an enemy of the realm and help raid his former home.

Reign of Viserys I

Lord Boremund Baratheon

"Lord Boremund was stone, hard and strong and unmoving."

— Septon Eustace

The Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands who died prior to the Dance of the Dragons. The World of Ice and Fire reveals he was the son of Rogar Baratheon (grandson of Orys Baratheon) and Alyssa Velaryon (King Aenys I's widow), and the older brother to Jocelyn Baratheon (who married Prince Aemon, oldest son of King Jaehaerys I).

Alliterative Name: B's.
Blood Knight: The classic trait among Baratheons.
Generation Xerox: Described as growing up to be almost identical to his father in both looks and temper.
True Companions: With his niece Princess Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was.
Undying Loyalty: Boremund was a staunch supporter of Rhaenyra's claim, leading her to be confident that House Baratheon would side with her. Unfortunately, his son lacked this loyalty.

Lady Jocelyn Baratheon

The younger sister of Boremund Baratheon, who married Prince Aemon Targaryen, oldest son of King Jaehaerys I and mother of their only child, Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen who Never Was.

Adopted into Royalty: A terminally ill Rogar Baratheon asked Jaehaerys and Alysanne to raise Jocelyn as their ward, along with two of Jocelyn's cousins whose parents had died during the Shivers pandemic.
Arranged Marriage: She and Aemon were betrothed at 14 and married two years later.
Love at First Sight: Alysanne sat Aemon and Jocelyn beside each other at the feast to celebrate Aemon's investiture as Prince of Dragonstone, where the couple were said to have eyes for no-one but each other.
Practically Different Generations: Her half-brother Jahaerys I was 20 years older than her. She ended up as his ward and marrying one of his sons.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Had the typical Baratheon look, with dark hair and dark eyes.
Statuesque Stunner: At sixteen, she was an inch short of six feet tall, and was considered one of the great beauties of her day.
What Happened to the Mouse?: The time of her death or even what became of her after Aemon was killed, other than being mad her daughter Rhaenys wasn't made heir by King Jaehaerys I, is unknown.

Dance of the Dragons Era

Lord Borros Baratheon

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"Lord Borros was the wind, which rages and howls and blows this way and that."

— Septon Eustace

The son of Lord Boremund and Lord of Storm's End during the Dance of the Dragons. He had four daughters and a posthumous son.

Alliterative Name: Like his father.
Arranged Marriage: Arranged the marriage of one of his daughters to Prince Aemond Targaryen, and dangled one to Lucerys as well, though he was rebuffed when the young prince told him he was already betrothed. After Aemond was killed during the Dance of the Dragons, he eventually made plans to marry the oldest of the aforementioned daughters to the now widowed king Aegon II, but died before he could go through with it.
Blood Knight: More so than his father.
Cavalry Betrayal: He was on the receiving end of one at the Battle of the Kingsroad; while his stormlanders were locked in battle with the Riverlanders under Kermit Tully, Borros signalled for his Crownlands reinforcements (most of them former Rhaenyra loyalists who'd reluctantly supplied troops) to enter the fray. Instead, they either deserted, refused to obey the order, or sided with the Riverlanders and attacked Borros's army in the rear.
Character Death: He was slain by Lord Kermit Tully.
Defiant to the End: Borros refused to surrender when Kermit Tully pointed out to him he'd lost the Battle of the Kingsroad, and kept fighting until Tully killed him.
Kermit Tully: Yield, ser, the day is ours.
Borros Baratheon: I'd sooner dance in hell than wear your chains.
Everybody Has Standards: Refused to allow Aemond to attack Luke as the latter was a guest under his roof. That said, he didn't much care what happened to him after.
Great Offscreen War: He spent most of the Dance in Dorne, which wasn't actually part of the war (the Prince of Dorne at the time refused to get involved), fighting a third Vulture King, which Fire and Blood doesn't elaborate on. Funnily enough, this conveniently kept him out of the fighting until Rhaenyra was dead, and he could definitely declare he was for Aegon.
Jerkass: Comes across as having been rather a pain in the rear, actually. If one with standards.
Last Stand: Before being killed, he cut down the Lords Darry and Mallister plus a dozen more knights.
Like Father, Unlike Son: As Septon Eustace points out. Boremund was a steadfast, reliable councilor who supported Rhaenyra, while Borros was a belligerent, opportunistic Jerkass who supported Aegon.
Never Learned to Read: His maester had to read any letters he received. It is implied that the maester twisted Rhaenyra's message for the worse when Luke Velaryon arrived at Storm's End, as Rhaenyra was completely sure that she had Lord Borros' allegiance and sent Luke completely unarmed as a diplomat.
Opportunistic Bastard: A possible reading of his actions during the Dance of Dragons. While he pledged fealty to Aegon II at the onset of the war, he winds up avoiding most of the conflict by taking his army to Dorne to put down incursions lead by a third Vulture King. He only joins Aegon once Rhaenyra has been killed and the Greens had ostensibly won the war, with his army being the only one left intact for the Greens and himself in a position to demand Aegon marry his daughter to cement an alliance. Suffice to say if this was his plan, it backfired terribly on him once the Blacks chose to continue fighting.
Underestimating Badassery: He dismissed the young Riverlords and ladies who commanded the Blacks' host at the Kingsroad near King's Landing as no threat to him. They ended up killing him and crushing his army.
Your Head Asplode: He met his end when Lord Kermit swung a morningstar square into his face.

The Four Storms

The four daughters of Lord Borros Baratheon and Lady Elenda Caron: Cassandra, Floris, Ellyn and Maris.

Arranged Marriage: Their father betrothed one of them to Aemond Targaryen, although Aemond died before the marriage could go through.
Ironic Name: Floris and Maris were named after the legendary figures Florys the Fox, who was said to be cunning, and Maris the Maid, who was said to be a great beauty. However, with the Baratheon girls, Maris was the clever one and Floris the most pretty.
Named After Somebody Famous: The three younger storms were named after daughters of Garth Greenhand; Floris the Fox, Ellyn Ever-Sweet and Maris the Maid.

Lady Cassandra Baratheon

The eldest of the Four Storms. Her father betrothed her to the widowed Aegon II Targaryen, and was devastated when the king was found dead because it meant she wasn't going to be queen. For her involvement in the poisoning attempt of King Aegon III and Queen Daenaera, she was forced to marry the elderly landed knight Walter Brownhill.

Arranged Marriage: First to Aegon II and later to Ser Walter Brownhill.
Cool and Unusual Punishment: Her mother thought being forced to marry a lesser knight and taking care of his children (both adopted and biological) would keep her away from scheming against the king. It did.
Misplaced Retribution: An 8-year-old girl is chosen over you as queen, therefore, she must die.
Odd Name Out: The only one of her sisters not to be named after a legendary daughter of Garth Greenhand.
Old Man Marrying a Child: Her second husband was thirty years older than she was, had sixteen children, and had outlived three wives.
The Resenter: She greatly disliked the young Queen Jaehaera, and blamed her for all her woes. This also extended to Daenaera Velaryon when she became queen.
Sex for Services: When Willam Stackspear asked if she slept with Tessario the Tiger as a reward for killing Jaehaera, she burst into tears. Make of that as you will.

Floris Baratheon

The second eldest of the Four Storms and considered the prettiest. She was described as a sweet girl, if somewhat frivolous.

Arranged Marriage: First to Lord Larys Strong, and after his death to the elderly Thaddeus Rowan.
Death by Childbirth: She died this way.
Old Man Marrying a Child: She was 14 at her time of her marriage, and her hubby was already twice widowed with seven children.

Ellyn Baratheon

The third of the Four Storms. She and her sister Cassandra were presented to King Aegon III as marriage candidates. While she asked if he liked her gown, her sister later put it about that her question was if he liked her breasts.

Out of Focus: She didn't have much role when compared to her sisters, usually being mentioned alongside them.
What Happened to the Mouse?: There's no mention of what became of her after the Maiden's Day Cattle Show. Semi-canon sources indicate she'll marry Benjicot Blackwood.

Maris Baratheon

The youngest of the Four Storms, and considered the cleverest, but also the least comely. When Lucerys Velaryon left Storm's End after being rejected, she apparently taunted Aemond by asking him if his nephew had taken his eye or "one of his balls". Aemond immediately left the room and killed Lucerys on dragonback. By the time of Aegon III's coronation, she had joined the Silent Sisters.

And Show It to You: According to Mushroom, after killing Lucerys, Aemond cut out his nephew's eyes and presented them to Maris on a bed of seaweed. Gyldayn believes that seems excessive.
Taking the Veil: Joined the Silent Sisters rather than look for a marriage — or possibly as punishment for her words to Aemond. Mushroom claims Maris' mother ordered her tongue cut out to that end as well, but Gyldayn is quick to note that the notion of the Silent Sisters lacking tongues is only a myth.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: If she really did taunt Aemond Targaryen after Lucerys Velaryon had just left, then the first kill that would start the Dance can be considered her fault.

Lord Royce Baratheon

The only son and youngest child of Borros Baratheon and his wife Elenda Caron. He was born seven days after the death of his father Borros at the Kingsroad and became Lord of Storm's End since birth.

A Child Shall Lead Them: Became Lord of Storm's End when he was born.
Named After Somebody Famous: Subverted; his father initially wanted to name him Aegon to honor the king, but after Borros and Aegon II were killed in rapid succession, Royce's mother chose to play it safe and named him after her father instead.
Practically Different Generations: His sisters were already in their teens or older by the time he was born.
Sudden Name Change: In earlier editions of Fire and Blood, he was called Olyver; of course, attentive readers noticed that Elenda Caron's father was elsewhere given as Royce, not Olyver. Given that him being named after his maternal grandfather is a minor plot point, future editions corrected this and called them both Royce.

Reign of Daeron II

Lord Lyonel Baratheon

The Laughing Storm

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyonel_baratheon_ffg_3919.png

"There has not been a Trial of Seven for more than a hundred years. I was not about to miss a chance to fight the Kingsguard knights, and tweak Prince Maekar's nose in the bargain."

Called the Laughing Storm, Lyonel Baratheon was a knight from House Baratheon who participated in the Ashford Tourney during The Hedge Knight. He was noted for his skill in jousting and his booming laugh. When Ser Duncan was on trial, Lyonel supported him during the Trial of the Faith. He knighted Raymun Fossoway so that he might help Duncan as well.

Later in life he rose in rebellion against King Aegon V, outraged that Prince Duncan had broken his marriage contract to his daughter. The rebellion ended when Ser Duncan the Tall defeated Lyonel in a duel and another marriage pact (between Lyonel's heir, Ormund, and Aegon V's daughter, Rhaelle) was brokered.

Boisterous Bruiser: And, funny with it. Some of his outrageous behavior is for intimidation's sake. But, mostly... you get the impression he's greatly enjoying himself by getting stuck in.
The Champion: To Dunk.
The Charmer: He is known for his friendly and engaging personality.
Dramatic Irony: Aegon V had promised Prince Duncan to Lyonel's daughter. After Prince Duncan refused the match and married Jenny of Oldstones instead, Lyonel was furious, breaking all ties with the Iron Throne and naming himself Storm King. Lyonel returned to the fold after he was beaten in single combat by a member of Aegon V's Kingsguard. That member? Ser Duncan the Tall.
The Dreaded: A lighthearted example. At a jousting tournament Lyonel had developed the habit of laughing the entire time he faced lesser foes and then tossing his defeated opponents expensive decorative helm pieces to his adoring fans as a souvenir. After a string of these victories most high born knights were terrified of challenging him to a joust lest they be made a fool of.
Face–Heel Revolving Door: Briefly. Lyonel spends most of his time firmly in the face camp, but his rebellion was a serious heel turn. Luckily, after being bested by Ser Duncan the Tall in a trial by combat, Lyonel accepted defeat graciously and returned to being a loyal friend of Aegon V.
The Gadfly: Oh, yes. Not just one to leave the puffed-up and pointless looking embarrassed on the field. He's quite capable of making them openly trip over their own misdeeds, words, oaths, and promises, too. Can be oddly Brutally Honest, about it: a prince may be a prince, but if he's also a little snot, he'll be called out for that.
The Juggernaut: He was pretty much unstoppable in the tourneys he took part. He may also be the second largest man in Westeros at the time since it was mentioned he was nearly as big as Dunk.
Jumped at the Call: Champions for Ser Duncan at his trial without any hesitation, upon being asked by Aegon to do so.
Knight in Shining Armor: He championed Ser Duncan against Prince Aerion during the Trial of the Seven in order to save Dunk from losing a foot and a hand for attacking Aerion in defense of a commoner. He even questioned Crown Prince Baelor Breakspear about how chivalrous his pragmatic strategy against the Kingsguard was before the trial. Later in life he was willing to stake his entire rebellion on an honorable fight between him and Ser Duncan, and gave up his crown when he lost instead of continuing any bloodshed.
Large Ham: Lyonel would've been a tremendous professional wrestler if such a thing existed in Westeros. A boisterous bruiser with a booming laugh, he was also adored by the commoners at tourneys and knew how to work a crowd.
Nice Guy: A genuinely kind, outgoing man, respectful to Dunk in all their exchanges and is immediately ready and willing to fight by his side for Dunk's Trial Of Seven. Quite possibly the kindest and most good-natured Baratheon man we meet in the series.
Our Founder: He can be seen as this, in light of the recent turn in fortunes for the Baratheons. His unsuccessful rebellion gave them a claim to the Iron Throne, which they made good on in Robert's Rebellion.
The Prankster: When jousting any challenger he felt was unworthy to face him, he proceeded to laugh until he'd unhorsed them. In many instances instead of aiming to knock his challengers off their horses, he often aimed for his opponent's decorative pieces to knock them off or simply chopped them off afterwards with his sword and flung them into the crowd.
Signature Laugh: His laugh earned him his nickname.
Start My Own: Tried to break away from the Iron Throne and reestablish himself as king of an independent Stormlands.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He inherited the trademark Baratheon black hair and good looks.
Trial by Combat: Participated in the Trial of the Seven in favor of Ser Duncan the Tall against Prince Aerion. Later he fought against Ser Duncan in a trial to determine the outcome of Lord Lyonel's rebellion against Aegon V.
Unstoppable Rage: Lyonel was a genuinely affable man, but he sure lived up to his House's words. So furious was he at the breaking of the betrothal of his daughter to Prince Duncan that he rebelled over it.
We Used to Be Friends: Aegon V and Lyonel were such close friends that they sought to cement their friendship formally by betrothing their children to one another, uniting the two houses. Unfortunately, Aegon's son Prince Duncan had other plans, and ran off to wed his lover in a secret marriage. Lyonel was so outraged at this affront that he renounced his pledge of loyalty and rose up in revolt. Thankfully, he and Aegon were able to patch things up again eventually.

Characters / A Song of Ice and Fire - House Baratheon

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