Robert

Biodata

Background / History

Robert grew up alongside Eddard Stark, forming a friendship both men regarded as brotherhood. He was betrothed to Eddard’s sister, Lyanna Stark, whom he continued to consider the love of his life long after her death 134 138 154.

During his rebellion, Robert was defeated by Randyll Tarly at Ashford and fled to Stoney Sept. The townspeople concealed him from Jon Connington’s royal army until Eddard Stark and Hoster Tully arrived with reinforcements. Robert later killed Rhaegar Targaryen with his warhammer at the Trident and won the Iron Throne 77 248.

After the war, Robert granted Storm’s End to Renly and Dragonstone to Stannis. Stannis bitterly resented this settlement after defending Storm’s End through a prolonged siege, believing Robert had punished him for allowing Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen to escape. Robert further humiliated Stannis by fathering Edric Storm with Delena Florent in Stannis’s marriage bed 114 115 207.

Appearance

Robert was tall, handsome, and clear-eyed in his youth. By the Stepstones campaign, years of drinking and indulgence had left him enormously overweight, with a swollen face and an unsteady gait 77 80.

• Eyes: Blue, increasingly clouded and bloodshot 80.
• Facial hair: A thick, bushy black beard, frequently stained with wine 77 82.
• Build: Massive, with a prominent belly even beneath fitted plate armor 80.
• Voice: Booming laughter and a commanding shout likened to a war drum 80.

Personality

Robert prized martial courage and believed a king had to earn his vassals’ respect on the battlefield. He resisted attempts to keep him out of combat, invoking his victory over Rhaegar as proof that he should personally join the Stepstones expedition. Jon Arryn privately judged him a capable warrior but an unsuitable king 77.

He showed little patience for administration or financial restraint. When Jon raised the cost of war, Robert dismissed the problem and expected him to obtain more credit. His extravagant habits helped empty the treasury, yet he still planned an expensive tournament to celebrate Eddard’s appointment as Hand 77 144.

Robert could be affectionate, generous in his greetings, and sincerely concerned for his friends’ families. At Winterfell, he warmly welcomed the Stark children and expressed sympathy for Catelyn’s miscarriage. Eddard observed that Robert’s anger usually arose quickly and passed just as quickly 134.

That warmth did not extend to those he regarded as betrayers or Targaryen threats. He demanded the deaths of Viserys, Daenerys, and Jon despite Eddard’s objections, and violently abused Cersei. His attachment to Lyanna was possessive: when told she had willingly loved Rhaegar, he insisted that she had belonged to him 150 154 168.

Abilities & Skills

Warhammer Combat

Robert’s greatest documented martial achievement was killing Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident 77.

• Retained considerable physical strength, striking an oak with his warhammer hard enough to send wood chips flying 168.
• Continued to carry his hammer during the Stepstones expedition and raised it to give the fleet’s departure order 80.
• His earlier prowess contrasted with his deteriorated condition; before the Bloodstone landing, he drank heavily despite Eddard’s warning 80 82.

Royal Authority

Robert exercised authority through military appointments, royal commands, and succession decrees 77 134 168.

• Appointed Paxter Redwyne commander of the Stepstones expedition 77.
• Appointed Eddard Stark Hand of the King despite Eddard’s initial refusal 134.
• Removed Renly from office and ordered him back to Storm’s End 154.
• Legitimized all his own bastards, giving them lawful Baratheon status and creating additional claimants to the throne 168 173 194.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Warhammer — His signature weapon, used to kill Rhaegar and carried during the Stepstones campaign 77 80.
• Plate armor and greathelm — Worn when the royal coalition assembled at Dragonstone 80.
• Heavy two-handed greatsword — Wielded during his final confrontation with Cersei and Jaime; its last swing wounded Cersei’s face 169.

Relationships

• Eddard Stark — Childhood companion and closest friend, treated as a brother. Their friendship ultimately collapsed over Robert’s determination to kill Jon 134 154.
• Lyanna Stark — Former betrothed and enduring fixation. Eddard revealed that she had feared Robert’s infidelity and had willingly loved Rhaegar 138 154.
• Jon Arryn — Hand of the King and trusted administrator. Robert relied on him to finance royal policy while disregarding his warnings about expense and personal safety 77.
• Stannis Baratheon — Younger brother whose resentment grew through perceived slights over Storm’s End, Robert’s conduct at his wedding, and the humiliating treaty assignment 115.
• Renly Baratheon — Younger brother and lord of Storm’s End. Robert dismissed him after Eddard exposed his plan to replace Cersei with Margaery Tyrell 153 154.
• Cersei Lannister — Wife and queen, subjected to Robert’s violence. He eventually discovered that her three children were Jaime’s rather than his own 168.
• Jaime Lannister — Kingsguard knight, Cersei’s lover, and Robert’s killer 168 169.
• Barristan Selmy — Loyal Kingsguard commander. Sent to retrieve Robert’s children, he chose to protect Gendry rather than return to the Lannister-controlled Red Keep 168 169.
• Liu Qian — Eastern ruler Robert sought to defeat in the Stepstones. Liu Qian’s dragon destroyed the royal fleet and forced the crown toward negotiations 80 94 95.

Children and Disputed Heirs

Story Role / Major Arcs

The Stepstones Expedition

The crown first received warnings about the eastern warlock through Varys, who reported that he had seized islands in the Stepstones and allegedly intended to invade Westeros. Jon Arryn planned to inform Robert while the crown already owed five million golden dragons 55.

Robert insisted on joining the campaign despite Jon’s objections over cost and royal safety. He rejected Stannis as commander, approved Paxter Redwyne instead, and promised Jorah Mormont a pardon in exchange for valuable intelligence 77.

At Dragonstone, the coalition adopted a plan to seize Bloodstone Island as a base against the warlock’s forces. Robert angrily condemned Stannis’s refusal to participate personally, then ordered more than four hundred warships carrying forty-three thousand soldiers to sail 80.

The expedition ended in disaster. Liu Qian’s Great Dragon burned the fleet while the Dragon Spirit Guardians overwhelmed the landing forces. Paxter surrendered, numerous nobles were captured, and Robert narrowly avoided becoming a prisoner himself 84 108.

Defending the Iron Throne

After the defeat, Robert demanded defenses against the dragon. Encouraged by Pycelle’s account of Meraxes’s death, he ordered giant crossbows installed on King’s Landing’s walls and demanded similar weapons for the fleet. Jon explained that the treasury was empty and fewer than ten warships remained 94.

Robert initially rejected peace with an “eastern pirate,” but Jon and Eddard argued that the crown needed time to rebuild and protect the captives. Robert subsequently sent Stannis to sign the treaty rather than allow Eddard to bear that humiliation 95 114 115.

House Tyrell gained royal favor after Mace paid the war reparations. Robert praised Mace’s loyalty, rebuked forces that had disobeyed Paxter during the expedition, and appointed Mace Master of Ships despite his limited naval knowledge 111 139.

Eddard’s Appointment and Resignation

Following Jon Arryn’s death, Robert traveled to Winterfell and formally appointed Eddard Hand of the King, overriding his reluctance to leave his family. His decision also disappointed House Tyrell, which had hoped Mace would receive the office 134 139.

During the journey south, Robert yielded to Cersei’s demand that Lady be executed after the dispute involving Arya, Joffrey, and Nymeria. Eddard regarded the judgment as unjust 138.

Their deeper conflict concerned the Targaryens. At a Small Council meeting, Robert ordered assassins sent against Viserys and Daenerys. Eddard refused, citing both honor and the risk of retaliation, and resigned when Robert demanded obedience. Robert also had Renly escorted out after his brother mocked the confrontation 150.

Jon’s Parentage and Renly’s Exposure

A letter identifying Jon as the lawful son of Rhaegar and Lyanna brought Robert’s conflict with Eddard to a breaking point. Robert ordered a hundred Gold Cloaks sent to Castle Black to retrieve Jon and imprisoned Eddard pending his arrival 153.

Eddard responded by accusing Renly and Mace of plotting to replace Cersei with Margaery, and Renly of poisoning Jon Arryn. Robert stripped Renly of his office and sent him back to Storm’s End, but kept Eddard imprisoned 153 154.

In the dungeon, Eddard confirmed Jon’s parentage and explained that Lyanna and Rhaegar had loved each other. He begged Robert to leave Jon at the Wall, where he had renounced his inheritance. Robert refused, demanded Jon’s death, and ended the conversation by insisting that Eddard address him as “Your Grace” 154.

Legitimization and Death

Robert’s authority weakened as the Riverlands conflict escalated: Tywin ignored his order to halt the campaign and surrender Gregor Clegane 167.

While hunting in the Kingswood, Robert found a sealed message hidden inside a dead doe. Its allegations drove him back to King’s Landing, where he consulted Jon Arryn’s genealogical books and concluded that Cersei’s children were not his. He ordered Pycelle to announce their bastardy, legitimized all his own bastards, and sent Barristan to locate them 168.

As Tywin’s cavalry entered the city, Barristan found Gendry and escaped with him. Meanwhile, Cersei and Jaime were brought before Robert in the Throne Room. Robert advanced on Cersei with a greatsword, threatening to execute her personally 169.

Tywin’s arrival triggered fighting between royal loyalists and Lannister supporters. Jaime attacked Robert from behind and drove his sword through his heart. Robert’s final attempt to turn sent his greatsword across Cersei’s face before he collapsed and died 169.

Succession Aftermath

Robert’s legitimization decree outlived him and complicated the claims of both his brothers and the Lannisters 173 194.

• Gendry was crowned king at Highgarden with Barristan’s public confirmation of his identity. He was later reported killed after the Lannister conquest of the Reach 208 222.
• Edric was proclaimed king at Storm’s End. Cortnay Penrose explicitly invoked Robert’s decree when rejecting Stannis’s claim 207 235.
• Mya gained recognition as a legitimate Baratheon and was crowned queen in the Vale by Eson Arryn 243 246.
• Robert’s killing made the Lannister name deeply reviled among many Stormlands and Reach nobles 194.

Notable Quotes

“If a king cannot win respect on the battlefield, he cannot win respect before his vassals either. I must go. That is your king’s command.” 77

“Set sail! For the Seven Kingdoms, crush them!” 80

“Call me Your Grace, Lord Stark!” 154