Fear and Loathing in Westeros: Tywin Lannister’s Anxiety Over Stannis Baratheon
Remember the unflappable Tywin Lannister, the master puppeteer of politics in ‘Game of Thrones’? His stern visage could outsell poker faces across Westeros. Tywin wielded an iron grip over the land – from his seat as Hand of the King to his lair in Casterly Rock. He even played the role of super-grandad to a couple of kings. After wiping out Houses Tarbeck and Reyne like crumbs off a tablecloth, he made Westeros his oyster.
Tywin’s Stormy Nights Thinking of Stannis
Despite all his power, Tywin feared someone more than any king or queen. The one person who made Tywin tremble in his golden boots was none other than the stoic, justice-for-breakfast guy, King Stannis Baratheon. It might seem odd, but Tywin had solid reasons to fear Stannis.
Let’s revisit our notable characters. Stannis Baratheon entered the scene in season 2, portrayed by Stephen Dillane. Charles Dance brought Tywin Lannister to life starting from season 1. Despite all his power, Tywin was always on edge about Stannis potentially upstaging him. Why? Because Stannis was a justice fanatic with an unyielding moral compass. Think Davos Seaworth’s missing fingers – a gratitude gift for saving Stannis’s castle from starvation but also punishment for Davos’s smuggling. Tywin, no stranger to crime, saw that blind justice as a potential threat to his seat of power. His past was filled with injustices, including the extermination of Houses and the murder of innocent Targaryen babies. If Stannis held Tywin accountable, it could mean the end of House Lannister.
Tywin subtly expressed his fear of Stannis. In George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Game of Thrones,’ Tywin admitted that Stannis posed a greater threat than any other adversary. In the third book, he foresaw that a victory for Stannis could prolong the war for years. Stannis had Tywin playing the political game with Dorne and scheming desperately to depose him.
Narrow Escape at the Blackwater
In season 2, the Lannisters faced the bitter reality of their imminent downfall at Stannis’s hands. Marching into King’s Landing with the Reach’s and the Stormlands’ forces, Stannis was an avalanche ready to bury the Lannisters. He had King Joffrey spooked, and Tywin’s forces were outmatched and almost lost to time, thanks to Robb Stark’s relentless hounding.
The only thing that saved them was the wildfire surprise and a dash of deceit. Stannis fell into Tyrion’s trap, unaware of the wildfire hidden throughout King’s Landing. The surprise reinforcements on the battlefield, masquerading as Renly Baratheon’s ghost, also caught Stannis off guard. Had the Tyrells not arrived just in time wearing Renly’s armor, Joffrey could have ended up dead. Things got so intense that Cersei almost killed her youngest children to spare them the shame of being executed by Stannis.
Even after his near miss at the Blackwater, Stannis was relentless, assembling another army in the North. If he had stayed in the South instead of trying to save the Seven Kingdoms from the White Walkers, he might have won enough support to dethrone Joffrey and King Tommen Baratheon.
Stannis: The Most Threatening Player in the Throne Race
During the War of the Five Kings, power players were aplenty: Joffrey, Renly, Stannis, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy all vied for the throne. However, Stannis cast the longest shadow of menace over Tywin. Joffrey was a pawn in Tywin’s game, Balon posed an insignificant threat, and Robb’s focus was primarily on the North, making him a secondary worry for Tywin.
Renly did pose a threat, but his lack of military prowess made him less of a fright. That left Stannis as the only king with the potential to defeat the Lannisters. With his strategic mind, battle-hardened experience, and vendetta against every Lannister, Stannis emerged as the most formidable opponent. His grudge-holding habits made him a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
In the open fields of war, Tywin was no Napoleon. He excelled at fear-mongering, but his military genius was negligible. He came to power through brutal ambushes, not strategic brilliance. Against someone like Stannis, a seasoned warrior, Tywin knew he stood no chance. He found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, desperate to remove the Stannis-shaped thorn in his side. For the survival of House Lannister, Stannis had to go.
And that, folks, is the twisted tale of Tywin’s fear of Stannis, a lesser-known subplot from the multi-layered masterpiece we fondly call ‘Game of Thrones.’
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