Tywin Lannister

Tywin Lannister ( TY-win) is a fictional character in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American novelist George R. R. Martin and one of three main antagonists of its television adaptation, Game of Thrones, alongside Cersei Lannister and Petyr Baelish. He is introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996) and subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000). Tywin was portrayed by English actor Charles Dance in the HBO series to widespread acclaim. Tywin is the ruthless patriarch of House Lannister of Casterly Rock and father to twins Cersei and Jaime, and Tyrion. He is the Warden of the West and the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and was twice the Hand of the King, making him one of the most powerful political figures in Westerosi history. His cruelty towards his youngest son, Tyrion, whom Tywin has despised since Tyrion's childhood for being a dwarf and killing his wife in childbirth, is a primary influence on Tyrion's character arc in both the novels and television show. Both Philip IV of France and Edward I of England served as inspirations for Tywin.