The Lannister Family Tree From ‘Game of Thrones’ to ‘House of the Dragon’

The Big Picture

• The Lannisters have a long history in Westeros and in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, tracing back to the legendary trickster Lann the Clever. They have retained power through their cunning and the wealth from their mines.
• Tyrion, despite being despised by his family, has proven to be intelligent and skilled in politics. He played a significant role as Hand of the King and ultimately joined Daenerys in her conquest.
• Tywin, the formidable patriarch of House Lannister, restored the family’s wealth and crushed rebellions. He was murdered by his own son, Tyrion. Jaime, Cersei, and Tytos also played important roles in the family’s history.

There are few houses in the Game of Thrones universe that have stirred as much chaos and political conflicts as the Lannisters. From the Age of Heroes, through the Dance of the Dragons, and up until the end of Game of Thrones, the Lannisters always seem to be around whenever conflict is brewing. Apart from being filthy rich, what’s true about the Lannisters is that they have a knack for attracting the spotlight to themselves, their gold, and their regally blonde hair. Love them or hate them, they always end up at the center of crucial events in Westeros history.

The Lannisters trace back their lineage to Lann the Clever, a legendary trickster from the Age of Heroes, who famously swindled Casterly Rock from its previous owners (aptly named House Casterly) by deceiving them into believing that the castle was haunted. Ever since then, the Lannisters have ruled over the Westerlands, initially as kings, and later as the Warden of the West after Aegon’s conquest. Though the titles changed, the Lannisters retained much of their power over generations, thanks to the abundant supply of gold from the mines underneath their rock. And even after the mines dried up, the Lannisters continue to command respect and inspire fear thanks to the cunning and strength of their family members. Here’s a brief look into the Lannister family tree.

Tyrion

The youngest born child to Tywin (Charles Dance) and Joanna, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) had been an object of contempt to most of his family members. There are two reasons for that contempt. First, his birth resulted in the death of his mother, Joanna. And scond, he was born a dwarf, and as Tyrion himself has said, “All dwarves are bastards in their father’s eyes.” Despite the cruel environment he grew up in, Tyrion grew up to be as sharp and intelligent as his own father. During the Stark’s rebellion, Tyrion was made the Hand of the King to his nephew Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) in Tywin’s absence. During his time as the Hand, he proved his aptitude for ruling and knack for political games.

But his days in the spotlight were soon put to an end after Tywin returned and saved the city from Stannis’ siege during the Battle of the Blackwater. Soon after, he was accused of poisoning and murdering King Joffrey and was proclaimed guilty after a messy trial by combat. Before he could be executed, he made an escape with the help of his brother, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Varys (Conleth Hill), killing his father with a crossbow in the process and joining Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) in her conquest. He serves at her side through the conflict in Meereen, the Long Night, and the battle of King’s Landing. But upon witnessing Daenerys’ heel turn, he resigns as her Hand, and guides Jon Snow (Kit Harington) into killing her. In the end, he delivers a powerful speech to the lords and ladies of Westeros, nominating and later successfully naming Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) as the new King of Westeros. He went on to serve as Bran’s Hand, making Tyrion the only Lannister to receive a semblance of a happy ending in Game of Thrones.

Tywin

Tywin is the formidable patriarch of House Lannister in Game of Thrones. Born the eldest son to Tytos Lannister, Tywin reestablished the prestige and wealth of his house, which had severely dwindled due to his father’s poor investments and pushover nature. He crushed the rebellion of House Reyne of Castamere, and in the process inspired the infamous song about betrayal, “Rains of Castamere”, which was used to strike fear into his enemy’s hearts. During Robert’s Rebellion, Tywin waited out much of the war but swooped in at the very final moment to deliver the winning blow for Robert’s (Mark Addy) party. He led the Lannister army during the Northern Rebellion and conspired with the Freys to orchestrate the Red Wedding, crushing yet another rebellion. From then on, he served as the Hand of the King of Joffrey and Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) before finally being murdered by his own son, Tyrion.

Jaime

The eldest child to Tywin, Jaime was meant to inherit Casterly Rock. But much to Tywin’s dismay, he was sworn in as Kingsguard to King Aerys II, popularly known as “The Mad King.” Members of the Kingsguard can’t hold any properties or titles, and while the decision infuriated Tywin, it’s suspected that Cersei (Lena Headey) potentially influenced the decision. During Robert’s Rebellion, after Tywin attacked the city, the Mad King ordered Jaime to set King’s Landing on fire with his massive stores of wildfire. Unwilling to kill thousands of innocents and also his own father, Jaime stabbed Aerys in the back and earned himself the despicable nickname “Kingslayer” as a result. Despite that, Jaime kept serving as the Kingsguard to all future kings — Robert, Joffrey, and Tommen — and continued his incestuous relationship with his sister, Cersei (Lena Headey). Although he might have wavered and made some awful decisions along the way, Jaime remained loyal to Cersei until the very end. The two died in each other’s arms during Daenerys’ attack on King’s Landing beneath the Red Keep.

Cersei

Jaime’s twin, Cersei might be considered by some to be the cruelest of the Lannisters, though Tywin could give her a run for her money (remember Tysha?). But Cersei is also known for the extreme measures she’ll take to protect her children. As a teenager, she was married off to Robert Baratheon after his rebellion, but after realizing that Robert would always be obsessed with Lyanna, the marriage crumbled emotionally. Robert constantly neglected Cersei, routinely sleeping with other women. In turn, Cersei continued her incestuous affair with her brother Jaime, resulting in the birth of three children. Unfortunately, however, all her children died, after which she seized the crown for herself. Her reign comes to an end after Daenerys attacks the Red Keep.

Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen

Technically, all three of Cersei’s children — Joffrey, Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), Tommen — bear the surname Baratheon, no one can deny that golden Lannister hair. Ned Stark (Sean Bean) and Jon Arryn’s discovery of the truth of Jaime and Cersei’s relationship led to both of their deaths. And while the Targaryens certainly did make incest fashionable, the Lannisters never participated in it historically, and it was looked down upon in Westeros by the time Robert became king. As predicted by the witch, Maggy the Frog, to Cersei when she was young, all three of her children would die. Joffrey was poisoned by Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) to protect her granddaughter Margaery (Natalie Dormer) from him. Tommen killed himself after Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor with wildfire. And Myrcella died in Jaime’s arms on a ship from Dorne after being poisoned by Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) after confessing to him that she knew the truth of her parentage.

Tytos

Tytos Lannister was the father of Tywin, but he could never command fear and respect like his son. In fact, Tytos was so polite and easy-going that his reign made a mockery out of the Lannister house. He afforded massive debts to houses under his rule, but he never so much raised a finger in an attempt to recollect them. In the end, it was his eldest son, Tywin, who had returned battle-hardened from the war of the nine penny kings, who made the tough calls to bring the Lannister name back to its glory days.

Kevan

A younger brother to Tywin, Kevan Lannister (Ian Gelder) had a very limited presence and impact in Game of Thrones. Kevan was mostly seen beside Tywin during the early seasons, counseling and supporting him through the Northern Rebellion. After Tywin’s death, Kevan joined the Small Council, but he was utterly repulsed by Cersei’s seizure of power, and he chose to leave for Casterly Rock. Kevan returns to serve as Hand to the King when Cersei is arrested by the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce).

Lancel

The oldest son of Kevan Lannister, Lancel (Eugene Simon), initially, was an awkward and timid cousin to Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion, who also served as the squire to King Robert. When Jaime was captured, he entered a sexual relationship with Cersei. After a close encounter with death, however, he embraced the Faith of the Seven and joined a group of religious fanatics called Faith Militant. It is his testimony that ultimately leads to Cersei’s arrest. She is only freed after her walk of atonement. Both Kevan and Lancel die in the wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor at the hands of a vengeful Cersei.

Jason

It might be hard to believe that the foppish Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) that we saw in House of the Dragon is the direct ancestor of someone like Tywin, but this is likely the truth. Jason was the proud Lord of Casterly Rock who arrogantly tried to win Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) over as his bride by offering her with gifts, flexing his wealth, and speaking condescendingly to her. Of course, out of Rhaenyra’s many lovers, she did not end up choosing Jason. It’s clear that by the end of House of the Dragon Season 1, he and his house will side with the Greens in the Dance of the Dragons civil war.

Tyland

Jason’s younger twin, Tyland Lannister (also played by Hall) is the quieter and more politically savvy brother. He is a part of Viserys I’s (Paddy Considine) small council and eventually joins Aegon II’s (Tom Glynne-Carney) small council. On the night of Viserys’ death, he advocates for the crowning of Aegon over Rhaenyra in the small council chamber.

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