Theon Greyjoy

Theon Greyjoy
A Song of Ice and Fire character

Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
First appearance Novel:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"Winter Is Coming" (2011)
Created by George R. R. Martin
Portrayed by Alfie Allen
Game of Thrones
Information
Aliases Reek
Title Prince of Winterfell
Family House Greyjoy
Relatives Balon Greyjoy (father)
Alannys Greyjoy (mother)
Rodrik Greyjoy (brother)
Asha/Yara Greyjoy (sister)
Maron Greyjoy (brother)
Kingdom Iron Islands

Theon Greyjoy is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. Theon is the son and heir of Balon Greyjoy, taken as a ward by Lord Eddard Stark following Balon's failed rebellion.[1]

Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones, Theon is the son of Balon Greyjoy from the fictional kingdom of Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Dance with Dragons (2011). He is one of the major third person points-of-view through which Martin narrates both books.

Theon is portrayed by Alfie Allen in the HBO television adaptation.[2][3][4]

Character description

Theon Greyjoy is the only living son, and heir apparent of Balon Greyjoy. He is the third-person narrator for thirteen chapters throughout A Clash of Kings and A Dance with Dragons. He is arrogant, cocky, and proud. Ten years before the events of the series, he was taken hostage by Eddard Stark to be executed if Balon displeased the king, Robert Baratheon. Theon was raised at Winterfell with the Stark children and became a close friend to Robb Stark in particular.

As a prisoner of Ramsay Snow, the "Bastard of Bolton", he has been subjected to physical and psychological torture and mockingly renamed as "Reek".[5]

Overview

Theon Greyjoy is not a point of view character in the first novel, but starting the second novel A Clash of Kings he became a POV character.[6]

Reception

Originally auditioning for the role of Jon Snow,[7] the English actor Alfie Allen has received positive reviews for his role as Theon Greyjoy in the tv-series.[8]

Storylines

A coat of arms showing a golden kraken on a black field
Coat of arms of House Greyjoy

Books

A Game of Thrones

In A Game of Thrones, Theon Greyjoy was Eddard Stark's ward and later fights at Robb's side when Robb rebels against the Iron Throne.

A Clash of Kings

In A Clash of Kings, Robb Stark sends Theon as an envoy to Pyke, seeking Balon Greyjoy's aid in his rebellion against House Lannister. Balon, however, has other ideas, and claims the North for himself, sending Theon to harry coastal settlements, an unimportant task meant to test his son's loyalties. Theon ignores his orders and his sister Asha's advice and decides to take and hold Winterfell, to impress his father. Because of this, the northmen dub him Theon Turncloak.

Theon is betrayed by Ramsay Snow, a former ally, and is unable to take Winterfell. Theon is instead taken to the Dreadfort when Bolton soldiers under Ramsay's command raze Winterfell at the end of A Clash of Kings.

A Storm of Swords

A piece of human skin, purportedly that of Theon's little finger, is presented to the Starks in A Storm of Swords (2000), but considering Ramsay Snow's role in Theon's display of Bran and Rickon Stark's bodies, this may not be the case.

A Dance with Dragons

By A Dance with Dragons he has been tortured, flayed, and psychologically broken; it is strongly implied that he has also been castrated. Traumatized, Theon is forced to assume the identity of Reek, Ramsay's previous servant, and attempts to forget his former name. When Ramsay is betrothed to a substitute Arya Stark, Theon recognizes her as Jeyne Poole. With the aid of Mance Rayder, Theon helps Jeyne escape from Winterfell and reach the army of Stannis Baratheon.

Television adaptation

Alfie Allen plays the role of Theon Greyjoy in the television series.

Theon Greyjoy is played by Alfie Allen in the television adaptation of the series of books.[9]

Season 1

Theon is introduced as the hostage and ward of Lord Eddard Stark, stemming from the failed Greyjoy Rebellion. Despite his position, he remains loyal to Eddard and is good friends with his sons Robb and Jon. While he has never questioned his position, he soon begins to have doubts after Tyrion Lannister tells him he is nothing more than a servant to the Starks and that not everyone respects him. Nevertheless, Theon initially remains loyal to Robb after he goes to war with the Lannisters and supports his decision to have the North secede from the Seven Kingdoms and form their own kingdom.

Season 2

Theon is sent to the Iron Islands to seek a Stark alliance with the Greyjoys. However, his father criticizes Theon for accepting the northern lifestyle and rejects Robb's proposal. Wishing to prove to his father that he is a true Ironborn, he joins his family's invasion of the North.[10] To gain the respect of his men, he ignores his orders to raid the shores and captures Winterfell. The situation worsens for Theon when he is forced to kill his old mentor Ser Rodrik Cassel and fakes the deaths of Bran and Rickon Stark to the people of Winterfell after they escape by killing two orphans. Regretting what he has done and with no help coming from his family, Theon decides to die fighting with his men defending Winterfell from a Stark force led by Roose Bolton's bastard son. However, he is betrayed by his men due to Robb's offer of clemency and safe return to the Iron Islands if they give up Theon.

Season 3

Theon is taken captive and kept in an unknown castle, where he is briefly tortured, but later manages to escape with the help of a serving boy who claims to work for his sister Yara. He is brought back to the very castle he escaped from, the serving boy proving to actually be his captor and torturer, Ramsay Snow, Lord Bolton's sadistic bastard. Theon is subsequently brutally tortured, flayed and gelded by Ramsay, who forces him to rename himself Reek, and beats him until he submits to his new name. Theon's penis is sent in a box to his father, with Ramsay threatening to mutilate Theon further unless the Ironmen retreat from the North. Balon refuses, as Theon defied him and is unable to further the Greyjoy line. Outraged, Yara responds she intends to save her brother of her own accord.[11]

Season 4

Theon is freed from his restraints by Ramsay, but is forced to work for him as a servant and answer to the name Reek. Roose Bolton orders Ramsay to launch an attack on Moat Cailin, an Ironborn-occupied fortress that is blockading the Northern lands from the rest of Westeros, and to take Theon with him. Before they leave, the Dreadfort is infiltrated by Yara and her men, but Theon refuses to flee with her, believing it may be another trick on Ramsay's part, forcing Yara to leave without him. Impressed by his loyalty, Ramsay has Theon masquerade as himself and tricks the Ironborn into opening Moat Cailin, leading to them all being flayed by the Bolton army. Theon subsequently accompanies the Boltons to their new seat of Winterfell.

Season 5

Theon is stunned to realise that Ramsay has been betrothed to Sansa Stark, and tries to avoid her until Sansa is shown Theon's dungeon by Ramsay's psychotic paramour Myranda.[12] After learning of their reunion, Ramsay involves Theon in his torment of Sansa by having him give her away at the wedding and then forcing him to watch as he rapes Sansa.[13] Sansa asks for Theon's assistance to escape from Ramsay, but Theon, wishing to spare her Ramsay's wrath, instead warns Ramsay, causing him to flay the maid who had tried to help Sansa escape. When Sansa confronts Theon, he confesses that he did not kill her brothers. While Ramsay and the Bolton army attack Stannis Baratheon's forces, Sansa makes another escape attempt, but is caught and threatened by Myranda. Finally snapping, Theon pushes Myranda to her death, just as the victorious Boltons return. Rather than face Ramsay's wrath, Theon and Sansa jump from the Winterfell walls.

Season 6

Theon and Sansa are caught by Bolton hunters in the woods surrounding Winterfell, but are saved by the arrival of Brienne of Tarth, who kills the hunters; during the confrontation, Theon saves Brienne's squire Podrick Payne by killing a soldier dueling him. Although Sansa and Brienne decide to make for Castle Black, where Sansa's half-brother Jon is Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Theon tells her that he does not deserve the Starks' forgiveness and instead decides to return to the Iron Islands.

Family tree of House Greyjoy

Family tree of House Greyjoy
Lady of
House Stonetree		QuellonLady of
House Piper
Lady of
House Sunderly
HarlonQuentonDonelBalon IXAlannys HarlawEuron III
"Crow's Eye"		VictarionUrrigonAeron
"Damphair"		Robin
Rodrik
MaronAshaTheon
Notes:

    References

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