Summary
Robert Baratheon might not have stayed in the game for long, but due to his position as the King of Westeros, he can be rightfully seen as one of the key figures in the first season ofGame of Thrones. He invited Eddard Stark and his family toKing’s Landing to serve as the Hand, which incited many other notable events in the series.
However, Robert is shown to be a subpar king who doesn’t care about politics, instead preferring to hunt, drink and sleep around. He leaves the kingdom in the hands of the Small Council and shows no desire to participate in the ruling. However, he was a very different man before taking the Iron Throne. He was known as the heroic and charismatic leader of the Baratheon Rebellion. Here are some of the notorious things he did before becoming King.
8Became The Lord Of Storm’s End
Was Forced Into The Roll After His Father’s Death
Robert had to deal with more responsibility than most children were expected to. His parents,Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermontdied in a tragedy as their ship returned from Essos and got caught in a storm that decimated it. Both Robert and his younger brother, Stannis, became witnesses to the ship’s destruction.
Even since then, Robert Baratheon became the lord of Storm’s End and Stormlands, which put him at the helm of ruling and prepared him for his future roles as both the leader of a rebellion and the King of Seven Kingdoms.
7Forged An Immortal Bond With The Starks
His Love For Lyanna Stark Ensured Loyalty For Life
After his parents' death, Robert was fostered byJon Arryn, lord of the Valley. He became his mentor, who taught Robert much, but he also allowed Robert and Eddard Stark to meet. Young Stark was also fostered by Arryn; he and Robert bonded over their similarities, which marked the beginning of a friendship that lasted for life.
This wasn’t the only bond Robert forged with the Stark family. He also got acquainted with Lyanna Stark, whom he loved dearly and was betrothed to. Despite her being in love with another man, Robert is motivated enough to start a rebellion and overthrow Targaryen’s rule for her.
6Acted As Lord Paramount Of Stormlands
Held Considerable Power And Reputation Before The Rebellion
During the reign of Aerys Targaryen, Robert started as a loyal ally. Even before the years of his fame and rebellion, he held the position of Lord Paramount of Stormlands, which gave him lordship over Baratheon’s familial house,Storm’s End. This position allowed Robert to keep the Stormlands in order.
During this time, he was seen as a good leader who was able to maintain stability and justice in his home region. This kind of responsibility creates a clear contrast between his reign as a lord and his later reign as a king, displaying his deterioration over time.
5Beat Ser Richard Lonmouth In A Drinking Contest
His Display Of Alcoholism Was At The Tourney At Harrenhal
Despite his obsession with alcohol being one of the elements that ruined Robert’s reign as a king, some of his earlier exploits show that he was able to engage in heavy drinking while still remaining a talented leader. One of those is his drinking game with Ser Richard Lonmouth.
Robert encountered Lonmouth during a tourney in Harrenhall back at the time of his betrothal, where the two engaged in a drinking game. Robert Baratheon won and took great pride in it. This portrays him as a man who can have good fun, which makes him all the more charismatic to others, even if drinking so heavy isn’t exactly a feat to be proud of.
4Incited A Rebellion
One of Robert’s most well-known exploits is his participation in the uprising thatput an end to Targaryen’s rule over Westeros, changing the direction of the continent’s tale forever. Robert, along with Eddard and Jon Arryn, was one of the leaders who decided to partake in the rebellion because of the"abduction" of Lyanna by Rhaegar Targaryen.
He was at the core of a rebellion that forced multiple houses that had been at each other’s throats to work together, such as Starks and Lannisters. That, along with Targaryens' decimation, shows how much change Robert Baratheon enacted in the world.
3Became The People’s Hero
His Strengths In Battle Made Him A Respected Champion
While his initial stakes in the rebellion were largely personal, it led to him becoming a well-recognized hero among the people of Westeros. He was not the main leader of the rebellion initially, but both Eddard and Jon agreed that out of all of them, Robert had the most charisma and fiery passion to become a symbol of their uprising.
For the common folk, Robert became a venerable figure who played a key part in ending the rule of the Mad King and returning power in Westeros back to the native people of the continent. This reputation persisted even after he became King despite his deterioration.
2Defeated Prince Rhgaegar Targaryen
Robert Killed One Of The Best Swordsmen In Westeros
Robert Baratheon felt a special kind of hatred for RhaegarTargaryen, as he believed him responsible for raping and killing Lyanna. The two of them led their respective armies during the Battle of the Trident, one of the two events that were seen as the culmination of the uprising.
During the battle, Robert and Rhaegar faced off in a ferocious duel, which ended with Robert crushing Rhaegar’s rib with his hammer. The prince’s death undermined the morale of not only his immediate army but also of many Targaryen-affiliated houses who held much more respect for Rhaegar than his father, Aerys.
1Married Cersei Lannister
Secured A Lannister Alliance With A Loveless Marriage
Cersei Lannister was not a woman Robert loved or cared for, yet he still married to secure a powerful political alliance with House Lannister. This decision allowed him and Cersei to ascend to the Iron Throne and create stability between the two conflicting sides.
Despite being wed to one of the most beautiful women in Westeros, Robert still couldn’t get over Lyanna’s death and never couldsee Cersei in the same way. This led to a very unhappy marriage between the two, which emotionally drained them. Perhaps if Robert could truly love Cersei, the events ofGame of Throneswould have been vastly different.
