Stannis Baratheon: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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| aliases = {{Unbulleted list|The King in the Narrow Sea|The King of the Painted Table|The King of Dragonstone|The King at the Wall|The dark lord|Azor Ahai|The prince that was promised}}

| gender = Male

| occupation=King, military and political commander

| title = {{Unbulleted list|Lord of [[Dragonstone (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Dragonstone]]|Lord Paramount of the Stormlands|Master of Ships (former)|Lord of Storm's End|King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men (claimant)|King of Westeros (claimant)|Lord of the Seven Kingdoms (claimant)|Protector of the Realm (claimant)|Ser|Commander of the Nightfort}}

| family = [[House Baratheon]]

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===Background===

Stannis was born the second of Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Estermont's three sons and in his youth was constantly overshadowed by [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]. When Stannis was 14, he witnessed his parents' death in a shipwreck off the coast of House Baratheon's castle, Storm's End, and subsequently lost his faith in the Seven Gods.

During Robert's Rebellion, a teenage Stannis holds Storm's End in Robert's absence, successfully defending the besieged castle from the Reach forces of Mace Tyrell and Paxter Redwyne for the best part of the year. Stannis' garrison avoids starvation thanks only to the smuggler [[Davos Seaworth]], who evades the blockade by the Redwyne fleet to bring the Baratheon soldiers a cargo of onions and fish. When [[Eddard Stark]] arrives to lift the siege, Stannis knights Davos as reward for his aid, but also insists that Davos have four fingers removed as punishment for his years of illegal smuggling; Davos agrees, on the condition that Stannis removes the fingers himself. Stannis is subsequently tasked with building a new royal fleet to assault Dragonstone and capture the island, but arrives to find that Aerys II Targaryen's children [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and the newborn [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] had fled. Robert names Stannis Lord of Dragonstone, giving him control over the islands of Blackwater Bay and the nearby peninsula of Massey's Hook - but Stannis feels slighted, as their younger brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] is named Lord of [[Storm's End]], giving him control over the entirety of the Stormlands.

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Stannis is frequently described as a large and sinewy man that towers over others, such as [[Davos Seaworth]] and [[Jon Snow (character)|Jon Snow]], a Baratheon trait. He lacks the long black hair of his brothers, and is instead balding, although he keeps a close-cropped beard of the signature Baratheon black. His face is described as 'tight like cured leather' with hollow, gaunt cheeks. His eyes are described by [[Asha Greyjoy]] as 'deep, sunken pits', with a powerful stare that suggests an 'iron ferocity'.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last= Martin|first=George R.R. |author-link=George R.R. Martin |date=2011 |title=A Dance with Dragons|url= https://archive.org/details/dancewithdragons00mart|url-access= registration}}</ref>

Stannis' most prominent characteristics are his flinty and austere demeanor, unrelenting stubbornness, and powerful sense of duty and justice, the latter of which he is notorious for throughout [[Westeros]]. He rarely forgives a slight; Jon Snow once comments that "Stannis Baratheon with a grievance was like a mastiff with a bone; he gnawed it down to splinters."<ref name=":0"/> His signature tic is grinding his teeth, often in the face of unpleasant or unforeseen circumstances. He is a renowned commander, sailor, and warrior, although he is a better tactician than fighter. Stannis is known for his brusqueness and lack of tact in social situations and finds himself uncomfortable around women, including his own wife. He abhors [[brothels]] and once tried to have them banned from [[King's Landing (A Song of Ice and Fire)|King's Landing]], which made him unpopular with the smallfolk there. He dresses plainly in dark clothing and is rarely seen without his sword and dagger. Stannis is plagued with bitterness at the lack of respect and affection he has been shown by his older brother King Robert, and even in childhood was described by the Baratheon family maester as "the most unloved of the three"; a "solemn and joyless" child "mature beyond his years".<ref>{{cite book |last= Martin|first=George R.R. |author-link=George R.R. Martin |date=1998 |title=A Clash of Kings|publisher=Voyager |isbn=9780006479895 |url= https://archive.org/details/clashofkingsason00geor_0|url-access= registration}}</ref> Stannis is an [[atheist]], despite claims that he is being manipulated by the red priestess [[Melisandre]].

Although Stannis suffers from a lack of support and resources during the War of Five Kings, he is frequently described by his adversaries, including [[Tywin Lannister]], as the most dangerous rival claimant. Above all he is characterized by his fearless and uncompromising pursuit of justice and duty - he is described by [[Varys]] in this way: "His claim is the true one, he is known for his prowess as a battle commander, and he is utterly without mercy. There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man."<ref>{{cite book |last= Martin|first=George R.R. |author-link=George R.R. Martin |date=1996 |title=A Game of Thrones|url= https://archive.org/details/agameofthrones_201908}}</ref>

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==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ====

{{see also|A Storm of Swords}}

Stannis retreats to Dragonstone with what is left of his army (around 1,500 men-at-arms). He imprisons his Hand Lord Alester Florent, one of his wife's uncles, for trying to offer terms of surrender to the Lannisters. Another of Selyses' uncles, Ser Axell Florent, castellan of Dragonstone, aims to become Stannis' Hand of the King. He suggests a plan to attack Claw Isle in retaliation for Lord Celtigar's bending the knee to Joffrey, but Davos derides an attack on this defenseless island as evil. For this honest counsel Stannis names Davos as his new Hand. Melisandre tells Stannis to burn Edric Storm, one of Robert's bastards, as a sacrifice to raise dragons from Dragonstone. Stannis is conflicted about burning his nephew but uses Edric's blood collected by three leeches to curse the rival kings: [[Balon Greyjoy]], [[Joffrey Baratheon]], and [[Robb Stark]]. After Joffrey's, Balon's and Robb's deaths seem to prove the power of king's blood, Stannis considers sacrificing Edric. Davos smuggles Edric off Dragonstone to the Free Cities, and then persuades Stannis to sail to the North and save the [[Night's Watch]] from the wildling army.

After Melisandre burns Alester Florent as a sacrifice to R'hllor to ensure favorable winds, Stannis takes most of his remaining army and sails north to the Wall to relieve the Wildlings' threat on Castle Black. Stannis' sudden arrival at the Wall catches [[Mance Rayder]], the King-Beyond-the-Wall, by surprise, and his cavalry routs the whole Wildling host with few casualties. Afterwards, he remains at Castle Black to negotiate settlement over the Wildling prisoners and offers to legitimise [[Eddard Stark]]'s bastard son [[Jon Snow (character)|Jon Snow]] as the new lord of Winterfell if Jon swears loyalty to him and joins the fight against House Bolton. Despite being tempted, Jon declines the offer as he has made an oath binding him to serve the Night's Watch and does not want Winterfell's godswood to be burned by Melisandre. Later, Stannis pressures the Night's Watch to finish electing a new Lord Commander, and Jon is eventually elected through secret [[lobbying]] by [[Samwell Tarly]].

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==== Season 5 ====

Stannis begins plans to retake the North from Roose Bolton, hoping to recruit Mance's wildling army, if Mance will bend the knee to him. Mance refuses, and Stannis has him [[Death by burning|burnt at the stake]]. Stannis offers to legitimise Jon as a Stark to win the loyalty of the Northerners who refuse to recognise Stannis as their king, but Jon decides to remain loyal to his vows to the Night's Watch. Stannis marches on Winterfell, but his army is delayed by a large snowstorm. In the chaos Ramsay Bolton and his men infiltrate Stannis's camp, and destroy all supplies and horses. Melisandre persuades a reluctant Stannis to sacrifice Shireen to ensure victory. Although the snowstorm lifts, half of Stannis's army deserts him, Selyse commits suicide out of guilt, and Melisandre flees to Castle Black. Stannis decides to complete the march on foot. As his army arrives at Winterfell, it is swiftly defeated by a cavalry charge led by Ramsay Bolton. Stannis survives the battle, but is confronted by [[Brienne of Tarth]], a former member of Renly's Kingsguard. Stannis confesses to killing Renly with blood magic, and Brienne executes him, telling Stannis she is killing him in the name of the 'rightful' King Renly.

=== Critical reception ===

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[[Category:Fictional knights]]

[[Category:Fictional lords and ladies]]

[[Category:Fictional peopleexecuted sentenced to deathcharacters]]

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[[Category:Fictional military strategists]]