Ser Arys Oakheart was a knight of House Oakheart and a member of the Kingsguard for King Robert Baratheon and his son King Joffrey Baratheon. When Tyrion Lannister sends his niece Dorne, Arys Oakheart accompanies her. He later falls in love with Arianne Martell and joins a conspiracy to act against the interests of King Tommen and the Iron Throne. However, the plan backfires when a heavy confrontation occurs.
Ser Arys Oakheart was one of the few knights who took his vows seriously. After King Robert’s death, he watches and laughs as his Lord commander, Ser Barristan Selmy, gets sacked from his duty. He later gets tasked by Tyrion Lannister to protect Princess Myrcella Baratheon. However, he joins a plot by Arianne Martell and meets his end at the hands of Areo Hotah.
Arys Oakheart Details
- Name: Arys Oakheart.
- Year of Birth: In or before 274 AC, at Old Oak.
- Titles: Ser.
- Alias: The White Knight.
- Allegiances: House Oakheart, House Baratheon of King’s Landing, the Kingsguard.
- Year of Death: 300 AC at the Greenblood.
- Mother: Lady Arwyn Oakheart.
- Lover: Princess Arianne Martell.
- Culture: Reach.
- Religion: Faith of the Seven.
- Hair Color: Brown.
Appearance and Personality
Arys is a handsome man with a comely face and a courteous demeanor. He has light-brown hair and serves as a knight of the Kingsguard fervently. Arys owns a tunic made from the golden oak tree of House Oakheart, and his armor has white-enameled scales. The knight has three white cloaks made from different types of wool: light wool, silk, and heavy wool, and he pins them with the golden leaf of his house. Arys wields a sword as his primary weapon.
History
Arys became a knight of the Kingsguard in 290 AC after his predecessor died during the Greyjoy Rebellion.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
After Lord Eddard Stark becomes the Hand of the King, Aer Arys competes in the Hand’s Tourney with other knights of the Kingsguard. After King Robert Baratheon’s death, Lord Eddard gets arrested, and a meeting gets held at the throne room. Arys laughs as Ser Barristan Selmy, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, gets dismissed from his post.
A Clash of Kings
With Lord Eddard’s death, Joffrey torments Sansa Stark and orders the knights of the Kingsguard to beat her. All the soldiers except Sandor Clegane beat the Stark girl. Arys is the only knight of the Kingsguard to protest, and he goes gentle on her when he gets ordered by the King. Seeing his kindness, Sansa allows him to accompany her to Joffrey’s name-day tourney. Arys, loving gossip, tells Sansa of Lord Tywin Lannister’s refusal to travel to King’s Landing on Queen Regent Cersei Lannister’s command.
When Tyrion Lannister arrives as the acting Hand of the King, he makes a deal with Dorne to wed Princess Myrcella Baratheon to Trystane Martell. Tyrion sends Arys to Sunspear as Myrcella’s sworn shield, and before leaving, the knight regrets hitting Sansa. He lights a candle to the Warrior of the Seven, showing gratitude for being chosen for the mission.
A Storm of Swords
Arys sends a letter to Lord Tywin Lannister telling him that Myrcella and Trystane got along just fine. The knight informs Tywin that Myrcella has assumed a great liking to Arianne Martell, Prince Doran Martell’s daughter.
A Feast for Crows
Six months after reaching Dorne, Arys succumbs to Arianne Martell’s seduction. On learning of Prince Oberyn Martell’s death and King Joffrey’s demise at his wedding, Arianne tells Arys of her plan to rebel against the Iron Throne. She explains to the knight that Myrcella Baratheon should be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms according to Dornish customs and convinces him to swear loyalty to Myrcella as Queen.
Following her plan, Arys and Myrcella arrive at the Greenblood, but they get confronted by Prince Doran’s guards. Arys charges into the Martell guards and gets killed by Areo Hotah. Arriane gets imprisoned, and she gets nightmares of Arys’s death. Doran later tells his daughter that Ser Balon Swann, Arys’s sworn brother, is heading for Sunspear. He then tells her to convince Myrcella to lie.
A Dance with Dragons
When Ser Balon Swann arrives in Dorne, the Dornish court tells him that Arys got killed by Ser Gerold Dayne. Meanwhile, Queen Cersei Lannister, who got arrested by the Faith Militant, tells Qyburn to place her new champion Ser Robert Strong in Arys’s place.
Relevance in Adaptations
In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Ser Arys Oakheart got portrayed by an unidentified actor. He served as a member of the Queensguard for Cersei after Tommen’s death. He appeared in seasons 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8 and starred in 6 episodes. He died during the Battle of King’s Landing.
Arys Oakheart: The Fallen Knight
Though courteous and kind, Arys fell because he listened to the words of a seductress who never loved him. He got tricked into a conspiracy that would never have benefitted him or anyone else.
FAQs
Did Arys love Arianne Martell?
Ser Arys loved Arianne Martell. Though it took him some time to fall for her, he was willing to do anything after. However, she did not love him and only used him to achieve her goals.
Was Arys as strong as Barristan Selmy?
Not at all. Though Arys was an excellent knight, he was nowhere near the level of an incredible knight like Ser Barristan Selmy, who single-handedly rescued King Aerys II Targaryen from captivity.
Who killed Arys?
After agreeing to help Arianne Martell crown Princess Myrcella Queen, Arys followed his lover to the Greenblood. However, Areo Hotah and Doran’s guards show up, and Arys charges at them; this forces Areo to kill him.
What happened after Arys’s death?
After Arys’s death, Ser Balon Swann arrives at Sunspear, and Prince Doran hosts a feast for him. Myrcella tells the knight that Arys got killed by Ser Gerold Dayne.
