Biter was one of the criminals recruited by Yoren to join the Night’s Watch. He got taken from the black cells of King’s Landing after Yoren traveled to the city searching for men to join the dwindling Watch. Alongside Rorge and a mysterious Jaqen H’ghar, Biter got chained to a wagon as he was a dangerous criminal. When Yoren and his men get attacked by Queen Cersei Lannister’s men, Arya Stark frees him and the others after Jaqen asks for her help. After escaping imprisonment, Biter becomes a criminal pillaging across Westeros. He and Rorge commit many heinous crimes until they encounter Brienne of Tarth.
Biter Character Details
- Name: Biter
- Allegiances: House Lorch, The Brave Companions
- Year of Death: 300 AC in the Inn at the Crossroads
Appearance and Personality
Biter is a bald ugly-looking man with soft mushy flesh. He cannot speak because he has no tongue, and in place of words, he lets out a hiss. The most prominent feature of Biter is his teeth, filed to look like sharp spikes. He is also a large man: so big that he makes horses almost fall under his weight.
Biter is a feral and mentally decapitated person. He has no sense of humanity because he got trained to fight in dog and bear pits. He was an orphan in Flea Bottom who crossed paths with Rorge, a man that conditioned him into a fighter.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Clash of Kings
After Yoren takes prisoners from King’a Landing, he chains Biter, Rorge, and Jaqen to the back of a wagon because they are the most dangerous criminals he got. As they journey to the Wall, they get stopped by soldiers sent by Queen Cersei Lannister. The soldiers ask for Gendry, but Yoren tells them he cannot indulge in their wish as Gendry is now a property of the Watch.
The soldiers leave but later attack Yoren at the God’s Eye. Led by Ser Amory Lorch, the men kill Yoren, and during the chaos, Jaqen begs Arya, Arry at the time, to free him and the other prisoners, as they got stuck chained to the wagon. Though reluctant, Arya helps them, and they manage to escape. They later join Ser Amory Lorch and arrive at Harrenhal.
When Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie get brought in by Ser Gregor Clegane, she meets Jaqen, who helps deliver Harrenhal into the hands of the Northern prisoners. Biter and Rorge reluctantly agree to aid Arya, and after Harrenhal gets freed, they join the Brave Companions, led by Vargo Hoat.
A Storm of Swords
When Ser Jaime Lannister arrives at Harrenhal, Rorge tells him about an incident where Biter brutally bit off the breasts of a Septa when he partook in a raid for the Brave Companions.
A Feast for Crows
After Vargo Hoat’s death, the Brave Companions split. Biter and Rorge follow a faction of the Companions and indulge in the sacking of the Saltpans. As a menacing criminal, he indulges in so much pillaging until he and Rorge reach the Inn at the Crossroads. They meet Brienne, and a confrontation occurs. During the duel, Rorge gets killed, and Biter violently attacks Brienne, biting her all over her face. However, she gets saved by Gendry, who kills the feral man by driving a spear through his back.
Relevance in Adaptation
In HBO’s hit tv series Game of Thrones, actor Gerard Jordan portrayed Biter. He appeared in seasons 1, 2, and 4, and starred in 5 episodes. He was among the recruits for the Night’s Watch who got indicted into the Lannister army after the rest of Yoren’s men got killed.
Biter gets taken to Harrenhal, where he meets Arya, who asks about Jaqen. After leaving Harrenhal, the Stark girl gets captured by Sandor Clegane, the Hound, and they arrive at a homestead pillaged by Rorge’s gang. After Sandor gives a peasant the gift of mercy, he gets attacked from behind by Biter. Sandor overpowers and kills him.
Biter: A Beast of no Soul
Biter was never a human; he was an animal who indulged in so many destructive acts. He only got worse after joining the notorious sellsword company, the Brave Companions. However, one could say his life was an unfortunate one. He never knew love and got trained to be an animal. Though he committed heinous crimes, he did so because he lacked all sense of good.
FAQs
How did Arya Stark save Biter, Rorge, and Jaqen?
When Ser Amory Lorch and some Lannister soldiers attacked Yoren on the journey to the Wall, they killed him. Amidst the chaos, the wagon Biter, Rorge, and Jaqen got held in catches fire. Jaqen begs Arya to free him from the chains, and before she leaves, she throws him an axe.
What happens after Amory Lorch attacks Yoren?
After Yoren and the Black Brothers get attacked, the prisoners traveling to the Wall escape, and Arya leaves with her friends Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands, and Gendry. However, she gets captured by Ser Gregor Clegane’s men, who kill Lommy.
Why did Biter join the Bloody Mummers?
Biter joined the Brave Companions because Rorge joined. He was a beastlike human who knew nothing but fighting and terror, so when Rorge saw the Brave Companions, he knew it was an opportunity.
What is unique about Biter’s mouth?
Biter had pointed teeth that got filed when he was younger. He fought in bear pits and lost most of his humanity. He was one of the most ruthless people in the Brave Companions. However, after the group disbanded, he and Rorge formed a new faction. Eventually, he gets killed by Brienne, who gets captured by Lady Stoneheart of the Brotherhood without Banners.
