Podrick Payne

Podrick Payne is a member of House Payne as a squire of Tyrion Lannister. He is the distant cousin of Ser Illyn Payne, the King’s Justice and executioner. After his father died and his mother left him for a singer, Pod got taken in by a distant cousin, who treated him like a slave. He later met Tyrion and served under him. Even after Tyrion got charged with the death of Joffrey, Pod remained faithful. He later joined Brienne of Tarth to find Sansa Stark.

Personal Details

• Name: Podrick Payne.
• Culture: Westernmen.
• Religion: Faith of the Seven.
• Year of Birth: 286 or 287 AC.
• Aliases: Pods, Pod.
• Allegiances: House Payne, House Lannister, Tyrion, Brienne.

Appearance and Personality

Podrick is a skinny little boy with a thin neck. He looks improvised and has light hair. Because his family is from a small house in Westeros, they remained squires for House Lannister.

Podrick is quiet and shy. He acts like he is scared of human interaction and usually stammers when talking with others. He also avoids eye contact with fervency and refrains from talking to people of high standing. Though timid, he sometimes shows great courage and was even commended as one of the best squires ever by Tyrion.

Biography

Podrick came from humble beginnings. He was born to a father who squired for richer cousins and a mother who was a chandler’s daughter. At a young age, his father died while fighting during Greyjoy’s Rebellion. After his death, Pod’s mother left him in Ser Cedric Payne’s hands and ran away with a wandering singer. Though related by blood, Cedric treated Pod harshly and made him work like a slave. He later got a dog whom he named Hero.

Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones

When Tyrion gets arrested by Catelyn Lannister at the Crossroads Inn, his father, Tywin Lannister, calls his banners, and Ser Cedric Payne takes Podrick along as his squire. However, Cedric gets killed in the Riverlands. With no one to squire for, Podrick joins Ser Lorimer the Belly, a hedge knight. However, Lorimer gets killed for stealing a ham from Tywin Lannister’s store. Though Podrick ate the ham, he gets spared because of his family name and goes into Ser Kevan Lannister’s service.

After Tyrion gets freed after Bronn fought for him, he returns to his father’s camp and joins the Lannister forces in the Riverlands. Podrick goes under his service, becoming his squire. Thinking he is mute, Tyrion asks Pod to show him his tongue, and later, he begins suspecting he got given Pod as a form of getting mocked. Later, Podrick wakes Tyrion after the surprise battle of the Green Fork begins.

A Clash of Kings

After the Lannister push the Stark forces back, Tyrion gets tasked by his father to return to King’s Landing and take the position of Hand of the King. Upon arriving, Tyrion sends Podrick to Ser Aron Santagar, the master-at-arms for the Red Keep, for training.

Tyrion takes Podrick with him to negotiate a marriage pact between the Lannisters and Dorne. He tests his squire’s knowledge of heraldry by making him describe the banners of the Dornish nobles. Aron gets killed during the bread riots that ensue when the people begin hurling things at Joffrey when widespread hunger overshadows King’s Landing.

When Tyrion learns that Stannis Baratheon is carrying a fleet toward King’s Landing, he begins preparing for war. Podrick insists on accompanying him to the Battle of the Blackwater. When the battle starts, everything gets heated, and Stannis’s troops begin overwhelming Tyrion’s forces.

Amid the chaos, Ser Mandon Moore of the Kingsguard tries assassinating Tyrion, but Podrick saves him by pushing the knight into Blackwater Rush. After Mandon’s death, Tyrion tells Pod to keep everything a secret, as he suspected his sister, Cersei Lannister, ordered the hit on him.

A Storm of Swords

After Stannis gets defeated at the Battle of Blackwater, Tywin Lannister takes back his position as the Hand of the King. Tyrion continues recuperating from his injuries.

To solve the problems of uniting the North and South, Tywin marries Sansa to Tyrion. She initially gets scared of Podrick as he is related to Ser Illyn Payne, who killed Eddard Stark. However, she realizes that Podrick is afraid of her. Meanwhile, Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell get married, and at the wedding, Joffrey dies from getting poisoned. Tyrion gets blamed for his death and gets locked up.

Oberyn Martell agrees to fight for Tyrion in a trial by combat. Clegane gets chosen, and though the Red Viper almost kills Gregor, the mountain gets the upper hand and kills him. Upon Oberyn’s defeat, Gregor confesses his actions during the Sack of King’s Landing in Robert’s Rebellion. Later, Ser Jaime Lannister and Lord Varys help Tyrion escape to Essos, and Podrick loses his master.

A Feast for Crows

When Podrick learns that Brienne of Tarth is looking for Sansa and her sister Arya Stark, he begins a journey to find her as he thinks that finding Sansa will make him learn of Tyrion’s whereabouts. On her journey to find the Stark girls, Brienne notices someone following her. She confronts the boy and learns of his intentions. She then agrees to take him on her journey.

Brienne employs Dick Crabb to take her from Maidenpool to the Whispers, as she learned a fool resided there and hoped it would be Ser Dontos Hollard. However, it turns out to be Shagwell and two other former members of the Brave Companions. Dick gets killed, and Podrick helps Brienne by throwing stones at Shagwell. Later, Ser Hyle Hunt joins Brienne after she meets Lord Randyll Tarly. 

With Hyle and Podrick, Brienne travels to the Inn of the Crossroads, where she meets Gendry, who saves her from other men from the Brave Companions. During the fight, Brienne gets injured and is later taken to the Brotherhood without Banners with Hyle and Podrick. When she meets Lady Stoneheart, she gets instructed to kill Jaime but refuses. For refusing, Brienne, Podrick, and Hyle are sentenced to death and get hanged.

Appearance in Adaptations

In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Podrick got portrayed by Daniel Portman. He appeared in seasons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and starred in 35 episodes. In the tv series, Podrick is a knight of House Payne. He squires for Tyrion and saves him from getting killed by Ser Mandon Moore by driving a spear through his neck.

After the Battle of Blackwater, Tyrion sends Pod to get Bronn in Littlefinger’s brothel. After meeting Tyrion, Bronn tells him that he owes his squire for saving his life, and as repayment, Tyrion takes Podrick to Littlefinger’s brother, where he pays for three prostitutes to take his virginity. To Tyrion’s surprise, Podrick returns with all the coins, stating that women enjoyed the experience so much that they refused payment. 

When Tyrion disappears after Joffrey’s death, Podrick joins Brienne in searching for him. She trains him in swordsmanship, and he becomes a better fighter. They arrive at Winterfell and help Sansa and Theon Greyjoy. Sansa gets taken to Castle Black to meet her brother, Jon Snow, and Theon returns home to learn of his father’s death. The Starks take control of the North, and Jon becomes the King of the North. He later meets Daenerys Targaryen.

Podrick: Loyalty and Bravery

Podrick is one of the kindest and most loyal characters in A Song of Ice and Fire. Though he got treated terribly, he remained kind and served others without malice. As he grew up, he became brave and helped the people he followed by saving their lives; this makes him a person of bravery and undiluted loyalty.

FAQs