After joining the Watch, Pypar becomes friends with Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard stark. When King Robert Baratheon dies, Pyp and his friends stop Jon from making a grave mistake. Though there is little information on his background, he was a part of a mummer’s band and had a good singing voice. Upon getting to Castle Black, he meets the castle’s master-at-arms Ser Alliser Thorne and gets nicknamed Monkey. Because of Jon’s privileged upbringing, Pyp gets beaten in combat. However, Jon becomes friends with Pyp and teaches him how to fight.
Pypar Personal Details
- Name: Pypar.
- Allegiance: Night’s Watch.
- Aliases: Pyp, Monkey, Mummer’s Monkey.
- Race: Andal.
- Religion: Faith of the Seven.
Appearance and Personality
Pypar has a small frame and large ears. Because he was part of a mummer’s group, he has many talents, including wiggling his ears and imitating many voices. Besides copying any voice he sets out to learn, Pyp also claims to be able to identify a person’s origin based on their accent and is a singer. When Pyp reaches Castle Black, he and Grenn, a boy with slow wits, become friends, and later, he, Jon, and Sam get close. However, when Jon becomes the new Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, he gets angry because of Jon’s new attitude.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
After Jon snow leaves Winterfell with Tyrion Lannister, he reaches Castle black and begins training to become a member of the Night’s Watch. During his training, he and Pyp, one of the recruits, get pitted to fight against each other. Having no combat training, Pyp gets beaten by Jon, who notices he uses his sword like a dagger. Though he and Jon get off on a rocky start, they become friends after Jon offers to teach him the art of combat. When Samwell Tarly arrives at the castle, Jon and Pyp protect him from harm against Rast and his friends. Later, Pyp becomes a member of the rangers after taking his oaths.
When Lord Eddard Stark gets arrested in King’s Landing, his son, Robb Stark, raises his banners to retrieve his father. King Joffrey Baratheon, the new King, orders Eddard to get killed. On learning of the death of his father and the arrest of his sisters, Sansa Stark and Arya Stark, Jon decides to abandon Night’s Watch to support his brother. However, When Sam learns of Jon Snow’s plan, he gathers Pyp, Grenn, and others and convinces him otherwise. Later, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont orders a great range.
A Clash of Kings
Pypar remains at Castle Black during Lord Commander Jeor Mormont’s Great Ranging. Before Grenn and Sam ride out, he and Halder take Grenn to Mole’s Town, where they pay for Grenn to have his first woman.
A Storm of Swords
When Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, learns that the bulk of the Night’s Watch brothers got killed at the Fist of the First Men, he tries to lead his men through the Wall and conquer Castle Black. He tasks a turn cloak brother of the Watch and others to scale the Wall. However, the black brother, Jon Snow, escapes and returns to Castle Black.
When the wildling force sent by Mance reaches, the Battle Beneath the Wall begins. During the conflict, Pyp mocks the arrows shot by the wildlings and later takes command when Jon descends to Castle Black. With Jon’s help, Mance Rayder’s army gets defeated, and Ygritte, Jon’s love interest, gets killed.
Sam, who survives the mutiny at Craster’s Keep, returns with Gilly, one of Craster’s wives. Janos Slynt and Alliser accuse Jon of abandoning his vows and task him with killing Mance Rayder. However, with a message from Maester Aemon, Stannis Baratheon arrives with his troops and captures the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Jon then gets chosen to become the new Lord Commander of the Watch.
A Dance with Dragons
After Jon becomes the new Lord Commander, Pyp gets resentful towards him as he states he has completely changed. When he tries to make fun of the rituals held in honor of R’hllor, the Lord of Light, Jon stops him in his tracks. He then gets sent to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
Appearance in Adaptations
In HBO’s tv show Game of Thrones, Pypar gets portrayed by Josef Altin. He appeared in seasons 1, 3, and 4 and starred in 13 episodes. In the show, he was a steward of the Watch and a friend to Edd Tollett, Grenn, Sam, and Jon.
When Pyp gets to the training yard of Castle Black, he gets angry at Jon’s sense of entitlement and tries to threaten him at the armory after getting beaten up in combat. Later, he becomes friends with Jon after Tyrion explains to Eddard Stark’s bastard son that Pyp got raised as a starving peasant while he had the luxury of living in Winterfell, a warm castle. Jon teaches Pyp swordplay. He confesses he has never handled a sword with a proper edge.
Pyp lies to his friends that he got sent to the Watch for stealing a wheel of cheese, whereas the real reason he got sent was for refusing to give a noble lord sexual favors while he was a singer at the nobleman’s hall. When he learns of Mance Rayder’s plan to take over Castle Black, Pyp begins shaking. A boy named Olly tells him that his entire village got massacred by a wildling raiding party. When Mance’s Army attacks, he defends the castle with a crossbow. Ygritte shoots him in the throat. Sam later comforts him as he drowns in his blood.
Pypar: A Man of the Night’s Watch
Pypar is a minor character who heavily influenced Jon Snow. His presence in the Night’s Watch made Jon understand how entitled he was. Though born in a cruel world, Pyp still managed to become an excellent soldier who defended the realm of men.
FAQs
Does Pypar get killed in the tv series?
In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Pyp dies defending the tunnel of the Wall from the wildlings. During the Battle at Castle Black, he gets shot in the throat by Ygritte, Jon’s lover, and drowns in his blood.
Does Pyp die in the books?
In the novels, Pup does not get killed. After he escapes the mutiny at Craster’s Keep, he returns to Castle Black. When the Battle Beneath the Wall begins, he takes command as Jon descends to the castle.
Did Pyp hate Jon?
When Jon became Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, he changed. Though it was because of the danger from the Others, Pyp thought he no longer wanted to associate with him. He did not hate Jon for changing but was angry with him because they were firm friends.
What talents does Pyp have?
Pyp is a man of many talents. He can sing and mimic the voice of more than one hundred people. He also claims to recognize the ethnicity of anyone from their intonation.
