Renly Baratheon: The Compassionate Knight

Renly is a charismatic and charming man whose kindness earned him the love of the smallfolk. After his older brother’s death, he rose to claim the Iron Throne, declaring himself King of the Seven Kingdoms. He got massive support from the small folk and the great House Tyrell, but his claim to the throne fell when he lost his life to a diabolical fire priestess.

Renly Baratheon Profile

Full Name: Renly Baratheon.
Titles: Lord of Storm’s End, Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, Master of Laws, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men (Claimant).
Year of Birth: 277 or 288 AC at Storm’s End.
Year of Death: 299 AC.
Allegiances: House Baratheon.
Culture: Andals.
Parents: Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Baratheon.
Wife: Margaery Tyrell.
Hair Color: Black.
Eye Color: Blue-green.

History and Physical Appearance

Renly Baratheon was born in 277 AC to Steffon Baratheon and lady Cassana Estermont at Storm’s End. As a young boy, he lost his parents when their ship sank in a storm in Shipbreaker Bay. He grew up in Storm’s End, and while only a young boy, his older brother, Robert, went to war with Aerys II Targaryen after Rhaegar took Lyanna Stark.

After Robert won the rebellion, he became King of the Seven Kingdoms and granted Renly the title of the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands; this greatly angered Stannis, his older brother, who felt that the position should be his as he was the next in line for it.

After becoming the Lord of Storm’s Ends, Renly received an office at King’s Landing as the master of laws on Robert’s small council. He later took Loras Tyrell in as his squire, and a romantic relationship developed. While at King’s Landing, Ser Cortnay Penrose became the castellan of Storm’s End.

Renly is a handsome, clean-shaven man with blue-green eyes that change color depending on his clothes. He is tall, but not as tall as his brother, Robert, and has long jet-black hair, which he sometimes ties with a golden ribbon. With his charisma and easy smile, he is beloved by many.

Renly is a kind man who treats others fairly and kindly. His charm and character earned him the support of the smallfolk and House Tyrell for the Iron Throne. Though his claim got seen as illegitimate by many people, he was still able to gather a massive army during the War of the Five Kings.

Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones

After King Robert concludes his journey to Winterfell, Renly meets up with him accompanied by Ser Barristan Selmy, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and Ser Ilyn Payne, the King’s Justice. He learns from Joffrey Baratheon, his nephew, that Arya’s direwolf, Nymeria tried to kill him. He leaves after Darry starts laughing at Joffrey for getting beaten by a girl younger than him.

When Eddard Stark and Robert arrive in King’s Landing, Robert holds a tourney in celebration of appointing Eddard as his new Hand. At the tourney, Renly performs excellently but loses to Sandor Clegane, the hound. After the tourney, Renly and Ser Loras Tyrell meet Eddard and show him a portrait of Margaery Tyrell. He asks Eddard if Margaery looks like Lyanna Stark, his sister, and Eddard says no. He then reveals that he plans to wed Margaery to Robert.

At the king’s small council, Robert learns that Daenerys Targaryen is pregnant for Khal Drogo. Furious at the news, he listens to the advice of his brother, Renly, and demands that she gets assassinated. However, Ned Stark disagrees and quits the position of Hand of the King.

After Robert goes on a hunt in Kingswood, he gets injured by a White Hart. As he lies dying, Renly approaches Eddard and advises him to seize control of Robert’s children before Cersei Lannister strikes. However, when Eddard rejects his idea, he flees from the city with Loras.

After Robert’s death, Eddard gets killed, and Joffrey becomes the king, with his mother as the regent. Renly garners the support of House Tyrell through an alliance and marriage to Margaery and becomes the Lord of High Garden and a claimant to the Iron Throne.

A Clash of Kings

After Renly gets crowned the King of Highgarden and the War of the Five Kings begin, he creates a crown made of soft gold with a stag’s head, golden eyes and antlers, dark green jade, and rings of roses. He becomes the mightiest of the five kings as his army supersedes the remaining claimants to the throne.

Renly creates the Rainbow Guard in honor of the Seven and appoints his lover, Loras, as their commander. His father-in-law, Mace Tyrell, becomes his Hand, and later, he appoints Brienne of Tarth as one of his rainbow guards.

Stannis Baratheon gets angry at Renly after discovering he plans to become the king. Knowing that he is, by right, the next in line for the throne, he decides to fight his brother. He begins moving throughout the Seven Kingdoms, garnering support from the small folk. He hosts tourneys and melees to increase support and blocks the food routes to King’s Landing, causing starvation in the city.

With his growing support, Robb Stark, the King in the North, sends his mother, Catelyn Stark, to meet Renly and negotiate an alliance that will aid in the destruction of Tywin Lannister’s army residing at Harrenhal. After hearing the negotiation terms, he refuses to let the North succeed from the Seven Kingdoms.

Stannis besieges Storm’s End and forces Renly to return to fight his brother. Catelyn advises the brothers to Parley, but her requests fall on deaf ears. Renly prevents Catelyn from returning to Riverrun so that she witnesses his victory. However, he gets killed by an animated shadow created by Stannis’s sorceress, Melisandre.

With Renly’s death, rumors began spreading that he got killed by a member of his rainbow guard, Catelyn, and Brienne. Catelyn and Brienne flee to Rivverrun and Stannis’s siege on Storm’s End work as he conquers the castle. Most of his lords switch to the elder brother’s side, but Loras returns.

During the battle of Blackwater, many people claim to see Renly’s green armor on the battlefield leading Loras Tyrell’s troops in support of the Lannisters.