Robert I Baratheon

Full name: Robert Baratheon, the First of His Name Aliases: The Usurper, Demon of the Trident Titles: King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men Lord of the Seven Kingdoms Protector of the Territory Birth: 262 AD, at Storm's End Death: 298 AD, in King's Landing

Royal House: House Baratheon of King's Landing Predecessor: Aerys II Heir: Joffrey Baratheon Successor: Joffrey I Queen: Cersei Lannister Children: Joffrey Baratheon (legally) Myrcella Baratheon (legally) Tommen Baratheon (legally) among other well-known bastards Father: Steffon Baratheon Mother: Cassana Estermont

A large man, though not particularly intelligent, Robert was a renowned warrior. In his youth, he was described as tall, standing almost 2 meters tall, with light eyes, broad shoulders, and a muscular build like any maiden's fantasy. He kept his beard neatly trimmed. However, after winning the crown, his weight increased considerably due to all the partying and excessive drinking, eventually gaining fifty kilos. He grew a beard, as coarse and black as iron wire, to hide his double chin and the sagging of his royal cheeks. However, nothing could hide his stomach or the dark circles under his eyes.

Some of his favorite songs were "A Barrel of Beer" and "Fifty-Four Barrels." He was known for his charm, outgoing personality, sociability, and remarkable ability to turn enemies into friends.

According to Eddard Stark, Robert was capable of promising a woman anything overnight and forgetting everything (including her) in the morning.

Robert Baratheon was the firstborn son of Cassana Estermont and Steffon Baratheon, then Lord of House Baratheon and Lord of the Stormlands. Robert was born and raised at the Baratheon family seat, Storm's End. He was one year older than his brother Stannis. Many years later, a third Baratheon brother was born, named Renly.

When they were still young, Robert and Stannis witnessed their parents' death in a shipwreck within sight of Storm's End, making Robert the Lord of Storm's End. Lord Robert went with Lord Jon Arryn to the Eyrie in the Vale of Arryn, along with Eddard Stark. They quickly became friends, and Jon Arryn, who had no children, came to treat them as his own family.

Robert fell in love with Eddard's sister, Lyanna, who was betrothed to him by her father, Lord Rickard Stark. At the time, Robert already had a bastard daughter, leading Lyanna to comment that Robert would never keep just one bed. Some time after this event, Lyanna was apparently kidnapped and taken by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. The kidnapping set in motion a chain of events that led to Robert's Rebellion.

News of the kidnapping led Lyanna's older brother, Brandon, and later her father Rickard, to King's Landing demanding justice, and both were executed by the mad King Aerys II Targaryen, who demanded that Jon Arryn hand over Robert and Eddard. Instead, Lord Jon raised a rebellion, with Eddard (now Lord of Winterfell) and Robert uniting the Vale of Arryn, the North, and the Stormlands, respectively. [7] Robert, whose lineage gave him the best bid to claim the throne of the three lords, soon became the leader of the revolt, which became known as Robert's Rebellion. At the Battle of Gulltown, Robert killed Lord Randyll Grafton. Robert began to gather his vassals at Storm's End, but he was separated from his allies in the North. Furthermore, some of his vassals decided to remain loyal to the throne, and began to gather their strength at Summerhall. [8] Robert learned of this plan and defeated them all, winning three battles in a single day. During the attempt to link up with the Northern forces, Robert suffered a defeat at the Battle of Ashford and was later imprisoned in the city of Stone Sept where he hid in a brothel and slept with almost every whore while hiding there. [9] A Targaryen army, eventually led by Lord Jon Connington, arrived and began searching for Robert in the city. Robert was saved when a rebel force from the North joined him, and the Battle of the Bells began. [9] Subsequently, Robert led the combined forces of Baratheon, Stark, Arryn, and Tully to victory over the royal forces led by Rhaegar himself at the Battle of the Trident and personally killed the crown prince, securing a victory for the rebels. Although he had defeated the rebellion and killed Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert's hatred for his dead enemy had not diminished.

Although he had won the rebellion and killed Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert's hatred for his dead enemy had not diminished when Tywin Lannister presented Robert with the mutilated bodies of Rhaegar's wife and two children; Robert was actually satisfied that they were dead. Eddard Stark, on the other hand, was indignant and revolted by the act, calling it murder, and saying that the young prince and princess were nothing more than babies. Robert's callous reply was: "I see no babies, only dragon hatchlings." Even Jon Arryn could not cool the anger and argument that followed between Robert and Eddard over this. Eddard left the Red Keep to save Storm's End, where Stannis, Robert's brother, was under siege. It took Lyanna's death and their shared suffering to reunite Ned and Robert in friendship again. [10] He was later haunted by her memory and the desire for revenge even more against the dead Rhaegar.[3]