Theon Greyjoy

• Individual Picture Notes
  • Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy in HBO Game of Thrones

• General Notes
  • 
    The only surviving son of Lord Balon Greyjoy, Theon was taken away as a hostage from the Iron Islands and sent to Winterfell as Lord Eddard Stark’s ward, against his father’s will, as surety against Balon's attempting any further rebellions.   He is Captain of the Sea Bitch, was (briefly) Prince of Winterfell, and is the heir to Pyke and the Iron Islands.
    
    Theon lived at Winterfell for 10 years and has been treated well by the Starks, for the most part. He is caught between the Stark and Greyjoy worlds, belonging to neither in full.  Raised with the Stark children and tutored along with them in all disciplines, Theon is a skilled archer; he’s also arrogant, sly, and a womanizer.
    
    Theon became particularly close -- almost like a brother -- to Robb Stark, especially after Robb raised his banners against the south. Theon fought alongside Robb in several battles before being sent home to seek a Stark/Greyjoy alliance. His Greyjoy family criticized Theon's mainland, northern ways and rejected Robb's proposal.
    
    Balon Greyjoy then sent Theon to raid the northern shores. Theon ignored those orders and captured Winterfell in an attempt to win his family's esteem. The Winterfell household rebelled against him, and finally Bran and Rickon Stark escaped. When a search for the boys turned up nothing, Theon found two peasant boys around the same age, killed them and skinned them, and stuck their heads on the gatehouse.
    
    He successfully deceived both Winterfell and the rest of Westeros into believing the corpses belonged to Bran and Rickon Stark, seemingly consolidating his victory. Theon held Winterfell for a short time, but he was ultimately captured by Ramsay Snow and taken to the Dreadfort.  He remains there as prisoner, reportedly being flayed in Bolton fashion. Some of the Ironborn, including his sister Asha, believe him dead.
    
    It is later revealed that Theon is being held by Roose Bolton's bastard son Ramsay at the Dreadfort, where he has been tortured, starved and mutilated at the hands of his captors. He appears to have been forced to take over the role and name of Ramsay's dead servant, Reek.