Difference between revisions of "Loras Tyrell"

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Revision as of 05:42, 30 May 2015

House Tyrell.PNGLoras Tyrell COA.png Loras Tyrell Rainbow Guard.PNGKingsguard.PNG
Loras Tyrell.jpg
by Amok©

Aliases
  • The Knight of Flowers
  • Knight o’ Pansies
  • Ser Daisy
Titles
Allegiances
Culture The Reach
Born 282 AC[1]
Highgarden[2]
Books

Played by Finn Jones
TV series Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5

Ser Loras Tyrell is a knight of House Tyrell. Lord Mace Tyrell's third born son. Known as the Knight of Flowers, he is a highly skilled knight and jouster. His tournament successes, dazzling good looks, and ostentatious showmanship have made him a celebrated figure in the courts of the Seven Kingdoms. In the television adaptation Game of Thrones he is portrayed by Finn Jones.

His personal coat of arms is three golden roses on a field of green, indicating his position as a third son.[3]

Appearance and Character

See also: Images of Loras Tyrell
Ser Loras Tyrell - by Michael Komarck ©

Ser Loras is exceptionally handsome with long, flowing brown hair and golden eyes. Tyrion Lannister thinks Loras is beautiful and already a legend, and that half the girls in the Seven Kingdoms want to bed him and all the boys want to be him.[4]

Despite his youth and slender frame, Loras is a capable warrior, using swords, axes, and morningstars to deadly effect. He is beloved by the smallfolk, especially the women. While courteous he is still thirsty for glory and can be short-tempered and impetuous. Tyrion finds him a prickly lad.[4] Sansa Stark also thinks Loras is beautiful, and that he is lithe and graceful with wonderful eyes.[5]

History

As a youth, Loras was fostered at Storm's End and served as a page and squire to Lord Renly Baratheon. This was likely the start of their clandestine love affair. Although not widely known, their forbidden relationship is known to various others at court.[6]

Loras defeated Ser Jaime Lannister in the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day.[7]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Loras Tyrell participates in the Hand's tourney, wearing armor wrought with jeweled flowers and a cape of woven roses. Amongst his victories are Ser Robar Royce and three members of the Kingsguard. With each victory, he hands a white rose to a pretty girl in the crowd. He then hands a red rose to Sansa Stark, who is overwhelmed by his gallantry and is thereafter infatuated with him.[8]

Loras Tyrell unseats Gregor Clegane - by Amok ©

Although reputed to be very gallant, Loras rides a mare in heat against Ser Gregor Clegane, noted as an underhanded tactic by some. This inflames the huge knight's stallion, which bucks him, prompting Gregor to attack Loras. After Sandor Clegane comes to his rescue, Loras forfeits the final round to him.[8]

Renly Baratheon and Loras secretly plot to have Renly's eldest brother, King Robert Baratheon, spurn Queen Cersei Lannister in favor of Loras's sister, Margaery.[9] Renly approaches Lord Eddard Stark with a painting of the girl in hopes that she resembles Eddard's late sister, Lyanna, but this is not the case.[10]

When Eddard, sitting the Iron Throne in Robert's stead as the Hand of the King, sends a party led by Lord Beric Dondarrion to kill Gregor Clegane, Loras is disappointed for not having been chosen instead of Beric.[11]

Loras is mentioned by Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish as a possible ally for Lord Stark against Cersei in the succession crisis after Robert's death, but Ned decides it is the City Watch he must have. When Renly flees King's Landing after Lord Stark spurns his request for aid in seizing power, Ser Loras rides south out of the city with him, along with fifty retainers. Varys suspects they ride for either Storm's End or Highgarden. After Joffrey Baratheon is crowned in the power struggle they fled from, both Loras and Renly are named among the nobles he demands must swear fealty to him or stand accused of treason.[12]

A Clash of Kings

Renly and Loras - Sir-Heartsalot ©

When Renly makes his claim for the Iron Throne, Loras and the rest of House Tyrell back his claim and cement their support by marrying Loras's sister Margaery to Renly and making Lord Mace his Hand. His army gathers at Highgarden, and Renly makes Loras the head of his Rainbow Guard, a fancifully ostentatious version of the traditional Kingsguard. The two remain inseparable even after Renly's wedding. During his march, Renly holds a great melee at Bitterbridge of 116 knights; wielding a longaxe, Loras is one of the final two combatants, losing to Brienne of Tarth, who is given the last place in his Rainbow Guard.

After his failed parley with his elder brother Stannis at Storm's End, Renly appoints Loras to lead the vanguard in the coming battle, choosing him over Randyll Tarly, Guyard Morrigen, and many other candidates. After Renly's assassination, Loras goes berserk, killing Emmon Cuy and Robar Royce, the two Rainbow Guard in charge of protecting Renly that morning. He believes that Brienne perpetrated the assassination; he is unable to apprehend either her or Catelyn Stark, who was also present when Renly died.

Loras returns to Bitterbridge with his family to plot the course of the Reach; there the Tyrells capture Parmen Crane and Erren Florent, two knights Stannis sends to recruit Renly's infantry. When the Tyrells join the Lannister cause against Stannis, Loras fights beside his brother, Ser Garlan the Gallant, who wears Renly's armor and impersonates the fallen king at the Battle of the Blackwater (Renly having been too large for the armor to fit Loras). Afterwards, Loras is granted a place in Joffrey I's Kingsguard.

A Storm of Swords

Loras joins the Kingsguard at his father's behest (though Littlefinger orchestrates this),[13] to protect his sister Margaery when she becomes the queen. The appointment also allows Loras to avoid marriage, a prospect complicated by his ambiguous sexuality, and his continued mourning for Renly. He quickly becomes very popular with the citizens of King's Landing. Out of curiosity Tyrion asks him why he chose to join the Kingsguard at only seventeen, to which Loras answers,

When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.[4]

Sansa Stark thinks Loras looks even finer in the white of the Kingsguard than in the greens and golds of House Tyrell. The only spot of colour on him now is a brooch that clasps his cloak, the rose of Highgarden wrought in soft yellow gold, nestled in a bed of delicate green jade leaves. The grip of his sword is white leather and its pommel is a rose in alabaster.[5] During her wedding celebrations with Tyrion Lannister, Sansa is asked to dance by Loras's brother, Garlan. He draws her close and tells her that he has seen the way she looks at Loras; that Loras is handsome and valiant, and that they all love him dearly, but that Tyrion will make her a better husband. This suggests that he and perhaps the rest of the family are aware of Loras’s sexual orientation, and may have been for quite some time.

When Ser Jaime Lannister, absentee Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, returns to King's Landing, Loras recognizes Brienne among his companions and confronts her immediately about Renly's death. At his request, Jaime has Brienne arrested.[14]

During the Kingsguard meeting in the White Sword Tower Ser Loras places the blame for Joffrey's poisoning at Sansa’s feet. He tells Jaime that his sister was drinking for the same chalice as Joffrey and that Sansa was the only person in the hall who had reason to want Margaery dead, as well as the king. By poisoning the wedding cup, she would hope to kill both of them. He asks Jaime why else did she run afterwards, unless she was guilty.[15]

After the other Kingsguard members take their leave Jaime is left alone with the Knight of Flowers. Jaime observes Loras. He sees that Loras is as slim as a sword, lithe and fit. He wears a snowy linen tunic and white wool breaches, with a gold belt around his waist and a gold rose clasping his fine silk coat. His hair is a soft brown tumble, and his eyes are brown as well, and bright with insolence. Jaime thinks to himself,

He thinks this is a tourney, and his tilt has just been called.[15]

He questions Loras, and finds the Knight of Flowers as arrogant as he himself was in his youth. Jaime asks Loras about the supposed ghost of Renly Baratheon that fought at the Battle of the Blackwater at the van of his father's forces, obtaining an admission that it is his brother inside the armor. The arrogance goes out of Loras the moment he begins to speak of Renly. Loras tells Jaime he buried Renly in a place they knew from when he was a squire at Storm's End. Jaime ponders to himself,

He answered truly. He is proud and reckless and full of piss, but he is not false. Not yet.[15]

Jaime then confronts Loras about Brienne, and discusses the circumstances of Renly’s death. He commands him to go to her cell, ask his questions and hear her answers. Jaime commands him to judge Brienne fairly, on his honour as a knight, Ser Loras agrees.[15]

Loras maintains a close relationship with his sister, who suggests that he train the young King Tommen in the ways of an armed knight. Queen Cersei flatly refuses, using veiled innuendo regarding his manhood as a reason.

Loras finally confronts Brienne and is convinced of her innocence in the death of Renly.[16]

A Feast for Crows

The Knight of Flowers - by Felicia Cano ©

Ser Loras stands vigil with Ser Jaime Lannister over the corpse of Lord Tywin Lannister. Jaime thinks privately that the Knight of Flowers is still half a boy, arrogant and vain, but he has it in him to be great, to perform deeds worthy of the White Book.[17] He tells Cersei that Loras would not have been his choice but Loras will do well enough, as once a man puts on the white cloak of the Kingsguard it changes him.

After departing his father’s funeral procession, Jaime trots through the castle gates and sees a dozen knights riding at a quintain in the outer yard. He stops to watch for a while he notes that Ser Loras rides superbly, and handles a lance as if he were born holding one. He observes that Loras puts the point just where he means to put it, and seems to have the balance of a cat. Jaime admits to himself that perhaps it was not such a fluke when Loras unhorsed him at the Hand’s tourney.

After the invasion of the Reach via the Shield Islands by the ironmen, Cersei uses Loras's recklessness to manipulate him into attempting to quickly end the siege of Dragonstone, hoping that he will endanger himself in the process to free up Paxter Redwyne's fleet to defend the Reach. Loras departs the city amid throngs of admiring onlookers, mostly women.[18]

Aurane Waters later tells Cersei that Loras has taken Dragonstone. After Stannis's castellan, Rolland Storm, declined Loras's offer of single combat, Loras led the assault on the castle. The reported victory is said to have been needlessly bloodthirsty and true to Cersei's hopes, it is reported that Loras was horribly injured by quarrels, maces, and boiling oil in the battle. His status is so far unconfirmed.[19]

A Dance with Dragons

Ser Loras is reportedly gravely injured at Dragonstone. The last report that the imprisoned Cersei received was that he had been dying of his wounds received whilst taking the castle.[20] Mace Tyrell tells Kevan Lannister, Tommen's Lord Regent, that his son's men searched Dragonstone and did not find a speck of gold, a single gemstone, or the fabled hoard of dragon eggs.[21]

Quotes by Loras

Loras: Lord Eddard, what of me?
Eddard: No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance.[11]

- Loras and Eddard Stark


I will defend King Tommen with all my strength, I swear it. I will give my life for his if need be. But I will never betray Renly, by word or deed. He was the king that should have been. He was the best of them.[15]

- Loras to Jaime Lannister


Give me the command, Your Grace. The castle will be yours within a fortnight if I have to tear it down with my bare hands.[18]

- Loras to Cersei Lannister

Quotes about Loras

Have you seen Mace Tyrell’s boy? The Knight of Flowers, they call him. Now there’s a son any man would be proud to own to. Last tourney, he dumped the Kingslayer on his golden rump, you ought to have seen the look on Cersei’s face. I laughed till my sides hurt.[22]

Robert Baratheon to Eddard Stark


He's me. I am speaking to myself, as I was, all cocksure arrogance and empty chivalry. This is what it does to you, to be too good too young. [15]

Jaime Lannister's thoughts


Under all his flowers and finery, Ser Loras is as hot tempered as Jaime Lannister. Toss Joffrey, Margaery and Loras into a pot, and you've got the makings for Kingslayer stew.[13]

Petyr Baelish to Sansa Stark


Ser Loras is so Tyrell he pisses rosewater. He should never have been given a white cloak.[6]

Cersei Lannister to Jaime Lannister

Family

Template:Tyrell tree 2

References and Notes