Mandon Moore/Theories

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During the Battle of the Blackwater, Ser Mandon Moore, a knight of the Kingsguard, tried to slay Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King, only to be killed by Podrick Payne, Tyrion's squire. Readers have long speculated whether Mandon acted on his own initiative or whether someone ordered the knight to eliminate Tyrion and who it could be.

No instigators

Tyrion and Bronn provoked Mandon in the previous months.^[1]^[2] It could mean Mandon wanted revenge against Tyrion.

Ser Barristan Selmy believed Mandon was a man having no life but duty, in some way the paradigm of the perfect knight of the Kingsguard according to Lord Varys.^[3] It could mean that he would have never thought to kill a member of the royal family without an order from his liege lord.

She's the main suspect for instigating Mandon, according to Tyrion himself.^[4]^[5]
For the queen, a knight of the Kingsguard would be the natural choice as a hitman to be sent against an enemy of hers.

Tyrion may be biased towards Cersei because of their contentious relationship.
In A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons Cersei never thinks about Mandon, much less his attempt to kill Tyrion.
According to Tyrion himself, there were other members of the Kingsguard more suitable than Mandon to whom the queen could order to kill her own brother.^[4]
When she talks with Lancel Lannister during the battle, Cersei seems to expect Tyrion to be still alive.^[6]

For the king, a knight of the Kingsguard would be the natural choice as a hitman to be sent against an enemy of him.
Mandon appears to be very loyal to King Joffrey and prone to obeying without questions.^[7]^[2]
In The Climb, sixth episode of the third season of the TV series Game of Thrones, it is implied that Joffrey ordered Mandon to kill Tyrion.

In theory Mandon could report to Cersei of her son's order.
On the previous occasion when Joffrey had ordered an assassination, the attempted murder of Bran Stark, he had preferred to hire a commoner as a catspaw.^[8]
Game of Thrones is not book canon; in this regard, it shoud be noted that the television adaptation did not confirm Joffrey was the instigator of the catspaw who tried to kill Bran.

Littlefinger put Tyrion's life in danger at least two times, first accusing him of being the owner of the dagger used in the attempted murder of Bran Stark,^[9] then placing the blame on him for the Purple Wedding.^[10]
Littlefinger had reasons for wanting Tyrion dead: to hide the truth about the real owner of the dagger^[11] and to take revenge for the deception he suffered when Tyrion lied to him about a marriage pact between Myrcella Baratheon and Robert Arryn.^[12] It is also hinted that Baelish thought the Lannister held him responsible for Jon Arryn's death (in reality Tyrion's suspicions lay with Pycelle).^[11]
Both Petyr and Mandon came to King's Landing from the Vale of Arryn, brought by Lord Jon, which could mean they know each other for a long time.^[3] It is possible that Baelish had a leverage on Moore and ordered or even only suggested the knight to eliminate Tyrion, just like it's hinted Petyr influenced King Joffrey's decision to execute Lord Eddard Stark.^[13]

It is unclear when and how Littlefinger could have talked to Mandon Moore about Tyrion's assassination, since Baelish left the capital some weeks or months before the battle of the Blackwater.^[14] However, it is also entirely likely that Baelish gave this order before he left the capital, telling Mandon to wait for the upcoming battle against Stannis to kill Tyrion in the midst of the chaos.