Portrayed by Conleth Hill

Status: Deceased

Origin: Lys

Episode Appearances: 46

First Seen: ‘Lord Snow’

Last Seen: ‘The Bells’

BACKGROUND

Varys was born across the Narrow Sea in Lys. He was born a slave, and as a child he traveled with a troupe of actors all around the Free Cities until he was sold to a sorcerer. Varys believed that the man would sexually abuse him, as he was given a potion that made him unable to move or speak but didn't dull his perceptions or sense of pain. The sorcerer then emasculated him so he could use his sexual organs in a magical ritual, burning them in a brazier. When the sorcerer had thrown Varys' genitals in the brazier, the fire turned blue and the sorcerer called out. A voice then replied back. Afterward, the sorcerer had no more use for Varys and threw him in the streets to die. Instead, Varys resolved to live no matter what: begging, stealing, and selling the sexual use of what parts remained to him, doing anything to survive. He also became an excellent thief, but soon learned that stolen information was often a far more valuable commodity than any physical goods, and he worked his way up from the slums of Myr.

He later started a pick-pocketing business with Illyrio Mopatis and eventually founded a group of spies that he would called his "little birds". He became a master spy and information trafficker, known as “the Spider”, and his influence and reputation grew so great that he eventually found himself as a member of the small council in the Seven Kingdoms. As a member of the King's small council, he serves as the Master of Whisperers, the King's foremost spymaster and intelligence agent. He holds no inherited title, castle, or lands in Westeros, but is called "Lord" as a courtesy due to his position on the council, which traditionally is made up of high lords. One of his jobs is to keep an eye on the movements of former King Aerys Targaryen’s surviving heirs, Viserys and Daenerys, and ensure they do not become a threat to King Robert Baratheon's reign. Despite his ruthlessness and skill at court politics, Varys does not seek power for his own personal ends, but for the good of the common people