Portrayed by Mark Addy

Status: Deceased

Age: 46 (in his final season)

Date of Birth : 252 AC

Origin: Storm's End

Episode Appearances: 7

First Seen: ‘Winter Is Coming’

Last Seen: ‘You Win Or You Die’

BACKGROUND

King Robert Baratheon is the first son of Steffon Baratheon and Cassana Baratheon, and has two younger brothers,  Renly and Stannis. His parents died in his youth when their ship was sailing into Storm's End and caught in a storm. Robert then inherited the lordship, and was fostered by Jon Arryn, the head of House Arryn. Eddard Stark, the second son of House Stark, was also fostered by Jon Arryn and Robert and Eddard became as close as brothers. Robert served the “Mad King”, Aerys II Targaryen, as the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. He was later betrothed to Lyanna Stark, Eddard's sister, however, Lyanna was then kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. King Aerys had Eddard's father  and brother killed for protesting against the kidnapping. Their deaths sparked a massive uprising against Aerys led by Robert, infamously known as Robert’s Rebellion, resulting in Lyanna and Aerys’ death. When Robert claimed the Iron Throne for himself, he then killed Prince Rhaegar personally. King Robert also had the best claim to the throne as a result of being related to the Targaryens through his mother. Robert was devastated by Lyanna's death, but was urged by Jon Arryn to marry Cersei of House Lannister, forging an alliance with her father, Tywin Lannister, who had joined his cause late in the conflict and delivered King's Landing to him. He named Jon Arryn as his Hand while Eddard took his father's role as Warden of the North.

King Robert has been the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms since the end of the civil war. However, he was more interested in drinking, whoring and hunting than ruling his kingdom, as well throwing lavish tournaments. After bringing the realm deeply in debt, owing half to House Lannister, Robert leaves running the kingdom largely to his small council. Robert has three children with Cersei: Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. However, unbeknownst to Robert, all three are actually fathered by Cersei's twin brother Jaime Lannister. Robert has also fathered several illegitimate bastards, to whom he pays no attention. Jon Arryn eventually began investigating the lineage of Cersei's children, comparing their appearance to Robert's bastard offspring. He died under mysterious circumstances shortly after beginning his investigation. In his wake, Robert has decided to ride north to Winterfell to name Eddard as Jon Arryn's replacement.