Sandor Clegane, nicknamed The Hound, is a major character in the first and second seasons. He is played by starring cast member Rory McCann and debuts in the series premiere. Sandor is the personal bodyguard of Joffrey Baratheon. He joined the Kingsguard when Joffrey took the Iron Throne. He is taciturn and brutal but not without compassion.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Background 1.2 Season 1 1.3 Season 2 2 Appearances 3 Image gallery 4 In the books 5 See also 6 References

BiographyEdit

BackgroundEdit

Sandor Clegane is a skilled warrior in the service of House Lannister, although he refuses to take holy vows and is not a knight. His face bears scars from burning and he is known for his fierce demeanor and lack of chivalry. He is the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane (nicknamed The Mountain), a monstrously huge knight and arguably the most feared man in Westeros. In his youth Gregor caused his scars by holding his face in a fire to punish him for using one of Gregor's toys.^[1] Sandor is the personal bodyguard of Joffrey Baratheon. He chafes under Joffrey's sadistic whims but always follows his orders.^[2]

Season 1Edit

Sandor is part of King Robert Baratheon's retinue when he visits Winterfell in order to offer Eddard Stark the role of Hand of the King. He acts as the bodyguard of Prince Joffrey and is present at the feast held in the King's honor. Robert offers a betrothal between Joffrey and Sansa Stark and Eddard accepts both engagements.^[3]

On the kingsroad back to the capital the royal party reaches the Crossroads Inn. Sandor introduces Sansa to Ser Ilyn Payne, the king's headsman, a fearsome man who had his tongue torn out on the orders of the Mad King many years ago. Joffrey saves Sansa from this unpleasantness and takes her for a walk along the riverbank. Joffrey provokes an argument with the butcher's son Mycah and Sansa's sister Arya and is bitten by Arya's pet dire wolf Nymeria when he attacks them. Joffrey lies about the incident and Sansa supports his version of events. Queen Cersei orders Sansa's dire wolf Lady executed. Sandor chases down and kills Mycah. As Eddard goes to kill Lady he passes the Hound arriving with Mycah's corpse. "He ran, but not very fast," he says as Eddard passes by.^[4]

On his return to King's Landing Sandor stands guard over Joffrey during the tournament held in honor of Eddard's appointment as Hand. Sandor watches distastefully as his brother Gregor kills Ser Hugh of the Vale. Littlefinger tells Sansa that Sandor and Gregor hate one another because, when he was very young, Sandor played with one of Gregor's toys without his elder brother's permission. Gregor held Sandor's face over an open fire, resulting in his hideous burns. They have been enemies ever since.^[5]

Sandor is amused when Gregor is unhorsed in a joust with Ser Loras Tyrell. Gregor attacks Loras and Sandor intervenes. They exchange blows until King Robert orders a halt to the madness. Ser Loras declares Sandor a champion and the smallfolk in the crowd cheer him, to Sandor's surprise and embarrassment.^[6]

King Robert dies following a hunting accident. Sandor stands guard over King Joffrey as his advisers and vassals swear fealty to him. When Eddard attempts to have Joffrey and Cersei arrested, Sandor joins the Lannister soldiers and men of the City Watch in cutting down Eddard's bodyguards, allowing him to be taken prisoner.^[7] Sandor leads a party of Lannister guardsmen to the Red Keep where they slaughter Eddard's entourage and capture Sansa.^[8]

Sandor guarded Joffrey during the execution of Eddard Stark on the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor.^[9] Joffrey holds court, trying the singer Marillion for making up a 'funny' song about Robert and Cersei. Joffrey asks Marillion if he wants to keep his hands or tongue, and Marillion chooses his hands. Joffrey then takes Sansa to see her father's head and cruelly mocks her, even having Ser Meryn Trant beat her when she suggests that Robb might win the war. Unexpectedly, Sandor offers kind words to her afterwards.^[10]

Season 2Edit

Sandor fights in King Joffrey Baratheon's name day tournament. He kills an opponent by knocking him from atop the walls of the Red Keep. When Ser Dontos Hollard emerges drunk for his own bout against Ser Lothor Brune Joffrey threatens to kill him by drowning him in wine. Sansa Stark tells Joffrey that it is bad luck to kill on your name day. Joffrey is dismissive until Sandor adds "What a man sows on his name day he reaps all year." Joffrey then agrees to spare Dontos until the next day. Sansa convinces Joffrey to have Dontos act as a fool instead. Tyrion Lannister arrives in King's Landing and greets Joffrey, sarcastically noting his absence from the battlefield. He also observes that Sandor does not like him after telling Prince Tommen that he will grow to be as big as the Hound but far more attractive.^[11]

Joffrey orders Sansa publicly beaten by Ser Meryn Trant as retribution for Robb Stark's victory in the Battle of Oxcross. Sandor grimaces due to this act. Tyrion enters the Iron Throne room with Bronn as Meryn attacks Sansa and demands an explanation. He asks Meryn what kind of knight beats a helpless girl and Meryn says the kind that follows their king. Bronn sarcastically warns Meryn to be careful of getting blood on his white cloak. Tyrion orders Sansa covered and reminds Joffrey that he is engaged to marry her. Sandor tears off his white cloak and gives it to Sansa. Later, Sandor stands guard outside Joffrey’s chamber. The king arrives and asks why Sandor is there. Sandor says that Tyrion has left a name day present and asked him to ensure that Joffrey received it. Joffrey wonders what it is and Sandor says only that it is inside. Tyrion is attempting to curb Joffrey's cruelty and has arranged two prostitutes for him. The plan backfires and Joffrey forces one of the prostitutes to beat the other and show Tyrion what she has done.^[12]

During the Riot of King's Landing, Sandor shields Joffrey from the fury of the mob, all but dragging him to safety. When Joffrey angrily screams that he wants the rioters killed, Clegane is quick to point out that they want the same for him. Upon delivering Joffrey to the castle, Sandor takes it upon himself to rescue Sansa after it is discovered she has been left behind in the confusion. He arrives in time to save her from being raped by three rioters, seizing one by the throat, lifting him off the floor and disembowelling him, running through a second before seizing a third as he tries to run and slitting his throat as the man begs for mercy. Curtly assuring the distraught Sansa that she is safe, Sandor carries her back to the safety of the castle and orders the servants to tend to Sansa's injuries. Tyrion Lannister thanks Sandor for going back for her, to which he brusquely replies he didn't do it for Tyrion.^[13]

AppearancesEdit

Season one appearances
Winter is Coming	The Kingsroad	Lord Snow	Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things	The Wolf and the Lion
A Golden Crown	You Win or You Die	The Pointy End	Baelor	Fire and Blood

Season two appearances
The North Remembers	The Night Lands	What is Dead May Never Die	Garden of Bones	The Ghost of Harrenhal
The Old Gods and the New	A Man Without Honor	The Prince of Winterfell	Blackwater	Valar Morghulis

Image galleryEdit

In the booksEdit

In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Clegane is a minor vassal house sworn to the Lannisters. Ser Gregor Clegane is an eight-foot-tall warrior, the 'Mountain That Rides' and the most feared warrior in the Seven Kingdoms, is Sandor's older brother. The Clegane brothers detest one another, resulting in Sandor leaving home at a young age to work as a sellsword and freerider. Sandor is known as 'the Hound' for the three dogs which are his house emblem and for his fierce loyalty to house Lannister.

See alsoEdit

• Sandor Clegane at A Wiki of Ice and Fire.

ReferencesEdit

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v • d • e The Kingsguard
Lord Commander:	Ser Jaime Lannister
Current members:	Ser Preston Greenfield · Ser Mandon Moore · Ser Arys Oakheart · Ser Boros Blount · Ser Meryn Trant · Sandor Clegane
Former members:	Ser Barristan Selmy

v • d • e House Clegane
Lord:	Ser Gregor Clegane	Heir:	Sandor Clegane
Seat:	Clegane's Keep	Lands:	Westerlands
Title(s):	None
Household:	The Tickler, Weasel
Overlord:	House Lannister

v • d • e House Baratheon of King's Landing
Lord:	King Joffrey Baratheon	Heir:	Prince Tommen Baratheon
Seat:	King's Landing	Lands:	The Crownlands
Title(s):	Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, King of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Realm
Current members:	Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, Princess Myrcella Baratheon
Deceased members:	Robert Baratheon
Household:	Tyrion Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle, Lord Petyr Baelish, Lord Varys, Sandor Clegane, Ser Meryn Trant, Ser Preston Greenfield, Ser Arys Oakheart, Ser Mandon Moore, Ser Ilyn Payne, Ser Lancel Lannister, Ser Aron Santagar, Septa Eglantine, Dontos Hollard
Sworn houses:	House Slynt, House Thorne, House Rosby
Vassals:	Lord Gyles Rosby
Allies:	House Lannister