Tommen Baratheon is a recurring character in the first and second seasons. He is played by guest star Callum Wharry and debuts in the series premiere. Tommen is a prince of Westeros. He is heir to the Seven Kingdoms after his older brother King Joffrey Baratheon.
Biography
Background
Tommen is presented as the youngest son of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister. Cersei and Robert made a political marriage alliance after Robert took the throne by force from the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen.[1] Tommen's real father is Jaime Lannister, his mother's twin brother. He has an older brother, Joffrey, and an older sister Myrcella with the same obfuscated parentage. Both Tommen and Myrcella often accompany their father to the jousts. Tommen is good natured and passive in contrast to his brother Joffrey. Like his sister he is fond of his uncle Tyrion Lannister.[2]
Season 1
Tyrion and Tommen
Tommen accompanies his family north to Winterfell.[3] Tommen is eating breakfast with his mother, father and sister as his uncle Tyrion approaches. He giggles as his uncle lifts him aside to join them. His sister asks whether Bran Stark will die and Tyrion replies that he is expected to live, much to Myrcella’s delight and Cersei’s horror. Tyrion goes on to say how he wishes to see the Wall and witness the “wintry abode of the white walkers,” exciting Myrcella and Tommen. He then says he wants to urinate off the edge of it, a comment which causes both his niece and nephew to laugh. Cersei is irritated by his words and leaves, calling the children to her.[4]
Tommen attends the tournament to celebrate Eddard Stark becoming Hand of the King.[5][6]
Season 2
Tommen attends Joffrey's Name Day Tourney. He is pleased when his uncle Tyrion Lannister arrives during the festivities and tells him that one day he will be as big as the Hound.[7]
Tommen attends a dinner with his Myrcella, his mother and Sansa Stark. He asks whether Robb will be killed after the war, and says that he wouldn't like that.[8]
Myrcella is sent to Dorne as part of a marriage pact with House Martell. Tommen watches her departure from the harbor, sobbing. Joffrey mocks him for crying. As they return to the Red Keep Tyrion senses the unrest of the smallfolk and orders Tommen sent by a separate route narrowly avoiding the Riot of King's Landing.[9]
Cersei holds Tommen during the Battle of the Blackwater.
Tommen takes refuge in Maegor's Holdfast during the Battle of the Blackwater. Cersei takes him to the Iron Throne room when the battle seems lost. She tries to calm him with a tale about the supremacy of lions in the kingdom of beasts and prepares to give him Essence of Nightshade to prevent him being captured. She is stopped just in time when Tywin Lannister arrives to announce their victory.[10]
Appearances
Template:Season One Appearances Template:Season Two Appearances
Family tree
Template:House Baratheon family tree
Image gallery
In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Tommen is seven years old when the events of the books begin. He is a gentle boy with an interest in tourneys and kittens. He is somewhat pudgy and not very good at martial skills (though he is very young), but he does try hard. When the royal party visits Winterfell, he is matched against Bran Stark in a training fight with wooden swords and padding. He is repeatedly knocked into the mud an loses easily, but shows good sportsmanship about it and is happy that Bran was willing to spar with him so he could give it a try. This is in contrast with Joffrey, who never bothers to train and therefore has no idea how to wield a sword, but also refuses to ever admit weakness.
Like all of Cersei's children he was mostly ignored by King Robert. While Cersei felt she doted on all of her children, most of her attention was focused on Joffrey as heir to the throne. Cersei interprets Tommen's gentle nature as a sign of weakness, and hopes he will grow out of it. Indeed, being willfully blind to Joffrey's insanity and sadism, Cersei has actually been known to chide Tommen that she wishes he would be more "decisive" like his older brother. It is implied that Joffrey bullied Tommen, and he is known to have killed several of Tommen's pets. However, Tommen seems to have a good relationship with his sister Myrcella.
Tommen is not present in King's Landing during the Battle of the Blackwater in the books. Instead, while Cersei viciously punished subordinates who fled the city, she hypocritically sent Tommen to the nearby town of Rosby so he would be safe during the battle.
According to the TV series official pronunciation guide developed for the cast and crew, "Tommen Baratheon" is pronounced "TAH-min Buh-RATH-ee-un", as opposed to "Tom-men", etc.
See also
- Tommen Baratheon at A Wiki of Ice and Fire. (MAJOR spoilers from the books)
References
- ↑ HBO viewer's guide, season 2 guide to houses, House Baratheon of King's Landing entry
- ↑ HBO viewer's guide, season 2 guide to houses, House Baratheon of King's Landing - Tommen Baratheon entry
- ↑ "Winter is Coming"
- ↑ "The Kingsroad"
- ↑ "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things"
- ↑ "The Wolf and the Lion"
- ↑ "The North Remembers"
- ↑ "What is Dead May Never Die"
- ↑ "The Old Gods and the New"
- ↑ "Blackwater"
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