10 Best Baratheon Quotes in 'Game of Thrones,' Ranked
HBO's Game of Thrones has produced many iconic quotes thanks to its solid writing in its early seasons and memorable characters. This is thanks in large part to the writing talent of George R. R. Martin, the creator of the Song of Ice and Fire books that Game of Thrones is based on. Even when Martin didn't write an episode, he worked closely with the showrunners and writers at first, giving them plenty of ideas on how to translate his exciting dialogue from page to screen.
Some of the most quotable lines in the show were said by the members of House Baratheon of the Stormlands. Known for their black hair, strong bodies, and booming personalities, they begin the show as the dominant family in Westeros, having usurped the Targaryen dynasty. Made up of the trio of King Robert (Mark Addy), Stannis (Stephen Dilane) and Renly (Gethin Anthony), they had plenty of fantastic lines between them that showcased their conflicting personalities.
Game Of Thrones
TV-MAAdventureDramaFantasyActionNine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
Release Date April 17, 2011 Creator David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Cast Peter Dinklage , Lena Headey , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Emilia Clarke , Kit Harington , Sophie Turner , Maisie Williams Main Genre Drama Seasons 810 "A Man Without Friends is a Man Without Power"
Renly Baratheon
As Robert Baratheon lay dying, Renly approached the Hand of the King, Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), about acting now to remove Cersei from power and place Renly on the throne. Eddard instead wanted to back Stannis, so Renly left to rally support for his cause, despite being the youngest of Robert's brothers. When Stannis brings this up to Renly during a peace summit, Renly points out that Stannis never wanted friends, and now it's coming to bite him.
Of all the participants in the War of the Five Kings, Renly's claim was the weakest, but this line still deserves to be praised. It's an echo of one of the major themes of the show, in which the concept of power is as infinite as there are people. In Renly's case, having friends means you have a lot of people willing to support you, but this left him blind to the ambitions of House Tyrell.
9 "Go Find the Breastplate Stretcher! Now!"
Robert Baratheon
During a tournament to welcome Eddard as Hand of the King, Robert decides that he wants to partake in the jousting as well. However, years of drinking and feasting have caused him to gain some weight since he last donned his armor, and his squire, Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon), is having a hard time getting it on. When Eddard points this out, Robert decides to send Lancel on a wild goose chase for the breastplate stretcher.
This line is hilarious for its absurdity and because it showcases Robert's contempt for his Lannister-filled court. It also serves as a compliment to the following conversation between Eddard and Robert, which is about how, since he's become king, Robert feels more trapped and constrained than ever. In this context, sending Lancel to find the breastplate stretcher is Robert exerting a bit of control over his Lannister-dominated position.
8 "Whoever Said That Didn't Have Many Enemies"
Stannis Baratheon
Hoping to gather support from the northern lords, Stannis Baratheon offers Jon Snow (Kit Harington) the position of Lord of Winterfell, but he turns it down due to his duties as lord commander of the Night's Watch. As Stannis prepares for his march on Winterfell, he suggests that Jon send off Ser Alastair Thorne (Owen Teale) due to his hostile relationship with Jon. When the lord commander says that it's wise to keep enemies close, Stannis retorts with the above quote.
While Stannis and Jon share similar qualities, this quote helps to show their differences. Stannis' age and experience have made him slow to trust others and realize potential enemies, while Jon is more trusting and hopes that a common cause will unite everyone. Unfortunately, Stannis proves to be right this time, as Jon's pro-wildling stance gets him assassinated by Thorne and his co-conspirators at the end of Season 5.
7 "We March to Victory, or We March to Defeat, but We Go Forward. Only Forward."
Stannis Baratheon
The march from Castle Black to Winterfell is a hard one for Stannis and his forces. Not only are they forced to trek through blizzard conditions, but Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) and his twenty good men manage to slip into the camp and sabotage their supplies. Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) tries to convince Stannis to wait for winter to pass, but Stannis says that isn't an option.
This line shows why people are willing to follow Stannis, even in the grimmest of situations. No matter what comes his way, he never stops fighting and is willing to suffer alongside his men until they achieve victory. Sadly, this impressive display of unflinching resolve is undercut when Stannis resorts to burning his daughter for better weather.
6 "A Good Act Does Not Wash Out the Bad, Nor the Bad the Good."
Stannis Baratheon
The night before battling with Renly's numerically superior forces, Stannis meets with Davos to take Melisandre beneath Storm's End to assassinate him with her shadow magic. Before then, the two men talked about Davos' past as a smuggler and how he saved Stannis' men when they were starving holding Storm's End from the Tyrell army during Robert's Rebellion. When they reach Stannis granting Davos a knighthood and removing the fingers on his left hand, Stannis uses the above quote.
This quote perfectly sums up Stannis' moral compass and explains why he doesn't have many friends or allies. His sense of morality is very rigid, demanding that justice and punishment be delivered on every man befitting of his actions, regardless of the consequences. It's a line that reminds audiences of the complexity of humanity and that all humans are capable of good and evil.
5 "Give Me Something For the Pain and Let Me Die."
Robert Baratheon
Gored by a boar after accepting too much wine from his squire, Lancel, Robert lay on his deathbed and summed Eddard Stark to his side. The king dictates his last will and testimony to Eddard before asking him to try and make his son, Joffrey, a better man than him. When Eddard promises to honor Robert's memory, all he can do is laugh, before sending his best friend off with the above quote.
This is Robert Baratheon's final quote in the show, and it's the perfect one to send off his character. It's a quick and direct acceptance of the inevitable that bids Eddard to depart so that he doesn't have to watch Robert's dying, and implies his faith in his closest friend to fulfill his final wishes. The line was also used by fans to describe their feelings towards Game of Thrones' dip in quality.
4 "They Never Tell You How They All Shit Themselves. They Don't Put That Part In the Songs."
Robert Baratheon
After a long journey from Winterfell, Robert and his men have returned to King's Landing. As his council prepares a lavished tournament for his new Hand of the King, Robert rests in his chambers with two of his Kingsguard, Lord Commander Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney), and Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). The three pass the time by talking about war stories and their first kills.
This scene contains plenty of great little quotes, but the one that stands out most is Robert's comment on what storytellers omit from battles. It's a grim commentary on how society glorifies war and conflict while leaving people blind to the true horrors of forcing young men to kill one another. It also gives an interesting look into these three generations of soldiers, as each one speaks of their first kill in a different tone.
3 "We Do Not Choose Our Destiny, Yet We Must Do Our Duty, No? Great or Small, We Must Do Our Duty."
Stannis Baratheon
When Melisandre returns to Dragonstone with Robert's bastard son, Gendry (Joe Dempsie), she promises that she can sacrifice him for his blood to help Stannis win the war. He goes to free Davos, currently locked in a cell for attempting to kill Melisandre, and tells him of the plan. When Davos tries to turn Stannis away from this path, he uses the above quote to explain that one life is not above the lives of a whole kingdom.
Stannis's storyline is one of sacrifices, and this quote sums up why. He wants to claim what is his and save the realm from the tyrannical and corrupt forces that plague it, but because of his underdog position, he needs to resort to desperate and dark suggestions to even the board. It also highlights what kind of leader Stannis is: even if he doesn't enjoy his duty, he does it because it's expected of him as a king.
2 "Hard Truths Cut Both Ways, Ser Davos."
Stannis Baratheon
As plans are being made for an assault on King's Landing following the death of Renly, Davos comes to Stannis offering a hard truth: if he brings Melisandre to King's Landing, the men will see the victory as hers, so it would be best to leave her behind. Stannis agrees, but decrees that Davos will lead the navy. When Davos says that the other lords won't accept him due to his low birth, Stannis tells him that those lords should be happy he doesn't hang them for treason.
This is easily Stannis' most powerful quote, and maybe one of the most impactful in the whole show. It's a simple line that gets right to the point: sometimes the most honest truth can be the most painful for all parties involved. In this episode, it's used to highlight the precarious nature of Stannis' position, but it also translates to the show as a whole, as many times the truth is twisted or ignored to spare others the pain of knowing.
1 "Which is Bigger, One Army or Five?"
Robert Baratheon
Having learned that Daenerys Targaryen (Emelia Clarke) is pregnant with the son of the Dothraki Khal, Drogo (Jason Momoa), Robert orders her assassination. This prompts Eddard to attempt to resign as Hand of the Kings, and in private, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) explains how she feels the armies of Westeros can defeat the Dothraki if they land. Robert counters her statement by asking her if one army or five is a superior force.
This scene helps give both Robert and Cersei's relationship new layers that weren't present in the book. Robert's use of the above quote highlights his military genius: while five may seem a larger number, one army is the bigger threat because it's united under a single purpose. It's a reminder that people are stronger when united, which serves as one of the overarching messages for Game of Thrones.
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