One thing that's been present throughout all seven season of Game of Thrones is the persistent killing off of important and fan-favorite characters. Eddard Stark, the shows first core protagonist, and Khal Drogo, the world's greatest warrior, both met their end in the first season of the show, but Bronn is still alive and kicking.
After seven years of dangerous adventures and recently staring a dragon in the face, Bronn has his eyes set on a comfortable reward. One can only stare death in the face so many times and volunteer to run into dangerous situations for so long. After a while, a man just wants to kick back in the comfort of his own castle and enjoy some ale.
He's come a long way from his start as a sellsword escorting Tyrion Lannister to the Vale for Catelyn Stark. Bronn is lucky he developed such a close relationship with Tyrion during that time, and eventually volunteered to serve as his champion in the Vale, because his life path completely diverged as a result of it. Since his lowly start, he has served as the Commander of the City Guard and has even become a knight.
Come on down and discover 15 Things You Didn't Know About Bronn.
Jerome Flynn Really Shot a Scorpion Bolt
Bronn is one of the few men to face off against a dragon and live. As Daenerys, Drogon, and the Dothraki attacked the Lannister loot train, Bronn sprung into action and took Qyburn's scorpion for a spin.
Bronn's not the only one who got to have some fun, though. Jerome Flynn revealed in an interview with HBO's official Making Game of Thrones blog that he got to shoot it and admitted it's "probably the coolest weapon I'm going to get to play with." He praised the show's weapon developers and said they make everything look as "authentic as possible."
The set was hectic and full of extras, but in the midst of it all Flynn got to shoot a giant arrow at an imaginary dragon. Sounds like a dream job.
Bronn's the One Who Suggested Joffrey Needed Some... Release
Remember Joffrey, the only character on the show more despicable than the Night King? He developed a sadistic trait of torturing prostitutes and forcing them to torture one another. While it may seem obvious that a teenage boy who can do whatever he wants would turn to a brothel for entertainment, he didn't come up with the idea on his own.
Bronn is no stranger to the brothel scene and recommended to Tyrion, at the time serving as Joffrey's hand, that the King may benefit from some time alone with a woman. He may have told Tyrion to set up some fun for the young King, but he in no way meant for things to get so violent.
Bronn's Gone Beyond The Wall
A sellswords got to eat, and to do that he sometimes has to work in dangerous places. At this point, Bronn is an experienced killer and soldier, having helped the Lannisters repel Stannis Baratheon at the Blackwater and saved Jaime's life from Drogon. Those all sound impressive, but one his most dangerous experiences wasn't even featured on screen.
When Tyrion, Shae, and Bronn were playing the truth game, he revealed that he has gone beyond the wall. Unfortunately, the secretive mercenary wouldn't say why he was up there, but it's likely he wouldn't have gone without getting paid. This little detail was added for the show but perhaps Bronn will talk about an experience beyond the wall in The Winds of Winter - whenever it comes out.
Happily (Un)Married
Bronn may have a hard life, but he seems like a pretty happy guy. No matter the situation, his demeanor is typically pretty positive. In the show, he's unmarried and he's happy. In the books, he's married and he's happy. At the end of the day, as long as Bronn can continue to do what's best for himself, he'll remain in high spirits.
In an attempt to dissuade Bronn from serving as Tyrion's champion at the trial-by-combat for Joffrey's murder, Cersei offers him a marriage proposal with Lolly Stokeworth. Lolly was attacked and raped during the riots in King's Landing and was pregnant with a bastard son. While Bronn admitted to Tyrion it wasn't an ideal situation, he was happy to marry into a wealthy family and reap a handsome reward.
In the show, his romance with Stokeworth was cut short when Jaime summoned Bronn to accompany him to Dorne.
Expanded Role in the Show
At this point, Bronn is one of the most prominent characters on the show. He's outlived Prince Doran and two Bartheon (Lannister) kings and continually finds himself in more significant events as the series develops. While Bronn is certainly an important character in the books, his role on the show is much bigger than it is in the books.
Bronn has experience as a soldier, but the show saw him help lead the Lannister attack on the Twins and even fire a scorpion bolt at a dragon. Bronn hasn't even physically appeared in A Song of Ice and Fire since 2000's A Storm of Swords. He's been indirectly referenced and talked about from other character's perspectives, but Bronn has been separate from the main action for quite a few years at this point.
Chains v. Arrows
Bronn played an instrumental role in the Lannister victory at the Battle of the Blackwater. As Commander of the City Guard, he played a key role in Tyrion's plan to choke off Stannis' fleet. Led by Ser Ilys Florent (and Davos in the show), the Baratheon fleet arrive in the bay and are momentarily tricked by the small naval defense. What they don't know was that Tyrion had filled the few ships with Wildfire and set a trap.
In the show, Bronn shoots the fire arrow that sets off the initial spark, but in the books he plays a different role. He is put in charge of pulling the massive chain tight at the right moment to cut off the fleet's exit.
Regardless, without Bronn, the Lannisters might not have been able to pull off a victory during the War of the Five King's largest battle.
Cersei Tries Orchestrating his Death in A Feast for Crows
After arranging a marriage for Bronn, Cersei believes she may have been able to dissuade the sell sword from having a relationship with Tyrion. He takes a few knights into his service and Cersei fears they may be planning a revolt. In an attempt to put an end to his behavior, she plots with Falyse Stokeworth, Lolly's sister, and her husband Ser Balman. Cersei is able to persuade Ser Balman to challenge Bronn to a duel.
Unfortunately, Bronn's dirty tactics are too much for Balman. Not only does he kill him but they kick Falyse out of their castle.
The moral of the story here is don't mess with Bronn, because, no matter how high his status climbs, he's always a killer at heart.
His Last Name Is Unknown
Davos Seaworth. Tywin Lannister. Eddard Stark. Bronn.
Something is missing.
While most of the characters in the show, high or low born, introduce themselves with a full name, Bronn is different. In a world obsessed with family names, Bronn hasn't told anyone his last name in the core narrative, so audiences still don't know what it is. Now people call him Bronn of the Blackwater, but that's only because they don't have anything else to say.
When Tyrion first introduces a group of clansmen and Bronn to his father, he tries to get him to reveal his father's name. Instead of letting the information spill, Bronn simply says "you wouldn't have known him," and kept his last name a secret.
Jerome Flynn First Became Famous in a '90s Pop Band
Not only does Jerome Flynn play Bronn in Game of Thrones, but he also has a starring role in BBC's Ripper Street.
Despite this, he first gained prominence by being half of a pop duo called Robson & Jerome. Alongside Robson Green, the two have a discography full of nothing but covers ranging from "Unchained Melody" to "Saturday Night at the Movies". The duo initially came together because the two of them were on a show called Soldier Soldier together and they had to perform the song in the show after something goes wrong at a party.
After recognizing the potential hit they could be, Simon Cowell pursued them relentlessly to sign a contract. Despite only having two studio albums, they somehow have two compilation albums as well.
In 2008, it was revealed that un-credited session singers were used on the album to give it a higher and more consistent quality throughout.
Jerome Flynn and Lena Hadley Have Issues
Bronn and Cersei may be on the same side this season, but that doesn't mean Jerome Flynn and Lena Headey are. The two were in a relationship before production on Game of Thrones, and the two aren't on speaking terms, according to The Telegraph. There haven't been any major interactions between the two characters and they haven't shared a scene at all this season.
As everyone comes together for the season finale, Flynn and Headey are set to share the screen once again. While it was likely too difficult to keep them completely separate while filming those scenes, one thing is certain. Headey, who reportedly gives her co-stars shoulder and back rubs between takes to relax, likely wasn't helping Flynn decompress on set.
First Knight of the Blackwater
Bronn has had one hell of a journey as Game of Thrones progresses. He started as a sell-sword who was hired by Catelyn Stark to escort Tyrion to the Vale, but he has since secured himself a more lofty title. His service as commander of the city guard during Stannis Baratheon's attack on King's Landing earned him a knighthood from Tywin Lannister - Tyrion's replacement as Hand of the King.
He may not have been the only man knighted for his bravery at the battle, but he was the only one deemed a knight of the Blackwater. Due to the fact that he was in charge of tightening the chain that blocked off the bay and left Stannis' fleet burning, he chose a burning, green chain as his new sigil.
Silent MailMan
Daenerys isn't the only person angry that Bronn shot a scorpion bolt at her precious dragon. In addition to all of the Dothraki who are willing to kill for their queen, some people in the real world are unhappy about Flynn's action. While the actor had fun running around the finely choreographed set, he told the official Game of Thrones blog that he's been "a little unpopular" since the episode aired.
The worst part is Flynn's mailman won't even speak to him anymore. Now, if Flynn ever needs to sign for a package, he can expect a pretty awkward confrontation until Bronn makes a formal apology to Daenerys. Hopefully people are more angry at the Night King at this point and have forgotten about Bronn's action.
He Renames His Step-Son Tyrion
Bronn and Tyrion have gone through quite a lot together. They've survived battles together and slept their way across Kings Landing on multiple occasions. Whlie Bronn consistently reiterates that he only works for Tyrion for the gold, it's clear the two have developed a real relationship and respect for one another.
Then, instead of serving as Tyrion's champion after he is accused of murdering King Joffrey, Bronn goes off and marries Lolly Stokesworth. At the time, Lolly was pregnant with a bastard child after she was assaulted during the riot in Kings Landing. In honor of his previous employer, Bronn names the baby Tyrion.
While the two haven't seen each other in quite some time and Tyrion is stuck in Essos, it's clear that when the two finally reunite it will be a joyous occasion for the old friends.
Jaime and Bronn Never Cross Paths In the Books
It may be hard to believe considering how close the two have become in the show, but Bronn and Jaime Lannister don't cross paths in the books. The mission to Dorne which put the two of them together in the first place never even takes place in the books. Similarly, the siege of Riverrun and the battles against the Dothraki and Daenerys have yet to occur.
That doesn't mean Jaime isn't aware of who Bronn is in the books. Obviously Jaime knows that Bronn is the commander of the city guard during the battle of the Blackwater, but he starts really thinking about him after he has already married Lolly Stokeworth.
Bronn Knows How to Play the Game
It's been hinted at during a few other parts of this article, but Bronn knows how to play political games with the best of them. After working as Tyrion's right hand man for so long, Bronn decided that it was time to create a home for himself and try to accumulate substantial wealth.
His wife Lolly Stokesworth isn't the heir to the family holdings when Bronn marries into the family, but he tells Tyrion that an accident can always take place. He brings some of his former sellsword friends who have been knighted into his land as a precaution and prepares for any fights that might come his way. After he succeeds in the duel against Ser Balman, Falyse Stokeworth, the family heir, is sent off.
As a consequence of her failure, Falyse is tortured and eventually killed by Qyburn and Cersei, making Lolly the lady of Stokeworth. Serving as her faithful companion, Bronn is lord of the house and it's clear that he has his eyes on bigger prizes down the line.
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