Tormund Giantsbane was one of the best characters on Game of Thrones. As the de facto leader of the Free Folk, he was crass, caveman-like, and didn’t mince words. He wasn’t afraid to slice your head off but would also happily clink glasses and share some ale (or, in his case, spoiled milk). And behind his rough exterior was a logically-thinking leader with killer instincts. Despite his barbaric and often gross nature, there was something oddly charming about Tormund. And the love for his character has been captured in many memes online.
Most of them relate to Tormund’s obvious obsession with and attraction to Brienne of Tarth, who he affectionately called The Big Girl. But there are so many clever ones worth sharing.
The Big Woman
In the series, Tormund took an instant liking to Brienne of Tarth, an over six-foot, beautiful and strong woman who was right up his alley. Sadly, Brienne had no interest in Tormund. Instead, she had a crush on pretty boy Jaime Lannister, otherwise known as the King Killer.
At the end of the series, Jaime ended up leaving Brienne to go back to his twin sister and romantic love interest, and they died in one another’s arms. So this look perfectly expresses how Tormund might have felt upon hearing the news.
Brienne Can Do No Wrong
In this meme, the woman sitting down is not doing anything at all, but there’s a man behind her that is clearly excited about her mere presence. OK, really he’s probably just trying to photobomb her so he can appear in the picture (or on television.)
Nonetheless, the caption is fitting because no matter what Brienne did – even just walk into a room – Tormund became instantly obsessed. And just as in this photo, Brienne simply ignored him and had no interest in interacting, choosing to fake blissful ignorance of his advances.
Hold My Ale
While Tormund was a fierce warrior who killed many and would do whatever it took to defend the Free Folk, he had nothing on the young Lyanna Mormont, who found herself ruler of her House upon the death of others in her family.
Lyanna died jumping on a giant and literally sacrificing her life to kill it. So yah, Lyanna not only killed a giant as a child as well, but helped save thousands in doing so. And she did so as a young girl who had to earn her respect among peers both as a female and a child.
Long Lost Son
Whoever this young man is, from whatever series or movie, someone hit the nail right on the head by creating this meme. He has the signature red hair of Tormund along with the light eyes. But there’s something about his eyes that makes him totally resemble Brienne.
Had Brienne given in to Tormund’s advances and pursued a romantic relationship with him, this could very well have been what their son could have looked like. The resemblance to both of them is uncanny.
Drogo Vs. Tormund
When Game of Thrones began, Drogo was the tall, strong, muscular man that we loved to see. He personified traditional masculinity and an excess of testosterone, ripping food apart with his teeth, donning a long beard, and generally looked sweaty and disheveled. He was everything we had dreamed the character could be.
But then Drogo died and in came Tormund who was everything Drogo was but with the addition of humor and wit. So while we came for Drogo, we might have gotten tired of him after awhile. But Tormund? He’s worth stying for, keeping us laughing and loving him the whole way through.
The One With The Dragons?
This meme perfectly shows how Tormund never minced words. When someone asked him about the Queen, he didn’t know if they were referring to Cersei or Daenerys. So he asked if they meant the one who had the dragons (Daenerys) or the one who had the incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime (Cersei).
Of course he wasn’t quite as politically correct in his phrasing of the question. He didn’t hold back and simply asked it like it was, even if people were taken aback by his crassness.
A Long Knight
A major plotline of the story was The Night King who was determined to get another Long Night where his army could rule and eliminate all threats. Meanwhile, Tormund was after something (rather someone) that could be described in a similar fashion.
This meme turns the term “long night” into “long knight” in reference to Brienne. She was very tall and she was officially knighted by Jaime. So while the long nights/knights they both wanted were very different, they sound the same.
Her First Love
Looking at this meme makes you realize that Brienne really didn’t have great taste in men. The first man she had a crush on turned out to be gay. But he was nice to her when they were young so she felt a connection to him. Then, she fell for the pompous Jaime who not only had an ongoing romance with his twin sister but fathered several children with her and ended up leaving Brienne to go back to her.
Tormund, meanwhile, seemed to have a genuine affection for Brienne, but she never seemed to be interested in him. She sure didn’t know how to pick them!
It’s Love, Actually
If you have seen the popular Christmas movie Love, Actually, you know this memorable scene with Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln’s characters. In it, Lincoln’s character shows up at the door to see his best friend’s wife (who he has a crush on). He uses these boards to give her a secret message.
In the most popular missive, he writes “to me, you are perfect.” This totally seems like how Tormund felt about Brienne. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he always wanted to know where she was, and gawked at her whenever she was around.
Got Milk?
In one of the most memed scenes of the series, Tormund is seen guzzling milk like he’s an animal with no regard for the mess he’s making or how terribly uncouth he looks. As he finishes, milk is all over his bright red beard, not to mention the ground.
It’s reminiscent of the scene on the right of Joey from ‘90s sitcom Friends, who similarly, chugged a gallon of milk like he was a caveman. The Got Milk ad campaign typically features people with a small but pronounced milk mustache after taking a sip from a glass. This takes that to a whole new level.